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brand mania

Brand Mania: Psychology Behind the Obsession

Brand mania, often referred to as “brand obsession” is a consumer behavior characterized by an excessive preoccupation with branded products. This phenomenon is where individuals develop a strong emotional connection to specific brands, leading them to consistently choose branded items over non-branded alternatives, often irrespective of price or quality differences. The allure of the brand becomes a primary motivator in purchasing decisions, overshadowing other rational considerations. 1

The term “brand mania” is not an official psychological diagnosis. It is more of a descriptive term used to characterize consumer behavior where individuals exhibit an excessive fascination with brands or trademarks. There is no recognized psychological or psychiatric diagnosis known as “brand mania.”

From a psychological viewpoint, brand mania can be seen as more than just consumer behavior; it involves complex psychological processes. Brands often fulfill emotional needs and desires, such as the need for acceptance, prestige, or self-esteem. They can also offer a sense of identity or community, making them deeply ingrained in a person’s self-concept and social interactions.

Table of Contents

Causes of brand mania.

  • Social Influence and Aspirations . Humans are inherently social beings, influenced heavily by the norms and expectations of their communities. Brands often serve as a tool for social positioning, where owning a particular brand elevates one’s status within a group or society at large. This is particularly evident in luxury brands, which are sought not only for their quality but for their exclusivity and symbolic representation of success.
  • Advertising and Media Saturation . In our media-saturated world, brands reach consumers through an incessant stream of multi-channel advertising. These messages are crafted using sophisticated psychological techniques to create emotional connections with consumers, making certain brands seem indispensable for a particular lifestyle or identity.
  • Cultural Values . Cultural influences play a significant role in shaping our attitudes towards brands. In consumerist societies, where material success often equals personal success, brands become key symbols of achievement. This cultural backdrop makes the allure of brands even more potent, as they are perceived as essential tools for navigating social hierarchies.
  • Economic Implications . Economic factors also dictate the ebb and flow of brand mania. During economic booms, consumers are more likely to indulge in brands as a reflection of their prosperity. Conversely, during downturns, consumers might cling to trusted brands as a safe bet against the uncertainty of lesser-known alternatives. 2

A survey from the American Affluence Research Center revealing that wealthy Americans, who could afford luxury brands like Hermes, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, often find these brands overrated and are not significantly knowledgeable or impressed by them.

Despite the high recognition of some luxury brands among the affluent, a significant proportion — nearly 44% in the case of Louis Vuitton — view them as catering more to status seekers rather than quality-conscious consumers.

The survey, which included the wealthiest 10% of U.S. households, suggests that luxury brands fail to appeal to the majority of wealthy consumers who are often self-made millionaires unfamiliar with high-end products from their upbringing. The findings highlight a potential for luxury brands to adopt more informative and quality-focused advertising strategies to attract this demographic, emphasizing the craftsmanship and value of their products over mere status. 3

Psychological Issues Contributing to Brand Mania

Brand mania can also stem from deeper psychological issues that affect personal behavior and choices:

  • Low Self-esteem . People with low self-esteem may use branded products as a scaffold to bolster their self-image and social acceptance. Brands serve as an external validation source, where the prestige associated with them is internalized as personal worth.
  • Materialism . Those who hold materialistic values see possessions as a primary avenue to happiness and social recognition. This worldview makes brands particularly appealing, as they are often associated with the best life has to offer.
  • Need for Uniqueness . In the quest to stand out, some consumers turn to brands as a means of expressing their individuality. This is seen in the pursuit of rare, unique, or luxury brands that are not widely owned, allowing individuals to craft a distinct personal and social identity. 4

Opportunities for personal growth

Self-reflection and awareness.

The journey to overcoming brand mania starts with self-reflection. Individuals need to explore the reasons behind their brand preferences. Are these choices driven by personal likes or peer influence? Do they seek brands for quality or for the status they confer? By understanding the ‘why’ behind their choices, individuals can begin to disentangle their self-worth from branded possessions.

  • Journaling . Regularly writing down thoughts about purchases can help individuals identify patterns in their behavior that are linked to emotional needs or social pressures.
  • Mindfulness Practices . Engaging in mindfulness can help individuals become more aware of their impulses, reducing the likelihood of making purchases based on external validation rather than genuine need.

Building Authentic Self-Esteem

Authentic self-esteem is derived from one’s abilities, achievements, and relationships, rather than external possessions. Developing a stronger internal sense of self-worth can diminish the need to seek validation through brands.

  • Skill Development . Investing time in developing personal skills or hobbies can enhance self-esteem as these are intrinsically rewarding and build a sense of competence.
  • Volunteering . Engaging in community service can shift focus from self to others, providing a broader perspective on what constitutes true value and success.

Mindful Consumption

Becoming a mindful consumer means making purchasing decisions that are deliberate, intentional, and aligned with one’s true needs and values, rather than impulsive or influenced by advertising.

  • Needs vs. Wants Analysis . Before making a purchase, considering whether the item is a need or a want can help reduce unnecessary spending on branded items.
  • Budgeting . Creating and sticking to a budget can also curb excessive spending. Allocating funds for different categories of spending can help prioritize essential over discretionary expenses.

Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques

Cognitive-behavioral techniques can be used to challenge and change the thoughts that contribute to brand mania.

  • Challenging Beliefs . Individuals can work to identify and challenge the belief that brands are necessary for happiness or acceptance. This might involve questioning the rationality of such beliefs and testing out scenarios where lesser-known or non-branded products are used instead.
  • Behavioral Experiments . Temporarily switching to non-branded goods or implementing a ‘no buy’ period for certain branded items can help individuals experience the minimal impact these changes have on their happiness and social standing.

Seeking Professional Help

If brand mania is significantly affecting one’s life and decisions, consulting a psychologist or therapist can be beneficial. Professional help can provide strategies and support for addressing deeper issues related to self-esteem and materialism.

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  • https://fastercapital.com/content/Branding–Brand-Mania–How-Consumerism-Drives-Our-Obsession-with-Labels.html [ ↩ ]
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.640 [ ↩ ]
  • https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/most-of-our-richest-dont-care-about-brands-12128941 [ ↩ ]
  • http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13612021211265791 [ ↩ ]

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How Branding Is Shaping Teenagers

Ever wondered how growing up in a branded culture effects the way a person views the world?  Have you noticed a differences between the way you respond and identify with brands and products and the way teenagers do?

I came across this video today while catching up on some of my blog reading.  It is a promo for a film, Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood , about consumerism and the affect a world saturated with marketing messages has on children growing up.

Not sure what your response is to this video, but it raises real questions for me, both as a parent, and as someone who has an interest in youth and teenage culture.

What does it mean for our current and future generation of teenagers to grow up with brand identification so much a part of their self understanding?  How will effect the way they view themselves, their peers and their future? Can adults make a difference to the branded culture, given that many of us are just as caught up in it as our children and teenagers?

How Advertising Affects Teenagers

Advertising works best when it creates insecurity about something. Such insecurities are easily found amongst pubescent teens. Be it body shape, skin condition, fashion, music, being cool, or just having the right type of gadget, teenagers are very uncertain about who they are or where they fit in.

The message of our hyper consumerist society sells the belief that you are what you own. This message of identity is an answer tailor made for teens who are are asking the question “who am I?”

Apple didn’t ask teenagers which type of iPod they preferred or liked the best. No, they sold iPods by asking  “Which iPod are you?”

The obvious downside to this is teenagers basing their identity on what brand they belong to, or what stuff they can accumulate.  Such beliefs can be stronger and overshadow the values of developing integrity, thought out values and sound relationships as the basis  for understanding who they are.

Similarly advertising and media messages are designed to influence how teens evaluate themselves and their self worth. In the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, researcher Deborah Roedder John, found that a young person’s level of materialism is directly connected to their self-esteem. “When self-esteem drops as children enter adolescence, materialism peaks. Then by late adolescence, when self-esteem rebounds, their materialism drops.”

Via a constant stream of messages suggesting what is normal,  cool, popular, confidence building, or good for relationships, marketing can easily play to an adolescents natural insecurities. Teenage girls spend over $9 billion on makeup and skin products alone. This is an example of advertisers selling the message “we can make you fit in / feel good/ be happy.”

Of course you don’t need to be a sociologist to connect the dots between a society saturated with branding designed to generate inadequacy and growing rates of eating disorders, depression, anxiety and obesity amongst teenagers.

As adolescents engage in the task of establishing a place to belong in the world away from the childhood family unit, questions of belonging and fitting in become paramount.  This is why branding is so significant for marketeers trying to reach teens. Branding is about finding a group or tribe to identify with.  The message teens hear is “if you have the right brand you belong to a family who share  your identification with the brand and its lifestyle/ values.”

Research by Linda Simpson (Adolescence Vol. 33, No. 131) has demonstrated the attraction to prestige brands develops in adolescent years because it’s a time when peer pressure and fitting in are very important.

One of the downsides of belonging and identification branding is it  encourages disapproval of anything different, be it a different generation, different cultural group or different school clique.  Combine this with natural teenage tendencies towards black and white or absolute thinking, and you end up with increased opportunity for segmentation, segregation, and ultimately hyper-individualistic attitudes.

How Big is the Issue?

In her book “Consuming Kids,” Susan Linn states that U.S. companies have a marketing budget to adolescents and children of over $15 billion, influencing $600 billion worth of spending. This is about  two and a half times more than was spent in 1992. There is a lot at stake in selling and branding young people.

In a stirring article titled Commodifying Kids: The Forgotten Crisis, Henry Giroux states:

“society in the last thirty years has undergone a sea change in the daily lives of children – one marked by a major transition from a culture of innocence and social protection, however imperfect, to a culture of commodification . This is culture that does more than undermine the ideals of a secure and happy childhood; it also exhibits the bad faith of a society in which, for children, “there can be only one kind of value, market value; one kind of success, profit; one kind of existence, commodities; and one kind of social relationship, markets.”

A little later he picks up on the the profound nature advertising is having on children from very early on in life.  I’ll share with you another brief part of the article where he quotes Juliet Schor :

At age one, she’s watching Teletubbies and eating the food of its “promo partners” Burger King and McDonald’s. Kids can recognize logos by eighteen months, and before reaching their second birthday, they’re asking for products by brand name. By three or three and a half, experts say, children start to believe that brands communicate their personal qualities, for example, that they’re cool, or strong, or smart. Even before starting school, the likelihood of having a television in their bedroom is 25 percent, and their viewing time is just over two hours a day. Upon arrival at the schoolhouse steps, the typical first grader can evoke 200 brands.

Generational Questions?

This post does not even being to scrape the surface of what is obviously a large issue. I have been learning a lot on this topic from the Shaping Youth Blog and can highly recommend  it as a great place to start if you are interested in exploring these issues more.

Some of the significant questions I hope to explore in the future are about the generational effects and distinctive’s created by a media soaked landscape which is fueled by advertising.  How exactly will it impact the way kids today view the world and relate to each other? What does it mean about how older generations communicate to the younger generations?

I hope to post on these questions in the near future, but until then I would love to know your thoughts on this complex issue.  Have you noticed any effects? Are you aware of some good resources or information sources dealing with these issues?  Please let us know.

Chris

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brand mania essay

Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

1. the power of branding, 2. the psychology behind branding, 3. the rise of consumerism and brand obsession, 4. the role of social media in brand mania, 5. the negative effects of brand obsession on society, 6. the ethics of branding and consumer manipulation, 7. trends and innovations, 8. personal branding and self-promotion, 9. finding a balance in branding and consumerism.

