You Have Been Assimilated: The Rise of the Brand

Richard Van Dyke

Sylva Miller

ENG 121 1N4

2-27-2014

You Have Been Assimilated: The Rise of the Brand

In the book “No Logo” Naomi Klein proposes that the recent growth in wealth and cultural influence of multinational conglomerates can be directly attributed to branding and advertising (967).  She claims that the rise of the brand has had the effect of making the actual product being marketed less important.  This new trend in advertising focuses on how the consumer feels about the idea behind the product and how that idea reflects on their sense of self-worth.  She further states that these companies are in the business of promoting a “lifestyle” by convincing consumers that their branded product will point the way to contentment (976).  In a “post product” age the desires of the consumer are no longer significant.  Madison Avenue now dictates the wants and even the needs of the masses. 

Branding, above all else, drives shoppers into stores to buy items that they otherwise would eschew.  How do you know Nike has the best shoe?  Or that Starbucks has the best coffee?  You know because you are constantly fed a narrative that this is the truth.  In all reality, most of us know on some level that nearly all sneakers are produced by underpaid workers in developing countries such as China and Indonesia and that their quality is nearly identical.  Just as surely as we know that the mom and pop coffee shop on the corner (as well as the coffee maker on our own counters) makes a cup of Joe that would probably be just as good as the one you would find at Starbucks.  It’s how the product makes us feel that drives the sale.

By taking ubiquitous products and branding them, advertisers made them seem preferred and allowed companies to build “brand loyalty” (969).  In reality, the products being purchased by consumers without the brand name were usually identical to what the grocer was already selling.  The difference was in the marketing.  Instead of going into the grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread, the consumer was now convinced that any old bread would not do.  “Wonder Bread” was the product the shopper was there for and no substitute would suffice.

Over the last century, product marketing and branding has had the effect of illuminating areas of “need” in consumer’s lives that they otherwise had no idea existed.  The automobile is a perfect example.  Companies such as GM and Ford were so successful at delivering their message to the common man, sales of their (relatively) expensive products skyrocketed.  Once seen as a convenience item, the car, through aggressive advertising and branding, became to be perceived as a necessity.  A status symbol a consumer could use to differentiate himself from his neighbor.  Mass transit and even walking became passé, something only low class people engaged in.

During the post-World War II era the emergence of the middle class and availability of disposable income allowed marketers to further advance the idea of “brand essence” (970).  Coke, Marlboro, Kraft.  These brands all evoke powerful images of class, convenience and “the good life”.  The public gladly accepts a higher cost because these branded products are perceived to be premium.  This was a direct appeal to a consumer’s idea of how a product could enhance their lives.  What does a cowboy on horseback have to do with smoking cigarettes? Or a polar bear with caramel colored, carbonated sugar water?  Nothing, but the feelings that they evoke drive sales of the products.  Marketers understand this effect and do their best to exploit it for their clients. 

A hundred times a day consumers are submerged in a sea of advertisements that are specifically crafted to make them feel that their life cannot be complete unless they possess the latest shiny widget.  From all directions the marketing assault on the senses is unrelenting. Are you an “Apple” person?  Well then the new iPad is for you.  Feeling a little thirsty?  A Coke is the only thing that will quench that thirst.  It’s unimportant whether or not the need is for these specific items.  A generic tablet at half the price would do the same job as that iPad and a glass of water is actually what your body is craving, but we have been convinced that these branded products are the only thing that will satisfy our desire. 

Marketers have found branding to be an effective hedge against profit loss.  Even during times of economic slowdowns effective marketing of well-known brands (brand loyalty) keeps sales steady (968).  As we all know, a generic substitute for a branded item is nearly always less expensive.  How many times in your own shopping excursions have you picked a more expensive, branded product because “We’ve always bought Tide.”?   This is a counterintuitive act and ultimately against our best interests.   It’s human nature to avoid change and stick with what we know.  Comforted by routine, consumers gladly pay the extra cost.

The rise of the brand through effective marketing and advertising has had a profound effect on what we purchase and ultimately how we live our lives.  Klein presents a stark reality in which advertisers prey on basic human needs and instincts in pursuit of the bottom line.  The ploy to separate the shopper from their money regardless of product quality and actual consumer need has been incalculably effective.  The post product age is all about promoting an idealized image of a modern lifestyle.  Marketers and the multinational conglomerates they represent have seen great success at influencing public opinions and trends.  Consumers are buying what they’re selling.  In short, they win.