Brand consciousness

[JoeLee]

lol...is having an ipod even being "brand conscious"? i don't know anyone who does not have one...couldn't picture life with one one either at this point...

[Ken Cheng]

lol...is having an ipod even being "brand conscious"? i don't know anyone who does not have one...couldn't picture life with one one either at this point...

When they first came out, they were treated by some as status symbols as much as practical tools. Everything else is a generic "MP3 player," but an iPod is an iPod, so it does have something of a brand name cachet.

[JoeLee]

When they first came out, they were treated by some as status symbols as much as practical tools. Everything else is a generic "MP3 player," but an iPod is an iPod, so it does have something of a brand name cachet.

HAhaha...still remember those days...i think i first really wanted one after seeing the old clunky model on 50's p.i.m.p video...

[Lucre]

IPODs - i havent use other mp3 mainly cos Ipod looks prettier, my first lasted a few years before it gave way (by then im already happy that it did cos im bored of looking at it and wanted a newer series of ipods) and my current one is about a year old. so whilst i dunno if ipod is the best, mine worked well enough.

that's exactly what it is. LV, technically, is not considered high-end luxury, because any housewife or college student who saves can afford a thousand dollars for a handbag. the truly rich will buy hermes or a 10,000 USD alligator belly handbag.

well, i supposed the issue being, if you needed to slogged and save just to cough up a thousand dollars, and treat your bag with more respect than you would your friend/family (i guess that was GX's topic, she wasn't talking so much about all people who buy them) it's more of a problem.

It's like, if your monthly salary is say, 20k, forking out 2k for a bag hardly seemed atrocious. however if you have a monthly salary of 2k, then it hardly make sense to fork out the entire 2k on just a bag. and usually, the latter group will have a stronger emotion on their bag because it costs them so much it actually 'pinched'; the first group probably didnt care as much because to them, this sum of money doesnt feel as 'big'. taking it a little further, these group of people might see carrying an LV as a 'symbol of status' - which become the sole reason why its worth spending the entire month's salary on it.

and yea, when i was still in school, kids are even saving up to buy 'inexpensive' brands like GUESS (when i was still in school, few hundreds sounded a big sum) and things like VERSACE or ARMANI was so in-thing;
i was even hated by my peers because they said im 'flaunting' branded items (when in those days i just have them cos my parents buy those for me; i dont work part-time to save up money either...and i wasnt even so aware which are sought after brands until i got 'peer-feedback')

xJadedx and Lucre, Tommy, Guess, and CK can be pretty cheap if you know where and when to get them. A pair a CK khaki pan costs a low as $30 in Cosco. I usually buy cloth when they on sale for like 50% off. As for LV and other band names, they can be pretty cheap too if you buy the counterfeit ones. As for CAR, it's pretty hard to live without in Canada especially during the winter. Public transportation is suck.

I guess the only place I know of 'cheap' Guess, CK etc are factory outlets - and usually clothes over there doesnt have the quality assurance (its alot like, check carefully before you make the purchase)

buying clothes on sale is most probably the best bargain, though the usual problem being either past season or odd sizes

[KeongJai]

I only wear BATA shoes and Marks & Spencer shirt and pants. Am I brand conscious or brand loyal?

ahaha i love bata too. i always get a pair when i go back to malaysia. good old buy and throw away.

[pemberly]

i guess it all depends really on the person. some people will buy certain brands to show off or to convey a certain image, and some just buy brands for the style. if you have money, you have the means to buy the expensive stuff and less to prove to others. i have a friend that works in one of these high-end stores, and she always told me it's the ppl who walk in dressed like bums who are really rich.

[Guo Xiang]

i have a friend that works in one of these high-end stores, and she always told me it's the ppl who walk in dressed like bums who are really rich.

I hear that all the time too. Are they testing the service quality? They will buy only if the service is good?

