Strategic Branding 1&2

Market Polarization

refers to the growing divide between premium, high-end products and low-cost, budget alternatives, leaving the middle-market shrinking

What drives this shift ?

consumers seek meaning and value in their purchases, often aligning with brands that resonate with their personal beliefs, lifestyle or identity

What is Brand Valuation (basic)

The Financial estimation of a brands worth

What is Brand Valuation used for ? 

It quantifies (in monetary terms) how much the brand contributes to the overall value of a company (used in mergers and acquisitions)

Who does Brand Valuation ?

its done by professional firms using financial models that consider future earnings, market position, etc.

it remains subjective due to a lack of a standardized approach

What is Brand Equity (4 points)

Represents the intangible value of a brand as perceived by consumers 

1. Consumer loyalty 

2. Brand awareness 

3. Perceived quality 

4. Associations attached to the brand 

What is strong brand equity good for ?

It leads to customer preference, premium pricing, competitive advantage

What does brand equity focus on?

Focuses on emotional behavioral and perception based aspects of a brand

What were the 5 most valuable brands worldwide in 2024?

1. Apple

2. Microsoft

3. Google

4. Amazon

5. Samsung Group

Kapferer Identity Prism

Physics 

Personality

Relationship

Culture

Reflection

Self Image

What is a brand ? (Semprinis Theory)

A brand is the composition of all discourses that are being built around it by all subjects (individual or collective) that are active in its generation. It is based in a semiotic instance.

What is a semiotic instance ? 

a way to segment & give meaning in an organized, structured and deliberate way

What is Semprinis ranking ?

What are the Limitations of Kapferers Prism in a Fashion context?

Brands must project a stable, consistent identity —> Fashion is seasonal (thrives on reinvention and ambiguity)

Brand Meaning is controlled top-down —> Fashion brands are co-created with audiences (social media context, critics and culture at large)

Identity facets are prescriptive —> Fashion often subverts norms, breaking away from predefined boxes

Whos in Charge of Branding

Not one single entity

The control is atomized and less concentrated than you think

At the corporate level: marketing execs

creative comms agencies : creative execs

and for social/cultural life: these days almost everyone decides

Can consumers have an impact on branding ?

Yes: mostly because of social media and consumer participation in the brand through feedback

Example: Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad received lots of backlash which had an affect on the brand identity

CCT

Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) is an interdisciplinary field that explores the relationship between consumer behaviors and the sociocultural contexts in which they occur

How are Fashion brands different from those of other industries ? 

1. Time and creative direction set brands apart from each other 

2. Fashion weeks: extremely reliant on seasonality, trend oriented 

3. unlike other industries where the product is central, in fashion the creative vision is the heart of the brand

2 elements which set fashion brands apart:

Time and Creative Direction

What did Boltanski and Esquerre say about brand activation ?

Fashion brands “enrich” goods with artistic and cultural value, enabling emotional attachment beyond utility

What did Thompson and Rindfleisch say about Emotional Branding? 

Brands use mythic structures to create deeper consumer connection

What did Dion and Arnould say about Brand Narratives

creative directors help craft the narrative capital of luxury brands, turning products into symbolic goods

What is the brand identity building model for ? (4 points)

• showing how a brand generates meaning

• clear understanding of the role played by each level of the brand

• Navigating the multitude of messages put out by brands

• a tool to differentiate what is superficial from what contributes to the core of the brand

What is the Axiological Level 

Greek: axia: “value”, “worth” and logia: “study of”

The philosophical study of value: questions the nature and classification of values and what things have value 

What does it mean applied to branding ?

Understanding the deep level of meaning of a brand through its core values that are unshaken throughout the years and make it singular.

What represents MGC’s Dior’s axiological level ?

Creativity and Feminism

What represents Saint Laurent’s axiological level 

• desire 

• shape 

• Gender actualization 

• Legacy 

• Sophistication 

• Self - empowerment

What represents Maison Kitsuné’s axiological level ?

• mix of culture : meeting ground through their cafés 

• started as a music label, finding new talents to highlight 

• building a community 

• “non-elitist” 

What represent Ami Paris’ axiological level

• Selling the parisian dream

• romanticism

• broader concept of love, tied to family, friends not just romantic love

What is the role of brand values ?

they act as implicit principles for decisions and communications, paired with explicit ethical commitments

What makes a brand “great” ?

recategorising the market they enter (Habitat, Nike, Apple, Swatch, Diesel)

—> redefining what products mean.

