The Brands We Love

Why do I buy Nike over Adidas? Or Apple over Microsoft? Beats over Bose? Heineken over Corona?

All of these companies make great products at a competitive price point, so why do I almost always favor one brand over another? Are my decisions on these products made only because of quality and price? Or do these brands have some hidden, abstract values that attract me?

If brands don't really matter, if it's just a logo attached to a product, why do we tend to buy many products from the same brand? Or even more importantly, how can some brands thrive while charging a premium for their products?

In What We Buy and Who We Are, Rob Walker says: “They [Nike and Red Bull] work hard to associate themselves with abstract notions of nonconformity and achievement.” This is very true, and the same idea can be applied to Apple, Heineken, and many other brands.

In reality, the value of a product comes after production is done; Marketing creates value in the mind of the consumer. The perceived value that a product has plays a major role in why we buy it. I buy Nike clothes because they make great products, but also because of the notion behind their products: Just do it. I buy Apple products because their products are among the very best, but I also am persuaded by the innovative aspect of their products. I drink Heineken because the beer tastes good, but their image also fits into my lifestyle. As Walker said: “In our present era, branding and marketing are more pervasive, more influential, and more meaningful, not less so.”

We buy brands that fit into our personal narratives. We use branded products to express ourselves. It’s like the brand understands where you are and where you want to go, and because of that you buy its products, so that everyone else can understand it too.

You consume what you are, or what you want to be.

Sometimes we buy things on impulse or simply because it’s cheaper. Though, when we find ourselves buying the same brand over and over again, there is always a reason. Just think to yourself, what brand do you constantly buy, and why? I bet that you will learn one or two things about yourself.

Thanks for reading!

Best,
Pedro