[Lucre]

I hear that all the time too. Are they testing the service quality? They will buy only if the service is good?

i dont know? but maybe that explains why the last time i finished my gym - im too lazy to shower or change, so what happened is im wearing slacks ($20 type, not branded one) and a faded tee-shirt that really looked more like for homewear - i entered into one of those shops (i just feel like shopping) and they were so attentive towards me. their service is like so damn good i really end up buying something.

i wasnt testing service quality (im not that rich), just lazy. (the gym i went to was at the top floor of paragon - just so happen that all the shops there are branded boutiques)

[pemberly]

I hear that all the time too. Are they testing the service quality? They will buy only if the service is good?

no, i think a lot of rich people just don't have anything to prove and dress quite normally. haha, especially since being ostentatious could lead to kidnapping.

i dont know? but maybe that explains why the last time i finished my gym - im too lazy to shower or change, so what happened is im wearing slacks ($20 type, not branded one) and a faded tee-shirt that really looked more like for homewear - i entered into one of those shops (i just feel like shopping) and they were so attentive towards me. their service is like so damn good i really end up buying something.

i wasnt testing service quality (im not that rich), just lazy. (the gym i went to was at the top floor of paragon - just so happen that all the shops there are branded boutiques)

no, most of these high end stores just usually have better service. whether or not you buy anything, some stores will offer you champagne when you go inside. especially in this economy, they are as nice as can be. the exception, i find, is at LV. they have enough customers, i guess, that they can afford to be a-holes. gucci is borderline. -_-

it's like how fancy restaurants have nicer service.

my friend put it to me this way. someone might not have the money to buy something now, but if you're nice to them, maybe when they do have money, they'll remember you and come back.

[Trien Chieu]

no, most of these high end stores just usually have better service. whether or not you buy anything, some stores will offer you champagne when you go inside. especially in this economy, they are as nice as can be. the exception, i find, is at LV. they have enough customers, i guess, that they can afford to be a-holes. gucci is borderline.

LV can be very cheap too. My brother in law bought a LV handbag for as little as $50 when he visit China. He first thought it was very cheap but he later found out that some other shops selling them for even less than that. The quality is very good, almost as good as authentic. It wouldn't surprise me if stores in China selling Gucci and Hermes handbags for the similar price.

[pemberly]

LV can be very cheap too. My brother in law bought a LV handbag for as little as $50 when he visit China. He first thought it was very cheap but he later found out that some other shops selling them for even less than that. The quality is very good, almost as good as authentic. It wouldn't surprise me if stores in China selling Gucci and Hermes handbags for the similar price.

omg, mr. tc is advocating illegal activity? you know those counterfeit bags go to fund drugs and terrorism, right? and i've seen those handbags, too. first off, on first glance they look completely fake. second off, they are absolutely not the same quality. for $50, why not just buy a legal guess bag?

[blueberry]

lol...is having an ipod even being "brand conscious"? i don't know anyone who does not have one...couldn't picture life with one one either at this point...

I don't have ipod. Now you know at least one person I WANT it, but I don't NEED it, so I never bought it. I only listen to music in my car or when I'm working on my computer so I never see the need to buy an ipod.

[blueberry]

There are things that I will buy from certain brand only, but mostly I really don't care about what brand I'm using.

Tennis shoes, for examples. Before, I don't care what brand it is, as long as it looks nice and comfortable. But later I found out, that some brands only last for so long. Or some other brands are only comfortable for short walk only, if I had to wear it & walk all day long, it'd kill my feet. Now, after all that 'findings' I would only buy from this one brand (at least for now & I might slowly try to branch out again).

Watches. I think this is one item my family is willing to splurge on. My dad has his favorite brand, my mom has hers and I have my own. It's all different brands. But all of our watches lasted for decades. My watches lasted 15+ yrs and they are all still in good condition even though I abused them when I was still young.

Everything else in my life is relatively not one-brand dominated. But there are things such as electronics, that I will search certain brand first before I look at other brands although it's not guaranteed that I would buy that first brand.

[Guo Xiang]

lol...is having an ipod even being "brand conscious"? i don't know anyone who does not have one...couldn't picture life with one one either at this point...

Depends on where you are, I guess. An Apple product (especially the Mac) is a status symbol in some countries.

[Lucre]

no, most of these high end stores just usually have better service. whether or not you buy anything, some stores will offer you champagne when you go inside. especially in this economy, they are as nice as can be. the exception, i find, is at LV. they have enough customers, i guess, that they can afford to be a-holes. gucci is borderline. -_-

it's like how fancy restaurants have nicer service.

my friend put it to me this way. someone might not have the money to buy something now, but if you're nice to them, maybe when they do have money, they'll remember you and come back.

yea i know, most shops are quite decent in service - though i just thought they must be pretty hard up if they were so eager to serve some random shabbily-dressed person; i dont always deliberately showed up looking sloppy (im one of those who love to dress up)

i have been to stores that wouldn't give a damn - once i really like a certain bracelet, the shop assistant was like so impatient (she probably think i couldnt afford it)

cos i was like: how much is this?
she: xxx dollars.
me: ok, may i try it?
she was staring at me in that so astonishing face, and repeat the price to me again; and i was like, "yeah i know, may i try it?"
she gave it to me grudgingly.

