OPINIONS WANTED: Subculture in Skiing. What branding does to your choices?

A snowHead

OPINIONS WANTED: What does branding in skiing do to you ?

For me it is the freedom and belongings some brands show us skiers having when being part of their brand image
I am simply doing a big presentation on subcultures within skiing in the near future at uni and wanted a taste of some actual skiers views !

Thank you in advance if anyone has a spare minute!!

A snowHead

Doesn't do anything for me.

I have Tecnica boots (though had to look in the bag to see what brand) - because they were the ones recommended by Pro Feet as the best for my feet.
I have Rossignol skis - because I hired a pair and liked them so much I bought a pair.
My poles are, umm, long and thin.
No idea who made my salopettes.
My jacket is a Buffalo, a small company from Sheffield and usually only recognised by squaddies.

Actually I've realised something branding in skiing does do for me - give me something to laugh at when you see a brand victim, dressed head to toe in 'X' gear.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I don't care much for brands. As long as it fits, is properly waterproof (this depends on the item), is suitable for its purpose and isn't expensive I couldn't careless. Well colour comes into things, I much prefer brighter items, colour is much more important than brand for me.

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@willgreenwork,
you might get more useful response if you build a framework for the answers, or at the very least ask a rather more specific question than 'what does branding in skiing _do_ to you"

the more people you ask, the more different answers you'll get.

I'm not sure it does anything to me, much like Mjit. (btw, +1 for Buffalo - the pertex kings!)

I tend to buy stuff now more based on perceived performance or comfort, rather than brand, although that approach is probably not even consistent across all my ski kit (e.g. brand might be more important for e.g. a jacket than for a base layer)

not that there's anything wrong with Campri Ski jackets, of course .... wink

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I chose my boots because of fit, function and budget. They happen to be Salomon which I trust as they are a well established brand.
I chose my bindings because of function and budget. They happen to be Marker which I trust as they are a well established brand.
I chose my skis because of size/shape, construction and geometry. They happen to be Movement and I've skied Movement in the past so I trust their quaity and performance from personal experience.

My jacket is Sweet Protection. I trust the brand from reviews and reports on their quality. I like the features, it's a nice colour scheme and was half price on SportPursuit.
My gloves are Hestra. I didn't know Hestra was a particularly special brand until after I bought them. I wanted removable liners and a leather/textile gauntlet style glove.

My helmet was bought because it fitted, comfortable and available (it was replacing a lid damaged in a crash in resort, so I was relying on what stock the resort shops had) It happens to be K2.

I sometimes shortlist equipment based on perception of quality of a brand, but would not buy exclusively based on brand alone. Nor do I really think about, nor care about what a brand says about me.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

What's a brand?

After all it is free

I have full of my soul branding I cannot to live without and even outside this on the image there is no comparison.

(...I reckon the OP might actually understand this statement and build his presentation based on its deep truth).

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@willgreenwork, I think you'll find that most Snowheads buy a specific piece of kit because they know it will do what they want; having said that there are some very well established brands in the sector, and frequently what we buy carries one of those brands.

That is not to imply that the brands are necessarily high cost - you may notice that there are threads about Aldi/Lidl kit on here, and a number of Snowheads will quite happily buy their kit because it fulfills the first criterion - they know it will do what they want.

If you're looking for whether someone would buy x over y, because x is made by a well known brand, then you probably need to find a Russian site and ask them about Bogner Toofy Grin

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Style, colour and quality more important than brand for clothes and goggles. Performance and feel more important than anything else for skis and boots. Brand has little to do with choosing kit, although there are some brands/manufactures I actively avoid. Sometimes this is due to past experience of poor performance, some because I don't like the image.

snow reports

I generally make a point of buying Burton pants and jackets. I've never been cold or wet when wearing them, the cut suits my shape, and I like the colours. That being said, I've never bought new seasons kit, as I'm a tight fisted type, and love hunting for a bargain. All my other ski kit is cheap cheerful and functional, and my skis are second hand bargains.

@horizon

I only know my boots are head as I'm always recommending them to people. Oh and my salopettes are trespass I think - I genuinely have no idea what my jacket is. I take whatever skis the nice man in the shop gives me. I do like pretty colours though, I'm not bothered by brand, but graphics/colours/colour matching, yes Smile

You know it makes sense.

My freedom lies in choosing Quechua. In choosing Quecha I can feel free from competition, free to fly, to feel at one with the elements. For me, servitude would be to seek to be admired, even envied, because of my brands when the true spirit of the calls me to take the snow-force - the now force - to the next level. One who is slave to a brand is forever branded a slave.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Totally, @pam w, totally.