Heritage Maison’s with Creative Directors

Brands: Dior, Chanel, Courrèges, Alaïa, Loewe

Axiological elements:

• craft excellence : mastery, precision, quality

• brand consistency: maintain tradition to preserve loyalty and brand perception

• aesthetic rigor: consistent design reflecting brand standards

• discreet luxury: measured exclusivity and quiet authenticity

• legacy and history responsibility to history/archives

Contemporary Designers

• creative autonomy: freedom to create without external control

• independence: self expression and creativity not driven by hierarchy or group influence

• authentic growth: guided by personal vision not market demands

• intimate community: genuine connection to a loyal audience

• transparency: openness and honesty in brand value communication

• anti conformity: standing apart from mainstream trends: originality

Brands: Jacquemus, Coperni, Marine Serre, Rick Owens

Contemporary Accessible Luxury

 

• selling the parisian vibe 

• democratic aspect, accessible for everyone, approachable

• usefulness, versatily 

Brands: Maje, Sandro, Claudie Pierlot, Soeur, Rouje 

Craft-driven , discreet luxury

• strong focus on materiality, product, fabrics —> defending craftsmanship

• timelessness through craftsmanship

• selling a vision not a dream

Brands: Jil sander, Hermes, Loro piana, Cucinelli

Mass market/ Fast Fashion 

• trend access, responsiveness to cultural signals 

• accessibility 

• affordability 

• functional/pragmatic 

• efficient delivery 

• build their strategies around core values but do not communicate them 

Example: Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Primark 

Conceptual / Collective identity Brands

Driven by one main idea, like for example:

• Gender fluidity

• What’s acceptable in fashion

• distance from trends

• one constant reference

• societal reading of clothes and the body

• critique of conventions

Example: CDG, Maison Margiela (post martin), APC

Collaboration, Community, Hype based brands

• if you know you know

• belonging/tribe

• co creation/collaboration

• street legitimacy

Example: CORTEZ, ERL, Aries

What is the goal of every campaign/product launch? 

maximizing turnover (always linked to a financial investment) 

What is an example for this?

Ad campaign for AMI after Chinese investment from Sequoia Capital

Difference between brand marketing and performance marketing

brand marketing focuses on building identity, emotion and trust through storytelling and tone to achieve long term goals

performance marketing focuses on measurable conversion and sales through digital ads, ROI and clicks to achieve short-term goals

Do they align well ?

No they do not, because they produce different kinds of content that may clash visually or conceptually 

The Narrative Level

telling a story about why a brand exists, who it serves and how it fits into the broader cultural or personal landscape of its audience

—> creates meaning and fosters loyalty by tying customers into part of the brands ongoing narrative

1. Character Based (Real life incarnation)

• individual figure or charachter: ususally a celebrity who represents the brand for a long or short period 

• the brand narrative is built around this figure, who becomes the main protagonist of the narrative 

• the brand operates a link that is half way between consumer and brand 

Example of Character based narrative

Dior J’adore: Rihanna

Jacquemus - Simon embodying his on brand

Austin Butler - MYSELF parfum YSL

Austin Butler Analysis

Who: actor, Gen Z community gatherer

What do we see: ¾ close up, idea of movement, position of head and arms, gender expression, fluidity, modern take on masculinity, connected to the roles he plays

Hugo BOSS and Chris Hemsworth

• traditional, stable male representation

• Marvel roles

Time based narrative

1. evokes different eras, times, even if the brand didn’t exist at that time

2. The brand chooses to connect with consumers based on nostalgia

2 types of Time based narratives 

1. Founding brands: issue of foundation/legendary past 

they initiated the product they sell 

2. Brands that evoke a past which no longer exists

nostalgia based approach aimed at conferring an aura of authenticity (historical heritage) 

Place based brand narratives

• connection to certain place and creating the brand universe around it

• using a “legendary location” to certify the authenticity of the product

• Sub-logos: town name under logo as origin appellations

• Place acts as a shortcut for brands

• communication through emotion and association rather than literal description

Place based examples

• Caudalie with Bordeaux wine region (less descriptive, more evocative)

• L’occitane en Provence

• Jacquemus with the South of France

Expertise based brand narrative

• Rarely used alone

• usually linked to another narrative

• brands which communicate additional knowledge to assure the products performance

Examples: Typology (lists ingredients), The ordinary, Bonjout (formulas on the website, 15 years of expertise)

Material-based brand narrative

2 types: natural materials & high tech materials

• based on the idea of power

• the brand is a pathway between the material and its target market

• sometimes linked to an expertise based narrative

Example: Le labo, Byredo(rare ingredients), La Mer (the sea, place based)

What is the purpose of BOF’s framework for archetypes 

they symbolise the purpose and value of brands while conveying the motivations of cutsomers and their preferences around engagement

How do these archetypes work? ( 3 points)

1. They are universally recognisable, coming from human behaviors shared in certain cultures.

2. They are frequently used in brand literature and symbolise the brand’s values

3. They are organised by their underlying motivations: each one has a unique core value that captures the essence of its desires and behaviors

4 main categories of Archetypes

Archetypes behind Coco Chanel  

explorer and magician (gave up her personal life to fulfill her career)

Activation of the myth of the founder and the iconic elements of the brands history —> more relatable and believable for the consumer

Depiction of tragedy —> makes the story more engaging and convincing 

Chanel N°5 Ad

• no chanel logo just the N°5

• Inhabitants (Margot and Jacob)

• Connection between visuals and text (subtitles)

• Californian setting (sunset, ocean, highway)

• Margot is wearing an iconic product: full tweed outfit

• independent woman who doesnt need a man, freedom and free spirited femininity

How can brand narratives continue to shape meaning?

they need to evolve with time, they are highly socially sensitve and need to fit the zeitgeist & cultural momentum