Why and under what conditions are people more likely to buy brand names rather than their generic counterparts?

Introduction You think you are having Kellogg's for breakfast, catching the news on CNN, driving to Texaco to fill up your Ford while listening to Kiss 100. You ponder changing to diet Pepsi like Madonna. You arrive at work and curse Microsoft for the blue screen. But that was not what really happened. You were actually buying a life, getting deeply connected to cars and cold drink. Your experiences took place on an elevated plane, one …

…the brand you choose. They resent unfairness caused by social roles and prejudice, on which branding relies. They think for themselves, even in the face of social criticism. As humanity moves closer to self actualization, we will eventually disregard branding. But until then, as I have explained in this essay, branding will continue to influence the majority of lives significantly. 'Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth.' Ludwig Borne. 2 497 (excluding heading)