In today's world, branding has become a powerful tool that can make or break a business. From a consumer's perspective, branding is a way to identify a product or service, distinguish it from competitors, and associate it with certain values or qualities. However, from a business perspective, branding is much more than that. It's a strategic process that involves creating a unique identity, building an emotional connection with customers , and establishing a long-term relationship based on trust and loyalty. The power of branding lies in its ability to influence people's perceptions, behaviors, and decisions, often subconsciously.

To understand the power of branding, here are some key insights:

1. branding is not just about logos and slogans . While visual elements such as logos, colors, and typography are important for creating brand recognition, branding is much more than that. It involves defining a brand's purpose, values, personality, and voice, and communicating them consistently across all touchpoints, including packaging, advertising, social media , and customer service. For example, Apple's branding is not just about the sleek design of its products, but also about its minimalist approach, innovation, and user experience.

2. Branding creates emotional connections. By tapping into people's emotions, branding can create a powerful bond between a brand and its customers. For example, Nike's "Just Do It" campaign is not just a call to action, but also a statement of empowerment, motivation, and inspiration. It resonates with people who aspire to be athletes, or who value determination and hard work.

3. Branding builds trust and loyalty . When done right, branding can create a sense of trust and loyalty that goes beyond the functional benefits of a product or service . For example, Coca-Cola's branding is not just about the taste of its soda, but also about the happiness, joy, and togetherness that it represents. It creates a sense of nostalgia, familiarity, and community that keeps people coming back for more.

4. Branding reflects societal values and trends. Brands are not created in a vacuum, but are influenced by the cultural, social, and political context in which they exist. As such, branding can reflect and shape societal values and trends. For example, Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign challenged the conventional standards of beauty and promoted body positivity, diversity, and inclusivity. It resonated with people who felt underrepresented or marginalized in the beauty industry.

The power of branding is undeniable. It's a tool that can help businesses differentiate themselves, create emotional connections with customers , build trust and loyalty , and reflect societal values and trends. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Brands have a duty to use their influence for good, and to be transparent, authentic, and ethical in their branding practices.

The Power of Branding - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

The world of branding has evolved over the years and has become an integral part of our daily lives. From the clothes we wear to the products we use, branding has a significant impact on our purchasing decisions . Brands are more than just a logo or a name; they evoke emotions, create associations, and affect the way we perceive ourselves. The psychology behind branding is a complex subject that delves into various aspects of human behavior. Let's explore some of the key insights into the psychology behind branding:

1. branding creates emotional connections : One of the essential aspects of branding is creating emotional connections with the consumers. Brands use various techniques such as storytelling, nostalgia, and humor to create an emotional bond with their customers . For example, Coca-Cola's iconic Christmas campaigns evoke feelings of warmth and nostalgia, which helps the brand connect with its customers .

2. Branding impacts our self-identity: Brands are not just about products; they also provide a sense of identity to the consumers. The brands we use reflect our personality, values, and beliefs. For instance, Apple's branding emphasizes innovation, creativity, and simplicity, which resonates with its target audience .

3. Branding influences our purchasing decisions : Branding plays a critical role in our purchasing decisions. Consumers are more likely to choose a well-known brand over an unknown one, even if the unknown brand has better features or lower prices. This phenomenon is known as brand loyalty, and it is a result of the emotional connection that the brand has created with its customers.

4. branding affects our perception of quality: The way a brand is perceived can have a significant impact on the perceived quality of its products. Consumers associate well-known brands with high-quality products and are willing to pay a premium for them. For example, luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci are associated with high quality and exclusivity, which justifies their high prices.

The psychology behind branding is a fascinating subject that has a profound impact on our daily lives . Brands create emotional connections, influence our self-identity, impact our purchasing decisions, and affect our perception of quality. Understanding these insights can help marketers create effective branding strategies that resonate with their target audience .

The Psychology Behind Branding - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

In today's world, consumerism and brand obsession have become a norm in our society. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements, billboards, and social media posts that promote different brands and products. As a result, we have become more conscious of the brands we use and are willing to pay a premium price for them. Multiple factors have contributed to this rise in brand obsession, such as the increase in disposable income , the influence of social media , and the need for social status. This section will provide an in-depth analysis of the rise of consumerism and brand obsession, along with its impact on our society.

1. social media : social media has played a significant role in the rise of consumerism and brand obsession. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have made it easier for brands to reach out to their target audience . Influencers and celebrities are often seen promoting different brands and products, which creates a sense of desire and aspiration among their followers. Consumers are more likely to purchase a product if it is endorsed by their favorite influencer or celebrity.

2. Disposable Income: With the rise in disposable income, consumers are now more willing to spend money on premium brands. People are no longer just buying products for their functionality but are also looking for status symbols. Owning a luxury brand has become a way of showcasing one's wealth and social status.

3. Psychological Impact: Consumerism and brand obsession have a significant psychological impact on our society. Brands have become a way of defining oneself and showcasing one's identity. People are more likely to associate themselves with a particular brand that aligns with their values and beliefs. Moreover, the desire to own a particular brand has also led to a sense of exclusivity and elitism among consumers.

4. Corporate Responsibility: With the rise of consumerism and brand obsession, brands have a greater responsibility towards their consumers and society. Consumers are now more aware of the impact of their purchasing decisions on the environment and society. Brands need to be more transparent and socially responsible in their practices to maintain their reputation and consumer loyalty.

The rise of consumerism and brand obsession has had a significant impact on our society, both positive and negative. While it has led to economic growth and innovation , it has also led to a sense of materialism and social inequality. Brands need to be more responsible and transparent in their practices , and consumers need to be more conscious of their purchasing decisions.

The Rise of Consumerism and Brand Obsession - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

In today's digital age, social media has revolutionized the way brands connect with their target audience . Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok have become an essential component of any marketing strategy. Social media has not only made it easier for brands to reach their target audience but has also facilitated the creation of a brand's identity. It has given brands the ability to connect with their audience on a more personal level and has created a sense of community around the brand. However, there is a flip side to this phenomenon. With the rise of social media , consumers have become increasingly obsessed with labels and brand names. This obsession with brand names has given rise to brand mania, a phenomenon where consumers are willing to pay exorbitant prices for products simply because of the brand name attached to it.

1. social media has given rise to brand awareness: Social media has made it easier for brands to reach their target audience. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have made it possible for brands to connect with their audience on a more personal level. Brands can now create a sense of community around their products, which in turn helps to build brand awareness . social media platforms have also made it easier for brands to create a brand identity and to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

2. Social media has given rise to brand mania: The rise of social media has given consumers access to a vast amount of information about brands and products. Consumers are now more aware of the brands they buy and are willing to pay a premium for the brand name. This obsession with brand names has given rise to brand mania, a phenomenon where consumers are willing to pay exorbitant prices for products simply because of the brand name attached to it.

3. Social media has created a sense of community around brands: Social media platforms have made it easier for brands to create a sense of community around their products. Brands can now connect with their audience on a more personal level and engage with them in a way that was not possible before. This sense of community has helped to build brand loyalty and has given rise to brand advocates.

4. social media has increased competition among brands: Social media has made it easier for new brands to enter the market. New brands can now gain visibility and build brand awareness using social media platforms. This has increased competition among brands, making it more challenging for established brands to maintain their market share .

Social media has played a significant role in the rise of brand mania. While social media has given brands the ability to connect with their audience on a more personal level, it has also given rise to an obsession with brand names. Brands must find a way to balance the benefits of social media with the negative effects of brand mania.

The Role of Social Media in Brand Mania - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

In today's world, branding and labels play a significant role in our daily lives. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, we are constantly exposed to different brands and labels. While some people may view it as a way to express themselves or show their status, others argue that brand obsession has negative effects on society. The constant need for material possessions and the pressure to keep up with the latest trends can lead to a range of issues, including low self-esteem and financial insecurity.

Here are some of the negative effects of brand obsession on society:

1. Increased debt: One of the most significant negative effects of brand obsession is increased debt. Many people feel the need to keep up with the latest trends and purchase the newest products, even if they cannot afford them. This can lead to credit card debt and financial insecurity.

2. Low self-esteem: Brand obsession can also have a negative impact on self-esteem. People may feel inadequate or inferior if they cannot afford certain brands or products. This can lead to feelings of low self-worth and a lack of confidence.

3. Materialism: Brand obsession can also promote materialism, which is the belief that material possessions are essential for happiness. This can lead to a focus on material possessions rather than personal relationships and experiences.

4. Social exclusion: Brand obsession can also lead to social exclusion. People who cannot afford certain brands or products may feel excluded from social groups or events, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

5. Environmental impact: Brand obsession can also have a negative impact on the environment. The constant need for new products and the disposal of old ones can contribute to environmental issues such as pollution and waste.

For example, the fashion industry is known for its fast-paced nature and constant need for new products. This leads to the production of large amounts of waste and contributes to environmental issues such as pollution and climate change.

While branding and labels play a significant role in our daily lives, brand obsession can have negative effects on society. From increased debt to low self-esteem, brand obsession can lead to a range of issues that affect individuals and society as a whole. It is essential to be aware of these negative effects and strive for a more balanced approach to material possessions and personal values.

The Negative Effects of Brand Obsession on Society - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

In our modern world, branding has become an integral part of consumerism. It is impossible to walk down the street, watch TV, or browse the internet without being bombarded by brands and their messaging. The power of branding is undeniable, and it is often used to manipulate consumers. However, this raises the question: is it ethical to manipulate consumers through branding? Some argue that it is not, as it takes advantage of vulnerable consumers. Others argue that it is a necessary part of the free market, and that consumers have the power to make informed decisions.

Here are some key insights into the ethics of branding and consumer manipulation:

1. Branding can be manipulative : Brands use a variety of tactics to manipulate consumers into buying their products. This can include creating a sense of urgency , using emotional appeals, and even using subliminal messaging. While some argue that these tactics are harmless, others see them as unethical, as they take advantage of vulnerable consumers.

2. Consumers have power : While brands may use manipulative tactics, consumers still have the power to make informed decisions. By doing research, reading reviews, and being aware of marketing tactics , consumers can make choices that align with their values and needs.

3. Branding can be responsible : While some brands use manipulative tactics, others take a more responsible approach to branding. This can include being transparent about their practices, using more ethical sourcing and production methods, and promoting sustainability. By supporting responsible brands, consumers can help drive positive change in the industry.

4. Regulations are limited : While there are regulations in place to prevent false advertising and other unethical practices, they are often limited in scope. This means that consumers must be vigilant in protecting themselves from manipulative branding tactics.

5. Examples of unethical branding : One example of unethical branding is when brands use false or misleading claims to promote their products. Another example is when brands target vulnerable populations, such as children, with advertising that is designed to manipulate them.

While branding can be a powerful tool for businesses, it is important to consider the ethics of consumer manipulation. Consumers have the power to make informed decisions, but they must also be aware of the manipulative tactics that brands may use. By supporting responsible brands and advocating for stronger regulations, we can create a more ethical and sustainable marketplace.

The Ethics of Branding and Consumer Manipulation - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

As consumers, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements and branding messages. We see logos and slogans on billboards, television commercials, and social media ads . It's no wonder that branding has become such a significant part of consumer culture. But what does the future of branding hold? How will brands continue to innovate and stand out in an increasingly crowded market? In this section, we'll explore some of the trends and innovations that are shaping the future of branding.

1. Personalization: One of the most significant trends in branding is the move towards personalization. Consumers are increasingly looking for brands that cater to their individual needs and preferences. This means that brands are creating more personalized experiences , from customized products to tailored advertising. For example, Nike's ID program allows customers to design their own shoes, while Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign featured personalized bottles with people's names on them.

