Choosing a gift by brand name alone is a common shortcut when you're unsure of someone's specific taste - but it's a shortcut that sometimes backfires when the recipient's actual preferences don't align with what a brand name signals.
A well-known brand reduces the risk of an obviously bad gift, but it doesn't guarantee the item matches the recipient's actual style or needs - it's a floor, not a ceiling, on how good the gift will be.
A less prestigious item that clearly reflects something specific about the recipient's interests usually lands better than a more expensive, more generic branded item - thoughtfulness reads as more valuable than price in most gift-giving contexts.
For a recipient whose specific taste is genuinely unknown - a distant relative, a new colleague - leaning on a reliable, well-regarded brand is a reasonable, lower-risk choice until you know them better.