Abstract
This study investigates the implicit ideologies which result in the Pakistani
middle class society’s increasing obsession with clothing brands.
Consumerism, neoliberalism and the theory of Commodity Fetishism are
used as theoretical framework to interpret the data. The study uses a
qualitative method being interpretivist in nature, but also has some
embedded quantitative data for further verification. The data is collected
through interviews, questionnaires, observations from two markets in the
capital city of Pakistan. Along with collected data, some advertisements of
the selected brands are also analyzed. The theories of neoliberalism,
consumerism and commodity fetishism are used to interpret the data. The
findings showed that a) people preferred buying branded clothes despite
finding them expensive, b) strategies used by marketers is fueling the
consumers’ obsession with brands. c) People are creating perception ofself
and others based on brand choices. The qualitative reasoning behind the
statistics obtained yields an insight into the hegemonic control of the
marketers on consumers which makes consumers perceive others as well
as themselves based on brand choices. This creates a consumer culture
where brands become a symbol of prestige.
Sham Haidar, Omama Tanvir, Abeer Zahra, Khoula. (2020) Brand Perceptions of the Middle Class: A study of Stereotypes, Journal of Behavioural Sciences, Volume-30, Issue-1.
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