By Tom Odhiambo
It is probably right to say that every living person who has come into contact with modern commodities is hooked to one or the other of those goods. In fact modernity is very much premised on the availability and circulation of goods. It is the market that explains colonialism. Someone somewhere in London or Brussels or Berlin was looking for where to sell some industrial products as well as how to get more raw materials to continue making the goods. Eventually, when the Empire builders left, they bequeathed us the market, with all manners of branded commodities.
It is the brand that Kenyans and other Africans are chasing after when they insist on buying Mercedes Benz. They argue that it is the epitome of German automotive engineering. Some years ago the main academic brand was the two major English universities, Oxford and Cambridge. Today the brand of cellphone you carry around – and not necessarily use all its features – apparently matter for your ‘social status.’ That last phrase about social and status is a result of serious marketing to the consumer. This is why I find Martin Lindstrom’s book, Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy (Crown Business, 2011), so compelling to read. But before you read it, begin with his earlier book Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (2008).
Brandwashed continues from where Buyology left but it seeks to reveal to you why you are so loyal to that particular soap or toothpaste you use, the music you listen to, the shirt or trouser you wear, the beer you drink etc. And Martin Lindstrom knows what he is talking about because he has been in the business of advising companies on branding for several years. In case you are worried that Brandwashed is some kind of conspiracy theory narrative, be calm because Lindstrom offers enough caveats about why he wrote the book. He is a victim just like you and I. Just like us; he is also hooked to particular colors, toothpaste, maybe clothes, foods etc.
But Lindstrom shows us how the ‘lives’ of goods is created behind the scenes. He shows that it can even start from the time when one is in the mother’s womb. A mother’s liking for specific foods, perfumes, music etc can be passed on to the child. But probably it even gets scarier when you realize that a lot of items that adults use are as a result of childhood conditioning. Anyone in Kenya who still craving Kimbo, Cowboy, Haria (spices), Treetop (fruit juice), Kahawa No. 1 etc? You must have seen it around the house so much; used it all day, every year; memorized the adverts; worn clothes with the brand name on it, till you believe up to now that it is the best of all the brands in the market.
In essence, there are several reasons why we get attached to brands – sometimes for the rest of our lives. Goods can be sold to you, like I noted above because they apparently make you stand out from the rest of the crowd! Really? But aren’t you in the crowd already? What about fear? Fear of germs is behind that little tube of hand gel in the bag.
Fear of burglary and theft of vehicles sells millions of alarm system brands globally. Lindstrom writes this about fear of failure, “In a surprising study, researchers at the University of Bath found that the fear of failure drives consumers far more than the promise of success; the latter oddly tends to paralyze us, while the former spurs us on (and pries open our wallets). In fact, as the study found out, the most powerful persuader of all was giving consumers a glimpse of some future ‘feared self.’”
We get hooked onto brands for a range of reasons including the idea that a commodity is sexy or that using that particular item increases our sex appeal (perfume, anyone?) and could lead to a sexual encounter. What about your colleagues at work, school or friends using a product whilst you are stuck to an outdated one? Peer pressure is so real that marketers use it all the time. Have you seen those adverts in Nairobi offering one a lifestyle rather than a life? They suggest that there is a style of life different from ordinary mortals’. Of course in the end there is a cost to it.
Sweet memories or nostalgia works quite well. Retro goods apparently sell. You must have heard the cliché that ‘old is gold.’ But in many cases buyers have found out that the supposedly golden old is just a retouched new. Much of the talk about retro, antique or vintage is very good marketing efforts. Too many people have bought fake antiques, which are mass-produced in some factory somewhere.
In today’s world, there are two very powerful marketing and branding tools: the celebrity and good health. Because we live in a world saturated with images of say film, sports or business icons, what these individuals eat, drink, where they live what car they drive, hotel they stay in etc sells. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter mean that celebrities can ‘update’ their profiles online for all to see, envy and copy. It works wonders and that is why many such people have contracts to market/represent several brands for millions of dollars.
As for health, we are talking food, the gym, health plans, medical insurance schemes etc. We all want to live longer than the World Health Organization predicts. But it all comes at a cost. This is why all kinds of brands sell you all different ‘healthy’ goods and services, so that you may actually live long enough to continue buying and consuming. Brandwashed doesn’t intend to stop you from buying your ‘brand’ of goods at the shop. It simply alerts you that your life is branded and it is very difficult to escape from it.
Writer teaches literature at the University of Nairobi.
