It is often argued that people tend to imitate one another, which can be seen in the popularity of fashionable clothes and other consumer goods. While I agree that imitation plays an important role in shaping trends, I believe that other factors, such as marketing and media influence, are equally significant.
Individuals copying behaviour may contribute to the rise in popularity of certain clothes and other goods for several reasons, with the primary one being social belonging. People may feel under pressure when their peers follow trends and copy celebrities, while they are left behind. Given that humans are social creatures, they constantly seek others’ acceptance and avoid isolation. As a result, this can contribute to similar clothing styles and result in one brand gaining traction. Viral TikTok outfits can be a good case in point. When the majority of people start wearing similar clothes, others instantly start copying this trend, boosting the popularity of that product.
On the other hand, I believe that attributing product popularity to individuals copying behaviour is not reasonable, since the manipulative advertisements employed by companies do most of the work. Heavy advertising and marketing strategies directly influence people, creating artificial needs for the goods that they do not actually need. Brands like Nike and Apple, for instance, carefully design product launches and promotional content to generate excitement and a sense of urgency. When individuals are exposed to manipulative marketing techniques, they often come under their influence and eventually end up buying a certain product.
To sum up, while some attribute products’ success to humans imitating behaviour, I believe that it is the marketing and media influence that directly shapes consumer behaviour, urging individuals to purchase more and more.