Is There Such a Thing as‘Brand We Can’t Live Without’?

Rani Eva Dewi
Nov 3 · 4 min read
Image by Masashi Wakui from Pixabay

I believe in human ability to survive this world even in the most unlikely scenario, including living without the brand we love.

As much as I try not to think too much about my previous academic life, (fortunately) there are some things I consider really memorable and worth reflecting even years after. It wasn’t even a mandatory class. I was just having free time and decided to sit in an available class at that time. I never thought that the class would be too important for me. If I could go back in time, I would still go to the class again and again.

It was a Brand Management class, taught by one of youngest and sophisticated lecturers at the department. She challenged the students to write short essay with “Brand I Can’t Live Without” as the topic. She gave the students time to prepare and finally asked them to read it one by one. After 3 or more students have told their stories, which mainly talked about the function and the use of a product in their lives, she decided to give a clear example of what she expected the essay should have been.

She began by presenting the problems faced by her younger self. It had something to do with the loss of 2 important figures in her life. Not by death, but by betraying her trust and leaving her when she needed them the most. She was so frustrated and almost gave up her life. That’s when she finally found solace in L’Arc-en-Ciel songs and lyrics. She remembered the day when it seemed impossible to get off from the bed and find motivation to continue. Through their lyrics, she learned to accept her reality and find her strength little by little. She couldn’t really imagine her life now without L’Arc-en-Ciel’s existence and support through their songs.

L’Arc-en-Ciel band members. Image from jrocknews.com

After listening to her story, I started reflecting on my own experience with brands. I thought at that time that it was a powerful way to start a class and set the expectation of what we would learn in the class for the whole semester. But when I think about it now, it was a powerful move to share a valuable life lesson I would take to my grave for sure.

Can we survive this world free from ‘Brand We Can’t Live Without’?

I believe in human ability to survive this world even in the most unlikely scenario, including living without brand we love. We probably just a little bit miserable, but life goes on. Though there are moments, even if it sometimes goes unnoticed, when we feel more alive than what we usually do.

I don’t really trust people who say they will only buy things they need based on logic only. There are just too many variables, both consciously and unconsciously, influencing us to buy something. Some people may argue that we buy on emotions, but justify it with logic. But it does not necessarily right either.

Michael Harris, CEO of Insight Demand, raised this issue and elaborated in his article that people don’t really decide emotionally. According to his research, the decision to buy is made subconsciously.

He wrote that “these subconscious decisions are based on a deeply empirical mental processing system that follows a logic of its own.”

It means that while the conscious mind (the part which is responsible to remember) has limited capabilities to digest new information, the unconscious mind has a system that can process millions information quickly without having any trouble.

With this knowledge in mind, I began thinking about the way I decide on things I am going to buy or even the way I did in the past. It has taken me to different places inside my memories and finally helped me to understand that yes, I will still be okay without the brand but my life will mean something even more if this brand continues to exist.

The Power of Moments

Understanding our decision making process has made me realized that perhaps one of the reasons we fall in love and enjoy the brand we can’t live without so much is because of moments. Perhaps it’s not just about the purpose of the brand, but the way this specific brand makes you feel about a certain person or a situation. Or moments you remember vividly and deeply ingrained in your memories so now you associate it with the brands.

It’s not necessarily a matter of living or dying without the brand. For me, brand has moments when we need them the most.

Because the unconscious mind has done the necessary process and we just need to wait until it has reached the conscious mind. By then, we will have had million reasons why we think we can’t survive without this specific brand in our lives.

So, this is how I started #mybrandmoments. It’s an appreciation to brands that give me meaningful moments. Not all of them are beautiful, but definitely have profound meaning. They may unintentionally help me during my hardest time as the source of my consolation or a simple way for me to connect with other people I care about. And perhaps, by sharing what I have experienced about them may help other human being as well.

Say cheers to human survival.

Rani Eva Dewi

Written by

Content Writer (I live so I write #mybrandmoments)

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