Canadian Apparel
I've previously written about the importance of branding and what brands mean to the consumer. I regularly tell my clients that there are six key questions to answer to ensure a relevant brand position:
If you can answer those questions you what your brand is trying to accomplish. Add to that your marketing strategy, your business plan, your financial plan, your production plan, your human resource plan and you're ready to go. Right? Well, not quite. To be a successful brand builder you need to marry commerce and creativity. You must find the balance between fulfilling a customer's need or desire at the right price and the emotional attachment of that customer to your brand name and what it stands for. Some brands have a strong, recognizable logo that has meaning to the consumer (Nike swoosh). Some brands trade on the name of the designer (Armani). Others rely on the endorsement of well-known personalities (Tiger Woods) to gain immediate recognition. Many designers have become real celebrities because of the marketing campaigns behind the brand bearing their name (Kenneth Cole and Ralph Lauren). Still others rely on sensual or sexual images to sell their stuff (Calvin Klein). Sometimes celebrities reach such popular, superstar status that they become their own brand. This has worked for people like Michael Jordan and Oprah. It worked for Martha Stewart until she was found guilty of criminal charges. Of course, one can never predict the future. Steve Madden's shoe company actually did better after he was incarcerated for stock fraud. So what is in a name? It was very clear at the recent MAGIC show in Las Vegas that all strategies are in play and that many manufacturers are having success focusing their brands in a way that has the market responding. There are thousands of brands on display at MAGIC, some established, some emerging, some well known, some obscure and some reborn. Some booths are swarming with customers while others are sad and lonely. So what is it that separates the successful one from the wannabes? I did the tour and stopped at a few booths to find out what was working for some of the more interesting brands. My first interview was with a brand that recently turned 50. Established in 1954, this brand was the brainchild of one man with a "lifestyle" vision. Today the brand has 135 licences in 45 countries and is sold in almost double that number. It also boasts one of the world's most recognizable logos. Have you guessed yet? If you were thinking bunny ears you would be right. The brainchild of Hugh Hefner, Playboy has confounded its critics with staying power and continuous popularity. Pamela Fields, senior vice president worldwide consumer products licensing for Playboy says the brand is sexy, but not about sex. "We are a lifestyle brand that has appeal across generations with a logo that is as recognizable as Coca Cola." Fields said. "New York's Henri Bendel, one of the world's leading luxury retailers, launched a Bunny Boutique in December 2003 with a book signing by Hugh Hefner. We are also in Harrods of London, housed beside designers like Dolce and Gabana, Chanel, Prada and Jil Sander," she said. Fields said the Playboy brand is having its best year ever, opening shop-in-shops and freestanding stores around the world. "We are even licensing now in Vietnam and have just about every category covered except fragrance," she said. I don't think it will be long before Playboy fragrance hits the shelves. With all that success I asked Ms. Fields what the biggest barrier was? She had a one word answer... counterfeiting. It seems with success comes knock-offs and Playboy maintains a well-staffed legal team to stop the illegal use of its logo. At 50, with sales topping $350 million, the future looks bright for Playboy.
The launch of the Pamela Collection caused quite a stir. The surprise for me was not that Anderson is a brilliant marketer or that her presence draws a crowd. It was care and involvement she had in developing the fun and affordable brand. Teaming with Jimmy Esebag/ULG, who has more then 25 years in the business, she has created a line with real appeal. The line featured knits, sweaters, denim, belts, shoes and boots (Ugg style in pastels), eyewear, jewellery and lingerie. According to it's creative director, Anna Rudy, Pamela was involved early on in the design. "One of the things we did was to empty Pamela's closet and see what kind of clothes appealed to her in her everyday life. What we found were cloths that were about comfort, color and great fit. Those are the hallmarks of The Pamela Collection," she said. I think the line has great potential with the 18-to-30-year-old market because, while the Pamela Anderson name will attract attention, the clothes are the stars. Moving around the show, I spotted a crowd around a young woman customizing a tee shirt worn by another young woman who was also sporting a Von Dutch trucker cap (around US$50). What a scene! I am witnessing a brand on fire! Caroline Rothwell, VP marketing/PR with Von Dutch Originals, has the challenge of dealing with a product that is in such demand it is difficult to keep the channels full. "We sell out of everything we produce and we are shipping new goods every 45-60 days," she said. "The brand is about nostalgic freedom, style, sex, power and motion." All this wrapped in a rock and roll attitude powered by the energy and vision of owner Tommy Sorensen. In just three years Sorensen has taken Von Dutch, which was known as a niche t-shirt line, to a full-scale fashion collection with wholesale distribution in Canada, Japan, and Europe and with franchise stores in Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas and Santa Monica. Rothwell said the brand is still growing and is being worn by numerous celebrities, not because they are paid endorsers, but because they love the clothes. "Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Brittney Spears, Carmen Electra, Eve and numerous others all have Von Dutch in their wardrobe," Rothwell said. Hopefully they are wearing authentic Von Dutch, because as with Playboy, counterfeit product is a huge problem. Time will tell whether the brand has staying power, but so far there seems to be no let up for the demand for all things Von Dutch, including their line of limited edition motorcycles. Of course urban recording artists aren't just wearing the clothes... they have their own lines as well. P. Diddy's Sean Jean booth was very busy as was the Phat brands owned by Russell Simmons. Hip-hop artist Nelly had two brands at the show, neither of which carried his name. Apple Bottoms for women and Vokal for men were doing serious business. Nelly is a very astute entrepreneur, to the extent that other pop artists are wearing his brand, which is the ultimate compliment. In 2003 Vokal chalked up sales in excess of US$50 million. Now that is something to sing about. Finally I walked to the Pool Show over at the Hilton, which runs at the same time as MAGIC. Great venue, great brands and great attitude. Rapidly ascending brands like Al Israel's J. Lindeberg were there, along with dozens of up and coming designers. A brand called Change caught my eye. designed by K. Circosta, the line has great potential. I especially loved the hand-tooled belts, which featured Lucite encased scorpions. Ron Telpner is Chairman and CEO of -30- |
It's
a Brand, Brand, Brand, Brand world!
Just
across the aisle was a new brand from Canada's most recognizable
woman, one who has graced the pages of Playboy numerous
times. If you said Pamela D. Anderson you are correct.