2. Brand authenticity: Another trend in branding is the focus on authenticity. Consumers are becoming more skeptical of traditional advertising methods, and are looking for brands that are genuine and transparent. This means that brands are being more honest about their products, and are using real people in their advertising campaigns. For example, Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign featured real women of all shapes and sizes, rather than using models.

3. Sustainability: With climate change and environmental issues becoming more pressing concerns, sustainability has become a significant factor in branding. Consumers are looking for brands that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible . This means that brands are using sustainable materials, reducing waste, and supporting social causes. For example, Patagonia is known for its commitment to sustainability, using recycled materials and donating a portion of its profits to environmental causes.

4. Immersive experiences: As technology continues to advance, brands are finding new ways to create immersive experiences for their customers . From virtual reality to augmented reality, brands are using technology to create unique and memorable experiences . For example, the IKEA Place app allows customers to see how furniture would look in their home using augmented reality.

The future of branding is all about personalization, authenticity, sustainability, and immersive experiences. Brands that can cater to these needs and stand out in an increasingly crowded market will be the ones that succeed.

Trends and Innovations - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

In today's world, branding has become a crucial aspect of our lives. It's not just limited to consumer goods, but also extends to personal branding and self-promotion. With the rise of social media platforms and the internet, personal branding has become more accessible than ever before. Your personal brand is how people perceive you, and how you present yourself to the world. It's a combination of your personality, values, and skills that make you unique and help you stand out from the crowd. Some might argue that personal branding is just a fancy term for self-promotion, but it goes beyond that. personal branding is about creating a consistent and authentic image of yourself that resonates with your audience.

1. The Importance of Personal Branding:

personal branding is not just for entrepreneurs or celebrities, but for everyone who wants to create a positive impression. A strong personal brand can help you advance in your career, build your reputation, and attract new opportunities. Your personal brand is what sets you apart from others, and it's what makes people remember you. It's a way to showcase your skills, expertise, and personality in a way that resonates with your target audience .

2. creating a Personal brand :

Creating a personal brand requires a lot of introspection and self-awareness. You need to identify your strengths, values, and unique selling points . You also need to understand your target audience and what they're looking for. Once you have a clear understanding of these factors, you can start building your personal brand . This includes creating a consistent visual identity , such as a logo or color scheme, and developing a tone of voice that reflects your personality and values .

3. building an Online presence :

In today's digital age, having an online presence is crucial for personal branding. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram can help you showcase your skills and expertise to a wider audience. However, it's important to be strategic about your online presence. You should focus on the platforms that are most relevant to your target audience and create content that aligns with your personal brand. This includes sharing your thoughts on industry trends, showcasing your work, and engaging with your followers.

4. Authenticity is Key:

One of the most important aspects of personal branding is authenticity. Your personal brand should be a reflection of who you are, not who you think you should be. It's important to be honest and transparent with your audience, and to avoid portraying a false image of yourself. People can easily see through inauthenticity, and it can damage your reputation in the long run.

5. Examples of Personal Branding:

There are many examples of individuals who have successfully created a personal brand. For instance, Gary Vaynerchuk is known for his expertise in entrepreneurship and marketing, and he has built a massive following on social media by sharing his insights and experiences. Another example is Michelle Phan, who started as a beauty blogger and has since become a successful entrepreneur and influencer. She has built a personal brand around her passion for beauty and her expertise in the field.

Personal branding is an essential aspect of our lives in today's world. It's not just limited to entrepreneurs or celebrities, but for everyone who wants to create a positive impression. Creating a personal brand requires a lot of introspection, self-awareness, and authenticity. With the rise of social media platforms, building an online presence has become more accessible than ever before. By following the tips and examples outlined above, you can start building a personal brand that resonates with your audience and helps you stand out from the crowd.

Personal Branding and Self Promotion - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

Consumerism and branding have become an integral part of our lives. We are surrounded by branded products all around us, and the idea of having the latest products has become a symbol of social status. The rise of social media has further intensified the need for consumerism, as people post pictures of their latest purchases to gain social validation. While branding has its advantages, it also has its downsides. Some people argue that branding and consumerism promote materialism and have a negative impact on our society. Others believe that branding is a necessary tool for companies to differentiate themselves and build a brand identity .

Here are some key takeaways to consider about finding a balance in branding and consumerism:

1. Branding is a powerful tool: Companies use branding to differentiate themselves from their competitors and build a brand identity. A strong brand identity can help companies build customer loyalty and increase sales. However, branding can also create a culture of consumerism, where people feel the need to buy the latest products to keep up with the latest trends.

2. Consumerism can be detrimental: Consumerism can promote materialism and have a negative impact on our society. It can create a culture where people are judged by their possessions rather than their values. Additionally, the constant need to buy the latest products can create a sense of anxiety and stress.

3. finding a balance is key : It is important to find a balance between branding and consumerism. While branding can help companies build a brand identity, it is important for consumers to be aware of the impact of consumerism on their lives and society. Consumers should be encouraged to make conscious purchasing decisions and focus on their values rather than possessions.

4. The role of social media : Social media has played a significant role in promoting consumerism. People often post pictures of their latest purchases to gain social validation. However, social media can also be used as a tool to promote conscious consumerism. influencers and brands can use social media to promote sustainable and ethical products, and encourage consumers to make conscious purchasing decisions.

While branding and consumerism have their advantages, it is important to find a balance between the two. Companies should focus on building a brand identity that resonates with their customers , while consumers should be encouraged to make conscious purchasing decisions and focus on their values rather than possessions. By finding a balance, we can create a society where branding and consumerism coexist in a healthy and sustainable way.

Finding a Balance in Branding and Consumerism - Branding: Brand Mania: How Consumerism Drives Our Obsession with Labels

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Brand Consciousness Among Teenagers in India: An Empirical Study

Profile image of Publishing India Group

2017, International Journal of Applied Marketing and Management

Adoption of new technology, availability of resources, and nuclear family structure have increased the importance of teenagers in the family purchase behaviour. Teenagers nowadays are very wise, so they are capable of taking the risk associated with different decisions. They are confident, strong, and independent. The present paper covers the identification of various factors that are affecting the brand consciousness among the teenagers. Further, the effect of the demographic variables on teenagers' decision-making process is discussed. In this study, a sample of approximately 269 school and college students has been collected from the non-metro region such as Mathura, Agra, Shikohabad, and Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh. The data has been put in the SPSS 21.0 version for the calculation purpose. The data analysis techniques such as factor analysis and chi square analysis have been applied to meet the above-mentioned objective. The concept is very important to study as branded products' demand is increasing day by day resulting in a growing market. The results will be helpful to the marketers, to the policy makers of the corporate houses, and to advertisers in order to promote their products in an effective manner so as to reach the maximum number of teenagers.

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The focus of this research is toward examining preferences and knowledge of teenagers about branded and unbranded products. Data was gathered from 300 students of different public/private schools and colleges of Hyderabad city related to the mature group of 13-19 years old. The main purpose is to know the level of awareness of teens in Hyderabad city and what proportion of branded products are used by teens. The judgmental probability sampling was used and data was conducted by analyzing software SSPS. The results show that female teenagers have variety seeking and made their choice under the influence of current fashion trends. On the other hand male teens purchased branded products on an occasional basis. The overall results show that teenagers in Hyderabad city are highly aware about branded products. Hence, the companies of branded products should target, particularly on a teen?s class by improving quality of products relative to its price

brand mania essay

Theresa Nithila Vincent

Children today are extremely aware of the various brands in the market and are conscious of the products they use or consume. They pick and choose carefully according to their needs, style preference etc. They also exercise a lot of independence in decision - making and influence the family buying behaviour. Today's kids are well informed, better than their parents. This is because virtually from birth today's children are exposed to TV commercials, banner ads, billboards, logos, and product promotions. This study is an attempt to examine the level of brand consciousness among Indian children. Most of the studies conducted on brand consciousness among children were done in the U.S. or elsewhere outside India. Few specific studies on brand consciousness among Indian children have been conducted so far. Further, this study also analyses the effect of such brand consciousness in children on the family buying behaviour. This study is based on the findings of a survey of 222 children and 222 parents spread over the south of Bangalore City. The children were in the age group of 8 to 16 years, both boys and girls selected at random within the age group mentioned, using convenience sampling method without any stratification to obtain a uniform size of respondents in each age / sex category. For the purpose of the study the data has been collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected using two sets of questionnaires with 21 questions in each. One administered to the child to study the level of brand consciousness, and the second administered to the parent to study the impact on the family buying behaviour. In effect data was collected from 444 respondents for the two dimensional study. A major portion of the primary data was collected through Bethany High School, Koramangala, Bangalore. The data has been analysed by employing approved scientific statistical tools such as Frequency Distribution Tables, Percentages, Bar diagrams, Pie diagrams, Chi- square analysis and ANOVA-single factor analysis. The results have been duly interpreted. The study revealed the following:  A very high level of brand consciousness prevails among children.  Increased independence in decision making  Freedom to buy with more pocket money at disposal.  Parent's dependence on child's suggestions/opinions in the family decision- making.  Parent's acknowledgement of the fact that children are better informed than them.  Quality being the important criteria for purchasing a branded item.  Unbranded products sometimes give same satisfaction as branded products.  Television is the main source for brand awareness.  A child's insistence for branded items (clothes or shoes) is likely to have more effect on a parent than advertising. The study reveals that parents' prefer branded products because child insists for them.

Hassaan Elahi

The current research has tried to examine how brand consciousness among young people is impacting their family buying behaviors, especially their preference to purchase branded products. Moreover, the study has not only measured this impact, but has also tried to analyze the role of media and commercial exposure, socioeconomic status, and autonomy of young people in terms of making them more brand conscious. Thus, to conduct these analyses, a quantitative research methodology was adopted and a survey of 167 research participants in Karachi was conducted who were mostly young people (i.e., Millennial and Gen Z customers) in order to collect primary data for this study. To analyze this collected data from the respondents in order to achieve the objectives of the study, the software tools of SPSS and Smart PLS were utilized primarily to examine the demographic profiles of the respondents and test the hypotheses of this research, respectively. The findings of the study revealed that brand consciousness among young people was indeed influenced by their autonomy, socioeconomic status, and commercial and media exposure. This, as a result, also increased their knowledge and preference related to purchasing branded products (in comparison to unbranded ones) and motivated these young people significantly to influence their families’ buying behaviors toward these branded products.

billy yapsani

The objective of this research study is to analyze the impact of brand image on teenagers brand choice, source of information, factors affecting buying choice and level of satisfaction. The sample of the study is 300 respondents in which 150 students were chosen from schools and 150 students were selected from colleges of Karachi. Two schools and two colleges were selected for this research study. Through a structured questionnaire data were collected and with the help of SPSS, analysis was made. The results revealed that values of regression analysis shows that there is 33.7% variance of buying behavior of teenagers explain by the impact of advertisement on buying behavior, advertisement's impact on brand image and brand image impact on brand loyalty. The results of Pearson correlation shows that teenagers buying behavior is significantly 36% correlated with teenager's loyalty and 49% with advertisement impact on brand image. The teenagers buying behavior is also 38.8% positively and significantly correlated with advertisement. The results of correlation also interpreting that the all relationship is positive and high significant at 0.01 level. There is a practical relation between brand image and consumer teenager buying behaviour. Marketers can utilize the findings in order to come up with carious marketing strategies in order to target teenagers in more precise manner.

