EOC: Chapter 8 Discussion

http://www.converse.com/

1. "The user is the drive and inspiration behind the brand, and it is the user who eventually decides on the brand's positioning through the image he or she creates for it" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). New technology places the user at the center of the creative process because they have such an influence due to hyper connectivity. New technology allows the consumer to be so connected to the branding and product development process that they themselves can provide input. Social media allows consumer to tell companies what they want from a product so the designers in return can develop exactly what the consumer want.

2. Experiential branding is "the discipline of understanding and defining brands in terms of the way they are experienced, in order to differentiate them in the most powerful dimension: relevance" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). Branding I now more than just simply the product and services it provides. Branding is about the attributes and qualities that a consumer relates too. Versace is a brand but the consumer also relates the quality and high end to themselves.

3. "a mass-customized brand (MC brand) is a brand where every consumer decides on the distinctive feature of his or her customized item" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). Basically, a microbrand  is a sub category of a product that already exists. An example of a microbrand is the Converse Chuck Taylor that can be customized to provide a more unique look. The Chuck Taylor is a brand that has been created into a microbrand by the consumer. Brand extensions are just new product lines within a company to ad variety, prince range, and different qualities to a product. In the end, the micro-brand is the smallest subcategory that I consumer can break a product into because it is totally custom made by the consumer.

BOC: Celebrity Brand

http://www.trapmuzik.com/

The website for rapper TI is the perfect representation of what he does and who he is as a person.   The artists has created a reputation that has allowed him to market himself anyway that he would like. TI started his career as a hip hop and rap artist which is how he continues to make a majority of his income. A lot has changes since the artist first entered the scene. "T. I., the rapper, actor, novelist, reality-television star and former resident of the Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex in Arkansas" (A Man of Many Parts Wants More, Zach Baron). Whatever project Mr Harris is working on, he will do it to the best to his ability which includes staring in his own reality show. TI has a reality show called TI and Tiny in which he balances time between business and family. The Television show provides exposure for whatever he is doing as well as how he interacts with his family. "There’s Ward Cleaver, Mike Brady and now T.I., a family patriarch and provider, loving husband, and charming father of six attention-seeking children" (After Prison, a Squeaky-Clean Return to Reality, Jon Caramanica). Mr. Harris does shoe a great job with his projects that a writter jokes that he could appear as 'vegan cuisine expert on the Food Network, producer of a hip-hop yoga show with Russell Simmons, Sunday morning televangelist, host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (After Prison, a Squeaky-Clean Return to Reality, Jon Caramanica) There are no limits to what can be accomplished when a confident determined individual focuses on a project. The TI brand represents, strong, quality, passion, style, confidence, and the urban lifestyle. The Trapmuzik website which is the homepage for the artists does a great job of highlighting what his brand represents.

EOC: Chapter 7 Discussion

1. A person looking to open a new business has the ability to sell new and unique products because consumers want to be seen as individuals. A small business does not have the ability to produce massive quantities of certain products so what they do instead is make small runs of certain items. Small business also have the unique ability to listen to their customers and make something that they want. "Mass-market brands and consumer goods should be generally comfortable with adapting MC and inviting customers to participate in shaping and designing the product" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). The issue with MC is that very small companies are not gonna have the resources to provide custom products for every customer. 

2. "Mass-market brands and consumer goods should be generally comfortable with adapting MC and inviting customers to participate in shaping and designing the product" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). Like all technology, mass customization has disadvantages such as the high cost and the fact that some people might not embrace change. It can cost thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars for luxury brands to incorporate MC technologies such as body scanners. The other issue with MC technology is that people wont want to use it and prefer to do things the old fashion way. 

3. "Inspired by the trend of terms prefixed with the letter “i' that was initiated by computer guru Apple and adopted by others" is now a term used to describe brands (Fashion Branding Unraveled). The iBrand to me is more of a trademark than a term I would use to describe items companies that deal with internet branding. I would find it hard to associate and iBrand with anything other than an apple product. I don't see the benefits of establishing a new category of brands by labeling them iBrands. 

EOC: Chapter 6 Discussion

walmart

1.Products serve to fill a need for a consumer such as purchasing a bottle of water to quench thirst. It is easy for a consumer to measure a product for being good or bad based on wether is satisfied their needs. A service fill s a different type of need because the consumer is not actually receiving a physical item for them to own. "Accordingly, many believe that a service possesses a higher level of risk than a product, so branding becomes even more relevant" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). It makes sense that branding needs to be stronger for s service because there isn't a product that will be carried by a consumer for others to see. 

2. The retail concept is defines as the business strategy, model, values, and philosophies that a company will use in order to build a brand identity. "A retail brand needs to compete by establishing an emotional value for its customers built on a strong identity" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). The challenge for a retail company is that they have to place position themselves in the market so that the company can be successful. The company must offer products and services that interests or fill the needs of consumers. The location must also be in a place where there are few competitors but there is also consumers to buy the product. 

3. One of the first advantages that a company or retail has when trying to expand globally with the franchise is that they have instant recognition. A franchise business model allows an employer to place an operation that is already has a history of success. The disadvantage of a franchise is that it might be something that consumers don't need or don't want. Walmart is a brand that has a successful business model but there are areas where consumers don't want them to open up. Walmart has a history of putting small business out of work and that is something that hurts their brand image. There can also be legal issues if there is a issue that rises at one of the franchise locations. 'There are many brands that adopt the franchise model or a mix of franchising and other models' (Fashion Branding Unraveled). People will continue to establish franchises because they are successful. 

