Brand-washing
What is it about brands that makes people stupid? That can’t be answered here. It would take several books, many of them already written. It’s a flaw in our DNA is the short answer. In fact, some very smart people get stupid about brands.
To have class is not to have brands. This should be obvious. And common sense should be common, so let me explain. There are many aspects to having class, among them manners, decency, generosity, kindness, humility, appreciation….I could go on, though I hope I don’t have to. These, too, should be common sense. But to keep on track, let’s talk about the kind of class that might otherwise be said “He really knows how to live in style. He’s got Class!“
By this we mean taste and money – the ability to attract envy rather than snickers. Of course, this is not really class. I am of the opinion that even an old bum in a shack on a bubbling volcano. Look at Harry Truman, not the President. The one who lived on Mt. St. Helens. He went with the mountain, refused to leave. Went out with a bang, not to be too painfully coy about it. He had class.
Some guy with a 100 meter swimming pool and a Jacuzzi filled with champagne and naked girls, meanwhile, does not have class. He might be having fun. He might not (he might be gay). Champagne Jacuzzis and naked girls are symptoms of the need to feel envied. So let’s keep it straight. There’s class, and there’s envy points.
Nothing wrong with seeking envy. We all need a bit of it, at least at first. Then, as we outgrow that, we may still need it…as a business expense. If I’m a get-rich-quick guru, I want to to attract envy. I want people to want what I have. Why? Because I will promise to sell it to them, thereby getting even more of what I have.
So, there are 2 reasons to brag about our taste in Champagne or what brands we buy. One reason is insecurity. The other is strictly business. Either way, the advice that follows will help you.
First: You have to know whose envy you want
Second: You have to know what that target group desires, but doesn’t have
Very simple, and it works like this. The typical rich newbie will say that he loves Dom Perignon champagne. One was even so smug recently that he added “If you know what it is, you know why I like it.” That last part eliminated any good will he might have had up to that point. The fact is, almost everybody knows what Dom Perignon is. It’s not exactly an obscure brandname. And therein lies both its benefits and its problems. DP, as they call it in Japan, is the Mercedes of champagnes. It’s not a bad champagne, it’s quite good. But, it’s the most commonly known kind of good.
That’s a good thing when the people you want to make envious are mostly not all that sophisticated. It does no good to prattle off the name of an especially rare and prized champagne when the people who hear about it think “Isn’t that the red stuff at the local 7/11?” You’re aim is too high. Save your money and your breath. Buy Dom Perignon, and the same people will coo in admiration at your elevated taste. Bulls-eye.
On the other hand, if your target is someone who has been rolling in money since they were old enough to crap, you may want to aim higher. The thing is, unless the person is a champagne aficionado (whew, I needed the dictionary for that one), you may miss the target there, too. Ah, but the ones who do get it will quietly bond to you, that rare person who really appreciates the truly fine things in life. So, here’s a brief guide to how to impress, whether aiming low, middle or high.
Champage:
Low- Asti-Spumante
Average- Dom Perignon
High- Tattainger Blanc de Blanc
Very High- Cristal Brut 1990 “Methuselah”
And, for our upcoming post on watches, I will add the following:
Low- Swatch
Average- Rolex
High- Patek Phillipe
Very High- Breguet Double Tourbillion
Photo source: http://www.worth1000.com/cache/gallery/contestcache.asp?contest_id=1645&display=photoshop