Moumita Biswas

Manash Goswami

The word ‘Brand’, believed to be derived from Old Norse word ‘Brandr, denotes several aspects of a product or a company. David Ogilvy, in his book Ogilvy on Advertising, defined brand as tangible sum of product’s attributes such as name, packaging, price, history, reputation and the way it’s advertised. Post 1990s, as an effect of globalization of Indian economy, the standard of living of the people of the country changed remarkably. The rise in growth of income, availability of quality products at competitive price, widespread growth of media, changing perception of the citizens, rise in the level of education and sources of information among other factors brought some sea changes in lifestyle of the people of the country. Although, the changes were observed mainly in metros and cities, but the effect of changing marketing and social scenario swept across the country. Media, after the invasion of satellite TV, private participation of FM radio, introduction Foreign Direct Investmen...

European Journal of Business and Management

iffat amjad , Afsheen Masood

This research has been designed with the goal of examining relationship among brand consciousness, brand loyalty, buying behavior and consumer satisfaction of teenagers towards clothing and apparel. This is hypothesized that brand consciousness, brand loyalty, buying behavior are likely to be significant predictors of consumer satisfaction. The sample comprised of n-200 young students enrolled in different public and private sector colleges of Lahore and Sahiwal. The measures comprised of Brand Consciousness Questionnaire, Brand Loyalty Questionnaire, Buying Behavior Scale, and Consumer Satisfaction Scale. The data was analyzed through SPSS version 21.00. The findings revealed that brand loyalty is positively and significantly correlated with brand consciousness, purchasing conduct and customer fulfillment. Brand cognizance and purchasing conduct are strong and positive predictors of brand loyalty resulting in increased consumer satisfaction. Both the genders are equally affected by...

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Online Marketing is quickly evolving in front of our eyes and it is almost impossible to reject and hide from this new form of media. "This shift in consumer influence indicates a need and an opportunity for companies to reprioritize the mix of communication channels they use to reach their consumers". The study discusses the attitude of teens towards brand selection due to Online Marketing comprising apparel market in India. The study is exploratory in nature. The research uses content analysis to conduct the research.

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The importance of branding in business.

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Serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and founder/CEO of SEO and top 5 digital marketing agency  LSEO.

A business’s branding is more important than you might think. On the outside, your brand may seem like it consists only of elements such as logos and colors, but your brand is actually the entire identity of your business. Your brand gives you personality.

Branding has always been a vital part of business, but it may be more important now than ever before. With social media, consumers get exposed to new brands every day. This can be great for consumers who have plenty of options and are able to do research to find the best one, but it makes it harder for businesses.

There’s a huge amount of competition today, so businesses need to go the extra mile of ensuring they stand out in a crowd . To do this, you should invest in creating a strong brand that will get and keep people’s attention. With the right branding, you have the chance to get some control over how people perceive your business, so you don’t want to overlook this.

More People Will Recognize Your Business

One of the most obvious reasons that businesses need branding is to help them get recognized more often. If you have strong branding for your business, people will naturally take note of it much more than they would a business without it. A business that doesn’t really have any cohesive branding isn’t going to stay in someone’s mind for very long.

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However, a business with elements such as a distinct logo, attractive colors and other visual elements will be much more memorable. Someone might see your brand for only a moment, but if it sticks out in a positive way, there’s a good chance they won’t forget it, even if this person isn’t ready to use your products or services just yet. Eventually, when they’re ready to take the next steps, if your branding has stuck with them, they’ll come back to you.

Branding Can Help Build Trust 

Trust from your audience is one of the most important things you can have as a business, but this isn’t always easy to gain. A business that’s missing key elements of branding will have an even harder time getting people to trust them.

Branding is something many of us expect to see when we look at businesses in any industry, and missing this could be a red flag to some. Without branding, you have very little to show for your business.

If you had to choose between a business with clear, professional-looking branding and a business that hasn’t made this effort, you probably know which one you’d trust more. Branding helps you show potential customers that you’re an established, credible business. You can use this to tell people very early on what they can expect from your business. This is an investment your business is making to improve itself, and potential customers will recognize that you put in the work to create your brand.

You Can Improve Your Advertising

Your business won’t be able to get very far without advertising. Branding and advertising go hand in hand. If you want to have better advertising for your business, you’re going to need to work on creating a brand first.

When you’re advertising your business, you want everything to be cohesive and represent your business’s identity and values. This can be a challenge when you haven’t taken the time to form your brand. If you’re advertising without solid branding, you’re missing out on a lot of great opportunities to create an effective campaign. Incorporating branding into your advertising will help increase recognition of your brand when it’s all tied together.

It’s Great for Your Employees 

Branding provides value inside of your company as well. Of course, you want your employees to love working for your company and feel like they’re a part of a team. A company with great branding will have an easier time getting employees to feel like they’re involved with something more than just a job.

In addition to branding that can help draw in new customers, you also want to invest in the aspects of branding that keep your team motivated. This includes little things like branded apparel and merchandise, but also the look of your entire office space. If you can motivate your employees by creating a sense of unity through branding, you could end up seeing great results all around.

Branding Creates Loyal Customers

You don’t just want customers who recognize your brand and use your business once — you want to create customers who continue to come back. With good branding, you can give your brand a more human side, which your customers can relate to more than a company that’s strictly all business.

In many ways, you can appeal to people’s emotions through branding and make them feel more connected to your company. Branding allows you to build relationships with your audience, which can eventually turn them into loyal customers. You can create a brand that people actually care about and put yourself ahead of businesses that aren’t using this to their advantage.

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Teenagers Prefer Branded Products Essay Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Business , Products , Company , Teenagers , Money , Shopping , Family , Brand

Words: 1000

Published: 12/04/2019

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This is really an attention-grabbing fact that teenagers spend a larger amount of their money on branded products while they go for shopping. As per different survey reports, teenagers prefer the brand names over generic products irrespective of their price, durability and comfort sometimes. What they look and find in the branded products, comfort, style, durability or just brand name. This tendency of teenagers creates several snooping in one’s mind. In this paper, we would check out the whole business and try to find out the reasons behind inclination of teenagers towards brand names. The most important reason seems to be the money. Today teenagers have more money to use up than earlier times. They get good sum as pocket money and to spend for their shopping. In some cases, apart from getting money from their parents, teenagers also earn good enough by working part time and spend this money for their shopping and other purposes. Parents give any amount to their teenager children that they ask. Parents neither hesitate nor question their children that where they are going to squander the money. The income of People has enormously increased in compare to previous times, they are earning a lot and they just want to see their children happy. People want to provide their children good quality clothes, food and other services without making any compromise. The second reason is that teenagers are very much aware about their aesthetics and just love to use the branded products for them. They believe that branded names brings latest products and in the market and they should try the latest trends. Usually it is observed that generic products are not as stylish as branded ones are and teenagers naturally incline towards the latest and trendy things. They start using latest branded clothes and quality food items instead of generic products. It is very common tendency found in the teenagers to copy their favorite film actor, actress or sports personality and use the same brands product as their stars use. Teenagers want to become like their stars and in this course of affair they start using the products of same brand which is advertised and used by these cinema or sports personalities. Sometimes teenagers start using a particular brand product because it suits his or her personality and adheres to the products of that particular brand. Branded products are considered as status symbol and teenagers are very much aware about their image and status among their friends or classmates. They make every effort to stay ahead of others and by using brand name they somehow want to show their penchants. Teenagers in their age also have a tendency to impress their friends, boyfriends and girlfriends by using branded products. Teenagers also worry that if they are not using good products of big brand names, their chances would be diminished in their affairs or friendships. Sometimes one’s swanking instigates others to use the products of same brand or may be better and bigger to the previous one. In this commercial era, companies also know that teenagers are very valuable customers for them and it is almost impossible for the companies to let this class of consumers go in the race of money making. Companies make every effort to attract the teenagers. They know that teenagers can easily make empty the pocket of their parents which is otherwise a difficult task for these companies. Recognizing the value of teenagers, companies focus their marketing strategies on them and make every effort to draw the attentions of teenagers towards their products. These companies hire the most popular film actors, actresses and sports person to advertise their products and teenagers are usually influenced by such strategies.

Companies have started providing a number of services and facilitate the consumers in every possible manner. Online shopping, credit card and other similar services also plays an important role in shopping and teenagers in course of trying new things use these services to shop and when they shop online, almost all the way leads to branded products.

After analyzing all the factors abovementioned, it is comprehensible that companies have beautifully intertwined a net around the teenagers for their benefits and teenagers also by various reasons prefer branded products instead of using generic products. Inflow of money in the society and increase in income is undoubtedly the main reason behind using branded products and all other reasons are related to the money factor this way or that way. Several other factors are also responsible for the behavior of teens to prefer branded products as discussed above which play very vital roles in this episode.

Edwards, P. (2009, February 20). Marketing Week. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from www.marketingweek.co.uk: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/home/teens-of-today-consumers-of-tomorrow/2064394.article Fiorello, J. (2007, April 30). Associated Content . Retrieved October 29, 2011, from www.associatedcontent.com: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/217077/teens_and_the_consumer_culture_why_pg4.html?cat=46 Influence of Social Media Marketing on Brand Choice Behaviour among Youth in India. (2011, March 28). Retrieved October 29, 2011, from www.trikal.org: http://www.trikal.org/ictbm11/pdf/Marketing/D1338-done.pdf Maria Piacentini and Greig Mailer. (2004). Symbolic consumption in teenagers' clothing choices. Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 251-262. McCasland, M. (2004, February 10). Teen Marketing. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from www.frankwbaker.com: http://www.frankwbaker.com/teenmarketing.htm Oppapers.Com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2011, from www.oppapers.com: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Teenager-Consumers-Their-Characteristics-Roles-Market/153331 R. Stephen Parker, Hermans, Charles M., Schaefer and Allen D. (2008). Teens' attitudes towards clothing brands in general: a cross-cultural exploration. Journal of International Business and Economics , 8 (2). Yalain G l & Haider Ali. (n.d.). Brands Attitude And Image Congruence Amongst Teenagers. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from www.dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk: https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/retrieve/633/SWP0597.pdf

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Brand Management Essay

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Introduction

Target market, reference list.

Management is a very essential element of production in every organization irrespective of size or the operations it is involved with. It entails the organization and coordination of activities and practices of an organization with respect to certain policies in order to achieve some stipulated goals and objectives.

Brand on the other hand is a name, a symbol or design that clearly identifies a seller’s good or service distinctively as compared to those offered by other sellers. It is more of a trademark. Brand management is therefore a broad management practice that involves aspects such as definition of the brand, its positioning as well as delivering the brand. It simply entails the art of creating and sustaining a brand (Randall 2000).

This piece of work gives an in depth discussion of brand management including contemporary key branding theory and the impact on brand management practice. A comparative perspective will be taken where Louis Vuitton brand and the Giorgio Armani brand will be compared and contrasted in regard to the brand strategies they apply.

As stated earlier, branding is one of the most important activities that can significantly determine the success of a particular organization. This is because it helps in creation of a unique name which differentiates a company’s products from those produced by its competitors. This exercise plays a pivotal role in attraction and retention of customers in a competitive environment as well as winning their loyalty.

However, the success of a brand will largely depend on the effectiveness of the branding process. In order for a company to sell the new product successfully, we need to have an effective branding strategy (Fisher, Pride & Ellen 2006).

In order to have a clear understanding of the theory of brand management, it is important that we take a look at the concept of marketing mix. Marketing mix is a very crucial marketing model.

It entails the different choices that organizations make in the process of introducing a product or service to the market. The 4ps; product/service, place, price and promotion is a model that is used to describe the marketing mix (Lamb 2009).

In order for the product to perform well in the market, it should be beneficial to the consumers. For any organization to maximize its sales, its product must be stronger when compared with the products or services provided by its competitors. There are several ways through which an organization can modify its product in order to improve its competitiveness.

