Nowadays the world is brand-saturated: walking down a high street there's nowhere to look where you won't have a brand shouting in your face. But with so many brands trying to elbow their way through the crowd, do we even take notice anymore? Have we, as consumers, learnt to ignore even the biggest brands?The idea of 'branding' isn't a new one - companies have always been competing for the best reputation and customers. This is all a brand really is - the reputation, products and ideas that your company is synonymous with.The only difference between now and years ago is consumer choice. Go back 50 years and people had no choice but to show with their local butcher, greengrocer, etc. The emergence of supermarkets and internet shopping has blown the whole concept wide open. Companies aren't only competing with companies down the road; they're also competing with rivals abroad.It's an interesting thought that internet browsing and the web-culture has led to a decrease in the importance of brands. A 'Google' search (there's an example of one of the best brands around...) will give you thousands of results, but people will rarely click anywhere below the top 5 results. Is this the new kind of branding? Getting your company in the top 5 results of a Google search? This is a whole new territory, but if this sounds interesting, have a look at some articles about Search Engine Optimisation, etc.On the other hand, could it be that the internet has made the brand more important than ever? In a sea of companies, with all offering the same or very similar things, which stand out for consumers? It's the brands we know and love. Maybe I won't even search 'home computers under £1000', I'll search 'Dell'.I read recently that own-brand supermarket items have enjoyed a huge boost in consumption since the beginning of the recession: big expensive brands are being gradually replaced by cheaper supermarket alternatives. This would seem to suggest people are less interested in the label of their food and more interested in its price tag. On the other hand - could this mean that actually what's happening is we as consumers are taking more notice of supermarket brands because they have consistently been the trustworthy brand names and now we rely on them like an old friend? Could supermarkets be the consumer's friend after all these years?In any case, I merely aim to promote curiosity. The industry is an interesting one, especially at the moment.
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