The Brand: What It Is, How It Builds Value and Why We Grow Fond Of It

In the second chapter, of Lifestyle Brands: A Guide To Aspirational Marketing, I have found out a lot more about how the brand captures the consumer.
“American Marketing Association (1960): A brand was a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one sellers good or service as distinct from those of other sellers’. (Chapter 2, Page 15/16)
Used in this senses ‘brand’ is similar o the current meaning of the word, ‘trademark’.(Chapter 2, Page 16)

• Brand : a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name.
• Trademark : a symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product.

Identity
David Aaker, an American organisational theorist, introduces the concept of the identity: the brand corresponds to the identity of a specific product, service or business. (Chapter 2, Page 16)
“A brand can add intangible value to the existing sum of tangible attributions of the product.” (Joel-Noel Kapferer, worldwide leading specialists on brands, Chapter 2, Page 16)

A brand defines the products direction and its identity in time and space. According to Landor, global brand consulting firm , the brand is simply the promise of a unique benefit to consumers, substantiated by rational and emotional elements. (Chapter 2, Page 16)

Definitions of brands have gradually revealed the symbolic value rather than the functional contents of the product that same brands wish to identify. (Chapter 2, Page 16)
Brands want to convert generic customers into loyal ones or even into potencial brand ‘Champions’.

Brandz by Millard Brown, a global company focused on brands, media and communications.

There are five levels, that are the main measures on the brand dynamic pyramid.

Brandz: Brand Dynamic Pyramid 

1. (Presence) The brand is known by reputation, by the relevance of its brand promise or a past experience of use.
2. (Relevance)  The brand is considered sufficiently important and relevant by the consumer in relation of their personal needs and may be a candidate for purchase.
3. Intermediate Level (Performance) The brand is recognised to be a good performer and enters the consumers short list.
4. (Advantage) Consumers recognise some additional valuable rational or emotional benefits more than for other brands in the category.
5. Top Level (Bonding) The consumer manifest a strong brand loyalty, which leads him to rule ut most other brands upfront. Climbing the pyramid increases the so-called share of wallet, or the proportion of purchases that consumers dedicate to the brand within the reference category.
   (Chapter 2, Page 25)

The relationship that evolves between customer and brand. Factors that contribute towards this bond are the emotional appeal (fun, excitement, prestige).

Lifestyle Brands: A Guide To Aspirational Marketing – Introduction and Chapter 1

In the book, Lifestyle Brands: A Guide To Aspirational Marketing, written by Stefania Saviolo (professor of management in fashion, luxury and creative industries at Bocconi University, Italy) and Antonio Marazza (the general manager of Landor Milan). I have been able to find out a lot more about lifestyle branding within fashion and how and why is works.

What are lifestyle brands? 

A lifestyle brand is a brand that attempts to embody the interests, attitudes and opinions of a group or a culture.
– Definition taken from Wiki

In Chapter One, Brands and Social Identities: An Increasingly Strong Connection.

They talk about social identity and

• ‘The independent ‘self” – this is the search for true autonomy and uniqueness with respect to others.
• ‘The interdependent ‘self” – who looks for consent and approval, from those reference groups they repute to be important.

“Products are a symbol of status, signalling and possibly helping to improve on individuals social status.” [Chapter 1, page 7]

• Times/places/situations of consumption
• Various ‘experts’ try to guide our choices in directions (from journalists to architects, from chefs to ecologists)

“Consumer sociologists in turn explained that individuals do not make purchasing choices using rational logic of economic convenience.” [Chapter 1, page 7]

“This category of brands is adopted not only for its functional characteristics, but above all, for the symbolism and significance it transmits, allowing a consumer to express his or her identity, to signal status or manifest a sense of belonging to a group. In this text, we have defined this category of as brands as symbol intensive.” [introduction, page 1]

Rifkin an economic and social theorist said “Consumer is defined as a creative interpreter, reciting the various scripts staged by the cultural market.”

