OUGD401 - Study Task 4 - Summarising and Paragraphing

In the text 'Wally Ollins; On Brand',  Ollins explores the function of branding in the modern day world. He begins by reminiscing about a simpler time, when branding was used 'as a symbol of consistency' in the market. It signified a certain quality, price and appearance of a product and promised a distinct reputation to the consumer. The brand was purely related to the product.  

Nowadays however that whole concept has been 'turned on its head'. Branding speaks volumes more about the consumer than the product, illustrating everything from what kind of music we listen to, what we like to eat and especially what we like to wear. 

Olin's is both excited, amazed and almost bewildered by this strange obsession we have with brands, calling it 'a unique manifestation of out time'. Branding has become inescapable, rooting itself in every single aspect of our lives. Half the time it's there in the background, a subconscious stream of decisions we make on a daily basis. The other half we actively involve ourselves in. The clothes we wear, the make of phone we own, the places we shop at are all an 'outward and visible demonstration of private and personal affiliation.'

There is the constant question of whether it is the brand that controls us or we that control the brand and Ollin's makes it perfectly clear that it is we the consumer who decide who rise and who fall. We have 100% control over the brand. Brands are based on identity and it is us who decide what our identities are. Despite corporations creating images for themselves for the sake of targeting a larger audience and therefore making  profit, if nobody can relate to what that brand is symbolising, that brand will crash and burn. 

Olins, W. (2003) Wally Olins: On Brand. London: Thames and Hudson.