While young, brand-conscious Chinese may be willing to part with several months' salary to buy the latest iPhone, African users are looking for more practical (and cheaper) connections.

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It is now entirely possible that there is an over-saturation of brands in that space which says a great deal for a culture that has become enormously brand-conscious over the past 20 years.

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The fear is a simple plane logo may brand their product as environmentally dangerous to eco-conscious consumers, thereby closing off the market that gives them their income.

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Will they train more consumers to become, as my family was so many years ago, hyper price-conscious, deal-driven and not remotely brand loyal?

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Those who drive a Mercedes Benz make a conscious decision to pay top dollar for their badge-brand of prestige.

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