Nickolas Smith asked some good questions over on the new product releases thread. I think the question is worthy of its own subject line. Forgive me for editing some of the commentary but I decided to take your wife's brand loyalty test! : )

Would I still be brand loyal if they had an O store next door to every GAP?

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If the commitment to quality, art, product differentiation remains.
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Would I be brand loyal is they started making all of their products in China?

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NO...I have been hanging on the fact that the glasses are made in the USA...that is now not 100% true. I am saddened and struggling to come to grips with that. Yes, we do live in a global market I know.
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Would I be brand loyal if everyone wore Oakleys?

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Is there enough product differentiation to satisfy my need to be different?
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(NS wife is a Marketing Manager for a large corporation, so shes fascinated by Oakley and our collective allegiance to it)

How about you...are there other concerns/issues that would affect your brand loyalty?

How about you...are there other concerns/issues that would affect your brand loyalty?

Product quality and unique designs.

With respect to quality, Oakley is known for being one of the best. Though the quality has been noticably slipping in recent years, it's still very good. I'll keep buying as long as it's there, no matter where the product is made. Oakley's one of the more vertically integrated eyewear companies out there, and as long as that's the case, they'll provide great quality.

I will also keep buying as long as Oakley puts out unique designs. When it comes to fashionwear or street wear, there are a few dozen brands that are much, much better. I rather turn to them rather than Oakley when I want stuff like that. But when it comes to sports design and crazy futuristic products, there are few that have rivalled Oakley. Like I said, as long as they continue doing what attracted me to the brand in the first place, I'll continue being a fan.

Would I still be brand loyal if they had an O store next door to every GAP?

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I see more store locations as a good thing. Bring the brand we know and love to more customers. But having said that Oakley will never go to the point of a full bown O-Store in every mall (like a GAP). Doing that would indeed over saturate the brand as well as step on the toes of the whole sale division. I echo what has all ready been said: If the commitment to quality, art, product differentiation remains.
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Would I be brand loyal is they started making all of their products in China?

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NO... This is a sticking point with me. Oakley is a American born and raised brand. While some things have been moved over seas do to keeping prices down for the end consumer, the bulk of the product is sill done here. The day all manufacturing ships to China is the day Oakley dies.
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Would I be brand loyal if everyone wore Oakleys?

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I don't place my identity in what everyone else is doing. As long as I feel like I am still being allowed to express myself through the brand. Besides more people wearing the brand means more Money is coming in for R&D to play with!
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Great questions PropWash, and good on you Ken for moving it to its on proper thread!

Would I still be brand loyal if they had an O store next door to every GAP?

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Very tough, but probably not. It is bad enough that certain retail stores are getting them, and a butthole freakin' crap store (see link) has them authorized or not http://www.lacuracao.com/ I think this place having Oakley is TOTAL BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keeping the image and reputation of Oakley is important and selling out to just about everyone will kill their street cred.
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Would I be brand loyal is they started making all of their products in China?

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Absofreakinlutely NOT!!!!! Again, it is bad enough that the manufacturing, QAC, and all in the bottom is basically "Little TJ", but to ship domestic jobs and so forth over to China like everyone else will kill it. You may as well be wearing some Gas Station crap since it will be generating jobs, tax revenues, and opportunity for foreign lands instead of here where it belongs!
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Would I be brand loyal if everyone wore Oakleys?
http://www.lacuracao.com/
My opinion of that is not that strong. No, I would not like to see a bunch of @$$hole gangbangers pimpin' the O, nor would I prefer to see anymore douchebag rappers wearing them either, but whatever floats their boat. I think again as it was already said, as long as there is enough separation, it's okay. I would never put a Montefrio, Dispatch, or any shape like that on my dome, so there is someone else who can and it won't bother me one bit!
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It's too bad that some of this even has to be thought about, but reality is upon us, and I am sure at some point they have considered it if not done figures on it. I just almost feel ashamed to be an American these days. What was once the greatest country in the world, has now allowed itself to slip into an inferior position because of greed and lack of focus. It's really too bad. We have the resources, technology, and ability to be the world leader in virtually all areas, but selling ourselves out has taken precedence and has done permanent damage I feel. The loss of respect in the world community is hard to repair.

Would I still be brand loyal if they had an O store next door to every GAP?

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absolutely. Oakley have always been at the forefront of what they do and I identify with the products rather than the brand
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Would I be brand loyal is they started making all of their products in China?

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nope, there are some quality control issues already with some of the x-metals, I would rather pay the price we're paying now and make sure what I'm buying is worth it
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Would I be brand loyal if everyone wore Oakleys?

