It is a general tendency for most of us to associate Quality with Brand and vice versa.

And probably this is the reason why companies divert exorbitant part of their resources towards the branding efforts.

No doubt it works. Consider the case of apparels. As a child, I don't remember myself being fascinated by Brands but as I grew up, the media ingrained this concept into my conscience. The stores that I used to visit as a child no more fit into my itinerary. They have now been replaced by the branded outlets.

Is it logical to take quality as an intrinsic attribute of a Brand?

Or shall we look further and make an informed decision?

Think and express!!

A very well framed scenario which I am sure that most of us face almost every time we need to buy anything. I think that the brands who have established themselves can be chosen confidently without thinking much. The brands that have established themselves can't afford to lower down the quality, reason being that word of mouth works both ways. If word of mouth marketing has made it a brand, it can also tarnish the image of the brand by bad publicity. All good brands know this fact and would not risk consumer satisfaction for a small amount of extra profit. The brands who have taken this risk are eroded away from the market.

Brand Vs Quality - This has always intrigued me..

Personally, I would think Quality wins over Brand.

I second Aayush's view that Brand needs to maintain Quality to retain their brand image.. but on the other hand, as a consumer, what I need is Quality and I may not be interested to pay extra amount for the company to spend and build its brand...

As a simple customer not addicted to prestige, any day Quality wins over Brand... ROI Speaks..!!

But from whatever limited experience I have had, I can certainly say that a tradition Indian consumer is very aspirational and seeks prestige in everything that he/ she spends on... Quality, no doubt must be the prime concern but while making a purchase decision, a typical consumer will stick to a Branded product if it is coming at the same price!

exactly.... first things first...

Quality is foremost.. then comes the price..

if quality and price are same, then comes the brand..!! brand takes the third place..

For products that are repeat purchases, quality is likely to win. How about products that form a one time purchase? Do you have the same views for all types of products and services? 

Brand getting Enjoy ( Earn Joy ) from Quality

I see this in 2 dimensions:

 

I^st Dimension :

If the product is need based.. ie, if you need to buy a shirt.. then my earlier formula of Quality wins over Brand.

 

II^nd Dimension:

If the product is prestige based, ie, if the pride of owning something wins over the need for that product, for example, an SUV car. then, in this case, Brand will have a higher say.

 

but the backbone is ultimate, Quality. 

Without Quality, customer doesn't respect a brand,

but, without a brand, the customer is still ready to buy...

For one time purchase, both brand and quality should be considered. As one would want the product to last for a long duration. (as the name suggests, it is a one time purchase)

What is finally important in all purchase decisions is value perception. This is a combination of quality and brand connection in one's mind. People do buy Chinese unbranded goods, many of which are not associated with great quality but definitely meet the value criteria. Take the example of remote controlled cars or mobile phones which do not last long but have extraordinary features that work for few weeks or months. At the price they are sold, they are considered to be of great value. Someone who appreciates "Apple" products for great quality may not always buy them even if he/she can afford them. 

 

To take this discussion further, the objective of Lean Six Sigma is not to enhance to quality of products or services but to increase value for the customer. This is what finally increases repeat and referral sales. 

Perceived value is certainly the main criterion that dictates purchases!

From a producer's point of view, it is therefore essential to understand the value of his/ her offering.

This can easily be done by using a technique like QFD that takes into account the competitor's offering!