By Elliot Vos
Mac fan(atic)s get slammed all the time for their nigh-unwavering devotion to Apple and Steve Jobs. Many of them even embrace (more or less jokingly) the accusations they receive of treating Steve Jobs as a deity. I could go into all of the reasons for this, but I am afraid that I would quickly start rationalizing and becoming defensive, as I have been accused of being a “Mac Fanboy” myself.
I chuckle, then, but usually try to restrain myself from pointing my finger back at the “fanboys” of other products or companies. They may be more or less obnoxious (usually depending on how little or much you agree with them), and they may not place a single person on a pedestal like people do with Apple’s CEO, but there are people out there who are as devoted to Microsoft, Google or some brand of Linux as many Mac fanboys are to Apple. You know you’ve seen them. You may have unsuccessfully tried to reason with them. Chances are quite likely that some of you are even becoming defensive right now, constructing “At least I don’t…” rationalizations in your mind to post in the comments. But before you get too up-in-arms, I am not here to blast anyone for irrational fanboy-ism.
Even though my examples thus far have come from the tech world, this brand obsession is much older and extends far beyond computers. Car enthusiasts rally behind Chevy or Dodge, nobody can avoid the Pepsi vs. Coke debate, and some people continue to wrongly insist that Miracle Whip is better than real mayonnaise.
What makes people become so attached to a brand? I’m no psychologist, but I’m pretty sure there’s no gene to predispose you to prefer Pepsi over Coke, so it has to be all in your head. Somehow we let marketing or a couple of familiar experiences sway us so much that we can’t think clearly about other options that are out there. The younger generations are epitomized by their strive for independence… yet when it comes to choosing what digital camera to buy, they let marketers make the decision. Not even the counter-culture is really independent. Its members seem to find their own trends which match each other. Why can’t we stand on our own like we say we want to?
Maybe we just want a champion. For whatever reason, we pick a side in some arena of products. We may see it as the right fit in one situation, or maybe we just have a good feeling about it. From that point on, we defend it almost blindly, because we want it to “win.”
Maybe it’s simply a need to be a part of something. Sure, we want to be independent, but it’s a big scary world out there. We then form groups based on similar styles — which are completely different from the ones from which we rebelled — in order to be safe and have an identity.
Whatever the reason is, and as much as I want to say that I think for myself, I know I fall into the habits of brand loyalty all too easily. As I mentioned before, I have been accused of being a Mac fanboy. I’ve also been accused of being too friendly with Google, and I know I was brainwashed by McDonald’s when I worked there for 11 months (it actually tastes better there now, I swear!).
Why do you think we get trapped into brand loyalty? How can we avoid it? Which brands do you stand by? Can you really justify those allegiances?
5 comments ↓
[…] Dawning Valley asks: Mac fan(atic)s get slammed all the time for their nigh-unwavering devotion to Apple and Steve Jobs. Many of them even embrace (more or less jokingly) the accusations they receive of treating Steve Jobs as a deity. I could go into all of the reasons for this, but I am afraid that I would quickly start rationalizing and becoming defensive, as I have been accused of being a “Mac Fanboy” myself. […]
I think it’s different for different people. I think, for most people, it has to do with the human desire to want to belong. (Brilliant insight, I know.) But for some people, myself included, part of the penchant for being vocal about the brands I enjoy comes from the desire to win arguments, regardless of how inane the argument
I like to think I’m getting better at that, but obviously that personality component is a major contributing factor in a lot of fanboy phenomena, and especially the vocal advocacy aspect of it. I realize that was a clumsy sentence, but I trust you get the gist, and it’s too late for me to write it any better.
I think there’s also something about trying to “convert” people. For example, I use Firefox, and like it, but for whatever reason can’t be content, unless everybody else I know also uses Firefox. Logically thinking, it doesn’t really make a difference, but I just get excercised when somebody is (in my mind at least), using an “inferior” product. I think it’s this same psychological thing-y (that WAS the best word-choice) that powers Wikipedia, forums, etc. And this comic: http://xkcd.com/386/.
…Just my take on it…
That’s a good point, Timmy. It seems that fanboys are usually also missionaries.
I wanted to make a Post about this myself, but I’m glad that there are same-minded people.
I have to say that I am no better. There was a time, where I tried to convert everyone to Linux, until I realized that Linux is not suited for everyone. Now I give the pros and contras of Linux before I even let them try.
And that’s what People should do. They should use the Operating System that suits their needs best.
For instance: Everyone is telling me that I made an Error in buying my Apple iPod Classic. But I wanted it because I already used iTunes without iPod so it suited my needs. I use Google Reader because some RSS Feeds delete old News and since Google Reader stays online all the time, that Problem is solved.
People should understand, why other People are using something they themselves don’t like that much. And maybe, just maybe, we should accept that some People really don’t care about what they are using as long as it works for them. (Or to say it in George Carlin’s Words: They don’t give a sh#t).
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