By Guest Columnist, Curtis Stimac
Whether you’re cognizant of it or not, you can’t ignore the fact that you always recognize brands. They are everywhere from the food you eat to the clothes you buy. What a lot of people don’t realize is the psychological effect that branding has on a person. You may not want to admit it, but you’ll always focus on the brand that is perceived to be superior in some way over a brand that could very well be of equal quality.
Let’s use the fashion industry as an example. In fashion a lot of your average brands are made in the same place as your luxury brands. The only difference is that, at some point in the process, the luxury brands are moved to a different location in a different country to be finished. Yet when you go to a store and look at something from Calvin Klein and then an item from Louis Vuitton sitting right next to it, what are you going to pay more attention to? If you say Louis Vuitton, then you’re not alone. You’re actually part of the vast majority of people in the world.
Why do people gravitate toward these “luxury” items? These brands have spent decades, or even centuries, and massive amounts of money developing an image that they find pristine and suitable for a substantial increase in prices on their items. Do you think it’s worth the price? In my opinion, there are certain items that are worth the cost even if the quality doesn’t match. This is because of the socialstatus that comes with those items.
Think about a man in a nice button-up Calvin Klein shirt. Now think about a man in a Burberry London shirt. Which man are you going to pay more attention to? Which one are you immediately more likely to offer a job to? Which one is perceived to probably have a larger social network? The answer is the man in the Burberry London shirt. Is that shirt worth hundreds of dollars more than the Calvin Klein shirt? Well no, when you think about it in terms of just material. But when you analyze this example, think of the effect that it has on you.
Recognize that the power of branding in some cases can be an unstoppable force. I believe this is very important to look at when you’re purchasing a product. The next time you’re shopping for new clothes take this aspect into consideration and think about the outcome you wish to generate with this new clothing item or outfit. If you want to take that next step in your career or in your social life, put money aside to give yourself a boost and buy into quality brands that will help you be perceived in the best possible manner. The strategic use of brands will have a greater effect than you’ll ever expect.
FOOTNOTE
A Young and Growing Menswear Brand
As Curtis described in his guest column, a great brand isn’t about one thing. It’s about everything.
Since May 2012, we’re pleased to say, we’ve been serving clients as an independent personal stylist with J.Hilburn. The brand itself drew us to the quality of fabrics, workmanship and ease of adding a new product collection to our Offerings. Results? We’ve seen a reduction in the burden of shopping that most men experience, and the challenge of an excellent fit in garments has been met.
J.Hilburn has obsessively re-engineered custom menswear as the only lifestyle brand offering full-service, custom-made men’s clothing across all categories. Through J.Hilburn, we’ve been able to combine personal service with proprietary technology and the best fabrics in the world to create clothes built for each individual. We’ve been pleased to see how this brand is helping each of our clients create their own successful personal brand.
Curtis Stimac, Student and Intern Western Michigan University
Fashion Merchandising Major, with Minor in General Business
Curtis is completing his senior year at WMU with a Fashion Merchandising degree, April 2020. After graduation Curtis will begin a career with Hormel in San Francisco California.