One of the most common methods is through differentiation (Trehan and Trehan 2009). Through differentiation, an organization manages to make its product unique from other similar products provided by their competitors in the market.

We for example find Louis Vuitton Company making some changes in the portable wardrobe after the realization that there was some form of copying by other companies. Vuitton surname was printed on the canvas at regular intervals making the name to be associated with stylish travel. This is a way of making its product as unique as possible.

For the sake of Giorgio Armani there have also been some efforts to make their products unique and attractive through branding practices. It has for instance designed various sub-brands to cater for the special needs portrayed by different market segments.

This has enabled it to cater for different preferences in the market. “Armani has earned the much hallowed space in the fashion industry through its superior design, relevant themes and trends appealing to the current crop of customers and by maintaining the aura of a real luxury brand” (Venture Republic 2002: par 3).

According to Westwood (2005), in order for an organization to maintain a high level of sales, it must ensure that the product and services are always available and accessible to both existing and potential customers. For an organization to ensure that its product is available to its customers in the right place and at the right time, it needs to have a clear distribution strategy.

An organization must include the strategies which ensure that the company’s goods and services are available to their customers in the right place and in the right time. Inefficiencies like shortages are likely to discourage the customers and an organization may lose some of them in the process (Pride and Ferrell 2007).

Place is an element that has been handled very well by both Louis Vuitton brand and the Giorgio Armani brand. Armani have established a strong network to ensure that customers located in different places/ countries are able to access the products easily.

It has a total of 317units in 37 countries. Vuitton on the other hand has more than 300 retail outlets around the world. In addition, the company went ahead and opened global stores for instance that on the Champs-Elysees.

Dickman (1995) asserts that promotion is another important component in the marketing mix. It is through promotion that an organization is able to expose its service or product to the members of the public. Through promotion, an organization manages to increase the visibility of its product or service.

This practice plays a crucial role in marketing because customers cannot buy things they are not aware of. They should be informed in order to make appropriate decisions.

One of the main ways through which an organization can do this is through advertisement (Face Media Digital 2011). Through promotion, an organization pushes its product into the market. An organization can do this through various ways like offering discounts for its product.

This is one way of marketing its products in the market. By offering discounts, an organization may attract new customers and also retain the existing customers at the same time (Tuto2 2011).

We find Louis Vuitton employing various promotional strategies to make its products known through its image or brand for instance print advertising. Well known models are used in the promotion for example Naomi Campbell. In addition, popular culture celebrities are incorporated for instance Jennifer Lopez. This is in an effort to create an impression of passion, sexuality as well as wealth and social achievement.

This has greatly increased sales for the products offered by the company. In regard to Armani, the company has also engaged in different promotional strategies in the different product categories. Through established links, Armani has been able to promote other related categories for instance cosmetics, eye wear, and watches.

This shows the power of branding and how it could be used to sell related categories of products. For instance, various products have been related to fashion and luxury and a big market established thus leading to increased level of sales and profitability.

The price of product is also of great significance. It is important for an organization to decide on whether the product or service will either cover the costs of production only or give some allowance for profits. According to demand law, when the prices are high the level of the quantity demanded is relatively lower (WebProNews 2011). On the other hand, when prices are low, the level of the quantity demanded is higher.

It is also important to note that both the level of prices and sales are major determinant in the level of profits an organization makes. This clearly indicates that prices have an important role in marketing (Chandra 2005). If an organizations sets price levels which are beyond the level in the market, then it will more likely lose its customers to its competitors.

Prices can make an organization to fail or perform well in its marketing (The Times 100 2011). On the other hand, too low prices can dip an organization into losses. Therefore, an organization must be very keen in setting its prices. According to Becatti (2007), pricing is one of the key factors in marketing and plays a pivotal role in determining the realization of the organization’s objectives.

However, the pricing is largely determined by the life cycle of the product in question as well as the objectives for the sales turnover. In addition, the pricing will also largely depend on the market share (Bizhelp24 2010).

Pricing has been handled well in the Giorgio Armani brand. In order to satisfy the needs of different categories of customers in regard to affordability which in turn depend on income earned by the customers, the company has come up with different categories for different segments of customers through the Giorgio Armani brand architecture; The signature Giorgio Armani line, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans and A/X Armani Exchange.

This ensures that price does not become an obstacle by restricting the categories of customers that can access the various types of products offered by the company. Although the concept of pricing have not been clearly stipulated in the Louis Vuitton Company’s profile, it is clear that the prices charged on the products are affordable.

“Hours before the opening of its flagship store on the Champs-Elysées, dozens of Japanese tourists stand in line, convinced they will be able to acquire a prized monogrammed item at a fraction of the price they would pay in Tokyo” (Tungate 2008: 157).

In any marketing operations, it is important to identify the target market for a particular product or service. A target market can be viewed as a group of customers having similar wants and needs (Moehlman 2010). Identification of the target market plays an important role in organization’s marketing operations because it helps an organization in developing and offering for the parts of the market which they can best serve.

This identification is also very important because it helps in reducing operational expenses in an organization. Both the Louis Vuitton brand and the Giorgio Armani brand have gone an extra mile in identifying the target market and hence the establishment of many retail outlets to serve the different customers who in one way or the other requires the companies’ products and services (Business Resource Software Inc.2011).

It is clear that the two companies, Louis Vuitton and the Giorgio Armani are in the same industry, that is, the fashion industry. Although they have both been successful in their branding practices to a great extent, there exist some similarities and differences in their strategies.

One similarity between these companies is that they are both in the same industry and have applied branding strategies in an aim to increasing their sales. They have also been in a process of expansion as they open new branches day by day whenever an opportunity exist.

Unlike Louis Vuitton that have expanded by acquiring existing brands, Giorgio Armani has created its own sub-brands and more so diversified into new products categories. This has in a great way helped in the creation of a coherent branded environment.

The signature; Giorgio Armani usually sets a tone and style for all the practices the company is involved with. Beneath the signature brand is Armani Collezioni, followed by Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans and A/X Armani Exchange. All these labels market other accessories (Tungate 2008).

I certainly declare that Louis Vuitton brand and the Giorgio Armani brand have effectively managed their marketing mix as discussed above in an effort to enhance their branding strategies. They have for instance ensured that their products are unique through enhancing their qualities and using the brands.

This has helped deal with the competitors in a proper manner through attracting as well as retaining as many customers as possible. In regard to place, they have both tried to reach as many customers at the right place as possible through opening of many retail outlets to enhance distribution.

Different promotional strategies have also been deployed by these companies to increase the level of sales through creating some loyalty among customers. Although pricing is usually a complex concept, these two brands have tried to see into it that price does not in any way affect the customers negatively but rather helped in making the products they offer as accessible and affordable to as many customers as possible.

Mind Tools. (2011) states that the use of the 4Ps marketing mix model is a good move in an organization. This is because it helps in deciding on how to introduce a new offer to the market. It is also useful in testing the existing marketing strategies in order to take necessary actions.

The 4Ps model specifically helps in the definition of the marketing options with respect to product, place, price as well as promotion. It greatly helps a business organization to optimize the impact it has with its target market (Kotler 2003).

Effective management of the marketing mix model has helped Louis Vuitton and the Giorgio Armani brands to reach the far they have and be renowned worldwide and hence it is an issue that should be emphasized in any organization.

It is evident that the aspect of brand management is very crucial in every organization. This is because it strongly differentiates a seller’s products and services from those of the competitors’ and in so doing it gives a quality image to a business organization. It is therefore a concept that every organization that aims at succeeding should emphasize.

Different business organizations apply different brand strategies, each associated with some benefits and drawbacks. All in all, they are all aimed at enhancing sales and thus increasing profitability. It is however advisable for a business organization to evaluate all the possible brand strategies in an effort to choose the most suited in terms of the benefits that could accrue to it.

Becatti, F. 2007. Marketing Mix: Strategic Marketing Insight . Vol 25 Issue No. 7/8 I 2007 I R25.

Bizhelp24. 2010. ‘SWOT Analysis in a Marketing Plan.’ Web.

Business Resource Software, Inc.2011 Marketing Plan. Web.

Chandra, 2005. Fundamentals of Financial Management. New Delhi, Tata McGraw-Hill.

Dickman, S. 1995. The Marketing Mix: Promoting Museums, Galleries & Exhibitions . Victoria, Museums Australia Inc.

Face Media Digital. 2011. SMS Interactive . Web.

Fisher, P. H., Pride M. M., & Ellen, G. M. 2006. Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan: A Guide to Help You Survive and Thrive. U.S.A, ALA Editions

Kotler, P. 2003. Marketing Insights From A To Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs To Know . Canada: John Wiley and Sons.

Lamb, C. 2009. Marketing. Canada, Cengage Learning.

Mind Tools. 2011. The Marketing Mix And 4 Ps . Understanding How To Position Your Market Offering . Web.

Moehlman, M. 2010. Target Market . Canada, BeWrite Books LLC.

Pride, W. and Ferrell, O. C. 2007. Foundations of Marketing. New York, Cengage Learning.

Randall, G. 2000. Branding: A Practical Guide to Planning Your Strategy. UK, Kogan Page Publishers.

The Times 100. 2011. Marketing mix (Price, Place, Promotion, Product). Web.

Trehan, M. and Trehan, R. 2009. Advertising and Sales Management. New Delhi, FK Publications.

Tungate, M. 2008. Fashion Brands: Branding Style from Armani to Zara , 2 nd Ed. London, Kogan Page Publishers.

Tuto2. 2011. Promotion – Introduction to the Promotional Mix . Web.

Venture Republic, 2002. Giorgio Armani – The Ultimate Fashion Brand . Web.

WebPro News. 2011. Internet Marketing and Online Business . Web.

Westwood, J. 2005. The Marketing Plan Workbook. U.K., Kogan Page Publishers.

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International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research

  • Open access
  • Published: 06 February 2019

Emotional branding speaks to consumers’ heart: the case of fashion brands

  • Youn-Kyung Kim   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5507-5152 1 &
  • Pauline Sullivan 2  

Fashion and Textiles volume  6 , Article number:  2 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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In this highly competitive market, fashion brands struggle to distinguish themselves to increasingly apathetic consumers. To become more competitive, fashion retailers employ emotional branding as a way to engage their customers, addressing the growing trend of consumers’ seeking emotional relationships with a brand. Although brand technicalities such as product attributes, features, and facts may be unmemorable, personal feelings and experiences better shape consumers’ evaluations of brands. This study illustrates why emotional branding is essential, especially to fashion brands, when developing brand strategies in a volatile marketplace. Trends that support a need for these strategies include consumers’ desires for positive experiences, expressing authentic self, achieving warm glow from helping others, and co-creating design or ideas with the brand. We propose a model for emotional branding strategies that focuses on sensory branding, storytelling, cause branding, and empowerment. The case studies we provide for each strategy describe how fashion brands can engage customers through emotional branding.

Introduction

In an ever-changing and highly competitive market, fashion brands struggle to distinguish themselves to increasingly apathetic consumers (Clark 2017 ). As press and department stores no longer dictate fashion sales, e-commerce has democratized fashion industry competition. Even with contemporary strategies, such as employing online platforms like Amazon and social media, fashion brands often suffer from stagnant sales. Moreover, customer loyalty is at its lowest levels due to lack of product diversity and high brand switching (Kusek 2016 ). In this retail environment, fashion brands need to develop new strategies to grab consumers’ attention by speaking to their hearts.

