I do not understand why manufacturers make custom skins for Android before they load it on their phones. What are they gaining by reskinning it? Couldn't they just load up their bloatware on stock Android? It seems like they are wasting man-hours by completely changing how the OS looks and feels, especially because they don't make any money off of that. From a purely business standpoint, I don't see why they bother.
That is part of their product. Just as the aluminium here, the body there, the screen this, the camera that, the skin is another part of the product. They bother because that is a "feature" that differentiates them from all others. Exactly that the OS looks and feels different is the business-goal here. For you the most important facts about a smartphone might be the specs, but for most ordinary buyers it really is important how the skin feels and what that "offers"..
They would not bother if they would not have any effect on sales at all.
That does make sense. I guess from my standpoint as a consumer who finds a phone running as close to stock as possible a selling point, I don't entirely see why changing it would be something people would like.
Part of my thought process is that if manufacturers started touting stock Android as better, and only changed the OS to add features much like Motorola has been doing, they would save themselves a lot of work and, long term, would be able to change the consumer mindset to advocate that in the process via their marketing.