I just bought a new vacuum cleaner.  My old vacuum cleaner was just losing suction every day. There were several types, brands and price points in the vacuum section at my local discount store. The range went from $39  Dirt Devil stick vacuums all the way to $350 Dysons. It's been ten years since I last bought a vacuum, a Eureka. Naturally, I checked out Eurekas, and also the Hoovers and Bissells and Dirt Devils. Dyson was just out of my price range. But you know what kept going through my head? "Bissell, We Mean Clean." That is the power of great tagline. So I bought a Bissell. But before you think that the tagline made me buy it, I chose it MAINLY because of price and features. The price was right and the features were good (bagless, 12 amps, lighter than the Eureka, onboard tools, HEPA filter).

I figured that Bissell had to be good. I didn't check out consumer reports. I didn't ask around to see what other people had. However, I have seen countless commercials for Bissell. It is not an unknown. That is the power of branding. You come to know and believe in a brand. Brand is not always enough to influence purchase. I know, for instance, that Dyson never loses suction (according to their commercials), but $350 is just not in my budget for a vacuum cleaner. I have been using a Eureka without problems for 10 years, but the Eureka model in the store was four pounds heavier than the Bissell.

Are there any brands that you won't give up on, regardless of price and features? For one,  I always buy Tylenol, not store brand acetaminophen.  But I stopped buying branded zip top and  trash bags when I found the store brand was practically the same and a lot cheaper.