To address this need, retailers employ emotional branding as a way to engage their customers, appealing to their needs, aspirations, dreams, and ego (Acharya 2018 ). This branding strategy addresses the growing trend of consumers’ seeking emotional relationships with a brand. Although brand technicalities may be unmemorable, consumers do not forget how a brand makes them feel. As opposed to information such as product attributes, features, and facts, personal feelings and experiences better shape consumers’ evaluations of brands (Jenkins and Molesworth 2017 ; Schmitt 2009 ; Zukin and Maguire 2004 ). Hence, emotional branding seems to be a strategy that creates strong brand attachments between consumers and brands (Akgun et al. 2013 ).

Emotional branding establishes itself as a critical factor in developing brand loyalty, which has been conceptualized as a long-term, committed, and affect-laden partnership devised to characterize consumer-brand bonds (Fournier 1998 ). Increased loyalty driven by emotional branding, in turn, leads to higher sales. For example, purchase intentions from television advertising are three times as likely to result from emotional responses as advertisement content (Hong 2016 ). Overall, emotionally connected consumers are 52% more valuable to a brand than those who are just satisfied (Otley 2016 ). Presumably, emotionally attached consumers are a brand’s highly profitable market segment (Rossiter and Bellman 2012 ). Because fashion has traditionally been associated with experiential, symbolic, or hedonic products (Fiore et al. 2005 ; Johnson et al. 2014 ; Noh et al. 2015 ), emotional branding is likely a vital approach to directly speak to fashion consumers.

To this end, we define emotional branding as a brand’s strategy that stimulates consumers’ affective state, appealing to their feelings with the aim of increasing consumer loyalty toward the brand. Furthermore, we posit emotional branding is an essential strategic practice, especially to fashion brands, in a ruthless retail environment. As Morrison and Frederick ( 2007 ) suggested, creating emotional brand experiences and managing emotional branding strategies requires an integrated approach. First, we explore marketplace trends that support emotional branding defined by consumer experiences, authentic self, warm glow, and co-creation. Second, we propose a model for emotional branding strategies relevant to the fashion industry in terms of sensory branding, storytelling, cause branding, and empowerment. It is important to note that one or multiple marketplace trends are reflected in strategies discussed in this study. Hence, we recommend that retailers use any of these strategies, or a combination of them, to improve brand loyalty. Figure  1 illustrates the framework of emotional branding.

figure 1

  • Emotional branding

Marketplace trends

The benefits consumers seek from buying particular brands or shopping trips have shifted from procuring high-quality products for lower costs to seeking emotional rewards from their experiences as a consumer (Kim et al. 2014 ). Major trends that support this paradigm shift include desires to have positive consumer experiences, express one’s authentic self, achieve warm glow from helping others, and co-create design or ideas with the brand. While these trends influence consumer behavior and change the way traditional retailers conduct businesses, retailers can adopt non-traditional marketing strategies to a greater extent because there are more ways to touch the consumer in an omni-channel market. Indeed, the prevalence of mobile and web-based technologies has transformed consumer experiences from just browsing and purchasing to creating and sharing content via social media (Kohli et al. 2015 ).

Consumer experiences

A major factor that explains the importance of emotional branding is related to consumer experience. No longer are consumers focusing on product specifics or service satisfaction; they seek experiences from a brand they like. In experiencing a brand, whether it is a product, service, or a retail store, consumers do not just look for quality or low prices; they want to gain emotional rewards from enticing store atmosphere, superb customer service, and entertaining experiences. They also want to express who they are and the relationships that are important to them through consuming or supporting a specific brand (Kim et al. 2014 ; Kumar and Kim 2014 ).

It is important to consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ( 1970 ) when discussing consumer experiences. In his revised hierarchy, “deficiency needs” that include physiological well-being, safety, belonging, and self-esteem, arise from deprivation and are necessary to avoid unpleasant consequences. Usually, when consumers’ deficiency needs are fulfilled, they next satisfy growth needs. Growth needs pertain to those at the highest level of the hierarchy and are necessary for self-actualization and peak experiences that include the need for intellectual achievement, creative expression, and aesthetic appreciation. These needs are never truly met because they are continually refined as people experience self-actualization. In most post-industrial societies, growth needs, rather than deficiency needs, dominate consumer motivations. Consumers’ desire to fulfill their growth needs offers retailers increased opportunities to develop emotional strategies that result in noteworthy consumption experiences and value.

Sheth et al. ( 1991 ) argue that value results from emotional responses to product-associated experiences. For example, a gift of crafted jewelry may induce romantic or comforting feelings from one’s past. While Sheth et al. describe emotional value as a perceived utility received from a product’s ability to produce affective states, consumption experience can be derived from receiving service or visiting a retail outlet, which provides consumers with immaterial value (Holbrook 1999 ; Kim et al. 2007 ). As consumers increasingly desire positive experiences from consuming a brand, the trend of using emotional branding strategies should grow in the foreseeable future.

A brand experience includes subjective sensations, feelings, and evaluations, which are internally processed responses to brand-related stimuli like brand design, visual identity, packaging, communications, and other environmental cues (Brakus et al. 2009 ). Therefore, a brand experience can occur at the level of a product, service, store, or marketing campaign. Brakus et al. building upon Schmitt ( 1999 ) identification of five sensory experiences (i.e., think, feel, sense, relate, and act), proposed four dimensions of brand experiences: affective, behavioral, sensory, and intellectual experiences. These experiences inspire emotional bonds and lasting impressions in consumers, leading to the success of branding efforts. As more consumers prefer omni-channel shopping, by using multiple channels (e.g., physical stores, websites, social media platforms, and mobile apps) for a single transaction (Parise et al. 2016 ), the extent to which the brand provides real-time, personalized, and emotional content through myriad touch points determines their brand experience (Lemon and Verhoef 2016 ; Parise et al. 2016 ).

  • Authentic self

A brand becomes more prominent in an individual’s self-image than ever. Thus, the strength of consumer-brand attachment depends on the extent to which consumers believe the brand reflects themselves (Park et al. 2010 ). There are two forms of self-concept: “actual self” and “ideal self.” Actual self reflects present perceived reality of an individual (i.e., who I am now). In contrast, the ideal self refers to the individual’s aspirational self, which manifests a vision of ideals and goals related to his or her future self (i.e., who I would like to be) (Lazzari et al. 1978 ).

The actual self is closely related to the “authentic self” that embodies who an individual is and how he/she discovers his/her true self (Harter 2002 ). This actual self seems to be increasingly influential to consumers seeking authenticity in marketing messages (Gilmore and Pine 2007 ) that focus their current selves rather than their future, idealized selves. Therefore, branding campaigns that incorporate authentic self as a central theme stimulate intimate emotions and trust (Erickson 1995 ; Harter 2002 ).

The fashion industry epitomizes the use of self-identity brand appeal. Fashion companies have infamously marketed to customers that their products will increase their attractiveness, helping them achieve their ideal selves. As a rebuttal to this practice, Aerie, a sub-brand of American Eagle Outfitters, has centered its marketing theme on actual self. Its online media and social platform campaigns feature unretouched models and use the hashtag “#AerieReal” to emphasize authenticity. Their efforts embolden their consumers to be true to themselves and confident.

Authenticity is essential in fashion branding because it is a human element in the brand experience (Deibert 2017 ). Dapper Dan, Daniel Day, is an authentic Harlem fashion icon who began his career by making one-of-a-kind clothing for hip hop artists and celebrities in the 1980s (Cooper 2017 ). Although he was sued by luxury brands because he did not have permission to use their logos, he has been a trendsetter in streetwear and hip hop clothing and inspiration for designs of many luxury brands. Now he designs for @Gucci by Dapper Dan in Harlem.

Another example of products that appeal to consumers’ authentic self are old or vintage and retro clothing that serves a unique style statement and juxtaposition to mass produced garments (Fischer 2015 ). While luxury products have social and psychological meaning relevant in identity construction (Turunen et al. 2011 ), luxury consumers do not value counterfeit fashion brands because these items are fake and not representative of their authentic self (Turunen et al. 2011 ). Diesel has a unique campaign, #GoWithTheFlaw that uses irony. It sells its own knock off, heavily discounted limited edition, real Diesel jeans in a pop-up store in New York’s Chinatown where counterfeit products are sold (Megget 2018 ). This brand building campaign celebrates individuals who disregard fashion status quo, in this case shopping at high-end stores for designer products, but value the brand’s authentic image by appealing to the individuals’ authentic self.

Another way consumers develop positive emotions is through interpersonal relations (Tesser and Campbell 1982 ). According to Franze ( 2017 ), brands gain success when their business models emphasize a collective feeling of “us” or “we,” rather than you or me. A growing trend shows that people enjoy helping others, a phenomenon called warm glow (Aknin et al. 2013 ). Warm glow can result from volunteering, donating, or spending money on others. In the study of Dunn et al. ( 2014 ), regardless of a country’s economic level, consumers report they experience greater levels of happiness from prosocial spending than from self-purchases. For example, respondents who buy a gift bag for a sick child report being significantly happier than do those who purchase the same gift bag for themselves.

Self-determination theory (Weinstein and Ryan 2010 ) explains when and why prosocial spending or giving leads to happiness. Self-determination theory proposes that an individual’s well-being is dependent upon satisfaction of three basic needs: relatedness, competence, and autonomy. When it satisfies individuals’ need for relatedness , helping others can be rewarding because prosocial spending allows the individuals to connect with others (Aknin et al. 2013 ). Furthermore, the ability to pro-socially spend money can satisfy individuals’ need for competence when they see the positive outcome of their actions (Dunn et al. 2014 ). Lastly, the need for autonomy is satisfied when individuals have a choice about their actions. According to Weinstein and Ryan ( 2010 ), experiencing happiness from donating money occurs only if the benefactor can freely choose how much to donate. Based on this theory, it can be assumed that consumers experience warm glow when they feel autonomous, related, and competent by doing something for others.

  • Co-creation

In the traditional market, firms decided which products and services they were going to produce and consumers did not play any role in value creation. In post-modernity, social media is an increasingly influential determiner of brand value (Arvidsson 2005 ), and companies are no longer sole dictators of brand message. While traditional advertising communicates a brand’s message, current practices of digital marketers strive to create relevant and compelling content, often through value co-creation, defined as “joint creation of value by the company and the customer” (Prahalad and Ramaswamy 2004 , p. 8). This co-creation is especially paramount in the post-modern consumption era where emotional branding defines brand meaning through consumer-brand interactions (Thompson et al. 2006 ) and consumers’ word-of-mouth referrals significantly hike new customer purchases on social media platforms (Trusov et al. 2009 ).

Co-creation via content marketing exists in many mediums, such as magazines, newsletters, blog posts, videos, webinars, podcasts and websites (Pulizzi 2012 ). Weblog content, in particular, reflects individuals’ stories of their experiences, beliefs, and attitudes and usually posts pictures (photo blogs) and video (vlogs). H&M has a new brand “Nyden,” capitalizing the concept of co-creation. This brand’s business model uses input from netocrats, technologically savvy influencers who share their experiences and lifestyles with others, in the production of a design (Neerman 2017 ).

Strategies for emotional branding

Based on these marketplace trends, emotional branding can be implemented by employing four major strategies: sensory branding, storytelling, cause branding, and empowerment. Each of these strategies reflects multiple marketplace trends depicted in Fig.  1 .

