Lulu Lemon and Reitmans Brand Personality

If Lulu Lemon and Reitmans were people, I imagine their personalities to be as follows:

Lulu Lemon is an athletic woman, between the ages of 20 and 25. She enjoys running, yoga and pilates. She takes pride in her body and mind. She works hard at her job as a motivational speaker during the week. On weekends she likes to spend time with her closest girlfriends. They aren’t party girls, they rather prefer nights in with a couple of bottles of wine and talking about the latest trends in marketing and business. Lulu Lemon is interested in guys, but doesn’t want to search for the “right” one. She believes that he will eventually find her through fate. She is not a member of any organized religion. She prefers self-reflection about a higher power and its effect on her life. In her free time Lulu Lemon enjoys watching movies and munching on homemade granola.

Reitmans is a busy woman between the ages of 35 and 40. She has a family with three young children; two girls and a boy. She works at a dentist’s office as a receptionist during the day, but always makes sure to be home in time to meet the kids after school. She is very dedicated to her children and husband. She helps the kids with their homework and always drives them to their respective after-school activities. She’s a “soccer mom” type, making sure that all of her children’s friends have a safe way home after activities. If they don’t have a ride or their ride hasn’t shown up on time, she always waits with the kid or drives them home. She encourages open communication with her children and it seems to be working so far. Reitmans’ family is her number one priority and will remain that way for the rest of her life.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Reitmans raised Lulu Lemon. It would make for a wonderful relationship between mother and daughter.

Cheers

Dyson vs. Aquafina

I always find it interesting when brands “extend”. What perplexes me are brands like Aquafina extending from bottled water to lip chap. I mean sure, both “quench”, but I think it’s a little bit far fetched. I think that Aquafina realized that the time of bottled water is dying off, and decided that some big changes had to be made. This is how I imagine the conversation went:
“Energy drinks?“
“Nope, it’s already been done. “
“Thirst quenchers?”
“Too old school.”
“Flavoured water?”
“We have that.”
“Lip chap? “
“Now we’re talking!”
Come on Aquafina. Really? Lip chap. I just can’t get over it.

Dyson Air Blades. Now THAT’S brand extension. A vacuum sucks. A hand dryer blows. Both involve high powered air-flow. If you can use some of the research and development from your previous products then by all means, go ahead and extend your brand. If you can invent a hand dryer that can dry hands in less than 12 seconds without burning people’s flesh, then do it!

Dyson: 1
Aquafina: 0

Aquafina, if you can come up with a product that’s needed and offers a unique benefit, then you should extend your brand. Lip chap shouldn't count.

Cheers

Dear Burton, Apple and Nine West, I love you.

I’ve never thought of myself as much of a (pardon the term) ‘brand-whore’. I don’t buy clothing with designer labels, I don’t shop for brand name groceries. I’m a value shopper. I buy the food that gives me the least cost per 100 grams. I buy clothing that fits and looks nice – on sale. I can’t remember the last time I purchased a piece of clothing at full price. I got my cell phone for free when I signed a contract with Rogers. A friend of mine jokes with me and calls me “Frugal. C-h-e-a-p. Frugal.”

And then I thought about it… In many ways, I’m very brand loyal, but I justify it in my own head.

My winter coat is made by Burton (a bit of a faux-pas, since I’m a skier, not a snowboarder), as are my snow pants, gloves a toque. I’ve consciously purchased these items because I know that they are a great value. I know that my pants won’t rip, and they’ll keep me dry and warm. I know that my gloves are made with Gore-tex fabric that wicks away sweat so I don’t freeze. My jacket has amazing features like armpit ventilation, secret pockets, a goggle cleaner on a string, and a specially designed system for my ipod that keeps it close to my body so it doesn’t freeze and break. I love ingenuity. I’m more than willing to fork out the money for a brand that is willing to develop products specific to my lifestyle and hobbies.

I love my Apple computers. I’ve literally never owned anything but an Apple computer. My Dad is an industrial designer and as such, has never used a PC in his life. That has been passed down to me and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love that most of the programs are developed by the same people. It makes it so much easier for me to learn how to use that new program because the same train of thought went into the user interface.

I love my Nine West heels. Yes, I wear heels sometimes, and my 3 pairs of Nine West’s are amazing. They are always comfortable from the day you buy them, they don’t lose colour, and they always last a long time. For $100 I could buy shoes from Le Chateau, and have the heel break off after wearing them 5 times. For $130 (or $23 like I did last week on clearance) I could buy a pair of Nine West’s and never wear through them. It’s all about value.

So I skimp out on my casual clothing and my groceries. It’s all worth it so that I can afford the important brands that are worth saving for.

Such an interesting phenomenon. I’m sure it would be impossible to find someone who is truly not connected or preferential to at least a few brands. I thought I was the farthest thing from a brand person, but I’m really not. It takes a lot for me to really attach myself to a brand. So, congratulations Burton, Apple and Nine West.

Cheers

Brand Stories

I think as human beings we’re inclined to be interested in knowing how certain things came about. I like knowing that the food I feed my dog is made in a small factory in Alberta, by a family-run company. It gives me a sense of pride that I’m helping out a hard working, small group of people. I know that these people have my dog’s health in mind, and that’s why they only use wild-caught fish and fresh ingredients. It gives me a feeling of security and reassurance in my dog’s long-term health.

So many brands try to accomplish this connection to their customers. Every brand has a story, but how come they don’t all share that story? Well, it’s because they know what their customers want to hear. People don’t want to know the story of Company B’s CEO who got sick of Company A, and resigned, only to start Company B a year later. People would rather hear about small towns where the local farmer makes his world-famous jams.

People love feeling philanthropic without actually doing anything charitable. Marketers who use this tool – brand stories – are brilliant. If you can get a customer to feel like they are contributing to society by making the purchase of an everyday item, then your product will flourish. Well done.

Cereal Characters

Tony the Tiger
The Lucky Charms Leprechaun
Toucan Sam
Cap'n Crunch
Count Chocula
Snap, Crackle, and Pop
Buzzbee the Bee

These are all very easily recognized characters. For the most part, cereal is a product associated with children's consumption. What better way to get their attention, than to create a colourful, fun, spunky character who relates to them? Better yet, make the advertisements all about trying to make a fun adventure out of getting to the cereal.
The best way to connect a brand to a person is to relate to the audience. Children are exposed to so many cartoons these days, that I feel they find a sense of trust and comfort in those animations. Brand Characters are a wonderful tool to create a personal connection with a brand or product.

The interesting thing I've found, is this: Most of the characters listed above were created in my childhood. I still associate those characters with each brand independently. I would be distraught if I walked down the cereal aisle and didn't see the leprechaun on my box of Lucky Charms. If Snap, Crackle and Pop disappeared from the box, they just wouldn't be REAL rice crispies any more. They would be "crispy rice" like the rest of the knock-offs. These characters make their brand unique from everyone else. They make the brand real. They were developed for children, and still work wonders in differentiating one cereal from another for adults today. Brilliant.

Cheers