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Thread: Brand consciousness

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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Default Brand consciousness

    The definition used here would be: Someone who is brand-conscious only likes to buy products made by certain famous companies.

    What do you guys think about the constant chase/desire for branded products, even if a purchase will take up much of your paycheck? Are you part of this brand-conscious group? Have you witnessed how this trend has hurt relationships, and do you think it can actually hurt relationships?

    Terms of discussion include "consumerism", which is essentially driven by human greed.

    Edited:
    To prevent further misunderstandings, this is a discussion about the obsession with branded products, and what you think of it. Have you ever witnessed such obsession hurting relationships between people? What do you think of it?

    Disclaimer:
    I am not slamming people for buying branded products. I am not against people buying branded products. I do not dislike or hate anyone who purchase branded products.
    Last edited by Guo Xiang; 03-07-10 at 11:33 PM.
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    Senior Member Lucre's Avatar
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    Many people in my office are like that ~ some more so than others. But it's a growing trend for young people to do this.
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    Senior Member HuangYushi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    The definition here is: Someone who is brand-conscious only likes to buy products made by certain famous companies.
    Is there any reason why the term "brand-consciousness" is limited to products that are fall into a certain price category, instead of being used across the board for all products that have a "brand"? For example, is there a reason why a person's preference for Colgate toothpaste over Darlie or Fresh & White is not considered "brand-consciousness" of the same strain as the person's preference for Louis-Vuitton over Gucci?
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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HuangYushi View Post
    Is there any reason why the term "brand-consciousness" is limited to products that are fall into a certain price category, instead of being used across the board for all products that have a "brand"? For example, is there a reason why a person's preference for Colgate toothpaste over Darlie or Fresh & White is not considered "brand-consciousness" of the same strain as the person's preference for Louis-Vuitton over Gucci?
    'Cos that's the category I would like to discuss about - the pursue of luxury brands and the costs of it.

    Nobody breaks their head and burns holes with Colgate and Darlie.

    I know there are other definitions for brand-consciousness, such as the one you mentioned, but there is only one specific category I want to discuss on, and see on the views of other people.
    Last edited by Guo Xiang; 03-06-10 at 11:51 AM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    The definition here is: Someone who is brand-conscious only likes to buy products made by certain famous companies.

    What do you guys think about the constant chase/desire for branded products, even if a purchase will take up much of your paycheck? Are you part of this brand-conscious group? Have you witnessed how this trend has hurt relationships, and do you think it can actually hurt relationships?

    Am bemused at some people's crazed chase for branded products - donning branded goods from head to toe but takes the public transport and whines when the stuff gets dust on them.

    Terms of discussion include "consumerism", which is essentially driven by human greed.
    I don't care about those brand name stuffs that cost a lot. I go for a decent but cheap stuff like Tommy Hillfigure, Guess, CK, ect... for clothing. I would rather leave the money in the bank than getting those brand names like LV, Gucci, ect... It doesn't make sense to spend money on those brand names stuffs and still have to take public transportation. CAR is 1,000,000 times more important. Lot of people are stupid these days. What a point of spending big money on those brand name stuffs while carry a big balance on high interest credit cards. I don't make much money but I am smarter than that.
    Last edited by Trien Chieu; 03-07-10 at 10:07 PM.

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    Senior Member xJadedx's Avatar
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    You make no sense.
    Hilfiger, Guess, and CK aren't exactly cheap brands. It still counts as the above-average kind of brands in terms of cost. They aren't as expensive as LV or Coach, but is still quite costly compared to other stores or brands, like Aeropostale or American Eagle or even TNA. If you are actually as "smart" as you claim to be, you wouldn't even shop at those places. So really, you don't have that much of a right to call the other people "stupid."

    As for the topic, I guess buying certain products are seen as cool or trendy. For instance, I see a lot of people with Guess, LV, and Coach stuff when I walk around. Most of these people don't strike me as serious fashionistas or people who are even that rich (many of them are poor students like myself). I feel like a lot of them buy these products, because it appears cool and makes them look fashionable.
    Personally though, I find these brands to be pretty hideous. I find most Coach and LV bags to be ugly as sin, and would not spend money on them.

    There isn't anything wrong per se with liking and wanting to buy certain brands or products. I myself go nuts over Vivienne Westwood stuff, and I would definitely be willing to spent the $200 for a VW armour ring. It's more about truly liking a brand for the actual art or design rather than just wanting to follow a trend or looking cool, and making sure you're spending money in a reasonable manner. For instance, as much as I like VW, I have yet to spend any money on her products, since currently, I have other things I need to pay for.
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    I am brand conscious in that I would almost never wear a Tapout shirt, or other tough guy/in your face MMA shirts.

