Do brands still matter?
January 5, 2007 by Mary Wynne-Wynter
These two articles seem related to me. I think of a quote from a favorite Tom Robbins book that has stuck with me for decades: "the more advertising I see the less I want to buy."Skin Deep: The Cosmetics Restriction Diet:
"Forget $200 beauty creams and medicine cabinets full of products. The best regimen for your face involves three simple steps and nothing more expensive than $30."Where You Least Expect It:
"Fashion doesn’t come just from the runway anymore, if it ever really did. And it doesn’t come from “Project Runway” either. Rather, it seems to happen spontaneously and then spread like some mostly benign contagion, a germ carried in the air and contracted in this store, that magazine, this corner of the city and in ways that fashion bibles rarely bother to note."I've changed my consumer habits in the past 24 months. For example, I wanted to see how many personal care and household products I could replace with these basics: baking soda, white vinegar, baby shampoo, hydrogen peroxide, sea salt, lemons. A lot! and I don't miss a single branded product. I wasn't motivated by cost savings or green consciousness (although both are lesser motivators). It was the desire for simplicity, time savings, and less clutter that prompted me. Its also a kind of brand cord-cutting individualism, independence and satisfaction...Tom Robbins style! I've taken a similar approach (same motivation) to my wardrobe which I'll talk about in another post. Comments?