A snowHead

I'm a child, so I just go for whichever has the brightest colours.

A snowHead

@pam w, ... very ubermensch..... now there skis a god in @pam w,

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You're wasted you should be writing perfume ads or at least the French copy in those "enjoy the vitality of our pasture" brochures

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I was once visiting Durham Cathedral and some outreach pastor started talking to me about the logo on my jacket and what it meant and whether it signified I belonged to that brand. Clearly designed to start some sort of conversation or debate. However since the jacket in question was some sort of resolutely untrendy and utilitarian fleece ( maybe Karrimor from the pre Ashley days) I just thought he was an back bottom.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

I am the brand spirit animal. With my adoption of obscure, crowd-funded manufacturers' products I will lead you into a world of freedom, of self-expression, and lost riding time by spending an extra hour each day getting your Protect Our Winters sticker at just the right angle on your new llama cartilage helmet. Follow me!

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I only wear Bogner because I like the natty designs.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I for one would be amused if the OP was actually studying the third-person effect. Toofy Grin

snow reports

I sense a definite gap in the market for iBoots, iSkis, iJackets and iHelmets.

Zero interest in brands, especially when skiing.

Subcultures in skiing? Can't say I've ever noticed that on the slopes. You see a few brainless American tw@ts in videos who like to think they are a subculture and make up daft words, but they are only pretending and the only subculture that really exists is with snowboarders. Ooops, sorry. I meant sub-human. Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

I'm pretty sure @foxtrotzulu's part of the grumpy old man subculture NehNeh

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Have to say that the OP's post was shockingly poorly written but I think he was getting at the idea that one of the attractions of snowsports is a sense of freedom and adventure and that some skiers/boarders are attracted to brands that emphasise that element of the sport. I could argue that nichey, smaller brands like say, White Dot or Black Crows particularly play to this - equipment for adventurous, expertish, off-piste, in-the-know, enthusiasts. Incidentally, that's no suggestion that the equipment doesn't deliver, in fact it would be much harder for the brand to work if it didn't.

I think a lot of people who claim not to be influenced by brands are kidding themselves. In many cases the "antibrand" sentiment is just another way of making a statement. Here is an example from TSJ (not picking on you - just an example) who says he only buys on function not brand.

A snowHead

A snowHead

No one ever thinks that they are affected by branding or advertising. Yet these industries are worth billions and the larger ski companies spend a fortune on positioning themselves appropriately. I have no evidence on what Salomon spend on their freeski tv series but I imagine it is somewhere in the low to mid 7 figures annually. I doubt they are doing that for the fun of it.

Yet people clearly are affected by both of those things. They just usually cannot spot or admit to themselves where they are or have been affected by branding. The brand positioning of Buffalo (warm clothing favoured by the military) is a great example of that. The brand promise there is something along the lines of "this will keep you warm and dry while people try to kill you." As such, you can buy into that while deriding people wearing something else as "brand victims".

The point being that you are going to get precisely nowhere asking a direct question. People will only ever let go of what they really think obliquely or in unguarded moments. I think it becomes harder if they are actually aware of their motivations and want to conceal them. I'd include myself in that generalisation as well. I'm never really certain exactly why I like something.

Of course, you may be trying to do that here. In which case, fair enough. But you probably want to be more subtle about it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

It may be generic, but you are getting some responses, whether you can deduce anything from it I don't know.

I think you need to establish what you class as a brand too. I would personally class it as something a person can trust to provide them with what they want / have been quoted.
In that case then yes I am a brand person, I will buy from a brand I have had good experience with before, or have that reputation.
However I wouldn't say I am brand specific, not one piece of my gear is by the same manufacturer.
I choose my gear mainly on the personal feedback I get after trying something, what it looks like and what works for me, or through a lot of research (it's how I started skiing 4frnt skis when they where niche). If it performs well, then they will grow on me and I will most likely go back to them, regardless of price, regardless of manufacturer.
If it doesn't perform (like many of the gloves I have owned) then I will get rid of them and move on.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Ive generally ended purchasing the same brands over time, but its not down to the brand itself im just one to stick to something once i've found something that fits and feels right. Brands have played a part but im pretty loyal to items that have done the job.

Snowboarding is a weird one as there is such consciousness around brands. Nikes been driven off the field by peoples failure to accept them as honestly intentioned vendors. They'd pitched really good quality products, sponsored a host of riders and events but people refuse to see them as anything other than soulless shills. Burtons reputation is similar - they make good gear, plough a lot back into the industry and are one of the original brands still independently owned, but they're seen as sell-outs and plenty of people say they'll never ride Burton.

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OPINIONS WANTED: Subculture in Skiing. What branding does to your choices?

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