Globalisation of brands

Wherever you go…
Increasingly, wherever you go in the world, you will find the same products, no matter what language is spoken in the county, or what type of government the country has. Companies such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Nike to name but a few are becoming common brands around the world, whether it is in terms of ‘genuine’ products, or copies designed to mirror the original. Companies spend millions of dollars protecting their logos and promoting their products around the globe. Advertising promotes lifestyles in relation to the brands to encourage people to buy them.

Corporate capitalism
Even communist countries have not remained free from the impact of corporate capitalism. Coca-Cola can be bought in Cuba (although it arrives via Canada to avoid trade sanctions in the USA), and there are branches of Pizza Hut in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Western styles of clothes are becoming common around the world, often replacing ‘traditional’ styles. Perhaps the most common item is the baseball cap often featuring logos which have little or no meaning to the wearer – beyond the fact that it is ‘western’, and particularly American.

The American Dream
Around the world, the USA is associated with success and wealth. The idea of the ‘American dream’ – that if you work hard, you will be rewarded with health, wealth and happiness – is a seductive idea, which has been promoted around the world through a combination of films and advertising. In many parts of the developing world, the ability to buy western brands is seen to be evidence of wealth – even if it’s a ‘fake’ the product represents status and a sense of identity with the West. This in turn is meant to suggest sophistication and development.

Changing ideals
Partly, it’s a result of history. In the past, many European countries controlled large areas of the globe, and the peoples of the countries controlled were considered inferior and ‘backward’, being less developed than countries of the West. Whilst the age of empires is over, some people argue that there is a new form of cultural imperialism taking place with the global marketing of brands, and the accompanying lifestyles they promote. Recently a backlash has started against this globalisation of our lives. At the same time, ‘ethnic’ products from around the globe are very fashionable in the West.