What is branding?
Scenario One:
You’re in the mall and you pass by a shop window and spot a shirt you might like.
There’s some branding at the entrance, and you vaguely recognise the name above which a sale sign hangs haphazardly from the corner fascia.
For a moment you think you might be able to get a bargain so you step into the store.
Inside, the lighting is overly bright and hurts the eye. The clothes on sale sit on carousels, looking tired and wrinkled. Loud house music booms and you wince as the volume assaults your senses.
The shirts on display are lopsided; one has slid off a hanger and into a puddle on the floor.
There’s a messy pile of trousers and jeans in a corner. The salesperson trudges past the mess and barely acknowledges you as you aimlessly lift up the merchandise, before discarding it for its cheap texture and poor design.
You give it one more chance and head to the counter to ask a question about the sale. No-one is there. The saleslady can be heard laughing in the back room.
No-one seems to notice. No-one seems to care.
You wander back outside the entrance, your interest in the business/shop long gone.
Scenario Two:
You cross the street and notice a stunning building.
The building’s historic architecture style serves as an elegant backdrop for a striking window. One that is framed by traditional millwork detailing, signature black and white finishes and assortment of vintage fixtures.
The brand’s logo is prominent on the store entrance. It evokes the movie-like stills of the brand’s advertisements you recognise in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Gentlemen’s Quarterly.
You’re immediately intrigued. You walk in to a friendly greeting from a smartly dressed saleslady. The store has a hushed, calm ambience and the music is muted and inviting. The lighting is softly hued, illuminating perfectly folded clothes, clean-cut oxford shirts and embroidered polo shirts on neat surfaces.
Crisp, tailored jackets hang on mannequins, scattered amongst the classic leather and wood furniture, which invites you to sit and rest a while.
There’s an unwavering focus on timeless designs and on luxury materials, capturing precisely what you desire from your shopping experience today.
The sales team is helpful and courteous as they help you pick a selection of shirts.
Inside the fitting room, the deluxe mirrors use RFID technology to recognise the items you’ve brought in with you, rendering the products on the screen. The mirrors also offer language options for non-English speakers. They also show other available sizes and colours for each item, as well as recommended products based on what you’ve brought in. A “call an associate” button connects to a salesperson’s tablet on the floor to call them to the fitting room.
The shirts fit perfectly as if tailored to your exact dimensions. You look elegant in them. You feel more confident and graceful inside.
Checkout is seamless and the shirt is carefully folded in tissue and slid into a beautiful bag. The sales team is all smiles as they usher you to the door and welcome you to visit again. You leave with your gorgeous bag in hand, swinging it proudly for all to see, enamoured with a newfound love for the brand.
The former shop is nameless, forgettable, drab and unremarkable.
The latter brand is Polo Ralph Lauren. A brand that has captured the imaginations of millions around the world. When Ralph Lauren began selling ties in Bloomingdales over forty years ago he might have not seen how the brand would expand globally, defining THE quintessential American style. Yet his brand acuity and sense of style was evident every step of the way. His commitment to design, service and quality reflecting an aspirational lifestyle that every one who’s experienced the brand longs to buy into.
That is the power of branding.
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