A quick one one this, because I'm on my way out to see a film so I'm quite literally replying while getting dressed with my dick in my hand - I'll reply to the rest later - but there's something which sticks out like a sore thumb here:
These companies are specialising and using marketing techniques to "grab" various consumers, sure. But why?
Its interesting that you mention the car industry, which in the last few weeks has shown itself to be in a chronic state of overproduction - indeed anyone could have seen it coming. One could argue that the car industry needs to undertake specialisation precisely to sell more cars than are necessary.
Take BMW who were in serious trouble. They stopped merely producing luxury sedans and moved into the SUV market (the X-3 and the X-5) as well as the pansy-handbag car that is the new Mini. Could we not interpret this as an attempt to expand into an overcrowded and over-supplied market THROUGH specialisation. Remember at the same time they were doing this they were - that's right - handing out cheap credit deals to potential punters. So what happens? Cars become a status thing. You have to have (a) a newish car or (b) the car that fits your "personality" or (c) all of the above.
I won't go into why, but I have quite good knowledge of the car market in Ireland. The two first things that were hit here were cars and housing. Housing due to a property crash obviously; but why cars?
Now we have a highly overinflated 2nd hand car market with high quality cars being worth almost nothing. A perfectly functioning low-mileage 1997 BMW 5-series, for example, worth about €6500 - €7500 a year and a half ago would now, if you were lucky fetch maybe €3000 - €4000.
This all makes Brenner's argument look rather appealing to be honest...