A Post on Branding

Important Brands in my life:

Sony

Microsoft

Dell

Honda

Tide

Nestle Pure Life

New Balance

Calvin Klein

Chip and Pepper

American Eagle

Brusters

Edgars

Lord of the Rings stuff

Crest

Dove

MTV and VH1

Publix

Science Diet (for my cat)

Listerine

These are all of brands that I can think of that I use. I do have some sort of brand loyalty to everything that I listed here. These companies have effectively build brands that I can attach myself to, and by impressing me with the quality of their brands they have formed an umbrella of trust for all their products that they make. Advertising and branding play an important part in convincing people what to buy, where to go, and what to do. 

I have been considering the part that branding and advertising plays in 21st century challenges. Is it a tool to be used to solve the problems, is it the cause of many of the problems that we are facing (such as obesity), or both? I'm thinking both... but I'll have to get back to you after I think on it more. 

To see an interesting website that stresses the importance of branding to businesses and a company that creates the brands for you, check out http://www.landor.com/index.cfm?bhcp=1.