First, let’s review the origin of “brand”.

The English word for brand is Brand, which comes from the ancient Norwegian word Brandr, which means "burning". People use this method to mark private property such as livestock that needs to be distinguished from others. In medieval Europe, craftsmen used this branding method to mark their handicrafts so that customers could identify the origin and producer of the product. This creates the original trademark, which provides a guarantee to consumers and legal protection to producers. In the early 16th century, producers who distilled whiskey put the whiskey into wooden barrels branded with the producer's name to prevent unscrupulous traders from stealing the goods. By 1835, Scottish distillers adopted the brand "Old Smuggler" to maintain a reputation for the quality of liquor made using special distillation procedures. In the "Oxford Dictionary", a brand is explained as "used to prove ownership, as a sign of quality or for other purposes", that is, to distinguish and prove quality. As time goes by, the business competition landscape and the retail industry continue to change, and the meaning of brands has become more and more abundant, and even a specialized research field-brand science has been formed.

However, this book is not intended to study profound brand science, but to demonstrate people’s psychology of showing off on brands through their understanding of brand culture. A brand is an intangible asset that brings a premium to the owner and generates added value. Its carrier is a name, term, symbol, mark or design and its combination that is used to distinguish the products or services of other competitors. It is the source of added value. It comes from the impression formed in the minds of consumers about its carrier. Brand is an image recognition, feeling, quality recognition and customer loyalty expressed through these factors and a series of market activities. Generally speaking, it is an intangible assets. So at this time the brand appears as an intangible asset. The deeper expression is: Only a brand that can be spread by word of mouth can be called a brand.

We must have a full understanding of the brand concept. Brand refers to the emotional needs of consumer groups corresponding to the product concept. The product brand created by the enterprise should be a concrete reflection of the emotional value of the consumer corresponding to the product. For example, many young people nowadays like Jay Chou, which means that the temperament, habits, behavior and other brand elements displayed by Jay Chou's "product" meet the emotional needs of these young people, which creates value. This value is what Jay Chou believes. Corresponding to the emotional needs of the group.

Simply put, a brand is an indicator closely related to the price of a product. Many times people do not know the specific price of a certain product or consumption, but they can make a general judgment based on its brand. In addition to displaying the price, the brand also condenses many information such as the quality, reliability, social evaluation, and cultural connotation of the product. Consuming a well-known, high-end, luxury brand product can not only convey the signal "I am a rich person", but also express "I am a person with taste, status, unique taste" and many other things. content. Therefore, as the "totem" of goods, brands also constitute an important part of high consumption. Like its high price, it is a simple and easy tool to express a consumer's identity.

In 1978, 36-year-old Rong Zhijian (son of the famous "red capitalist" Rong Yiren) applied for a one-way permit and went to Hong Kong alone, and he and the descendants of Hong Kong Rong Zongjing (cousins ??Rong Zhixin, Rong Zongjing) Ji Qian) met. At that time, Rong Zhijian was wearing a Swiss Patek Philippe watch. From this detail, many of his relatives in Hong Kong were surprised to find that mainland wealthy families have no worse awareness of top-notch material life than they do. Until the late 1980s, the general public in China still only knew about famous brands such as "Radar" and "Rolex", and not many people knew about top brands like "Patek Philippe" so far.

High consumption shows a pattern of development from high prices to high-end brands in the selection of items. This is a process from coarse to fine. When a new high-priced item appears, it is honorable to use and own such items.

Subsequently, with the gradual popularity of this product, different brands of high, medium and low-end products appeared. At this time, only consuming high-end brand products can make people proud.

In China, cars have always been an important status symbol because few people can use them. People are divided simply and clearly into two groups: car owners and car-free people. In the 1990s, a typical car commercial featured a successful man looking lovingly into the distance before driving a car home. "Success" is reduced to a car. Although this kind of advertisement is a bit tacky, it can really arouse people's desire for cars. With the gradual popularity of cars, the function of cars as identity spokespersons has gradually declined. Still, premium brands of cars remain symbols of social distinction. This means that it is not enough to have a car, it must also be a famous car and a good car.

With the development of the advertising industry, advertising has played a huge role in shaping brands. Melatonin and Golden Partner are a typical example. Due to the overwhelming advertising, it is well known that the elderly have received such gifts from their children and feel proud when they tell their neighbors and friends. Although many people say that its advertising is vulgar, the result of "vulgarity" is that it is easy to understand and everyone will never forget it. Therefore, high visibility brings high sales.

After "Super Girl" became popular in 2005, it immediately attracted the attention of advertisers and frequently appeared in various commercial performances. In terms of image, temperament and performance ability, these super girls are far behind other entertainment stars, and they may not be really appreciated by advertising manufacturers and advertising companies, and may not even be liked by the public. But it doesn't matter. The key is that Supergirl is already a hot topic and fashion signal. Using Supergirl as a spokesperson or guest performer can show the strength of the company and the fashionability of the product. From the audience's perspective, if you see Supergirl in a commercial performance or corporate promotion event, whether you like it or not, you will recognize the quality of the event and the strength of the company.

A Morgan Stanley report pointed out that Chinese buyers are loyal followers of famous brands and have high regard for international high-end brand products. Faced with the sudden increase in wealth, the newly wealthy class did not hesitate to choose this symbol of wealth to prove their economic and social status.