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“Go” Brand

I recently opened my e-mail to yet another enticing invitation from Gilt Groupe, one of several on-line “flash” retailers. This invitation included the “Go” button for the Elaine Turner brand with this description: “designer known for her laid-back luxe aesthetic.” That little phrase helped me immediately categorize this previously-unknown-to-me designer. And earned the brand a place in my “consideration bucket.”

What are you known for? Is it a point of view or promise that you can sustain? Can you declare it in a succinct and compelling statement? And, are your products and services evidence of it—again and again?

That clarity and discipline are the beating heart of brand management.

VF Corporation Bought My Baby

Or, when big brands buy little brands

I’ve been accused of talking about the brands I work with as if they were family. Associates tease me when they hear me say things like, “I’m proud of them.” Well, today, I feel like I’m watching my youngest head off to college–and hoping home isn’t forgotten.

It was announced last Monday that VF Corporation is acquiring Timberland. I’ve had the pleasure of doing some work with Timberland recently, but I’ve worked with SmartWool since 1999, back in its infancy, before the company had even booked ten million dollars in sales. SmartWool was the brainchild of a hard-working couple that put all they had into the simple idea that we shouldn’t have to accept cold feet as the cost of our active-outdoor pursuits. While others claimed they made warm socks, they took “wooly” socks out of the commodity category and into the performance business from their garage operation in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Other companies make wool socks. They were made before SmartWool came into existence. And, the category has exploded since the initial success of SmartWool. So, if others can do it, why has SmartWool been so successful? Why did this brand succeed where others failed? Why did this brand continue to succeed as it transitioned through four presidents in its 17 years of business?

It’s fairly obvious it wasn’t about any one President. What I can share, given my personal relationship with the company, is that SmartWool has benefited from one of the most serendipitous cases of the right President at the right time of any company I’m aware of. Each shares equally in the success story, having contributed the exact right leadership competencies at the exact right time. But, it’s more than that.

Simon Sinek, a brand strategist with an engaging presentation style, posits that the answer to “Why do you do what you do?” drives your organization to differentiate. [See him on TED.] The answer to that question steers the choices you make everyday. It provides a point-of-view that no one else has when confronted with the same choices. In the case of SmartWool, this company isn’t simply a maker of socks and apparel. It’s now a band of people passionate about the life they live outdoors and committed to making products that improve that experience. That’s why they deliver on a brand promise of extraordinary comfort again and again, as they’ve grown from socks to apparel and accessories.

In the mergers and acquisitions game it’s about leveraging strengths and consolidating for greater efficiency. I get that. And, so, as excited as I am for the incredible support and strength VF will bring to SmartWool, I hope they don’t lost sight of why this particular company has succeeded; to date, the SmartWool brand DNA is directly tied to its provenance–a mountain community that is “the perfect testing ground for SmartWool products.”

What Ralph Lauren Taught Me About Brand

Did you know that the Polo empire was launched on a strip of fabric?

Polo began as a men’s neckwear company; a single category of product targeting only one gender. And now, 44 years later, it has a market cap of $11.3 billion dollars with men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel; home furnishings; fragrance; shoes; sunglasses; and, accessories.

Seeing Ralph Lauren on Oprah yesterday got me reflecting. I worked for Ralph Lauren Womenswear in the late ’80s—long before the company was publicly traded. I always tell people this because it’s important to understand that this company was, once upon a time, small.  And, then it was mid-size. And, then it was big.

I worked there during its mid-size phase, a time of increased visibility, brand recognition, and sales expectations. And, while my role within the company wasn’t highly visible–I was one of a stable of Merchandise Coordinators + Sales Associates–my education there was pivotal to my understanding of brand stewardship.

Here are two stories from that experience:

1. The almost launch of Ralph Lauren Jeans

Imagine the excitement swirling around the Manhattan office of Ralph Lauren Womenswear in anticipation of the launch of a new collection. The company had invested millions of dollars in preparation for the debut of Ralph Lauren Jeans for women. Showroom space was dedicated to the new product; pre-introduction presentations were made to editors and buyers; collateral materials were printed; and, TV ads and launch events were at the ready.

And, then the final product was ready and Ralph cancelled the launch. The product didn’t live up to his expectation. It didn’t have the quality of expression, the fabric drape and fit that he knew were signatures of the brand promise–the nonchalance and grace of wealth.

Critical Lesson: Brand trust is an asset–protect it at all costs
Ralph Lauren knew the long-term cost to his brand if he launched a product that didn’t live up to its promise. That cost would far outweigh a short-term loss to his bottom-line.

2. Bird Auditions in the Upper East-side Mansion

The Rhinelander Mansion, a New York City landmark, was transformed into the Ralph Lauren retail store in 1986 (and has since been transformed again). Stories circulated around the NY wholesale office during what became an 18-month, 15 million dollar renovation. But, the one that stuck with me, over and above the stories of incredible craftsmanship, precious antiques, and the collection of fine art, was the audition of songbirds.

The fourth floor of the store was originally dedicated to housing furnishings–bed linens, towels, home accessories, and furniture. And, amidst this residential finery, complementing the crooning of classics like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, would be the sound of songbirds, chirping from within a beautiful antique birdcage in the far back corner of the top floor of the residence. But, even back there, it had to sound right. And, that required songbird auditions. As I remember the story there were a dozen or so birds trying out that day, chirping their little hearts out for their big break.

Critical Lesson: Brand is in the details
Ralph Lauren was keenly aware of the cues that would enhance or detract from the brand experience he wanted to create. He set out to transport people, to immerse them in a world of refinement and taste. There would be no screeching or cawing in this house.

What lessons are being taught at your company about brand stewardship?