One of the strongest held beliefs among marketers is that brand plays an important—even crucial—role in consumer decision-making. But recent developments in consumer electronics should make us all stop and think. Consider two examples: Roku, a virtually unknown brand, captured significant market share in the streaming set-top box market.  And in the tablet market (the iPad notwithstanding) some reports suggest that “tablet buyers don’t care who makes their devices.” We attribute these phenomena to a fundamental shift in the way consumers make decisions. Let us explain this shift and how it shakes long-held beliefs about three concepts in marketing: brand, loyalty, and positioning.