Branding in Motion: Part 4 of 4

An interview with Russell Volckmann on Branding in Motion

Image by Extra Medium

Ashley: Should (online) fashion brands keep anything extra in mind that brands in other markets may not have to worry about?

Russell:

Like any brand, fashion brand goods also require unique and lasting brand features to be successful in the market. Fashion, as the term implies, is fleeting. And herein lies a unique challenge for fashion brands–or any other fast moving consumer products (also called, “fast consumer”). How to maintain a solid unwavering and strong brand foundation, while at the same time maintaining the perception of a high level of innovation that customers expect is important, which requires constant change in brand expression. The answer will be different for each unique brand, but the challenge is the same.

Also, differentiation on the basis of brand is vitally important in case of fashion because competition is very high and each fashion brand needs to say something different. Without the differentiation created in the brand (including the product expression of that brand), the fashion brand can easily fall into becoming a commodity. And like all other commodities, the product becomes price or value based, rather than aspirationally based. Commoditization can kill any company, fashion or not. When price becomes the primary reason people buy, your fashion brand will always be susceptible to someone cheaper. In other words, fashion brands need to maintain a high level of aspiration (to buy) among customers. Specifically, I think attention to target lifestyle is key.

Interestingly, established luxury brands continue to do well even in down markets because they maintain that high level of quality and aspiration. Price may be more important in slow times, but customers often turn to lasting quality anyway, abandoning the cheaper, disposable, less innovative, lesser quality alternatives. Whatever target price point or customer, a fashion brand needs a clear proposition of fashion and value that is unique and drives brand expressions faithfully.