What is the relationship between branding and the consumer self?
I have been given the task to create a hypothesis for this question based on my chosen topic of consumerism.
I think that branding definitely has an effect on the consumer choice on a daily basis, every time a consumer is in action they are being constantly pulled each way in a consumer environment, constantly making new decisions and choices, consciously and
sub-consciously based on how a product looks, feels, is shaped, its popularity and the type of product in the consumers interest. How the the brand is advertised has a great effect on consumers, different advertisement appeals to different types of consumers, which could be relate to how a consumer thinks and decides, or how it relates to a certain lifestyle.
I think branding has its own image to begin with as well as the consumer having their own image about a certain brand, based on how it looks and its ability to advertise itself.
Based on what a consumer takes in mentally about a certain brand to some point, it almost identifies the consumer themselves based on the mass choices they are making whenever they purchase a known or familiar brand or when the consumer discovers and makes the decision to try something new or different.
The consumer will most likely buy into a brand that they are familiar with because they have experienced it, therefore the brand is either good or bad, if the brand is good then it gains it reputation along with its advertisement to be seen as a known brand towards consumers.
My hypothetical conclusion is that branding can be used as the definition of the consumer, based on how a consumer is taken in by the advertising and experience, the type of brand or product, the way it is portrayed along with the thought and decision process made by the consumer. Different brands attract different people based on there lifestyle and experience.
Based on my conclusion I have read an extraction from a book relating to my question based on consumerism.
This extraction talks about 'The experience economy',
"Goods and services are no longer enough, and the commodity status of objects limits their economic potential. From now on it's all about you and your experience. The experience is the marketing, and goods become the tangible artefacts or souvenirs of experience'. Commodities are just too interchangeable, goods are tangible and services are intangible. But experiences are memorable. Experiences can affect you on an emotional, physical and intellectual level". 'NAV HAQ, pages 3-4'
(Nav Haq and Tom Trevor, 2008, Art Consumerism and the Experience Economy, 1st edition, Bristol, Arnolfini)
This extraction tells me that a brand gains it's popularity by the experience and the decisions and choices made by consumers, 'based on the experience'. That once a brand becomes a known brand and has connected to the consumer on a personal level, the product just becomes a symbol or 'souvenir' of the brand. The consumer is no longer buying the product but is really buying the brand based on the product and the experience.
Based on what a consumer takes in mentally about a certain brand to some point, it almost identifies the consumer themselves based on the mass choices they are making whenever they purchase a known or familiar brand or when the consumer discovers and makes the decision to try something new or different.
The consumer will most likely buy into a brand that they are familiar with because they have experienced it, therefore the brand is either good or bad, if the brand is good then it gains it reputation along with its advertisement to be seen as a known brand towards consumers.
My hypothetical conclusion is that branding can be used as the definition of the consumer, based on how a consumer is taken in by the advertising and experience, the type of brand or product, the way it is portrayed along with the thought and decision process made by the consumer. Different brands attract different people based on there lifestyle and experience.
Based on my conclusion I have read an extraction from a book relating to my question based on consumerism.
This extraction talks about 'The experience economy',
"Goods and services are no longer enough, and the commodity status of objects limits their economic potential. From now on it's all about you and your experience. The experience is the marketing, and goods become the tangible artefacts or souvenirs of experience'. Commodities are just too interchangeable, goods are tangible and services are intangible. But experiences are memorable. Experiences can affect you on an emotional, physical and intellectual level". 'NAV HAQ, pages 3-4'
(Nav Haq and Tom Trevor, 2008, Art Consumerism and the Experience Economy, 1st edition, Bristol, Arnolfini)
This extraction tells me that a brand gains it's popularity by the experience and the decisions and choices made by consumers, 'based on the experience'. That once a brand becomes a known brand and has connected to the consumer on a personal level, the product just becomes a symbol or 'souvenir' of the brand. The consumer is no longer buying the product but is really buying the brand based on the product and the experience.
