Ever wonder why people will buy clothing or accessories just because they are made from a highly recognized brand? Or have you ever thought about the fact that people will only by the same brand and not try others? We see this become a thing for various reasons including but not limited to, having good experiences with the brand in the past and wanting to portray a certain image.
Good experiences can be the reason a product makes or breaks it in the retail industry. If that product has positive feedback on it, people may look into it and the brand it comes from. According to Neil Kokemuller, a renowned author and marketing expert, “Recognized brand names typically have shown a consistency in product quality that has contributed to the evolution of the brand.” Often, consumers rely on prior experiences or public word-of-mouth when selecting brands. Word-of-mouth is one of the main reasons for people choosing to try a brand for the first time. If other people have liked a certain brand, they might tell their friends, who then may go to buy that brand as well.
Image can mean everything to people. What we wear or what we own says a lot about who we are. It can display our values, culture, power, and upbringing. Some people may dress how they feel or what they can afford, while others will strive to look cooler and more expensive.People will buy designers brands like Gucci, Off-White, or Supreme since those are considered the trending cool brands in the fashion industry. People, especially young adults, who still care about their image and reputation, will do anything to look and dress the part of someone who can afford those.
Celebrities can be the biggest factor in making the world conform to the trending society we live in. Whether they are being paid to be promoters and having endorsement deals, or just wearing what they feel, fans will continue to follow their style. We saw this happen when Justin Bieber and the Kardashians were recruited by Calvin Klein in their #MyCalvins campaign. People everywhere started to buy calvin Klein intimates as a result. It became a huge fashion statement and people started to even show theirs off through their clothing by wearing high up shirts displaying the classic Calvin brand or having the tops of underwear show while wearing baggy pants. According to Paul Roberts from Our Social Times, “Mr Bieber duly obliged and the campaign went on to reach a global audience of more than 469 million people. CK’s social audiences grew by a combined 5 million.” These numbers are an indication that people are willing to spend money on something if it’s worn by someone as cool and sexy as Justin Bieber.
If it wasn’t for celebrities, word of mouth, or our intentions to become cool, brands would die before ever really hitting the market. The consumers are the one’s who really have a say, and without them it’s hard to know if a product will work. Brands will always be around, but they would be nothing without consumers.
One Stylish Foreigner 