Teen branding

Nowadays, if you are a teenager and you tell others that you have never use or consume branded products such as Adidas, Sony, and Coca-cola, Intel before, you will be labeled as outdated and people may even call you a “freak”.

In some studies, it has shown that most of the teenager claimed that having cool brands makes them feel “cool” and they are mostly obsessed with brand name. Of course, not all the teenager will have the same opinion, but one thing they can’t denied, which is where branded thing has become part and parcel of their lives. Even if you do not wish or intend to use it, you will sure to hear those names around your ears and there’s no possibility if you do not know anything about those brand. If so, you are again a totally “outdated-freak mania”.

We are hereby able to get some opinion of friends around on the reason why they purchase or consume branded items. Most of reasons are due to their belief that branded items will tend to have a better and preferable quality than other “pirated- original” items sold in “pasar malam” or night market. By carrying those branded stuffs along, it will shows that they have a higher status than others and make them feel proud of themselves. Actually, it’s all the psychological effect that has been taken place. Or maybe I should say, the trend or culture which makes them feel better-off than others when using branded products. Furthermore, the spokesperson of certain brands will also have a big influence on them. For example,

Brad Pitt, as sexiest man alive of the advertisement of Edwin jeans advertisement, this ad will attract man to buy Edwin jeans so that they can be sexy like Brad Pitt.

Apple's hugely successful iPod digital music player emerged as the brand that is "absolutely essential to teens."

Other than that, we know those teenagers are willing to spend their money on few brands that they really like. There is also the current trend for teenagers, who buy these branded stuff and more and more becoming an interest to them, and this is how they can satisfy themselves. Beside that, by carrying branded stuff they can show off in front of their friends that they are rich and affordable. Maybe this is a scary statement for the parent as they will need to waste more money, but in fact, if you aren’t following the trend then you will be left out from “teenager circle”. And this is the reason why friends are the biggest influence in this stage.


Lastly, almost every higher education students or tertiary-educated students in Malaysia are using at least one branded thing; maybe it has become a necessity for them.

Maybe explanations and pictures will not convince you. But this is one of our evidences acquired by a student that branding is important:

“I will not deny that I myself am a people who are very interest in things such as branding. Since I was in secondary school, I was addicted to a well-known brand, which is “Nike”. This is due to the reason that this popular figure was a popular brand and during that period of time. I was an athlete. Therefore, I bought many products on the name of “Nike”. As I know, “Nike” has their very own style of differentiation in their products.

Therefore, that was the first time I bought branded item which was the “Nike” sport shoes. It was so different compared with other brand. Once I wore it, I feel so agitated and this made me happy during that time. Why? The reason is because at that specific time, there were not much people who could afford to buy it. Hence, I can show off my ability and willingness to buy the shoes to them. In addition, my pride had gone up a rank. However, this was my thinking when I was young. Nowadays, I still agree that branded items are important to me because it reflects the reality. Branded things can represent everything. Besides, most people view that it will increase not only our status, but it also shows that those people have good eyesight or so-called “taste” to choose branded products. This is again due to the quality of the branded items even tough we cannot deny that it is more expensive than other.

In my opinion, branded products are better than others. It is worth to have branded product around. Now, I have also supported other branded products, which are Levi’s, Casio, and Body Shop and so on. Another reason is that the branded product is worthy to us and the products are valuable and durable after using it for years. Therefore, I am hereby strongly agreed with branded product where branding is very important to everyone, if not everyone, to me.”