Week 3 EOC: Naomi Klein Corporate Branding

EOC Week 3: Naomi Klein

 

How corporate branding has taken over America.

Naomi Klein is a huge name involved in the anti-brand movement.  Naomi Klein would go on to write a book “The shock doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism” and “No Logo: taking aim at the brand bullies.” 

Naomi Klein is a contributing editor for Harper’s and reporter for Rolling Stone.  Naomi writes a regular column for “The Nation and The Guardian that is syndicated internationally by The New York Times Syndicate.” Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Globe and Mail, El Pais, L’Espresso and The New Statesman, among many other publications.

The success of the book to a high standard that it caused some business to prove that the “Brand” wasn’t the “Product.” In an article written explained how the company “Absolut Vodka” would launch a “No-Label” vodka that would prove the company is about quality and not what’s on the outside of the bottle.  Then a “Stealthy Starbucks” would open an unbranded coffee shop. These type of businesses where such multi-conglomerate businesses that they were now running from the brand image they created.

“She was well acquainted with the basic tenet of brand management: find your message, trademark and protect it and repeat yourself ad nauseam through as many synergized platforms as possible.”  The book was written on the idea unlikely trends were connected by a single idea -- that corporations should produce brands, not products. This battle would rage on all through the next few years.  She exposed how branding feeds of such influences as politics, economic factors, and cultural trends. 

www.twitter.com/NaomiAKlein

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-klein/how-corporate-branding-is_b_427406.html

http://www.naomiklein.org/main

Week 2 EOC: SWOT on John Varvatos

EOC Week 2: SWOT on John Varvatos

Strengths:  Grew up in the melting pot of America “Detroit.” Motown, rock ‘n’roll, jazz, blues, punk helped define music inspirations to help in maintaining the brand with modern innovation. Creates clothing to look tailored but functional as pieces to be lived in.  Varvatos uses the auto industry, architecture, interesting people that are outside the normal fashion world for inspirations as well.  New York is the capital for his clothing, the “grown male”

Weaknesses: During a Q & A John Varvatos states: “it was time, everything is moving so quickly, and we want to present our brand on a global basis in the right way” (WWD, 3 Questions for John Varvatos, Gerald Flores) when referring to his websites new look and updates. Runs sales,  

not trendy, and cant compete with high-end designers.

Opportunities:  One of the worlds most well-know menswear designers in the world, he received the following awards, 2000 the Perry Ellis Award for New Menswear Designer, CFDA award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2001, CDFA award for menswear Designer of the Year in 2005, and GQ Designer of the year in 2007.  He is a mentor for the NBC’s “Fashion Star” reality series that searches for the next big brand in fashion.   

Threats: Technology was updating at an increased rate, so in February of 2013 Varvatos launched a new look to his e-commerce website.  There seems to be a limited amount of stores, which will increase with expansion by 2014 globally.

Brand image being maintained is a big threat to him. 

Work Cited:

Web.ebscohost.com, Men’s say hello to John Varvatos © San Francisco Chronicle, 2008

WWW.NBC.com/fashion-star

WWW.wwd.comai.libproxy.edmc.edu/footwear-news/market/3-questions-for-john-varvatos

Week 1 EOC: About Me

I am a successful business owner already, but i want to branch into the world of fashion.  Designing simplistic affordable clothing is a way of life.  I am a mother first and a wife second, so i understand what today's American society is all about.  Affordability and budgeting are important aspects for most mothers today.  I feel that i can bring an essence to women through clothes.  Most women have no appreciation for themselves, their children are always first and i want to change that.  I want being a mother to be fun, confident exciting expression of "self" again.  I want my future consumers to feel happy about their style.

Week 1 EOC: How to make in America

Week 1

How to make it in America:

After watching the first episode of how to make in America, I realized the guys had no clue what they were doing.  They decided on a whim to go into the jean making business was apiece cake.  They borrowed money from a loan shark, which kept the “juice running” basically meaning they guys would pay two hundred to three hundred percent interest on their startup cash.  With no business plan in effect they were off to the jeans business. 

Little did they know having a solid business plan would have helped in their venture?  They needed a pattern because without a pattern there was no concept for the “jeans.” 

The guys at least had a network for marketing. They had a lot of acquaintances in the New York city-life.  One of the boys had solid knowledge on what they were looking for in the dos and don’ts of what the market is looking for in men’s jean apparel. 

They had hope and later they would find out just how hard things would get.  There fashion industry is ruthless and without the right knowledge and having all your “duck in a row” there would be no business to start.