Rockin it Out...in a Not so Hot Economy

Driving by this beautiful new Rock and Republic store the other day on L.A's Robertson Blvd.; I had to take my hat off to them for having the courage and the money to make such an investment in their brand within this shaky-bakey economy.

I can't say whether it was a smart business decision or not...but if that shiny metallic building could talk it would have said..."Rock and Republic is a strong brand...the economy is bad but we're still hot-like-fire" And if I were to go in there and drop a couple of hundred bucks those would be exactly the words I needed to hear.

For a smaller company that statement will probably not come in the form of a who-knows-how much it cost--gorgeous store front on Robertson Blvd.--My point is that you do have to find the courage to keep branding. Branding being that constant conversation that you have with your customers.

What things about your brand can you freshen up...to let your customers know you're still innovating--still growing and will be around for the long haul? Newly designed shopping bags, special labels, non-desperate beautiful marketing communications pieces.

Whatever it may be now is a good time as ever to add a little spark of life to brand image. Take some time and brainstorm how you'll let your customer know investing their precious fashion dollars in your brand is still a good bet.

Smash Your Brand!

Do you think you could recognize a Coke bottle even if it was smashed into a hundred pieces?

The branding book "No Logo," by Naomi Klien calls it the "Smash Test." The author believes you can test the strength of a brand by the ability to break it to bits and for it still to be instantly recognizable....... even if none of those bits actually bear reference to the brand's name.

Interesting.....

The theory is illustrated by the fact that most consumers can still spot a Coke bottle even in seemingly simple remnants of thick blown glass, white lettering and a shiny red cap.

A brand's colors, feel, shapes, textures and mood amongst other things all work together to create it's authenticity.

So let's try it... I won't say the name yet but let me describe some "pieces," for you and then ask you to tell me what or who I'm talking about.

Emerald Green-a mermaid--popular music-- plush lounge chairs and a bulletin board with community postings.

Sounds like Starbucks to me. The clues may have seemed obvious but that's what they're supposed to be....obvious distinctions that allow you to tell Starbucks from the less busy/less fortunate coffee shop down the street that's serving the same espresso only in with plain white tumblers.

So how strong is your brand? Try to smash it and see what elements can actually survive....continuing your brand message even when the name tag is removed.

A brand is an ensemble performance where the whole is much greater than the sum of all it's parts. Smash yours and see if it's still there.

Inspired to Buy

Ok marketing the iphone is not the exact same as marketing fashion. But I admit but do have to take a second to tip my hat to the amazing marketing job those folks have done over there at Apple. Our industry, for the most part isn’t about week long lines and switching networks or the general fiasco that preceded the iphone launch. However one thing that fashion can take from this nifty little gadget and the Apple company in general is the lengths people will go to once they are inspired.

I thought about it a while ago when I was working with one client on how they could gain more business from their existing retailers. I sat there dreaming up incentives, planning a media calendar, magazines they could advertise in, even an itemized budget…. then it occurred to me that for the most part customers don’t really don’t really need all that. People don’t really need a $500 dress, a designer yoga mat or a handbag that is equivalent to the down payment of a Midwestern home.

People just want to be happy…they want to be inspired to find the necessity to buy your product. This is not to say they don’t appreciate quality or a designer’s style acumen and attention to detail. It’s just to say that people are typically looking for a return on investment that is much more emotional than financial.

So no you definitely don’t have to be a self help guru to know you can’t buy happiness…however the average company who aspires for long term success needs to pay attention to the psychological focus of their customers.

Before you launch your next marketing campaign think about what you’re really pushing. Are you a wedding gown company selling a beautiful dress or are you selling girlhood dream of a beautiful bride? Are you a shoe designer selling Italian leather pumps with stiletto heels or are you selling shapely legs that turn mens heads and other women into green eyed monsters.

It’s up to you but trust me whether you decide to target a customer in their hearts or their minds…the pocketbook typically follows.

The Right Position

As I mentioned in the previous post Positioning is all about finding your spot in the marketplace. Finding this special spot is one of the first and most important steps in creating your brand.

Let's do a quick example. Let’s say I want to start a basic contemporary female tee shirt company Gloss Tees. I plan to sell to stores like Nordstrom and sit in their SAVVY section with designer denim and other contemporary tee brands.

Within that environment my direct competition includes James Perse known for their super soft luxury cottons and C and C California famous for their sheer layering effects and lean fit. Both are priced around the same as my company Gloss Tees ranging from the $35 to $70 price point.

Ok, great…so if I consider C and C and James Perse as my biggest competitors how can Gloss stand out?

Well, my tees are made with a special lycra that has a shaping effect for a smooth silhouette. That's my niche. I have to make a point/position this so that prospective consumers clearly understand why I am different and consequently the only option for a great fitting tee.

See, even though Gloss Tees will still be reminiscent of any basic shirt, by focusing on the shape I put it out there that while I am not the only choice for a tee shirt in the SAVVY department but I am the only choice for a tee shirt that gives you a great shape. I've crated a category of one.

That's what any good brand needs to do. Create a catagory of one. Think about how you can pull out the best in your product and create a category for your business.

Branding Fashion

The hands down most exciting part of launching a fashion business is creating the brand.

In creating your brand you are essentially giving birth to its personality and character plus building brand equity you’ll be able to cash in on for years to come. If everything goes according to plan you’re able to establish a strong emotional connection that makes your consumers feel as if they can substitute if necessary you but never replace you.

One reoccurring theme I’ve noticed amongst branding experts has been the dire importance of positioning as the first step in creating a dynamic brand.

Positioning is who you are in the context of everyone else in the picture. For example in the context of children sometimes parents inadvertently brand their kids as “the smart one”…or “the funny one.” According to my wonderful parents, I was excellent at Writing while my brother was good at Math and my sister was “The Creative One.” Now my sister was no Picasso and I’m definitely no Hemmingway but, in the context of our family, the people who mattered most, that’s was who we were. Just the same as a brand you have to find your place in the midst of your competition.

A book I highly recommend is “The Breakaway Brand,” by Francis Kelly. It details the unique positioning of some of the world’s best brands. The author describes how the Southwest Airlines staff wears khaki shirts and baseball caps to exemplify cheap no frills travel, while Jet Blue uses its leather seats, DirecTV and slightly lower fares to grab the position of the affordable luxury airbus.

In fashion when we think H and M we typically think inexpensive yet quality fashion which is further embedded by their affiliation with icons such as Stella McCartney and Madonna.

Get it? You must define yourself…make yourself special or you can very well become trivially unimportant and end up on a sale rack at Dress Barn.

So in the over-flooded world of fashion how do you start carving your spot? Start by taking a look at your competition. Who are you literally, “positioned,” with in stores and how are you or how can you become different?

We’ll talk about some examples in some of the upcoming posts. But start thinking about who you are and most importantly who you can be.