The Wizard's Favorite Brands

Welcome to the 14th annual Wizard of Jah Brand Off, here we see brands compete head to head to win over the heart of this random internet blog poster. This is truly a battle for champions, as I am sure you all remember the finals from last years event! This year we have some newcomers and classics from all around!

The criteria that I will be basing the points system off of is as such.  There is no points, this is just a blog post about different brands and how they market themselves to different consumers.  Get lit.

Red Bull
This energy drink company is so much more these days.  They have created a brand that exudes excitement.  Many of people have drank their drinks but they are steadily on the rise even as people slowly start to not consume their beverages.  Red Bull is a sponsor to so many various athletes and sports that they are basically associated with any form of extreme or counter-culture activity.  A huge aspect of Red Bull's continued growth is their addition of Red Bull Media House.  This sector of Red Bull is largely a content creator, it drives site traffic and engages consumers.  Even to the point that when I am doing 18 hour drives in a single day, I choose the Red Bull over the Rockstar because the Red Bull is on my mind.  This process of brand creation has solidified themselves as more than just a brand for energy drink companies.



Patagonia
Patagucci for all the plebs out there.  Recently Patagonia has made waves as these outdoor retailers become more and more fashion based.  Companies like North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, are all making gear and apparel that is style and functional.  The reason I am support of the Patagonia brand is their continued efforts for decreasing environmental impacts.  Patagonia promotes many programs that encourage the recycling of gear, and the lengthening of the life of gear.  The Worn Wear content on their site stresses extending the life of that gear, instead of just purchasing new and throwing away the old (Patagucci).  This is super cool in my opinion; in this day and age too many people have adopted the throw away culture.  Why throw away something that can still function real nicely with a nice duct tape patch? Besides, it makes you look more core anyways!

Another environmentally friendly progress Patagonia has made is the manufacturing of their wetsuits with Yulex Guayule Rubber.  It is super cool to read about it and I wont dive much further but read about it here (Yulex more like shmulex).  Ultimately I just want to highlight Patagonia as a brand that continues efforts to environmental causes and for that reason I will continue to support them.

HG Skis
This fairly new ski company coming out of Vermont has continued to surprise me.  This company stands by their product more so than any other company out there in my opinion.

“HG Skis is the east coast’s premier up and coming ski company. We represent the core scene that is the true east coast. Our skis and products are developed from skiers like you, for you.” (TRUUUUUUU)

These guys are out there building stacks of skis in a garage, why? Because they believe in what they are doing.  They know what they wanted and went out to build it.  They stand behind their product so much that they offer insane warranty programs as a ski company. They offer a warranty for structural break downs of the ski, including edge and sidewall cracks. Now if you have ever skied a season of straight park skiing, you know this will happen.  But HG stands behind their ski so much that they know structural breakdowns won't happen.  A brand that trusts so much in their product must have a strong sense of their brand image.  This is a brand I back completely.  HG skis out here for the real ones.

Brands continue to distinguish themselves in various ways, and I think it is vital for the way consumers will perceive you as a brand.  So when the time comes, find your niche, and develop your brand and your business to further create a bond between the consumer and your brand.