Branding Essay

As a consuming population we rescue formed tardily emotional bonds with our home runs, to the extent that they now determine who we are and how we are perceived. (Isaksen and Roper, 2008). Brands are everywhere we look. They are simply unavoidable. We wake up in the aurora brush our teeth with a blemish of toothpaste, use our branded shampoo, put on several brands of clothes and then eat our branded toast. We simply cannot dodging from them. So the enquires I pose are Why do we choose the brands we do? What do our brands say about us?Brand ersonality refers to the set of merciful characteristics associated with a brand (Aaker, 1997). When I talk about brand determine or brand personality I am basically asking if this brand were a person who would it be? Or else when we subvert these brands what do they represent? Our modern culture has become obsessed with brands so what do they mean? If you buy a BMW people will assume you are rich, if you are seen walking around with a pa ir of Beats you are seen to be cool. Every crossroad we buy or service we use says something about us whether we want it to or not.Everything comes with an age or has a stigma attached to it. eventide the unison we listen to and the celebrities we admire harbor become brands in themselves. Take Kim Kardashian as an example she wasnt heard of up until 2007 and now she is one of the most illustrious women on the planet with business ventures such as perfume, clothing stores, a T. V show and over 16 million followers on cheep she has completely made a brand out of herself. Aaker (1997) suggests that the personality traits associated with a brand, such as those associated with an individual, tend to be elatively enduring and distinct.Such as when you hear Mercedes you think luxury, Guinness is tradition and Chanel is elegance. In colleges all across the country every student not only has the burden of exams and QCAs but alike how they look and its the brands they buy that decide this. You will be questioned if youre not wearing the latest Hollister gear or carrying a shiny youthful iPhone 5. Hollister originated in California in 1922 and is a brand associated with the beach and surfing yet in most schools and colleges it has been turned into popularity contest of who can have the ost or the best or the newest.Brands are completely consuming us and its not Just spoilt teenagers anymore it is ranging from everyone from early kids of 5 historic period old right through adolescents up to adults. Primary school kids are coming home crying because they dont have the latest brand of lunch box like their friends and middle aged men are going out buying ridiculously expensive phones and cars Just to stay facial expression young because they believe thats what those brands can sullener them. They are willing to pay for Just a couple more years of feeling young and on trend.This leads into Bhat and Reddy (1998) and their theory of how brands can be functional, s ymbolic or both. Functional brands satisfy immediate and practical needs. Symbolic brands satisfy symbolic needs such as those for self-expression and prestige, and their practical usage Is only incidental (Bhat and Reddy,1998). People have taken a brand that was originally meant as functional such as clothing, phones and cars and turned them into something so symbolic that they actually covet them. You keep certain clothes for good wear spend hours cleaning your car and people heighten ore now to save a talling phone than a talling baby.Bhat and Reddy ( 8) were able to prove this theory through diverse research groups and methods For example, to owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, their motorcycle is not Just a mode of transportation. (Bhat and Reddy, 1998). They have said It is an experience, an attitude, a lifestyle, and a vehicle to express who one is (Aaker,1996). Adolescents are influenced the easiest when it comes to symbolic positioning of brands. As cognitive instruct ion progresses, adolescents are able to understand the complex ymbolism of brands and their role in defining the self. Chaplin and Roedder-John, 2005) They want everything theyre friends have and are surrounded by images of celebrities showing off the latest fashions and technology. Several brands are even endorsed by the celebrities they look up to. Young girls are influenced so easily by the beautiful people on television so why wouldnt they want to buy shampoo that will make their vibrissa look like Cheryl Coles hair or make up that will make them look like Beyonc or even clothes that will make them look like Rihanna.Even teenage boys are seeing images such as David Beckham sprawled across a billboard half naked so why shouldnt they buy Armani boxers to look like him and why shouldnt they want to drive the luxury car brands like soccer players? Companies continuously aim products at teenagers through different mediums such as television, music, and celebrities. Isaksen and Rope r (2008) suggests brands which are placed in popular teenage television programs are likely to benefit from a positive image and be popular among adolescent consumers. Teenagers have become walking brands but t isnt their fault it is what they are surrounded by.In summary brands have completely taken over our lives. Everyone buys into them whether they mean to or not and we can all pretend to hate them yet they are such a macroscopic part of our everyday lives there is no escaping them. Companies have realised this and know exactly how to market their brands to the different markets so we have to accept them. We are influenced by them in ways we dont even realise. They are part of our society and culture and the fashion of brands is only growing stronger so my final question is which brand are you?