They are needed but they alienate people. They work as long as they are not used as “I’m buying this brand because I want this brand”. But we measure the success through this unit, “as much of a religion a brand can be”. If you are venerate as much as a 2,000 year old sect, you are a winner.
I always thought brands would kind of disappear, actually. Good, generic products were supposed to take over as they bring more collectively than a brand can. A brand maximizes your spending, a generic, standard product does the opposite. They really change the world. Generic drugs, generic hardware… Good enough, widely available, not expensive. Real progress, y’all.
I’m really interested into brands at an individual level or small scale. The Japan game industry, with very strong personalities and names, the skateboard scene and the amazing talent of riders to create small or not that small, powerful brands out of thin air. I like that because somehow I can trust them more, there’s something very direct and very basic: I want a good product/service and the brand works on it. Steam just went so huge by doing that, focusing on providing games and trying stuff like sales. The day they start to be dishonest over their mission is the day they will find competition.
I guess it’s always about being honest. Problem is, tons of brands are not.