No Logo

No Logo uses four parts, including “No Space,” “No Choice,” “No Jobs,” and “No Logo,” to explain the growth of brand power since the 1980s, how the focus of companies on image rather than products has affected employees, and to identify those who fight against large corporations and their brands.

Believe it or not, the best way to have a successful product isn’t making something that’s the highest quality. It’s about making something considered the coolest. That’s why companies spend enormous amounts of money every year trying to figure out what’s cool and incorporating this into their brand.

The reason big brands are so successful is that they concentrate on marketing and research to maintain a specific image. They know that their competitors have cheaper products, so they want to focus on building brand loyalty instead.

The brands that are the most successful are concept-driven, so they appeal to people on an emotional or spiritual level rather than a rational level. Brands want to be recognized and known for a set of values rather than for whatever product they produce.

For example, Nike spends very little money on manufacturing their items when you compare it to how much they spend on sponsorship deals, advertising, and marketing. Because of this, Nike isn’t just a sportswear company, but a company that enhances people’s lives through sports and healthy lifestyles.

It also has sought to be seen as a company that empowers both women and Black people, which is something far different from a mere sneaker manufacturer.

In the 80s and 90s, many big companies began outsourcing to save on labor costs. They closed up factories in Western countries and built new ones in the developing world where the labor is cheaper. Because these workers are considered contractors rather than employees, these multinationals don’t have responsibility for them. These factories are usually in Export Processing Zones. These are places where income and export taxes are suspended to make them enticing for businesses. However, these places have no minimum wage or labor laws. This means workers in these places have to endure terrible working conditions and even worse pay. The majority of them are young migrant women. Corporations and governments don’t protect them, so anything goes. They endure unreasonable hours, child labor, no benefits, and wages as low as $0.13 an hour. Outsourcing has also had a negative impact on employees in the Western world. Traditionally, these large companies would employ their own workforce and unionization allowed these employees to have relatively stable and well-paid jobs. Workers felt a loyalty to their employers. But in the 80s, everything changed. Companies became more preoccupied with branding than the products, so they chose to spend money…