    I know it's not part of the intended topic but I'm only brand conscious of brands that are known for quality/reliability. And almost none of that has to do with clothes.

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    Senior Member Lucre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trien Chieu View Post
    I don't care about those brand name stuffs that cost a lot. I go for a decent but cheap stuff like Tommy Hillfigure, Guess, CK, ect... for clothing. I would rather leave the money in the bank than getting those brand names like LV, Gucci, ect... It does make sense to spend money on those brand names stuffs and still have to take public transportation. CAR is 1,000,000 times more important. Lot of people are stupid these days. What a point of spending big money on those brand name stuffs while carry a big balance on high interest credit cards. I don't make much money but I am smarter than that.
    Well, just to note that Car is considered a luxury item in Singapore, so if you can afford one, it already marked you up in terms of 'status quo'. Going by this, it makes a wonderful irony of able to splurge on luxury items yet couldn't even afford to own a car. Also, in Singapore, car is not something that you will die without, due to a relatively good public transport system, and the place is really small. Most of the time, you can get to almost all parts of the place taking public transport. Admittedly there are still some places that you can only get to via private transport, but those places are far and few, and most people probably do not have any business going there.

    Two, as mentioned by jaded, although Ck, Guess or Tommy Hilfigur doesn't cost anywhere near the prices marked by LV, or Gucci, but it still doesn't make them CHEAP brands. When one say cheap, you're probably thinking along the lines on shopping in K-Mart or something. Or maybe they are extremely affordable in your country, or your monthly paycheck is giving you that margin of comfortness that you felt shopping in Ck, Guess or Tommy Hilfigur is cheap.

    Personally, I am pretty indulgent on 'pretty things' - I'm known to be able to splurge ridiculous sum of money on items because I like them. Usually brand doesn't come into the factor, but I have purchased branded items because they looked really nice. Sometimes, I think LV is the 'affordable' luxury brand that is known to most people, and hence widely sought after. I haven't heard about people going crazy over Hermes, for example ~ primarily this brand is alot more pricey than LV. (I know individuals who will buy them, but it's not going at the rate where people queue up in front of the boutique - this is a common phenomena in Singapore LV boutiques)
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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Has anyone seen family or friends falling out because of obsession over branded products? What do you think of that?

    Buying branded products is not only about looking fashionable, it also serves to hide some psychological deficiencies a person might have, albeit hiding it in a very superficial/shallow manner. What if it goes too far? Like a friend accidentally caused dust to get on a branded bag and the owner lashed out?
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    I only wear BATA shoes and Marks & Spencer shirt and pants. Am I brand conscious or brand loyal?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    Has anyone seen family or friends falling out because of obsession over branded products? What do you think of that?

    Buying branded products is not only about looking fashionable, it also serves to hide some psychological deficiencies a person might have, albeit hiding it in a very superficial/shallow manner. What if it goes too far? Like a friend accidentally caused dust to get on a branded bag and the owner lashed out?
    it seems like you already have a very ingrained bias against ppl who buy brands like LV or gucci; ie that it equates to having psychological deficiencies. But what about about the deficiencies of a person who prejudges someone negatively just bc of the brands they buy? and if what you say is true, that someone who buys luxury brands are hiding deficiencies, then someone who buys lesser brands like dkny or sean john must also be hiding deficiencies, albeit maybe lesser deficiencies.

    i won't speak for the ppl who wear head to toe burberry or whatnot, but having an LV bag does not automatically make you a shallow person who is overcompensating by desperately trying to project some image. The primary LV handbag line does not change. whether you buy it now or bought it 30 years ago, it is the same style and with normal wear and tear, will last you over 30 years. yes, it is more expensive than a nine west bag, and no, most ppl who buy it don't buy it bc they want a handbag for 30 years, but they are very high quality products.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucre
    Sometimes, I think LV is the 'affordable' luxury brand that is known to most people, and hence widely sought after. I haven't heard about people going crazy over Hermes, for example ~ primarily this brand is alot more pricey than LV.
    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.
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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    it seems like you already have a very ingrained bias against ppl who buy brands like LV or gucci; ie that it equates to having psychological deficiencies. But what about about the deficiencies of a person who prejudges someone negatively just bc of the brands they buy? and if what you say is true, that someone who buys luxury brands are hiding deficiencies, then someone who buys lesser brands like dkny or sean john must also be hiding deficiencies, albeit maybe lesser deficiencies.

    i won't speak for the ppl who wear head to toe burberry or whatnot, but having an LV bag does not automatically make you a shallow person who is overcompensating by desperately trying to project some image. The primary LV handbag line does not change. whether you buy it now or bought it 30 years ago, it is the same style and with normal wear and tear, will last you over 30 years. yes, it is more expensive than a nine west bag, and no, most ppl who buy it don't buy it bc they want a handbag for 30 years, but they are very high quality products.
    You sounds like you know me very well from this single post.

