Good day to you. I am hoping to get feedback on this question, because it just today occurred to me to ask it. I was reading the new issue of Adbusters, issue 76, I think, and it’s all about brands.
I am against branding, and try to avoid branding myself where possible. I do brand myself with antiauthoritarian tshirts sometimes and with my school logo, but I try to keep it to that.
What about Vegan? Is it a brand or not?
Is vegan a brand? Good question. I looked up the definition of brand, here are some of the things I found: 1. kind, grade or make like brand of coffee 4. stigma 6. kind or variety of something distinguished by some distinctive characteristic like slapstick brand of humor 11. to impress indelibly 13. to promote
Looking at #6, it seems right to say vegan is a brand.
Why are you against branding? Our own names are a kind of brand, aren’t they? Maybe the concept of a brand can be neutral like the word ideology. Both Gahndi and Hitler had their own ideologies, they could have their own brands.
Maybe your dislike of branding is due to the anti capitalist in you. But maybe being a brand doesn’t have to be exclusively about profiteering.
When I worked at Jamba Juice I was very complimented when Andrea told me that I “fit the profile” for Jamba Juice. Yes, they were a for profit venture, but their methodology was important to them. They had good values. I felt overwhelmingly that their corporate culture was as positive as any I’ve ever experienced. It was the first place I ever gave much thought about brand recognition. I was happy to ba a part of Jamba Juice, and I’m happy to shit all over Wells Fargo any chance I get because there is a vast difference in their business practices. I’d stay away from that brand of bank, the same goes for US Bank and even TCF. See, brands help us. How are you going to know what movie to shell out $7 for? Actors, directors, studios are all brands.
If you tell a thoughtfull person that they are their own brand, maybe they’ll be a tich more consciencious about their behavior. Is there a spell check on this?
I’ve got to go now. (I’m at work)