Recently we happened to work with kids of 7th grade. We took them on a small outing and it turned out to be fun and joyous. Interacting with kids of these days becomes quite challenging. Talks filled with fun and laughter we enjoyed our day. The topics ranged from chocolates, cartoons, movies, sports, brands…. Wait a minute! Brands? :O That was my reaction. I heard a girl ungraciously telling her sir not to wear a fake branded hat. She showed hers and started suggesting various popular brands and expensive brands. I was shocked to see a small girl take such a possessive view of a brand! When I was of her age I hardly knew about brands, the only brands I recognized were those of chocolates and I never differentiated among them, I ate them all happily :)
I understand kids these days are way too grown up in many ways; they are exposed to new gadgets, new technologies and what not but they don’t realize they are missing out the very important lessons of mannerism.
After few days I went on shopping, this incident strikes my mind. I realized how much attention I pay for the popular brands. They seem cool, expensive, and durable and serve the purpose. I don’t remember how many times I have flaunted wearing them. There are times when I picked up things just because they were branded even though I ran out of my budget. Now I started thinking how the brands have conquered our thoughts! When I decide a product on a brand why not the kids. After all, they are influenced by us.
The other day, the sir wore the hat to avoid the heat, the cap served perfect, it was not branded but it helped him just like the others. Sometimes the purpose is well served by other products but we still prefer buying the expensive ones. I am not against the popular brands and I can never be as I have a list of my personal favourites. It’s that, sometimes we give way too much of importance for the name than the product.
Don’t you think sometimes you prioritize the brands of the products before the purpose? Brands are sure important but the purpose is the reason why you buy something isn’t it?
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Nice Article. I totally Agree with You Vinay Nagaraju. Next Generation will be more brand conscious than Us.
Thank you Hitesh :).. Oh yea, I wonder how the coming generation would be!!! They might start saying that they are going to breathe only an “X” brand of oxygen cos the air is too local for them :P
These days really we have become brand conscious . The mall culture is responsible for it in a great way. We prefer to buy things looking at the tags and the quality , we take it for granted that if this dress belongs to that particular brand , it ought to be good. Kids are vulnerable ..so they have become easy targets .
So true Maniparna, the mall culture is terrible. I still get confused whenever I go to a busy city as to why so many people hang around in the malls so much! I mean there are so many better things to do in the world! :O. I agree, even I do that a lot of times, it is as if I am blinded by a symbol. I remember the times when I used to buy clothes cos they said “Cotton”, now I buy cos it says “Reebok”. Kinda feels weird doing that! But brands have found a way to speak I guess!
In total agree with the points …!!!
Gen next kids are so cautious about their dress code these days…
Yeah Veena, I sometimes feel that kids are not kids anymore.. They seem so grown up!!!
Well said Vinay and undoubtedly these days kids are too superior than of ours time. To be very frank, there is one more aspect of your post, Did you realized the difference between the branded and non-branded one?
You will be surprised to hear this that it is true that you can get the same products in 200 Rs. while for the same you can pay around 2000 Rs. to a brand, but then check the quality and durability of the branded one and you will realize it is quite better than that non-branded one and lasts too long as well.
Now this is the quality which makes a brand, if they won’t follow it, soon they will be out of the market.
Thank you Alok :). Yea, they feel so grown up Alok. I mean, they make me feel pretty old :D .. I am still in those days where a kid would be happy about an ice cream bar on a warm summer noon! :O.
I agree, most of the extra money we pay is to add up to the marketing and advertising costs of the company. And we can get much better quality at a much lower price! But I think the one reason why they survive is the trust factor. Although I would love to support a local industry, for me it is very hard to identify whom to trust and also to identify as to who can be reliable. And more importantly it provides me a person to go back to when something goes wrong. I really do get confused sometimes whether to go for a brand or simply go for something local.
Agree with you vinay!!
Thank you Bhavani :)
I have been planning to write on this topic for long! great that you have addressed it! Bang on! People are so brand-conscious these days.
Totally agree with the points. The purpose of a hat is to save us from the heat!!! :)
Thank you Anita :). I agree, people certainly are very conscious. Why others, even I am quite conscious about the brands. I guess it did take quite a bit of unlearning to come to this stage and perhaps a lot more going further :)
Agree to your point. We prefer brands nowadays and not the products!
Even marketers are trying to eye kids because they are the decision making for most of the items purchased in our houses.
Brands has been influencing us for some time now. Thats one reason all the branded stores has a store in the famous mall of the city. Just to remind the customers that they are most preferred as well as the premium one.
Whenever I see the word branding it reminds me of the branding kid image. (http://beyond4p.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/kids.jpg)
Ha ha ha :D . That’s a really funny image :D .. True, I think it is an easy source of brainwashing when it comes to products and people. I was reading the case study of coke in America and how it has replaced water to quench thirst. I was surprised to know that people actually drink coke to quench their thirst! It amazes me to even think as to how strong marketing and advertising has been to make such an impact. And if that is the case I wonder where we are headed next!!!
True. The marketers are concentrating on the brand loyalty factor. I have seen many people saying I am wearing a cartier sunglasses, fossil watch, peter england shirts and trousers, reebok shoes !! Even kids nowadays are fascinated towards PS4 and XboX as well as Apple iPads rather than comics or cartoons.
That’s so spot on Krishna. You can imagine my amazement when I was speaking to them about something about how brand kept coming in as a part of our conversation! Young kids at the age of 14!!!
I think these guys are really smart, they have managed to tune in an entire generation to their understanding and perceptions. Really smart people!!!
How branded are you? http://t.co/2DhsWfqrmb