By Ifedolapo Ojuade

Copyright businessday

A young man in Yaba steps off the danfo bus wearing Nike sneakers he just picked up from a Balogun market stall. They aren’t real Nike shoes, but their logo is close enough. At the party that night, he glances around. Someone stops him. Compliments. He smiles; this is what I call borrowed shine.

Borrowed Shine describes how Nigerians attach value to items, symbols, or associations that aren’t fully “theirs” yet confer status, trust, or identity. It is the art of occupying prestige through proxy rather than pure ownership.

We see Borrowed Shine when someone is driving with a “AirForce” dashboard decor that belongs to a relative, when a shop uses celebrity photos in its façade, when social media bios carry “@official” tags, when a LinkedIn profile carry “Founder” role. These signals cost little to nothing yet work hard.

The psychological roots of Borrowed Shine rest in symbolic consumption i.e., buying or borrowing symbols to communicate identity, status or aspiration. Studies show that brand associations in Nigeria significantly affect consumption. A survey of malt drinks consumers in Anambra State found that functions of brand association, status and guarantee functions, positively influenced patronage. People didn’t just consume the drink. They consumed what the brand said they were.

Borrowed Shine thrives in low-resource settings. When full authenticity is expensive or impossible, perceived authenticity becomes currency. The borrowing might be literal e.g., a rented luxury car. More often it’s metaphorical e.g., the logo knock-off, the imitation, the borrowed celebrity endorsement, or the air of celebrity via association.

There is also a trust component. Where institutions feel weak, where quality control is unpredictable, borrowed shine helps fill the gaps. If a product carries a display of celebrity endorsement or a rumour of its use by someone influential, it becomes safer in the eyes of the consumer. It borrows their credibility.

Economics backs this up. Brand equity studies in Nigeria show that brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand associations positively affect buying behaviour. In Delta, one study on buying behaviour showed brand awareness and association contributing significantly to consumer buying decisions.

Borrowed Shine has costs. When reality emerges, the product fails to deliver. Social media exposes imitation easily. The borrowed shine loses its magic the moment the shine is seen through.

Practically, for businesses, Borrowed Shine offers a tactical path when resources are limited. Small-scale merchants who can’t afford genuine display materials nevertheless place large posters of celebrities; they use uniforms; they decorate facades to look like bigger stores. These borrowings elevate perception.

For bigger brands, the risk is dilution. Over-borrowing, or appearing to borrow too much, leads to suspicion. Consumers might respect the borrowed shine at first but demand substance underneath.

Borrowed Shine consists of three layers in Nigerian consumer psychology

Proxy Symbol: something visible (logo, celebrity, design) that isn’t fully authentic.

Association Amplifier: community acknowledgement, stories, testimonials, perception.

Signal Durability: how long the proxy holds up under scrutiny. (If durability is low, the shine fades fast.)

When those three align, Borrowed Shine converts into enduring value.

The business lessons are succinct. Small brands can invest in proxies that are credible. Uniforms, consistent imagery, small but visible touches count. Use local heroes rather than global icons. Local credibility often trumps “imported finish.” Ensure the product under the proxy delivers enough so the fall-out risk is low. The borrowed signal breaks trust if it’s all show. Stay nimble: when consumers expose borrowing, turn it into a shared joke or pivot. Sometimes admitting “inspired by…” is more honest and durable.

Borrowed Shine is a survival strategy. In Nigeria, status, identity, and credibility often arrive before ownership. Borrowing signals, associating with prestige, stepping into the light of someone else’s shine, all these give Nigerians ways to declare who they are, or who they aspire to be. Borrowed shine is a code. Businesses that understand it and use it wisely earn more than loyalty and stories.