"Is there some reason we have to have brands?"

This questions is very odd. "Is there some reason we have to have brands?" is the same as asking "Is there some reason we need Nouns in english?"

Nouns/brands allow people to communicate effectively with one another... who they are going to be involved in... who to trust... who to avoid...

The opposite of having brands is... Foo-Roulette, where everything you do is met with guys randomly showing you their cocks.