    Despite what you said, you have automatically presumed that I think all who buys branded products must be psychologically deficient or shallow. You presumed that I prejudged someone just because they buy those products. What about the psychological deficiencies of someone like this?

    You should also have noticed I did not deny other reasons suggested for people buying branded products.

    If I'm to take your type of reasoning, then everyone's buying branded products to look cool and trendy and fashionable (according to Jaded's observation), with no other possible reasons, just because she said so, and didn't say much more than that. For all my biasness I have yet to condemn Jaded or even my personal friend Lucre for buying those evil branded products! Bless me!

    Just to make it clear once and for all, I am not slamming people for buying branded products. I am not against people buying branded products. I do not dislike or hate anyone who purchase branded products. I'm not that crazy yet.

    What I am concerned of in this topic is that there are actually people who allow their pursue for branded products (for whatever reasons) damage their relationships with people eg. friends and family.
    Last edited by Guo Xiang; 03-07-10 at 10:02 PM.
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    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    You sounds like you know me very well from this single post.

    Despite what you said, you have automatically presumed that I think all who buys branded products must be psychologically deficient or shallow. You presumed that I prejudged someone just because they buy those products. What about the psychological deficiencies of someone like this?
    well, what am i to infer from comments such as the following?

    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang
    Buying branded products is not only about looking fashionable, it also serves to hide some psychological deficiencies a person might have, albeit hiding it in a very superficial/shallow manner.
    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    You should also have noticed I did not deny other reasons suggested for people buying branded products.
    i never said you did or didn't.

    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    If I'm to take your type of reasoning, then everyone's buying branded products to look cool and trendy and fashionable (according to Jaded's observation), with no other possible reasons, just because she said so, and didn't say much more than that. For all my biasness I have yet to condemn Jaded or even my personal friend Lucre for buying those evil branded products! Bless me!
    i have no idea what you're trying to say.

    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    Just to make it clear once and for all, I am not slamming people for buying branded products. I am not against people buying branded products. I do not dislike or hate anyone who purchase branded products. I'm not that crazy yet.
    that's good.

    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    What I am concerned of in this topic is that there are actually people who allow their pursue for branded products (for whatever reasons) damage their relationships with people eg. friends and family.
    but you could say that of anyone who goes too far in the purchase of anything, "branded" products or not. after a certain point, it gets to be an addiction whether that person is buying gucci handbags, cats, cocaine, cars, or walmart clothes.

    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.
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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    I've found that with consumer electronics, brand names are usually the way to go.

    Three years ago, I was in the market for an MP3 player. It was the first MP3 player I would ever own (I got out of cassettes kind of late). I tried a Maxell, a Sony, and Microsoft's Zune, but each of them was unsatisfactory in one way or another. I ended up returning them all after a 24-hour trial.

    I ended up buying an iPod, which I had been avoiding because of the hype, and it was just as good as advertised...clearly better than the competitors.

    Now Maxell, Sony, and Microsoft are also brand names, but MP3 players are not their forte. I had to concede that the hype for iPod was based on results.

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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Buying branded products is not only about looking fashionable, it also serves to hide some psychological deficiencies a person might have, albeit hiding it in a very superficial/shallow manner.
    Interpretation issue.

    I'm giving an alternative reason, a second reason. I didn't mean to mesh the two together as one, if that's where it went wrong.

    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'm simply looking for a discussion and varying opinions from different people, to see what they think of obsession with branded products, and if they ever witness it hurting relationships. And if they do, what do they think of it.
    Last edited by Guo Xiang; 03-07-10 at 11:32 PM.
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    I ended up buying an iPod, which I had been avoiding because of the hype, and it was just as good as advertised...clearly better than the competitors.
    I don't think I will buy iPods again. They seem quite fragile to me.
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    Senior Member pemberly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    Interpretation issue.

    I'm giving an alternative reason, a second reason. I didn't mean to mesh the two together as one, if that's where it went wrong.
    that's why it's bad to assume. it makes an A$$ of u and me.
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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pemberly View Post
    that's why it's bad to assume. it makes an A$$ of u and me.
    OT for abit: I won't mind if the $$ turns into real money.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guo Xiang View Post
    I don't think I will buy iPods again. They seem quite fragile to me.
    Mine have proven quite resilient. Like all small electronics, you can't be too rough on them. I've found the pair that I own more durable than other MP3 players. A Maxell that I gave to my mom for her birthday two years ago already went to the recycler six months ago.

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