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Yes, I love the products and theres simply no comparison with any other form of eyewear on the market in my eyes. Here in the UK Oakley doesn't get the coverage it should anyway. I buy Oakley because I love Oakley, anyone else can choose or choose not to wear Oakley but these colours will never run so long as they keep manufacturing where it belongs.
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Would I be brand loyal is they started making all of their products in China?

For all intents and purposes there is no way i ever want to see manufacturing of oakley Glasses move to China or any other country. My heart says it will never happen but my head tells me different.
The biggest concern i have is that having any kind of manufacturing away from the intense control that oakley currently has, will open the technology to others to copy.
Hell before you know it some corrupt Chinese worker will say here's how they do it, then straight of to the foakley factory goes the tech to make the fakes as close to real as possible.

This is one case were MADE IN THE USA is vital to it's true survival.

If it starts saying Made in China on my boxes and glasses, well the pairs i have will be the last i ever have.

-me too mike, even if the quality is similar, "made in china" kills it, Its the same thing as making it "CHEAP". My "premier display case" says made in china, well maybe this does not count because its a display item. Lots of counterfiet website are showing recently like these:
www.okspaceonline.com, or http://www.freespacess.com/index.php#

-I dont think it will go on that direction. maybe apparel and other accesories or shoes but not the flagship product. It will never happen.

and the quality from the original Fabcom cases and the other company who was producing them in OC vs. th new Chinese crap is HIGHLY noticable. The new ones have inherent electrical problems with ballasts and transformers burning out and failing, and they are nowhere near as sturdy. I like the look (thanks Fabcom), and the glass shelves, but the screws are crap and strip easy (on the black ones anyway), and the electrical is a huge issue. Too bad for Oakley.

Made In China and Wal-Mart go hand in hand in my opinion. Not good

Would I still be brand loyal if they had an O store next door to every GAP?

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Yes. Unfortunately, the only places to buy Oakleys here in Utah are Sunglass Huts in malls with GAPs, and the Park City Vault, which is right across the parking lot from a GAP Outlet.
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Would I be brand loyal is they started making all of their products in China?

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To tell the honest truth, very few models made since 2004 have caught my eye, so in a round-about way, Not Really. Ever since mergers, sell-outs,and technology sharing, my love for Oakley has waned considerably. I find myself spending lots on late 90s and early 00s models recently.

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Would I be brand loyal if everyone wore Oakleys?

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It's getting to be that everyone IS wearing Oakleys. With Luxottica calling the shots, Revos are rocking plutonite, Ray-Bans are sucking less, Dragons and Foxs being made by Oakley at one point, Oakley seems to have influenced and infiltrated most brands. So, yes, I'm still loyal even though everyone else is wearing Oakleys.

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By the way, @TDM, I think it's awesome that Brits, Aussies, the Welsh, Canadians, etc. all take pride in American workmanship.

By the way, my first "birthday" here on the site is coming up. I expect presents. :D

youre welcome, when it comes to engineering eyewear, Oakley is second to none, I'm sure this would be compromised if it was outsourced, unfortunately Harley-Davidson is also American and they seem to have been made with purely American roads in mind (all straight roads), you ever tried a typically British roundabout on a Harley? lol of course the Harley engineering could be fine and British road design is flawed but either way I want Oakley manufacturing to stay in the US. Just acknowledge us Brits a bit more and accept warranty registrations from outside the US, come on...please :-)

You Brits need to ride the V Rod....That has a Porsche heart inside that American skeleton. Should be a better ride for your poorly engineered roads HAHA.

All are a moot point on New England roads.

I visited a local optometrist over the weekend, and the owner brought up something I really didn't think about. He said that when he was carrying Oakleys, he had a lot of problems with the Wires. He says that, since there were 3 factories providing parts to make any given Wire pair, the QC was not as tight as it could be, so he experienced lenses not fitting properly, hinges breaking, etc.

He also says that despite the flak RB gets from its "poor material usage" period, many of their glasses are completely made in one factory (whether it's in Italy, China or Ireland) so there's less breakage and higher QC. I've seen several RBs from the 2001-2007 period break, but he's seen a lot more glasses than I have, so I couldn't really respond to that.

Thats the first time I have ever heard that Oakley wire frame parts come from 3 different factories.

when he was carrying Oakleys

I usually take anything that comes from an Ex-Oakley dealer with a grain of salt. More times than not there is usually some type of bad blood. There is a local RX dealer that I know for a fact Oakley terminated there contract for discounting problems and now they say little negative things about Oakley to their customers. Things like "the Oakley frames don't hold up as well as ________ brand."

Lens not fitting has nothing to do with a frame manufacturer. If the optician is competent and cuts the lens to the measurement of the frame it will fit.

He wasn't referring to Rx eyewear. He was referring to plain sunglasses ordered directly from Oakley.