Branding: My toaster made me do it...

Lauren & I are discussing Brand on her Blog...

Lauren said...
Brand as a Platform
Branding is a tool that big companies and corporations use in order to establish a reliable customer base. It is also a tool that is used in order to make a product mean "more" than what its function dictates. Is that right? I don't know. I do know that I don't want to be told what to think, how to feel, or told to be loyal to a company that pisses me off.What does that mean?

Dana said...
I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I have opinions anyway, so here you go... :)

Branding is manipulation. Manipulation is unethical. Done.

But maybe not...

Manipulation also removes the power/control over the situation from the one being manipulated. Basic human nature drives people to maintain control - even in uncontrollable situations, adrenaline kicks in to give a person a sense of capability; they believe they are able to regain their control.

On the flip side, there is no real objective view of a product (or anything in life), so to assert that branding should be completely removed from the product scenario would be in vain - the surrounding situation will always influence a buyers perception of a product, and that situation is always controlled by someone...

There is also an interesting facet to branding that closely resembles the suspension of a buyer's reality. Like role playing, the buyer can be anyone he or she chooses through brand.

View Lauren's blog here:
http://legitimatexperience.blogspot.com/2005/02/brand-as-platform.html

2/07/2005