Bonfire of the Brands

'People must stop buying and buying': "Dame Vivienne Westwood thinks we should all stop shopping for clothes... with so much fast fashion available to us, we are not giving ourselves the opportunity to develop good taste."
The sweatshop high street - more brands under fire: "India's largest ready-made clothing exporter, Gokaldas Export, which supplies brands including Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and H&M, confirmed that wages paid to garment workers were as low as £1.13 for a nine-hour day."
US babies get global brand names: "He also says that naming a child after a brand such as Armani or Chanel, associated with money or exclusivity, reflects the material hopes of such families."
Microsoft keeps top brand crown: "The greatest difference in voting positions between men and women confirms that women clearly rate high quality lifestyle brands whilst their male counterparts voted in considerably higher numbers for more everyday functional brands..."
All change: "The straightjacket that was once ´the brand manual´ is now more likely to be shorter, encouraging and have a lightness of touch rather than nine ring binders gathering dust on the shelf (the way they used to be)."
Changes to shopping behaviour: "People need stuff. Shopping is still a transactional, experiential pastime and this is where retail brands can arguably add the most, both in terms of reinforcing the brand message and being profitable."
Consistency in retail - is there ever too much?: "A coherent approach to the brand not only prevents confusion about what the brand stands for but it also helps to build consumer trust, which leads to customer experience being solid across the board."
Being Spaces & Brand Spaces: "There is a genuine opportunity to surpass the now ubiquitous ´flagship store´ (still seen as the most radical change in the world of retail branding), by offering something truly new to consumers who are not only looking for entertainment, but also for uniqueness, discovery, trying out, hanging out, empathy and even transformation."
Is that a fake in your pocket? Quite possibly..: "Last year just under 1 million people bought a counterfeit Louis Vuitton item, the study found."
(Still) Made Here: "Two mega-trends of our time, the greening of consumption and the proliferation of alternative status symbols, hold the promise of vast new riches for real-world entrepreneurs, while wreaking havoc on those that lag behind. Which brings us to the (STILL) MADE HERE trend: the comeback of all things local, all things with a sense of place, and how they´re surfacing in a world dominated by globalization."
When shopping becomes a drug: "One of the great myths is that addictive spending is defined by women racking up credit card debt in pursuit of closets full of clothes while we ignore Uncle Charlie "treating" his friends to nights on the town..."
How much mindless consumerism is enough: "One of the larger issues with making shopping available around the clock is it tricks people into believing shopping and consuming goods is a form of entertainment when it was once considered a necessity."

If you want to change your shopping habits, it helps to understand what kind of consumer you are. Why do you prefer Apple to PC? Or Nike to Adidas? Once you understand how this works, its easy to see how suggestive advertising can be. Take our consumer test to find out.

The 60 second Brand Profile
You will be shown seven sets of images, followed by a couple of questions. Select the image that feels right, looks right, makes sense or appeals to you the most. For best results, trust your instincts and make these choices quickly. Now you are ready to find out more about yourself.

Take the 60 second test.

The 4-minute Brand Profile
When moved across the field of view of a frog, a black blob drawn on a white sheet of paper triggers an instinctive response. The frog strikes at the blob with its tongue, thinking that it is a fly. At this instinctive level humans are just like frogs. We are governed by behavioural responses that are hard-wired into our very being. Whilst we may not try to eat them, when shown the right kinds of spots by Brands, Advertisers and Politicians our emotions, opinions even memories are changed. This test shows you how.

Take the 4 minute test.

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Did You Know?

Designer brands are often made in the same factory as budget brands.

Tip #8

8. Forget about glamour
Glamour is really just another myth perpetuated by brands. It’s important to remember this when you’re barraged with aspirational ads day in, day out.

Contact

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