Hi all, good topic!
You are all right in various ways.
When I was in business, I studied Marketing strategy and the Institute of Purchasing Guides.
When you buy from a Brand Leader, you get a good product (rarely the best) as no one lasts for long selling defective product.
You get a hefty on cost to pay for their hype advertising, freebies to the trade, Jollies for their sponsored teams, all of which is paid for by the brand follower Angler to the detriment of the product quality.
You also get a good after sales service in the event of defect (they need to keep their name high) BUT you get totally ripped off for spares needed through your negligence or accident.
Example.
Daiwa replaced a 21.95 rod for me as it was defective with a 61 .95 Vulcan 1200 feeder rod inc. 3 tips! (Obviously overstocked, but I love the feel of the rod!)
However, I lost the light oz tip, my fault! So they want 19.95 to replace it?????
2.00 less than the original price of the defective rod, for just 1 tiny part. Called recovery margin.
Finally, you get peace of mind that you have the in equipment, whereas logically you know you are being ripped off.
You also want to display status.
Otherwise Rolls Royce would never sell a metal box on wheels that costs some 25 times more than a perfectly adequate method of transport.
Some people believe that if they buy Tiger Woods endorsed Golf Clubs, they will play like him!
I used to sit behind Ivan Marks at Matches in the late 70s.
He would get to his peg late, dive in his box, where everything was usually laying in an inch of water, pull out a rusty reel, seen him snap a float, because he couldnt find one quite right and fish with the stub!
All the while he was selling his name on Daiwa's rods and loads of brand people were buying them!
Just look too at the marketing strategy.
Every 2 years or so, a New super product is launched, at a Premium Price.
This snares the 15 to 20% that splodge describes as must haves
Those must be protected for the future, so that price holds for about 6 months and then the Mid range is launched. IE Technium, Antares, Cantana, Hyperloop, all together, all much the same, but priced in bands. All GOOD product. And perfectly adequate for the average Angler.
This drives a high percentage up a band more than they would really have wanted to pay.
Having made your choice, the marketing ploy is to say Not in stock, but instead of 20 more, we can get you the next one up for a Tenner and thats how I got the Catana 14 ft rod instead of the one I ordered (although I only agreed 5 lol)
Then, with age and the end of the cycle, Prices tumble for really top stuff, (probably where Giles is at with his brand) or they are withdrawn and launched in a different Country, to avoid upsetting the Brandies here.
My defective Daiwa SEL rod was an American Market product, which I was never told until it went wrong!
A further factor is the overall package needed.
If you just fish carp puddles, you might as well buy your limited needs at the top end.
If, like me, you like variety, then you have to be a Rolls Royce buyer with more money than sense, to buy all the kit!
I reported yesterday the 7 Pike I caught spinning.
Now my Spinning kit (because I didnt even know if I could find venues, would like it, or have the time) Cost as follows
1 ten-foot telescopic rod,
1 Silverman 5 Ball Bearing (YES 5 and it is as sweet as a nut) Reel
1 Rod bag, (in which I carry my Trout 3 piece old Shim powerloop quiver rod made up, landing net handle, spinning rod and reel, bank stick and rest, So its big!)
3 part kit on offer from Askari 21.85! And a free gift of Steel and filleting knife!
Now these, on the 3 occasions I have been spinning, have landed 12 Pike, behaved absolutely spot on and I have confidence in them now, which I never had before, but at that price it didnt matter.
However, MY insistence on quality, has been to load the reel with 14lb Berkeley Fireline, and spend over 50 on the lures, special coated sea trace wire and expensive scissors, crimps etc.
BUT I can use these on Dead bait rods, other applications like barbell fishing with the reel and braid etc.
If I find that Pike in excess of the low doubles I have caught are more of a problem, I can upgrade just the rod! But all indications are favourable at present.
I have seen many people buy the top gear and then load it with cheap line, buy low cost baits and get totally out of balance.
I have already spent over 100 on Power Pro line alone after I was recommended to it having failed miserably with cheaper braid.
In my Humble opinion, the end presentation is the bit the fish bites at and quality hooks, lines and all terminal tackle is required to even be able to test the theory of whether the rod and reel can cope with the fish. I also believe Ivan Marks would have landed them on a Billiard Cue and Cotton Reel!
Finally, the Press also misleads with un biased Tackle Tests
They recently tested 20 ft rods, admitted that Chapmans was truly a MAP concept rod, both selling for (99.95, but gave the verdict to Chapmans, for some minor reason.
They neglected to research that if you bought the true MAP brand from Used Tackle, You received a 40 (again, probably over inflated value) Keep net FOC!
Incidentally, Used are also selling the Blue Diamond Leeda Carp Waggler and Super Method Feeder rods for 40 each instead of their Brand launch price of 159.95!
Do you really believe that these, great rods as they are, were worth 4 times their current price when launched?
BUT Leeda fans paid it and then said You get what you pay for LOL
Yeah, until the new product comes out!
Sorry to go on, but having spent my working life in Sales and Marketing, I never cease to be amazed at the different strategies applied.
Top Tip,
Buy Okuma now!
Incredible quality and value for money, BUT it will alter as they become known and the Brand demand starts.
Low advertising now, but will have to be added to the price as they strive to defend growth.
Their niche too is as a genuine manufacturer, unlike Shimano, who are marketing and supply company.
BUT dont dismiss the Comfort factor!
It has been proved that people drive better, play better and I assume fish better, if they have brand loyalty, so perhaps the extra is WORTH it for some.
In the old days of computers, people used to say Youll never get sacked for buying IBM; such was their Brand Image.
Then along came Bill Gates!
Cheers
Trev
Ziptrev

Shouldn't happen to a DOG!