  • Sensory branding

As marketing emphasis has shifted from the product to the creation of consumers’ experiences, sensory marketing seems to be integral to stimulating excitement and pleasure (Douce and Janssens 2013 ). Sensory marketing engages and triggers consumers’ senses (i.e., sight, sound, feel, taste, and smell) (Krishna 2012 ). All these five senses elicit emotional responses to goods, services, and the environment with some notable differences such as the sense of sight being most powerful in detecting changes and differences in the environment (Orth and Malkewitz 2008 ) and the sense of smell triggering the most vivid memories (Fiore et al. 2000 ). As such, sensory branding influences consumers’ perceptions, judgement, and behavioral responses toward a particular brand (Krishna 2012 ). As Lindstrom ( 2010 ) stated in his book Brand Sense , a brand’s appeal to consumers’ senses allows them to experience the brand more profoundly and have an emotional connection with it at a deeper level.

Fashion retailers have been successful in providing sensory experiences to consumers in their brick-and-mortar stores and, to a lesser extent, online stores. For example, Lush, a fresh handmade cosmetics brand, has been successful in employing sensory marketing: sight from round shapes of visually attractive products and live plants to illustrate the actual ingredients of their products; smell from the intoxicating and sweet scents; sound from knowledgeable salespeople talking actively behind a large bubbling hand bath; feel from unusual textures of the products and smooth and natural packaging; and imaginary taste from products with delicious colors of food (Strang 2015 ).

Retail technology further enhances sensory experiences among fashion brands. Among the examples are (a) Parada’s “smart closet” where electronic chip tags are sent to an interactive touch screen, allowing customers to virtually experiment with sizes, colors, or fabrics (Lindstrom 2010 ), (b) Ray Ban’s “augmented reality mirror”, with which a consumer can try any pair of glasses through their webcam and positioning their face on the screen, (c) IKEA’s “virtual reality experience”, with which consumers can customize the layout of home spaces that they have created, and (d) Uniqlo’s “in-store mood stylist”, which uses neuroscience to assist its customers in selecting the best T-shirt based on their moods (“Top 5 Retailers”). These retail technologies particularly appeal to the newer, technology-ridden generations who desire convenient and unique experiences. The following cases illustrate some of the most successful retailers in sensory branding.

Sephora is a company that utilizes sensory branding. Traditionally, Americans have shopped for high-end cosmetics and fragrances at department stores like Macy’s and Belks. In traditional department stores, each brand is isolated at a separate service counter, staffed by a salesperson who only sells that brand, and all products are stocked in closed cases. This creates a high-pressure selling environment, can lead to long waits for service, and makes experimenting with brands very difficult. Since Sephora entered the cosmetics market, it has completely reinvented the shopping experience. Sephora provides a low-pressure environment that encourages its customers to explore and experiment with its products. Open shelving allows Sephora shoppers to touch, smell, and apply any product. With appealing to multiple senses, its open selling environment allows sensory experiences, which are the key to this company’s success (Ostlund 2012 ).

Hollister Co., inspired by the Southern California surfing style, features beach shack. Its stores place beach-inspired props such as palm trees by the front door, shutters on the window, and wooden beach chairs to engage consumers in the brand experience. On top of this, the brand uses sound in the form of current top hits, and scent in the form of its signature lime perfume to evoke a pleasant response from consumers (Khan 2016 ). It uses sound sensory marketing strategies as music increases physiological arousal and allows consumers to self-regulate their moods (Khan 2016 ). Videos shown on wall televisions stream live California beach scenes. Known for its large posters of attractive, sexy models, the Hollister brand targets pre-teens and teenagers. Hollister has an app game, “Surf’s Up”, with rewards like pizza to engage its shoppers outside of brick and mortar stores (Pasquarelli 2017 ). This is promoted through Hollister’s social media, such Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, and in-store communication. In these ways, Hollister marketing strategies focus on appealing to consumers’ five senses.

Chanel incorporates recurring colors of black and white as brand recognition in all its channels (Chanel Floraison 2014 ). Since touch increases probabilities of purchase, it places accessories where customers can feel the products. For example, Chanel has LED signage that visually promotes its signature tweed. In New York City, its flagship store lights up in the shape of a perfume bottle at night. Chanel’s London flagship store has a gravity-defying staircase and hand-blown Venetian glass focal point reminiscent of Gabrielle Chanel’s iconic pearls (Larocca 2013 ). The London store has curtains with hand-stitched pearls as a means of authenticating the brand. Chanel boutiques have a sitting area that features tweed chairs, plush carpet, fireplaces and coffee tables stacked with Chanel books on each floor for visual consistency (Karmali 2017 ). In addition, the store sprays Gabrielle Chanel’s classic Chanel No. 5 perfume to enhance the customer olfactory sensory experience (Larocca 2013 ). Indeed, Chanel is one of the successful brands that have utilized multi-sensory stimuli to intensify their customers’ experiences.

  • Storytelling

Stimulating consumers’ imagination and involving them emotionally (Mossberg 2008 ), storytelling is a powerful marketing strategy that uses narratives to appeal to or inspire consumers (Silverstein and Fiske 2003 ). Given that well-told stories are better remembered and more convincing than facts (Escalas 2004 ), narratives enhance consumption experience in a way that influences consumers’ feelings, opinions, or lifestyles (Kaufman 2003 ). Through this emotional influence, storytelling creates a holistic brand image and can relay to consumers the desired information (Mossberg 2008 ). However, Holt ( 2002 ) cautions that the relayed story must be perceived as authentic to avoid consumer suspicions of manipulative marketing efforts.

Storytelling can be used via digital media as well as traditional media. Valck and Kretz ( 2011 ) conducted a netnographic study on fashion and luxury blogs to examine whether fashion opinion leaders use their blogs for narratives about fashion consumption practices and self-brand association. Based on the result, they promoted fashion blogs as a new method for advertisement (Valck and Kretz 2011 ). Successful fashion brands using digital storytelling include Louis Vuitton, Stuart Weitzman, and Under Armour. The following are examples of fashion brands that successfully incorporate storytelling in their brand strategy.

Lululemon Athletica

Lululemon Athletica manufactures and sells yoga related sportswear and gear. Lululemon positions its brand as a way of life and uses targeted messages in a narrative for its consumers, which are about connections between yoga, spiritual living, and products. The result is transformative lifestyle that defines its consumers and enables a deep bond between customers and the brand. The brand story successfully embeds its message in all communication and media strategies, as well as store interiors. For example, it’s newly opened New York store uses “zen pods” and self-guided meditation to immerse customers in its brand story line and experience (Ruff 2018 ).

Since Thomas Burberry started Burberry brand in 1865, his company was known for high quality trench coats and its signature plaid. However, Burberry became a stodgy, lackluster brand and was in need of a new way forward. In 2006, Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, guided the company through a massive revitalization of the brand, rediscovering the brand’s story that centers on its iconic trend coat and moments in history (Rose 2015 ). Its trench coat is pivotal in communicating the brand’s authenticity and quality. For example, Shackleton (the British polar explorer) wore Burberry’s trench coat to the Antarctic, and Lord Kitchener (the British Secretary of State) carried it across Africa during World War I. Heritage is central to the brand’s story, as told on social media and an augmented reality app targeting millennials. Burberry also uses RFID chips that turn mirrors in its stores into screens to engage customers in its brand story (Rose 2015 ; Straker and Wrigley 2016 ). As such, its brand narratives are reinforced with emotive, unique but consistent messages that appear in different channels (Straker and Wrigley 2016 ).

Junk Gypsy Co. began as a pop-up store at flea markets, expanded through e-tail, and opened its first brick-and-mortar store in 2013. Repurposing junk items ranging from fringed lamp shades to clothing and home furnishings into new items (Lynn 2017 ), its novel concept resounded with its loyal customers. Junk Gypsy’s retail spectacle, Junk-o-Rama Prom, celebrates old prom dresses under the Texas stars one night. Junk Gypsy incorporates its guests’ life stories in the brand’s narrative about two Southern, free-spirited sisters whose love of junk idea for a business led them to a life they love. Their WOM led to a television show aired on the lifestyle channel Great American Country. In 2016, Jolie Sykes and Aimee Sikes published a book Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder & Wander. Their book described their life journey and embellished upon Junk Gypsy’s brand narrative. It connected with their fan base and made the New York Times Best Seller list (Perry 2016 ).

  • Cause branding

Another solution to declining consumer attention and loyalty is to forge an emotional connection between a brand and its customers through cause branding (Prasad 2011 ). Cause branding, or cause marketing, is a strategy that offers consumers opportunities to make cause-based purchases for making positive changes for social issues other than personal benefits (Kim and Johnson 2011 ).

When a brand addresses relevant social issues, it can build emotional bonds with its customers. Moral emotions play a central role because they are linked to their customers’ interests and desire to serve a higher cause (Haidt 2003 ). The emotions that result from positive perceptions and beliefs toward the brand are translated into consumer behavior, as illustrated by the following consumer testimonials: “Brand X was there for us when the storm hit. It financially supports programs to improve adult literacy. Brand X is giving back to the community and investing in our future. I will support Brand X and tell my friends and family to do the same” (Prasad 2011 , p. 43).

For these reasons, cause branding has been used as an effective marketing tool in enhancing consumer perceptions of the long-term image of the brand (Gupta and Pirsch 2006 ) and ultimately leads to a financial gain for the firm. However, brands should be circumspect and select causes that resonate with the brand’s target market (Roy 2010 ). For example, a woman’s clothing retailer would raise funds for breast cancer research over driver’s education for teenagers. Similarly, a fine hardwood furniture manufacturer would promote environmental issues rather than supporting youth soccer (Prasad 2011 ). TOMS, known for its “One for One” business model, in which the company donates one pair of shoes to children around the world for every pair of shoes sold, recently received a backlash from the public who raised suspicions about its true cause. Research revealed that in addition to making negligible differences in the children’ lives, the TOMS campaign sustained the view of the poor as helpless people passively waiting for Americans buying more shoes (Chapin 2015 ).

In addition, employees can play a proactive role in cause marketing, as demonstrated by the report that approximately 70% of US consumers will be more inclined to support a cause if an employee recommends it (Semons 2017 ). Although Kmart has struggled to compete with other discount retailers, its employees raise money for St. Jude to fight childhood cancer. This cause resonates with Kmart’s core customers who helped them raise $22 million for St. Jude in 2014 (Semons 2017 ). The following are cases of additional fashion brands that support the use of social causes as a viable strategy in emotional fashion branding.

Warby Parker

Warby Parker, an eyeglass company, has launched “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program, to donate a portion of its sales to nonprofit groups that train people in developing countries to give basic eye exams and sell affordable glasses to their communities. Its philanthropic program was inspired by the company’s realization that about one billion people worldwide, or 15% of the world population, lack access to glasses, reducing the effectiveness of learning or work. By 2017, the company donated more than two million pairs of glasses to those in need in the world. This cause branding campaign has increased brand awareness, trust, and distinction by touching consumers’ heart (Parker 2014 ).

Love Your Melon

Love Your Melon is an online apparel brand that sells beanies and hats to support the fight against pediatric cancer. The brand was founded by two college students in 2012, fueled by a mission to improve the lives of children battling cancer. Starting with the simple idea of putting fashionable beanies as head covers for children who lost their hair while battling cancer in America, Love Your Melon launched the “Buy Beanies. Fight Cancer” campaign. This online retailer donates 50% of the profits to non-profit partners working in the field of pediatric cancer research. Love Your Melon uses social media such as Facebook and Instagram to spread its messages. This cause-related merchandise often sells as soon as it hits the website (Blitzer 2017 ). By appealing to consumers’ emotions, Love Your Melon fosters a relationship with its consumers, leading to brand loyalty and commitment.

