Secrets of the Superbrands

As I was looking for a new TV show to watch, I stumbled across a BBC produced show called "Secrets of the Superbrands" and I was intrigued. After reading No Logo last semester, I am more aware of the branded nature of our culture and whether it is good or not, it is an interesting phenomenon. The episode I watched was about the fashion industry and looking at how people will pay a premium to have the brand name on the product.

Note: This is only the first segment in a much longer show, rest of the videos are available on Youtube


Defining Success
The opening scene demonstrates the 'success' of these brands by having four cardboard models that are identical except for the logo on their shirt. When asked who they would like to be friends with and who they think is the most sporty, young children point to the Nike figure with little hesitation. Yet another example of how these brands manage to ingrain themselves into the lives of people from such an early age. Right or wrong, it is still very impressive and remarkable how these brands have managed to imbed themselves in our lives. These brands are effectively creating customers for life by creating the association of their brand with certain attributes ex. Nike is synonymous with sports.

Pyramid
Probably the most interesting segment was discussing the pyramid nature of the luxury brands. Luxury fashion brands are broken into three categories. At the bottom of the pyramid, goods are priced so they are attainable for the average person, these items would include sunglasses, belts, coin purses etc. These goods generate a lot of money for these brands. The middle layer are higher priced goods that are much more exclusive but they remain attainable for those who want the product. At the top are the couture items that are produced in tiny quantities and sold to a specific clientele. I found it surprising to know that the items from this price-point actually lose money for the company. But these products are important for maintaining the image of the brand. I assumed that the very expensive products would be generating a large amount of income for the brand because the retail cost of these items are so high. It has to be balanced so that the brand maintains the desired image and doesn't appear that every person could purchase their products.

Me as a consumer
I know in my life experience, brand names are sometimes important. I enjoy being able to wear pricier brand name clothing (who wouldn't), however it isn't a necessity. While I wouldn't pay the retail price on a pair of BCBG shoes, I am more than happy to purchase them when they are deeply discounted. Watching the segment on brand name sunglasses, it makes me far less willing to buy another pair of brand name sunglasses. On a whim I purchased a pair of Armani Exchange sunglasses that were overpriced and in hindsight, I wish I hadn't made the purchase because I could have bought several pairs of similar glasses for the same price. I fell prey to the lure of having a luxury brand. At the factory featured in the show (Luxottica), in the one factory, there are making glasses for many different brands. So really, the different brands are making their products in the same place and some of them are quite similar. After watching the show I know I will take a moment to think about whether the item I want to buy is actually worth the money but I still enjoy being able to wear expensive items of clothing once in a while.