EOC: My Brand

The first step of in developing the retail operation is building the experience and atmosphere along with it."The store experience is strengthened by the brand's personality" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). There are hundreds of stores that sell similar products but its the experience that the consumer remembers. The atmosphere plays a vital role in helping establish a company as a brand. The brand image always something that a company has control over. "The customer plays an important role in the shaping of the brand throughout the branding process" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). Consumers are the individuals that truly determine what value a company has. To help establish the brand I plan on servicing the customer by providing them with trending, quality garments with an experience that cant be matched. "Fashion brands are an interesting breed of brands in that they are in a continuous state of innovation, transforming themselves at a constant rapid pace" (Fashion Branding Unraveled). Many of the fashion brands manage to stay continuously successful and that is because they adapt with the market. Companies that keep the same work model with out developing it as time goes on eventually see a decrease in business such as JCPenny has in recent years. Pricing is also  very important when trying to present a certain brand image of a company. My plan is to sell products at a higher price so that consumers dont associate the brand with being cheap. Some companies like to set the price very high and reduce it over time. Location and placement is the third area to focus on when establishing the brand. The location must be in an area consistent with a brand image but also in a place that will help increase sales. 

BOC Brands: Gucci

www.guardian.co.uk

The retail field is an ultra competitive field in which it is estimated that over 40,000 products and brands are created every year. There  are situations where luxury brands fall out of favor with consumers due to over-saturation, bad designs, and bad quality. Life cycles for luxury brand can include consistent success, loss of luxury status, going out of business, and then there is the story of Gucci. The luxury brand Gucci experienced success for many decades but eventually lost its luster due to a combination of several factors. The wealthy consumer was no longer purchasing Gucci even though the quality was never in question, and designs were not ridiculously off of what was trending at the time.  The luxury brand reached a point in which many industry professionals predicted the company would go out of business. Under the direction of Tom Ford, the company adopted a new philosophy.  Gucci believed that "in the luxury industry depends on defining a meaning for a brand that can make owning a piece of it feel unique and valuable" (The story of Gucci, Jess Cartner Morley). Under the former management of Tom Ford and current creative director Frida Giannini, the company has been revitalized and has continued to see growth and increased market share. The company has been reborn and now connects to a slightly  younger consumer segment. The problem with the company is that the designs were not what consumers wanted. With the loss of Tom Ford, the company lost a bit of fashion innovation but they have not lost their creative vision. Recently Gucci designs have been a tribute to their former success and to their customers. "Gucci lovers will vote en masse for this collection — an ode to power women not executed with such vigor since the 1980s, but with a 21st-century focus on craft and embellishment" (Gucci Votes for a Power Woman, Suzy Menkes). The style of their new fashions have continued to develop a connection with consumers. The current designs have been so popular that a famous writer has come out and admitted to an addiction to the brand. "This winter I took a tour of Milan's Fashion Week (all expenses paid by Gucci, in appreciation of my many, many purchases), where I spent tens of thousands more and began to seriously grapple, once and for all, with a compulsion that could cost me more than just my life savings" (My Gucci Addiction, Buzz Bissinger). The rave reviews for the company continue to flow with no sign of slowing down.  The recent show "was an orgy of gorgeousness, inspired by the refined elegance of the palazzo principessas in Gucci’s heyday" (Gucci's Orgy of Gorgeousness, Suzy Menkes). "The evening clothes were offered as full-on sexy, with a touch of the femme fatale film star in the embellished gowns, again cut away at the chest — a vote for a woman’s right to display her charms" (Gucci Votes for a Power Woman, Suzy Menkes). 

BOC Brands: Harley Davidson

harley davidson

Harley Davidson has had a long history of providing a products to consumers from all over the world. Although the motorcycle brand is traditionally associated with american consumers, the brand has grown to be accepted by consumers of many demographic and psychographic backgrounds. Motorcycle popularity has consistently experienced growth with small periods of decline. What has allowed the company the ability to be successful regardless of outside factors is the fact that they provide a product that is truly free for anyone to use. Even women, who are not generally thought of as a core consumer for motorcycles have boosted sales since early in the companies history. "There's never been a glass ceiling for women when it comes to Harley-Davidson, as female riders have been an integral part of the family since the company's early days" (Harley-Davidson Celebrates 'Women Riders Month' With Nationwide Search For Top Stories Of Female Independence, Harley Davidson). Having women as a vital segment of the target market gave the company an advantage over its competitors for many years. To this day, the company objective is to continue to expand on its target market. "Harley-Davidson recently reported newly available U.S. demographic market share data for 2012 new street motorcycle sales (all engine displacements) showing the Company continued its market leadership in the U.S. among young adults 18-34, women, African-Americans, Hispanics and Caucasian men 35-plus" (Harley-Davidson First-Quarter Earnings Rise Sharply, Harley Davidson Inc.). In the most recent Harley Davidson advertisement it shows consumers breaking stereotypes. The commercial places a key word for typical Harley consumers with the image of an actual person that contradicts that statement. The advertising is new and refreshing but is consistent with what their message has been. "The desire for individual expression draws customers from all walks of life because it's a universal, human value that transcends cultures, generations and history" (Harley-Davidson Leading The Field With Young Adults, Harley Davidson Inc.). It is very unique for a company to increase their customer base with out alienating loyal customer. The great companies that provide in demand products internationally are the one that stay in tune with what the customer wants and needs. As a tribute to the customers and the brand, Harley Davidson is having an event to celebrate now that the company is turning 110 years old. There is a "global celebration connecting millions of Harley-Davidson fans united by a common bond and shared passion for freedom, self-expression and epic adventure" (Harley Unveils Peek at 110th Party Music Lineup, Harley Davidson). The core values of the company is what they use to connect to their consumers. They will continue to increase in popularity of they stay consistent with what they have done since the start. In more recent consumer reports, it is stated that the company has "continued to gain market share in the U.S., where it is the dominant supplier of large motorcycles" (Harley's Efficiency Moves Pay Off, James R. Hagerty).