I feel like brand obsession, where the brand itself is a status symbol, is more of a European thing, especially the brands owned by LVMH (which they’ve successfully exported everywhere, including the Americas and Asia).
There’s still a time and a place for brand/manufacturer as an indicator of quality or even corporate policy (cars, bicycles, certain electronics, certain functional apparel/shoes/equipment/tools), but those are the types of things where I’d still consider the brand even if it’s nowhere to be seen on the finished product.
There’s still a time and a place for brand/manufacturer as an indicator of quality
Nowadays so many brands “known for quality” also have a low tier that is basically just as bad as the cheapo equivalent, but branded. Maybe there was a time when that would disqualify them from being a “quality brand”, but not anymore.
Unfortunately just another global consumerist trait. Though America might have helped make it worse.
I feel like brand obsession, where the brand itself is a status symbol, is more of a European thing, especially the brands owned by LVMH (which they’ve successfully exported everywhere, including the Americas and Asia).
There’s still a time and a place for brand/manufacturer as an indicator of quality or even corporate policy (cars, bicycles, certain electronics, certain functional apparel/shoes/equipment/tools), but those are the types of things where I’d still consider the brand even if it’s nowhere to be seen on the finished product.
Nowadays so many brands “known for quality” also have a low tier that is basically just as bad as the cheapo equivalent, but branded. Maybe there was a time when that would disqualify them from being a “quality brand”, but not anymore.
Nestlé used to make three “tiers” of chocolate: continental Europe (decent), the UK (meh), the US (bad).