User talk:Gonazon

Brand-name Products
TOPIC: In Hong Kong, it seems to be common for people to think very highly of expensive brand-name clothes and fashion accessories (e.g. bags and shoes). This is true of students as well adults. Explain why many Hong Kong people think this way. Say whether you feel that this is a good or bad trend for students to follow. Give reasons for your opinions.

Is the more famous, the better?

Buying brand-name products is gaining popularity among the adolescents in the territory. It is so prevalent to see students taking famous brand bags to school, such as Alviero Martini, GUCCI, Vivienne Westwood, Porter and so on. Using brand-name products is no longer the privilege of adults. Nowadays, it is a commonplace to see students and office ladies using products of the same famous brand. According to a recent statistics released by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, more than a half of the youth interviewed have owned at least one brand-name products. Among them, there is a quarter claiming that they spend a considerable amount of money on this kind of stuff every month. They are very persistent and willing to save money for their favorite products. The young generations usually describe the brand-name products as glamorous, enthralling, luxurious and fashionable.

What actually makes the students be fascinated with the brand-name products?

“You know, a brand-name bag is more long-lasting, and the quality is much better than those found in Tung Choi Street. What’s more, I really feel confident when carrying my Burberry bag to school. My classmates are so envious of me having such a beautiful bag. It makes me feel superior over them! It gives me a sense of fulfillment, as well as a sense of pride.” said Jenny, a Form 5 student, who was given her first Burberry purse when she was in secondary 2.

Customers always look for the products having complete information about their availability, quality, and alternative prices, which cannot be found among the ordinary goods. This leads the buyers to fall back on brand names. As good reputations of the famous brands have been established in the market, consumers are guaranteed to make reasonable and safe purchases without searching or investigating products every time they buy.

For those who cannot afford the astronomical prices of brand-name goods, second-hand products would be an alternative. For instance, a well-known retail chain in the market, Milan Station, offers various kinds of second-hand goods from different brands. Nevertheless, the price of a famous brand bag is still very extravagant. Where do the students get the money? It would probably come from their parents, or their part-time jobs. The students, or more specifically their parents, have a very strong purchasing power in the market. Those famous brand companies understand this fact, and they are just trying their very best, by any means, to attract students to buy their products.

We must admit that famous brand companies offer us goods of better quality. Yet, many people are casting doubt on the need of them. It is believed that there must be substitutes for them. Many ordinary products in the market are actually quite durable and of good quality. They are not produced by famous brand companies, we can find them everywhere. And most importantly, they are inexpensive and most of us can afford them. As a student, modesty and simplicity should be the top priority.

It is undoubtedly true that living in a materialistic society with tons of temptation flooded, students can be easily distracted by the lures surrounding them. Celebrities, as the idols of many teenagers, play a vital role in influencing their mind. The attire of them shown in the media is regarded as a symbol of the teenagers’ fashion. In order to look stylish, the young people simply follow what their idols dress and what accessories they use. This kind of celebrity effect certainly enhances the brand name effect as the famous brand companies would invite idols to help promote their products. Accordingly, with the unique brand names and associated advertising and promotional campaigns, those companies can make a profit much more easily.

The two effects mentioned above have an adverse effect on the social values, which make the general public, especially the weak-willed teenagers, get used to being in pursuit of the brand-name goods. There is a trend of purchasing brand-name products as a consequence of the peer influence among the adolescents. It seems that if you do not have a brand-name product, you will be alienated from your friends. This is known as vanity. If one cannot control his vanity, he will buy everything he wants, even he has got insufficient money. Here is the case:

A freshman, studying at the University of Hong Kong, was found injured in an alley in Jordan last night. When being asked by the police, he said that he was hit by several men working for a loan shark. Further information was obtained after his discharge from hospital. “My credit card was overdrawn as I incidentally spent a lot of money on my GUCCI bags and accessories 2 months ago. When I received the bank statement, I just found it difficult to pay the bills and I had to resort to the help of loan shark. But it simply made my situation worse, and…” said the freshmen.

The story points out that once you are indulged in buying brand-name products (similar to what a shopaholic does), you can hardly control yourself and the consequence can be far-reaching.

Professor Denny Ho Kwok-leung of Department of Applied Social Science at Hong Kong Polytechnic University condemned that people who lack a sense of beauty simply dress up themselves with those so-called famous brands and they will be satisfied. Sometimes it looks like a bizarre costume. As a proverb goes, all that glitter is not gold. Whatever brand-name products you use, you cannot change your mind. He said that we should learn how to appreciate and respect others by focusing on one’s ego and mind, instead of their appearance. Brand-name goods should not be the only factor to build up social status and human dignity. When all the people in the community tend to follow the trend, creativity will also be suppressed, especially among the young generations, who are the pillars of our society. This atmosphere certainly hinders their all-round development and post a detrimental effect on their future.

Undoubtedly, famous brand companies bring us better quality and more durable products which can enhance our dressing. For all that, we should bear in mind that a luxury not a necessity and at the same time, educate our next generations about the value of inner beauty. Before you pay money for the brand-name products, ask yourself “Can luxurious goods help improve our inner beauty?”