A Brief Introduction:
According to Wikipedia, a label can be used as a form of product identification, name tags, advertising, warnings, and other communication and a brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer and are now being described as "cultural accessories and personal philosophies".
In the business world and especially in relation to marketing and advertising, we all understand the importance of labels and brands and how they help spread an image and further position a product or service. But can this labeling concept be applied to human relationships? And how?
Why Do We Need Labeling & Branding in Relationships?
After a very intriguing conversation with a "friend", I found myself linking the concept of branding and labeling to the human condition and realizing that there is a need for labels and brands in relationships for a better and more organized way of life!
Allow me to explain further:
Do you think it is possible to determine a certain way of behavior with someone without the existence of clear defined labels both parties can be identified with?
What differentiates an employer from an employee? Apart from the salary, experience, obligations and maybe the office they work in? How could you know whom to report to in a new office without being given a label of that person before even knowing his/her name? How can boundaries of respect and chain of command be determined? An employer has a power of authority which he can use more than often to fire, criticize and even more insult an employee. An employer's role shift continuously and freely. When it comes to employees, they lack the flexibility and need to operate by certain rules of conduct or else will end up jobless!
What differentiates a friend from an acquaintance? Both are human being (hopefully), both have the essential body parts and internal systems and both can talk, laugh, cry and eat (as well as other things I don't need to mention)! Yet, a friend is someone whom you can confide in, someone who you will find there next to you in moments of great happiness and pain, someone who you have things in common with and enjoy talking to. On the other hand, acquaintances are those whom you probably have many duplicates of; you see then every once in a blue moon, you talk to them about random things, you don't trust them and you don't usually choose to spend time with them, it just happens accidentally!
What differentiates a "no label" relationship from a labeled one? (in intimate relationships) Well, though there are many types of intimate relationships such as open relationships, complicated relationships, steady relationships and so on, it all boils down to labels! In any form of intimate relationships, there exists a need for a definition of the relationship, a label, which defines the boundaries of what can be and can not be done within the frame of respect and expectations. A "no label" relationship hinders any plans for an effort to be placed in the relationship, it plants doubt and nurtures insecurities. Furthermore, such a relationship can lead to confusion and discomfort!
And the list goes on for relationships between parents and children, a current boyfriend/girlfriend and an ex, an older sister and a younger brother, and so on...
Real Life Examples:
If all coke was called coke, you know, a generic name for all similar products rather than branded as Pepsi and Coca Cola. What happens if you drink a coke and get poisoned, how will you ever trust coke again? Will you even drink coke after that? How can you be sure that this coke is what you want and not the other? How will you ever develop brand loyalty for coke?
Now, let's take it from another angle: We all know Coca Cola and Pepsi and many of us can really differentiate the taste regardless of which can the drink is placed in or even when we drink it from a glass. How? Coca Cola and Pepsi have spent years building a brand image based on their label that now, they don't need the label for people to know which is which.
Conclusion:
Yes, many years and situations can definitely eliminate the need for labels whether in the business world or in human relationships yet labels come in handy in the beginning of any product/service launch or the start of any human relationship.
I rest my case.
December 12th, 2008