Brands must understand the chaotic context in which people live and use their product.
‘The brand can also take on a social role, they help consumers to orient themselves and guide their choices, especially within poorly differentiated product categories, such as detergents and food products.’ [chapter 1, page 11]
“Brands have also responded in recent years by reinforcing the ethical dimension and dialogue with the customer through a reversal of information flow logic – from push to pull – and a new focus  on customer relationship marketing systems.” [Chapter 1, Page 11]

‘Identity represents contemporary obsession’
“Clients become ambassadors, fans, brand champions, who declare that if the brand were to cease to exist, it would have a negative impact on their lives. They find the brand irreplaceable.” [Introduction, page 2]
This shows that consumers are becoming obsessed with the brand, or the experience they get from the brand? They gain customers like this through their ‘lack of’ sales and traditional advertising, for years, brands like Abercrombie and Fitch have been absent from end of season sales, and no one can ever remember when Apple held a sale? Other brands such as Volcom and Patagonia never used traditional advertising, but who are they?

Abraham Maslow, psychologist of  the heirarchy of needs said “man, is a perpetually wanting animal” [Maslow, chapter 1, page 12] ‘An animal wants things, which will never cease to follow its desire for gratification and expression through brands’ [chapter 1, page 12]

New digital media – blogs, social networks – consumers use these to express themselves.
“The phase of establishing a dialogue between the brand and its customer is evolving as well. The generic ‘talk with your customer’ is not enough if the dialogue is not aimed a result. In a society  that demands authenticity and value through innovation, the brand must have its own vision of the future and set out to achieve a positive impact on the lives of it’s customers.”[chapter 1, page 12]

 

Lifestyle Brands: Creating Positive Experiences

Reading an article in The Guardian, I was able to find out a little more about the Fashion Brand, Jack Wills, this article gave me the main topic of my presentation, focusing on social media.

In this article it speaks of the digital age becoming “our modern landscape”. As the demographic which Jack Wills targets are digital natives, it is now even easier to gain friends through social networking sites.

However, I am not talking about the friends, you went to school with, or work with. I am talking about the “friends” which you wear. Fashion Brands are now becoming the consumers new best friend, they are becoming personified by customers because you are able to interact with them on social networking sites such as facebook and twitter.
The way brands are doing this, (brands such as Jack Wills, American Apparel and Abercrombie and Fitch) is by speaking to the consumer directly, they do this through their social networking pages,

when they do this they make the consumers feel more valuable to the company, making them want to be involved with the brand even more than they already are.
The brands retweet and share, to make the consumer feel appreciated, along with responding to comments to show a form of communication between brand and customer. Through brands using digital social platforms they are reinforcing the power of word of mouth.

In this article I also found out the Jack Wills, offers an intern competition, which is offered to a very specific audience, ‘University Students’. To win this internship you need to submit a video, and the most popular girl and boy will win, using the good old fashioned popularity contest. Every part of this contest reinforces the Jack Wills brand. They are associated with beaches, mountains and adventure. Jack Wills uses this and other events such as parties and social events which include like-minded people to create the perfect ingredients to attract the University demographic.

These types of lifestyle brands are established through the experiences they associate themselves with.
Abercrombie and Fitch, a similar, American Version of the ‘Fabulously British’ Jack Wills, also does this. They show their advertisements with them on beaches and at desired locations which star a particular attractive look of model which you automatically know as the Abercrombie and Fitch brand.

A little different from the Univeristy demoigraphic consumer which Jack Wills appeals to, Abercrombie and Fitch use another nostalgia, which are their male models. Abercrombie and Fitch draw on the positive endorphins which are created when most people see the half dressed, well exercised male models. You see these models on adverts, bilboards, shop windows and even on their carry-a-bags, which people carry around as a novelty hand bag, all of these things help endorse the Abercrombie and Fitch brand.