Why do people buy from a brand?
There are several reasons for this.
The first reason is that an established brand offers a sense of legitimacy. If the brand is known, it provides reassurance, especially in a world where people increasingly shop online and can feel overwhelmed by the abundance of unfamiliar brands and stores. Of course, this is not the only reason people buy branded products, but here I am particularly interested in the need to feel part of a group and to make that known. This isn’t always about the brand itself but sometimes about the product or other things that also express personal statements and viewpoints. However, returning to the brand, I am intrigued by what it reveals beyond being a social marker. I don't judge those who want to show they belong to a group by purchasing something recognizable by others in that group or by aspirants to it, but that’s not the focus here.
Beyond being a social marker or simply a guarantee of authenticity or legitimacy, the brand, as I see it, is (or should be) a promise of unique design. This has always justified purchasing branded products for me (I will elaborate on what design means to me in another piece) and is part of what motivated me to create a brand.
When we buy a branded item, we purchase someone else’s perspective, which allows us to stand out while still belonging to the group we aspire to. When I purchase a branded product, I am buying a boldness, a balance, a special touch I can't find elsewhere that delights my eye and sharpens my critical sense. I’m also buying quality, though that has become increasingly questionable, and this too spurred me to create a brand.
What I wanted to express through these few words is this need for belonging that manifests in different ways for each of us and seems entirely natural. Since founding The Rose, I've felt a deep need to build a community. I don’t fully understand where this comes from, but I have some clues, which I’ll share in another article. I believe it’s closely tied to the depersonalization of our world, which is becoming ever more dehumanized across many areas of our daily lives—a reality that, I must admit, sometimes terrifies me.
Globalization, as we experience it more and more, along with new tools with increasingly impressive capabilities, could continue to divide us. In my own small way, I hope not to oppose this movement but to simply work around it. This involves actions, big and small, which I will develop here. It begins for me with design and beauty, as that is what I know how to do, what I've done for over thirty years (since I began my architecture studies and even before, as I was born in a literary heritage with all that entails). Yet I also believe that beauty far exceeds design. It is a way of respecting oneself and others and is, therefore, a way of creating connections.
We will meet, and we will weave bonds. We are a community, and by blending our energies, we contribute to making the world a little more human each day. This isn’t about struggling where we feel powerless but, once again, about working around, recreating, and moving forward together.
And I would truly love for this to be achieved through positive actions and not, as increasingly seems the case, through rejection and division.
We will simply remember that we are sovereign beings with power. I am excited for us to combine our strengths.
The first reason is that an established brand offers a sense of legitimacy. If the brand is known, it provides reassurance, especially in a world where people increasingly shop online and can feel overwhelmed by the abundance of unfamiliar brands and stores. Of course, this is not the only reason people buy branded products, but here I am particularly interested in the need to feel part of a group and to make that known. This isn’t always about the brand itself but sometimes about the product or other things that also express personal statements and viewpoints. However, returning to the brand, I am intrigued by what it reveals beyond being a social marker. I don't judge those who want to show they belong to a group by purchasing something recognizable by others in that group or by aspirants to it, but that’s not the focus here.
Beyond being a social marker or simply a guarantee of authenticity or legitimacy, the brand, as I see it, is (or should be) a promise of unique design. This has always justified purchasing branded products for me (I will elaborate on what design means to me in another piece) and is part of what motivated me to create a brand.
When we buy a branded item, we purchase someone else’s perspective, which allows us to stand out while still belonging to the group we aspire to. When I purchase a branded product, I am buying a boldness, a balance, a special touch I can't find elsewhere that delights my eye and sharpens my critical sense. I’m also buying quality, though that has become increasingly questionable, and this too spurred me to create a brand.
What I wanted to express through these few words is this need for belonging that manifests in different ways for each of us and seems entirely natural. Since founding The Rose, I've felt a deep need to build a community. I don’t fully understand where this comes from, but I have some clues, which I’ll share in another article. I believe it’s closely tied to the depersonalization of our world, which is becoming ever more dehumanized across many areas of our daily lives—a reality that, I must admit, sometimes terrifies me.
Globalization, as we experience it more and more, along with new tools with increasingly impressive capabilities, could continue to divide us. In my own small way, I hope not to oppose this movement but to simply work around it. This involves actions, big and small, which I will develop here. It begins for me with design and beauty, as that is what I know how to do, what I've done for over thirty years (since I began my architecture studies and even before, as I was born in a literary heritage with all that entails). Yet I also believe that beauty far exceeds design. It is a way of respecting oneself and others and is, therefore, a way of creating connections.
We will meet, and we will weave bonds. We are a community, and by blending our energies, we contribute to making the world a little more human each day. This isn’t about struggling where we feel powerless but, once again, about working around, recreating, and moving forward together.
And I would truly love for this to be achieved through positive actions and not, as increasingly seems the case, through rejection and division.
We will simply remember that we are sovereign beings with power. I am excited for us to combine our strengths.