Let’s play a game!

Wherein you think of five different snack brands. Too easy? Okay, Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Ruffles, and let's throw in Tostitos. Five different brands, five different basic flavors with five different logos, and hence all belong to the same company: PepsiCo.

Try thinking again about beauty brands. Drugstore-limited Maybelline or splurge on Lancôme? Well, hold on! L'Oréal has both.

Let's take another step: you're avoiding sugar, so you choose to go with San Pellegrino rather than Coca-Cola. But guess what? Nestlé owns San Pellegrino, that same large group that sells KitKats and Maggi instant noodles! So much for that "healthier" choice.

Welcome to the illusion of choices, where everything looks like a different brand but has been purchased by several mega-corporations. These parent companies run whole industries: all that you eat, drink, and wear—from your clothing down to the shampoo you use—is under the control of these mega-corporations that have convinced you that you still have a choice.

Let's break it down.

Image credits: Muskan Gohrani by Unsplash

The Parent Company Puppeteers

Major corporations aim to create the illusion of choice among consumers. They strive to give the impression that a diverse and competitive marketplace exists. However, beneath the vibrant packaging lies a small group of companies orchestrating everything.

Consider some of the major players in this landscape:

• PepsiCo: Oversees brands such as Lay’s, Doritos, Tropicana, Gatorade, and Quaker Oats.
• Nestlé: Controls Nescafé, KitKat, Perrier, Maggi, and Gerber baby food.
• Unilever: Owns popular products like Dove, Hellmann's, Vaseline, and Ben & Jerry’s.
• Coca-Cola: Includes well-known names like Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, Minute Maid, and Costa Coffee in its portfolio.
• L’Oréal: Features high-profile brands such as Maybelline, NYX, Urban Decay, Lancôme ,and Garnier.

What might seem like an independent craft beer could belong to AB InBev, which is also responsible for Budweiser, Rona, and Stella Artois. Similarly, that natural skincare line you admire may very well be owned by either Estée Lauder or Procter & Gamble.

These giants work diligently to obscure their connections from consumers' view. By carefully maintaining distinct brand identities they engage in effective strategies designed to ensure profits regardless of whether consumers realize who is truly behind their favorite products.

Furthermore, if a product isn’t already owned by one of these corporations, it won’t take long before one acquires it.

The Fake War of “Rival Brands”

Have you ever noticed that certain brands seem to engage in perpetual rivalry?

Coca-Cola versus Pepsi. Apple against Samsung. McDonald’s competing with Burger King.

These conflicts keep consumers emotionally invested, as if selecting one brand over the other is a reflection of their own identity. However, behind the scenes, these companies operate within the same corporate frameworks and gain from competition rather than genuinely battling each other.

Let us consider Coca-Cola and Pepsi as a prime example.

PepsiCo does not just produce Pepsi; it also owns Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, and Lipton iced tea (in collaboration with Unilever). Similarly, Coca-Cola boasts ownership of Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, and Dasani. Regardless of your beverage choice, your purchase contributes to an expansive soda empire.

The scenario is similar in the realm of beauty products. If you think switching from Lancôme to Maybelline offers variety, consider that both are part of L’Oréal’s portfolio. Opting for Fenty Beauty instead of KVD Beauty? Both brands fall under Kendo—a subsidiary of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy).

These corporations meticulously position their brands across varying market segments to ensure they maintain control in every category:

One for luxury customers. Another targeting “middle-class” shoppers. A third aimed at budget-friendly consumers.

Consequently, we find ourselves in a facade marketplace that presents an illusion of choice while reflecting corporate monopolization.

Image credits: Nik A by Unsplash

Why Small Businesses Don’t Stand a Chance

Independent businesses are often obliterated within seconds, and here's the reason: the system sets itself against such independent businesses.

• Shelf Space Is Pay-to-Play – Closer here, supermarkets never put their best-selling items on the uppermost shelves. Big brands put money down for placement, thus freezing out smaller competitors. Ever notice how Pepsi and Coca-Cola leave other independent drinks to scarcely fill up fridge spaces? Corporate power at its best.
• Advertising is for the Billionaires – A hundred million dollars in advertisement spending goes into Nestlé, Unilever, and P&G.s. A small ethical shampoo brand? Well, they might squeeze out a few ads on Instagram if they are lucky enough.
• The "Buyout Trap" – It is after authenticity builds a following that the corporates swoop in and buy them out. The Body Shop was owned by L'Oreal. Burt's Bees are bought by Clorox. Can't beat them, buy them.

What's the bottom line?It's not an even playing field out there. When production, distribution, advertising, and the contents of the shelves are all in the same hands, what true competition can exist?

How Gen Z Can Fight Back

And now for the good: Gen Z is armed and dangerous to fight against this system.

• Support real small businesses from Etsy, local shops, and indie brands instead of lame 'fake small' corporate-owned ones.
• Do brand research, a quick Google search can tell who owns what. Don't fall for the illusion.
• Call out corporate deception brands depend on public ignorance. If enough people expose marketing strategies, they can stop believing what they say.
• Use your wallet as a weapon—Each dollar spent on a truly independent brand is a dollar not going to corporate pockets.

It isn't merely a question of shopping habits; this is power-changing. These corporations depend on the apathy of the consumer. When that much of the public gets wise to the illusion of choice, the whole system would begin to crumble.

Well, giving up on the big brands may be impractical. Well, question them. That's the beginning.

The next time you're reaching for a 'new' brand, question yourself—was it a choice you made, or was the choice made for you?

Because ignorance is the biggest fetter.

Finally...

So the trouble is, not only that a few companies own everything, but that they want to keep it that way. They prefer to keep you distracted, unknowing, and yet too overwhelmed to care.

But Gen Z is tricky to fool. If there's one thing that terrifies corporations more than a recession, it's the one thing they fear: a generation that isn't buying into their obfuscation.

So are you clear to look past the veil?

Or are you prepared to stay in their game?