Brands That Define Me

According to urbandictionary.com, the word "Nike" is defined as:

An American shoe company that makes athletic wear that includes shoes, shirts, shorts etc. Their logo is a checkmark and their motto is "JUST DO IT". The shoes were made famous especially by Michael Jordan. Steve: Nice shoes! Greg: Yeah they're NIKEs. Michael Jordan However, if you scroll down a bit further you will find this definition: A brand of shoe that is worn by everyone because of MJ. They are made by underpaid Indonesian children. Person 1-Wanna hear a joke? Person 2-Sure Person 1- How much does it cost for 4,000 children to make a pair of NIKE shoes? Person 2-I don't know. Person 1-NONE!!! ALL YOU NEED IS A WHIP!!! Person 1 & 2- hahahahahahaha Clearly these two definitions vary greatly. On one hand you have a definiton created by someone who either favors or is unbiased to the product. On the other hand you see that a much darker picture is painted. Nike has been known to use cheap labor in Asia as a means to create their product; yet they continue to earn over $5 billion in revenue each year. How can a brand that is widely known to use cheap labor able to post record sales? Wouldn't the majority of consumers be opposed to type of labor? How has this brand been able to dominate the market and how has marketing affected that? Nike Dunk High Premium I hope to uncover some of these mysteries over the course of the semester in this blog. I have created a list of the top 6 brands that I feel represent who I am or have a large influence on my life. This list does not cover every brand that affects or influences who I am, but I feel as though it is comprehensive enough to give you a good idea of who I really am. Although influence may sound like a strong word to use in the sense of things that shape my life; I feel as though it is too light of a definition. The clothes we buy, the things we eat, the things we do, the people we hang out with, and even the music we listen to define who we are. These things were marketed to us in some way or another and we chose to associate with those items for one reason or another.  By creating this blog I not only hope to give you insight into how I operate, but I also hope to understand why I connect with these brands as well. So without further adieu I give you a list of six brands that I feel represent me the most. 1. Polo/ Ralph Lauren 2. Greek Life 3. Penn State 4. Starbucks 5. Nike 6. House Music There is no list extensive enough to fully quantify who I am. This list simply gives a basic outline of various aspects of my life.  The brands I have listed have created a connection with me in some aspect of my life; whether it is social, academic, performance or otherwise. A brand may not define me, but to the outside world it classifies me. I may be an outsider, a jock, or a nerd; each brand represents something different to someone else. In this blog I will not be trying to figure out what others think of the brand but what I gain from the brand and how I view it. The next few posts may get personal. I may use profanity and say things that could offend your grandmother. But this is a blog about me, who I am, and why I associate with the brands I do. So sit back, shut up, and enjoy the ride.