I Pledge My Allegiance...

More and more often, we are being defined by our consumerism. The other day, on my walk home from class, I began to think of the brands that I am most loyal to- the brands that define me, and why. Some large "cliché" brands first came to mind, but some smaller ones came to mind too. The brands may be common, but I feel like their resonance is unique to me (for the most part).

The first brand that came to mind was Nike. Sure, MOST people own at least one Nike product, but to me, Nike really does stand for "just do[ing] it." They have done an excellent job of establishing themselves as a competitor's brand, whether it's in a stadium, in the classroom, or against yourself. There are few things I enjoy more than competition. Also, Nike has done a good job of having a presence throughout my childhood on the soccer field, sponsoring tournaments, teams, and of course our equipment.

Nextly, I'm a Mac. My dad raised me on Apple Computers from an early age, and as I grew up, never strayed. I really value their simplistic, minimalistic design and synergy among other Apple products. One thing that has increased Apple's brand equity is Windows. Any opposing force strengthens one's loyalty to your preference, unless, of course, you are persuaded. Every time I get on a friend's PC and it freezes, or I hear about someone getting a virus, I thank goodness I own a Mac.

I'm also terribly loyal to Coca-Cola. There's nothing worse than craving one, going to order/buy one, and all they have is Pepsi. When it's sunny out, Coke reminds me of carefree summers, and when it's cold, I think of the cute polar bears and Santa. Talk about positive brand associations. I'm also impressed with their strides to be seen as a green-friendly company. In my most recent issue of Wired I was sent (April 2010), Coke had bought a full page print ad for Dasani, showing that not just the cola is using the new "Plant Bottle." The Plant Bottle is supposed to "made from up to 30% plant-based material that replaces some of the nonrenewable petroleum or fossil-based resources used in conventional PET plastic." What was most unique, was that one of the leaves of the plant under the bottle was able to be peeled off. Why? Because if you put it under soil and watered it regularly, it would turn into grass. What an amazing way of convey their concept of renewability and sustainability.

But how have these brands reached me personally? Repetition is certainly one of the keys. Sure, I may now seek out their advertising for my own knowledge, but before interest in the ad industry, these brands were seamlessly integrated throughout my life, starting at a young age. And now that they've reached me, a brand evangelist, the cycle perpetuates itself. Brilliant!

Below is Coca-Cola's song/music video they produced for their "Open Happiness" campaign. For some more info, check out my earlier post about their event marketing at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.