Why Did You Buy It?

It’s a regular Sunday morning and you decided to clean your store room. Suddenly you come across a shirt you loved five years ago, and even though it brings back many pleasant memories, and makes you nostalgic you start to doubt your dressing sense. Why is that? Why are all your clothes black? Why has the world shifted from Facebook to Instagram?  Why do you follow that Keto diet?

Personally, when I came across the Keto diet and how so many Instagram influencers were losing weight because of it, I was intrigued. I wanted to try it out as soon as possible. Be it a diet, a person, a product or a movie. Everything can be marketed. 

One day, while I was heading to the market, I noticed how the movie RRR was being promoted. I was immediately interested in the film. It was a collaboration between PVR and the movie RRR. The poster was so simple yet so eye-catching.

Let’s think of some other scenarios, you just visited Starbucks for a cup of coffee instead of a local coffee shop. You love to see your name on the cup. The reason for writing your names on the cups is not to avoid confusion. It lets you feel heard by Starbucks, makes you feel wanted by them and you end up posting it on Social Media. Boom! You just marketed their product. That’s how brands not only make you want their product but also make you market it.

Anything can be sold with effective branding and marketing. A trash bag offered by Balenciaga for $1790 is a recent example. Are you surprised by this? Let me give you another example: a Louis Vuitton bag in the shape of an aeroplane sold for $39,000. These products are highly priced as they serve as a status symbol and satisfy their consumers’ esteem needs. These brands are not promoting or selling their products, they are selling ‘exclusivity.’

Not only that, but brands may also create a culture. With rising urbanisation and a preference for western civilisation, Archies Gallery observed that the gifting sector has got a good fillip. The business pioneered the practice of giving friendship bands to your pals on Friendship Day and exchanging cards on other occasions like birthdays and Mother’s Day. These customs have become ingrained in our lifestyle and cannot be abandoned.

So, the next time you are making a purchase ask yourself ‘Why Did You Buy It?’

Is it because you needed it, or is the brand responsible for making you feel that way?

Riyashree Kukreja

Riyashree is a management student at IIM Kashipur. She is an Executive Member of The Media and Public Relations Committee. She is a Bachelor of Business Administration graduate from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. She has previously worked as Social Media Marketing Manager at Marketocrat. She enjoys maintaining an art journal and believes art is all about perspective. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.