Comments on: Brands as shadows http://cultureby.com/2004/11/brands_as_shado.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:43:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: steve http://cultureby.com/2004/11/brands_as_shado.html/comment-page-1#comment-7055 steve Tue, 23 Nov 2004 18:16:03 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1077#comment-7055 Don't you have to separate brands into categories? There's the quality-assurance brand, which works on the premise that quality can't be checked prior to use, so an established name with a track record of performance is favored. This is the kind of brand Sureowicki is writing about. There's the mental association brand, where you think of something pleasant when you see the package or the logo (e.g. Corona Beer's vacation theme, or York Peppermint Patties humorous skiing/surfing theme). There's the social identity brand (practically all beer brands other than Corona, most SUVs, etc.) Some brands may manage to score more than one of these at a time, but the techniques for generating them (and their market impacts) are different enough that just talking about "brands" seems slightly silly. Don’t you have to separate brands into categories? There’s the quality-assurance brand, which works on the premise that quality can’t be checked prior to use, so an established name with a track record of performance is favored. This is the kind of brand Sureowicki is writing about. There’s the mental association brand, where you think of something pleasant when you see the package or the logo (e.g. Corona Beer’s vacation theme, or York Peppermint Patties humorous skiing/surfing theme). There’s the social identity brand (practically all beer brands other than Corona, most SUVs, etc.) Some brands may manage to score more than one of these at a time, but the techniques for generating them (and their market impacts) are different enough that just talking about “brands” seems slightly silly.

]]> By: Marshall Bolton http://cultureby.com/2004/11/brands_as_shado.html/comment-page-1#comment-7054 Marshall Bolton Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:02:52 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1077#comment-7054 I was actually quite cheerful when I read about the demise of Brands. That's nice I thought, because how many things do we really need? How many more disappointments can I bare? In a world where hierarchies are (slowly) crumbling the attribution of identity and status no longer needs the scaffolding of branding. Quality is almost universally guaranteed by engineering and digital copying encourages equality and the expectation of something for nothing (and chicks for free). Value is based on scarcity and a vertical scaling. I think the long tale of blogging, teenagers producing their own music with GarageBand and shopping centres filled to the roof with boxes of things penetrates the dream factory and rips the mirrors away from the great illusionists of our time. Abundance is killing brands. Well just a little bit. I for one would rather have a sharply shaped pen costing pennies than a Mont Blanc. I was actually quite cheerful when I read about the demise of Brands. That’s nice I thought, because how many things do we really need? How many more disappointments can I bare?

In a world where hierarchies are (slowly) crumbling the attribution of identity and status no longer needs the scaffolding of branding. Quality is almost universally guaranteed by engineering and digital copying encourages equality and the expectation of something for nothing (and chicks for free).

Value is based on scarcity and a vertical scaling. I think the long tale of blogging, teenagers producing their own music with GarageBand and shopping centres filled to the roof with boxes of things penetrates the dream factory and rips the mirrors away from the great illusionists of our time. Abundance is killing brands.

Well just a little bit.

I for one would rather have a sharply shaped pen costing pennies than a Mont Blanc.

]]> By: Dilys C. http://cultureby.com/2004/11/brands_as_shado.html/comment-page-1#comment-7053 Dilys C. Thu, 18 Nov 2004 21:52:23 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1077#comment-7053 <p>The work of Roy Williams, at the Wizard Academy near Austin, is one place where IMO the marketing rubber meets the speed-of-change road.  He's <a href="http://goodandhappy.typepad.com/g_as_in_good_h_as_in_happ/2004/10/the_volleyball_.html" rel="nofollow">predicting</a> that the power especially of luxury brands will attenuate more and more in the next 20 years.  The brands that prevail will be the ones that can survive the transparency of rapid word of [e-]mouth.  Less marketer impact, more peer influence. Quality, "keeping it real," are the robust branding strategies that have a chance with the next generations. </p> The work of Roy Williams, at the Wizard Academy near Austin, is one place where IMO the marketing rubber meets the speed-of-change road.  He’s predicting that the power especially of luxury brands will attenuate more and more in the next 20 years.  The brands that prevail will be the ones that can survive the transparency of rapid word of [e-]mouth.  Less marketer impact, more peer influence. Quality, "keeping it real," are the robust branding strategies that have a chance with the next generations.

]]> By: Grant http://cultureby.com/2004/11/brands_as_shado.html/comment-page-1#comment-7052 Grant Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:23:09 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1077#comment-7052 But this is precisely an example of pricing that sends a message, pricing that is to say that speaks not to the rational consumer but the cultural one. Thanks, Grant But this is precisely an example of pricing that sends a message, pricing that is to say that speaks not to the rational consumer but the cultural one. Thanks, Grant

]]> By: David http://cultureby.com/2004/11/brands_as_shado.html/comment-page-1#comment-7051 David Thu, 18 Nov 2004 13:29:29 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=1077#comment-7051 Are you gone? I have a friend who consults for a major retail chain owner. He reports numerous examples of sales for certain items (fragrant candles, eg) stagnating at low-price. Then presto-chango, with a slight repackaging and bump up in price, sales increase. Surely this is not some isolated phenomenon. I know the chain he works for. They're major and growing. Let me know if you've seen any other examples of this. DGS Are you gone? I have a friend who consults for a major retail chain owner. He reports numerous examples of sales for certain items (fragrant candles, eg) stagnating at low-price. Then presto-chango, with a slight repackaging and bump up in price, sales increase. Surely this is not some isolated phenomenon. I know the chain he works for. They’re major and growing. Let me know if you’ve seen any other examples of this.

DGS

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