Decisions, Decisions

That was a cool post and now I'm thinking about people using my competitors in their tweets. I'll tweet them back as you suggested. Thank you for that.
If AJ asked me there is no doubt in my mind that I would have got him bottled water and plain chips, both no frills if possible. It would make him be more specific next time. As far as the choices you made for him: Doritos Nacho is our second best selling chip product (Plain Lays is first) and lemon flavored iced tea is tied with Gatorade for first.
When I buy something its because it's the best or it's has the best quality to price ratio. Once I find something I like I stick with that brand. It's never the other way around where bye I see a commercial and then go buy the product. I read and compare at the store myself then determine what is best. Once I try it, if I was wrong I try again till I find what I like then I stick with it. I wish my wife would do the same thing. Thanks to her I'm always discovering a new shampoo, or conditioner or type of cereal ( I hate switching cereals like you wouldn't believe. Leave my Honey Bunches of O's, My Sugar Pops and Cap'n Crunch the fuck alone. Christ. ). She's a price whore but I love her. Social media has not yet influenced a buying decision for me personally because I am new with it…with one caviat. Looking at Gary G Spot's videos (if you call that social media) I've learned a few things about wine and I've stayed away from some and tried others based on his recommendations.

Glad you enjoyed the post! Very interesting to hear that Nacho Doritos & Snapple Lemon are two of your best-sellers. Also, thanks for sharing your rationale for your decisions. Hopefully we'll get some more commenters to chime in so we can compare!

I am sometimes influenced by commercials. I remember that on the Tv show Nip/Tuck, a character was drinking Absolut Vodka. I started to buy this brand because somehow the brand was more familiar than the others and because i thanked them with my money for supporting a show I liked. But nowadays, I usually go for the good quality Vodka that is on sale that day. But still, without that ad in the show, I probably would have never bought a bottle of this brand.

Dr. Morin, Appreciate your comment! We see tons of product placement on television shows and in movies, and I would think that (at least subconsciously) it has some influence on consumer behavior. There was a lot of talk about product placement earlier this year on the show “Modern Family.” The show featured the iPad throughout an entire episode, which actually turned out not to be paid product placement and simply free publicity for Apple. That being said, it got the conversation going, and raised excitement around the iPad. I don't think I've ever been consciously influenced by product placement, but clearly many people have. Thanks again for your thoughts!

Aj might have been testing you to see if you were paying attention to what he likes… lol — just kidding. I probably would have bought him what I like. Ruffles sour cream and onion potato chips (I always like them, can remember how the first chip got in to my mouth!) and a Vitamin water (I love their marketing (says on their bottles) and they have a good product.

Interesting, Rich. You'd buy him what you like over what you think is “standard?” I guess sour cream and onion chips and Vitamin water are nothing too outrageous, but interesting nonetheless. Also, great reasons for sticking with your guns. I think that nostalgia/pure enjoyement and smart marketing by the brand are both pretty obvious reasons as to why you would purchase a specific product.

If I observed Aj drinking and eating something regularly, I’d probably go with what I saw him consuming, his “usual”. If he left it totally up to me then he just opened himself up to my tastes and preferences and I would want him to experience the things that I like to grow a new “bond”

Good point. Thanks for your comments, Rich! Much appreciated.