Information Architecture--> Branding--> Outlines

Points from the reading are in black.
My responses are in green


Truth in Advertising, Naomi Klein

Naomi's view seems very one-sided. She provides a lot of criticism about advertising, but no facts to back up her claims.


Branding companies attempt to connect with consumers by creating lasting impression.

It is necessity for these companies to produce ads that people will remember. They are selling a product and if they are lacking the ability to connect with potential customers, the product won't sell.

They create an "identity" for the company that is suited solely for them.

Companies are constantly competing with one another for business. They must pinpoint what it is that makes them different from the others and bring out that quality in their ad campaigns.

Branders uncover what moves people (images, feelings, etc). They dig deeper into the philosophical underpinnings of the world.

If the branding companies have an understanding of what is is that makes people "tick" then they will be better at creating ads that people will respond to.

The company's image becomes not about their product, but about a larger philosophical concept: happiness, community, friendship, youth.

The identity that is created for the company is used to make their differences stand out. They need to exploit this idea in order to create a successful and positive image for the company.

Despite these attempts, we are not affected by brands the way they were intended.

I completely disagree with this statement that Naomi makes. People are influenced by brands almost to an excessive state. We are bombarded with branding everyday, and we respond to it vigorously. Branding companies are genius in this way because they have researched everything that gets people going and do everything in their power to exploit that in the brand.

The Case for Brands, Editors of The Economist

Consumers trust big name brands because they produce consistent quality. People want/need more of these products.

People consistently buy from the companies that are known for their quality products. Often these are big name companies that have to follow strict regulations to achieve a certain level of satisfactory inventory.

People will pay more for brands they know and trust.

Even if there is a product that may be less expensive and serve the same function, a consumer will purchase the more expensive one just because they have seen the brand and know that it stands for a certain level of quality. People will also pay more for something that will bring them greater social acceptance (shopping at Abercrombie, American Eagle, etc.)

Companies exploit people's emotional needs and consumers respond.

When people see ads for a certain brand that looks like it will bring them pleasure that they don't have, they immediately go and purchase the product. Many times consumers will buy something they don't even need just because it looked cool. We are all subject to that.

In pre-industrial times, people knew exactly what they were getting. A brand provided a certain guarantee of reliability and quality.

During the pre-industrial times, there were only a handful of companies that people could buy from. By the 21st century however, there are so many companies providing the same kind of service that there is a level of competition that wasn't there before. Companies are fighting for business trying to convince people that their product is better than the competitor's.