Why are we really buying branded things?
Short answer: Weakness and insecurity.
I watch a lot of Korean content -- I watch Kdrama and I also listen to Kpop. There was an episode of "I Live Alone" where the guest was Sandara Park.
In the episode, Sandara was known apparently for bringing the weirdest things in her bag. Someone asked her, Why do you have big earrings in your bag? (Note that she does not need to bring those where she was going). Not verbatim, but she said:
Sometimes when I feel insecure, I will wear these accessories and it will make me feel less insecure.
Initially, I did not understand what she meant, why would wearing big earrings make her feel more secure?
When I read the book the Courage to be disliked book, her response made more sense to me. The book essentially says, when we buy branded things, sometimes the real reason behind it is that we are borrowing power/influence/affluence from these items. That is weakness and insecurity... and definitely pride as well.
It is like we are not enough, we need our shoes to be Nike, instead of Champion so that we won't be judged.
I am not saying this is true all the time. Sometimes we buy a brand because there is really value to a brand, and we trust that brand. I am not saying cheaper is always better. It is true that usually the more pricey an item is, the better it is. But there is an upper ceiling to this that even if the price is increased further, the value does not anymore increase significantly.
On our next purchase, let us ask ourselves this question: Am I buying the brand or am I buying the value?
P.S. This is a not a jab at Sandara Park. I am a fan of Sandara Park, she is a Filipina to the core. I like her honesty as well about her struggles. This is also not a jab against Nike nor Champion.