her attitude sucks, but the design was unique and im too drawn to it, so i asked her if theres a matching set of earrings or necklace.

by now she was less grouchy and told me theres a necklace of similar design...

i bought them both because i like the design..and when i say "i'll take these two"..

gosh her attitude changed 180 deg! >_>

(if i didnt like it that much i'd had walked away ~ lol)

fancy restaurants are different: usually if you walk in, you intend to eat. however fashion boutiques, there are many browsers; hence you have sales personnel who earned on commission and begin to judge people based on their accessement whether you would be a potential buyer.

i dont go to lv because in singapore theres always a long queue - i hate to shop in crowded areas ~ and avoided sales usually for that reason.

LV can be very cheap too. My brother in law bought a LV handbag for as little as $50 when he visit China. He first thought it was very cheap but he later found out that some other shops selling them for even less than that. The quality is very good, almost as good as authentic. It wouldn't surprise me if stores in China selling Gucci and Hermes handbags for the similar price.

i know of the so-called AAA grade imitation which looked almost as good as the real thing and they costs around a few hundred (usually 10-20% of the price of the actual product) but I don't think I'd ever see anything less than $50 that looked as good as real....(in fact, i dont know of any $50 bag - brand regardless - that managed to look more than $50 either; unless its a genuine SALE of more than 50%)

whilst i cant tell if its fake or genuine if the product is indeed well-made (im not one of those diehard fans that dedicate themselves to differentiating them) but i'd seen many fake LVs...by virtue of the terrible way they assemble the bag (corner seams, zips and buckles) in fact theres no saving grace in the workmanship that it had to be fake even if the word LV is prominently displayed on the bag.

and buying imitation is ILLEGAL.

[pemberly]

one time i went into LV and the salespeople basically ignored me even though i was like jumping up and down in front of their faces. so i left and went to one inside the saks where the salesppl were very nice. i made a point to buy something and go back to the first LV with my big shopping bag. boy, did i get some dirty looks.

[milKBoi]

As a guy, i was such a big fan on Ralph Lauren brands, especially their classic polo shirts, (that preppy look) since they never really go out of fashion. Now, eh not so much even though the non-brands i buy cost sort of as much as the RL brands.

i say if ya can't exactly afford to spend on expensive brands, then borrow the money from the bank or loan sharks if that what your heart desires.. hehe scratch the latter.. bad advice yer!!!

[Guo Xiang]

i say if ya can't exactly afford to spend on expensive brands, then borrow the money from the bank or loan sharks if that what your heart desires.. hehe scratch the latter.. bad advice yer!!!

Actually, I know of two people who did just that. They went on a massive shopping spree (but not sure if they splurged on branded products but it is likely they did).

Stupid stupid stupid. Now they are working their asses off to repay the loan.

[Trien Chieu]

Actually, I know of two people who did just that. They went on a massive shopping spree (but not sure if they splurged on branded products but it is likely they did).

Stupid stupid stupid. Now they are working their asses off to repay the loan.

Freedom to choose: Loan money from the bank or loan shark
Power to Act: Go on a massive shopping spree
But will have to live with the consequences: In big debt and have to work their asses off to repay the loan.

That is how life is.

[darkcser]

i'm not trying to go out of my way to argue with you or anything, but it seems like you are fishing for people to agree with you, and apparently, TC does.

I probably fall into this category as well. Some people subscribe to maximizing the utility/cost ratio, and I'm definitely one of those. Low utility coupled with high cost is just so counter-intuitive that it prompts you to look for other oddities like personal short-comings... It's like you see an overweight 40 year old man driving a new cherry red Ferrari... sure, maybe he just likes the car but the first thing you probably think is "over-compensating during a mid-life crisis".

Now if you're in marketing, advertising or some other client-facing role then looking good/professional is an utility in itself. You could probably extend that to "marketing yourself in life".

Now there's probably some correlation between emphasis on luxury items as status symbols and self-worth issues. Not causation but enough of a correlation to color some people's views.

I think there's also a disappointment factor involved too. Status goods imply a level of sophistication (whether good taste, refinement or whatever), and if one doesn't have the implied aspects to match then it creates a negative impression. Imagine you see a guy in a 2K suit speak like a moron. It probably generates a more negative impression than seeing a guy dressed in a t-shirt and jeans do the same. Why? Because he projected an image that was so much higher than actual so relatively he seems worse off.