Levi Strauss & Co

Levi Strauss & Company, a jean manufacturer, established a charitable foundation over 65 years ago (Levi Strauss and Company 2018 ). Supporting the company’s core values of originality, integrity, empathy, and courage, the foundation promotes social changes related to HIV/AIDS, workers’ rights, worker well-being, and communities where they do business. One of the foundation’s initiatives invests in its employees in developing markets to help them live a better life (Fortune Editors 2018 ). The foundation also created a one million dollar fund in 2017 and 2018 to help communities around the world that were affected by the political environment (Levi Strauss & Company 2018 ). These various cause-related activities provides an opportunity for Levi’s employees, customers, and the public to form an emotional bond with its brand.

  • Empowerment

In the traditional marketplace, marketers have capitalized on consumers’ insecurities and anxieties by convincing them to buy their products or services that can supposedly resolve their worries. In this scenario, the consumers have felt powerless to change their lives on their own. However, empowerment marketing overthrows traditional marketing tactics, recasting the consumers as heroes who have the power to fulfill their lives (Bauhau 2012 ). When a brand uses empowerment as marketing strategy, it helps consumers to boost their self-efficacy as well as self-esteem (Earl 2017 ). While self-esteem reflects a person’s belief about who he or she is, self-efficacy refers to the belief about his or her capability to perform specific tasks or achieve desirable outcomes (Earl 2017 ).

In addition, consumers in the age of Internet can be empowered by their moderate control over brand direction to express their opinions (Bauhau 2012 ). For instance, consumers engaged in co-creating virtual projects feel empowered and experience enjoyment (Füller et al. 2009 ). Co-creation allows customers to design products themselves, which rewards them with a sense of accomplishment (e.g., “I designed it myself”) (Franke et al. 2010 ). Web bloggers also can feel empowered by expressing their observations about matters and issues important to them. Furthermore, the virtual brand community gives an opportunity for members to co-create value for themselves, other members, and the brand by sharing their interests in an interactive platform. As a place of information sharing, emotional support, and collective value creation, this community forms emotional bonds among its members and generates a feeling of empowerment among its members (Brodie et al. 2013 ; Cova and Pace 2006 ). The following companies have been successful in using empowerment as an emotional branding strategy.

Dove sells beauty products for both men and women of all different shapes, sizes and color. Reflecting its research finding that 69% of women are not confident about the way they look (Cliffs 2017 ), the brand helps women view their body as a source of beauty and confidence (not anxiety), fostering their self-esteem and full potential. In 2017, Dove created, a “Real Beauty Productions”, to commemorate 60 years of Dove for real women. The productions featured real women and did not digitally alter their appearance, with the goal of helping the next generation develop a positive relationship with their appearance. Also, the brand introduced a short film called “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” to explore the gap between how women perceive themselves and how others perceive them (Dove US 2013 ). This campaign has made a noticeable impact on the way modern women view beauty, and empowered women to feel comfortable in their own skin (Earl 2017 ).

The empowerment campaign of Nike’s “Just Do It” focuses on internal battles and determination that ultimately lead to heroism, further leading to consumer loyalty. Nike’s advertising illustrates laziness, an attribute that resonates within many consumers. The brand advertises that loyalty with Nike will give the energy and motivation to overcome the laziness people may face on a daily basis. Once this is overcome, anything is possible. In this example, the viewer is the “hero”. He or she is encouraged to buy Nike’s products not only to be successful but also to be a part of something greater than himself or herself (Nike Marketing Strategy 2016 ).

No longer a pastime exclusively for children, coloring books have appealed to millennials around the world as an activity to relieve stress and reduce anxiety. Timberland has embraced and marketed this trend as a contributor to the mindful and creative community (Birkner 2016 ). Timberland collaborated with fashion blogger Erica Lavelanet and Marie Claire magazine, designing a four-page adult coloring book to promote the brand’s new styles for its Spring 2016 collection. The adult book was available in the April issue of Marie Claire, at Timberland stores and on its website. Timberland customers were invited to co-create designs by coloring in illustrations and meeting with Lavelanet in person at select Timberland stores to customize the book. Furthermore, Timberland hosted coloring events at its stores in New York and Chicago. Timberland donated $20,0000 to make the movie “Hard Hatted Woman” which supported the company’s goal to help people to be creative and break barriers (Heppner 2017 ). Clearly, Timberland has developed a creative way of empowering adults by incorporating co-creation on social media and through community involvement.

In this fiercely competitive retail environment where countless brands provide similar products and service with good quality, consumers would turn to brands that appeal to their emotion. Emotional branding addresses consumers’ desire to have positive experiences, express authentic self rather than idealized self, achieve warm glow, and participate in co-creation. Retailers who direct their strategies toward meeting these consumer desires have been successful via sensory branding, storytelling, cause branding, and empowerment. Fashion by its nature is an emotional product that fulfills the needs and desires of consumers. Therefore, it is imperative for fashion brands to employ emotional branding strategies in reaching their target customers with messages that speak to their heart.

Fashion retailers can employ to increase consumer involvement and strong emotional bonds with their brand. First, fashion retailers can involve consumers in consumption experiences. The heightened use of senses leads to an emotional bond with the brand. Second, fashion retailers can provide opportunities for their consumers to personally identify with the brand’s products. As the consumer associates his or her life story with the brand narrative, a strong consumer-brand emotional bond develops, which increases loyalty and the possibility that the consumer will act as a brand ambassador. Third, fashion retailers can use cause-related branding strategies to emotionally connect with their target consumers. Mutual support of a valued cause can increase brand attachment and brand loyalty. Lastly, brands can empower consumers to achieve their goals and express their identities, resulting in an emotional bond between the consumer and brand. These suggested strategies can help brands to build emotional connections with their current and potential customers, leading to true brand loyalty.

Future research

Capitalizing on the up-and-coming trends of emotional branding, academics can conduct research to provide meaningful implications to practitioners. While this study provides insights to emotional branding, rigorous empirical research is necessary to validate and revise the model (Fig.  1 ), if necessary. We provide several suggestions for future research.

First, demographic differences in consumer behaviors can be incorporated in market trends and emotional branding strategies. Demographic variables, especially gender and generation, are fundamental and easy-to-target variables to marketers and thus have been employed in identifying consumer segments (Kim et al. 2014 ). Therefore, these variables, along with other demographic variables (e.g., income and ethnicity), can be employed in future studies to examine which variable produces variance in marketplace trends and perception toward emotional strategies. This examination will provide additional implications to fashion retailers in attracting their target consumers.

Second, negative aspects of emotional branding could be examined in how they threaten brand image. For example, if brand strategies are perceived as unauthentic or manipulative, they could risk consumer disfavor or boycott. In this sense, examining marketplace trends from both positive and negative perspectives can provide more extensive approaches to branding strategies to warrant long-term success in this rapidly changing, consumer-driven market.

Third, while we have identified successful emotional strategies used by fashion retailers in apparel, skin and beauty products, and home furnishings, additional research is needed to establish the applicability of these practices to intangible services such as restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Although emotional branding strategies of fashion retailers involve promoting and selling both products and services, consumers experience different emotional responses toward intangible services (Morrison and Frederick 2007 ).

Finally, as retail becomes more competitive between traditional brick-and-mortar retailers and non-traditional digital retailers, it would be interesting to compare these two retail formats regarding how consumer trends influence emotional branding strategies and which emotional branding strategies lead to stronger brand loyalty. Although researchers note that digital retailing is growing faster and generates more positive consumer emotions than in the past, empirical research has not been conducted to validate this notion. Therefore, researchers can conduct empirical investigation to extend the emotional branding model to the contexts of various retail formats such as traditional retailers, social media, and omni-channel retailers.

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YK reviewed the literature, developed the model, and made a major contribution to developing the manuscript. PS made a major contribution to developing the cases and also reviewed the literature. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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The Trend Of Brand Culture Among Youth: Need Or Greed?

Consumerism World Map

Armani’s T-shirt, Rado’s watch, Ray Ban’s sunglasses and Levi’s jeans are the stuffs that today’s youth craves for and holds an eye on. Not because the quality they provide, but the craze of the brand and the need to flaunt among the peer group is the reason. There was a time when bands were not so commonly used by the people especially the common masses. But in present times, affordability is not a question. What matters is acquiring those stuffs.The westernisation has hit the young generation so badly that in the greed of acquiring brand stuffs, youth don’t even think about their parent’s purchasing power.

Whether it is an urban or a rural area, the brand culture has become a fast moving trend all over. The desire of riding a Royal Enfield bullet is much higher in the rural areas. It’s because people have money but they don’t have the idea of how to invest it wisely. What they know is to run behind the brands just like the others do. Electricity or water supply is still a big question in the villages, but every young boy is fond of having a Ray ban or Fastrack’s sunglasses. At present, the purchasing power and the affordability have increased to an extent that buying branded products is no more a surprising task. From useful household commodities to luxury items, everything has to be branded: this is the new trend.

Man sitting on Kit Kat Bench

The majority cannot think of the negative approach, the brand culture inculcates in the society. Because of this brand obsession among youth emerges a discrimination of rich and poor. The ones who can afford to keep flaunting and the ones who cannot feel underestimated and suffer from inferiority complex. This discrimination later leads to various crimes, because the adolescence age is a sensitive age and the youth is not aware of the consequences. They unaware of the problems keep on doing wrong things and till they realize it becomes too late.

Vintage Ad for Food

One needs to understand one’s capability, status and decide accordingly. Just running behind the brand unnecessarily without knowing about it is a mindless activity. Here comes the role of parents to make their wards understand these things clearly. They should stop them running behind the materialistic things till they are not capable of achieving it on their own. However at the end of the day we should take care of the fact that this brand culture should not rise as an evil in the society. The brand’s usefulness and worth should be made to understand so that the youth come to know what the reality is. Therefore, avoid being the part of crowd rather use your own understanding.

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This is How Teenagers are Targeted Through Brand Marketing

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Indian Youth

Importance of the Youth voices and opinion in Improving the Quality…

Cbse vs icse syllabus – which board is better and why, the indian education system: good or bad, linguistic imbalance in higher education, lack of practical knowledge in higher education, ias without upsc: what exactly is lateral entry into the civil…, pre-school teachers deserve more respect and appreciation in terms of ‘salary’, 6 steps to establish yourself as a freelance writer, how unpaid internships exploit college students, 5 career options to choose if you know french language, social anxiety disorder in young people, 5 health issues that are quietly affecting college students, why is depression at an all time high among teenagers , 5 things everyone should know about menstrual hygiene, yoga for youth, brand consciousness among indian teenagers.

Brands are something that are often mistaken to define a person. A lot of older people would agree when I say that it isn’t what is on your head but what is in it that defines you! The same goes for the clothes you wear you could wear a Zara top, or a denim shirt you happened to pick up from Sarojini, it would look only as good as you want it to. The younger generation often thinks that their fashion choices define them. Well, other than the fact that you have a good or a bad dressing sense, it doesn’t tell anything about a person. And to be able to judge a person, you would still have to know how they talk, what they talk about, what they believe in and what they don’t believe in.

indian-teenagers

The youth of today can easily be categorized into two groups-  1. the group which is brand conscious 2nd. the group which isn’t.

Brand conscious – People who are essentially quite conscious of what they wear and how they wear it are usually the ones who go after quality more than the quantity. They prefer their clothes to be unique and perfect and they do prefer looking classy over boho. There is however, absolutely nothing wrong about being brand conscious, you want something you go get it but just make sure you’re not spending way too much for a cloth which could have been bought at a much lesser price. All you need to do is keep your eyes open be sure that you are not being fooled.

Not so brand conscious – People who are not conscious about brands prefer to be able to pick up whatever comes their way. Sometimes the coolest things that they own are picked up from a flea market and that is what is best about such clothes. They can be styled anyway and can be worn to anywhere. As long as the person knows how to carry it, they will rock the look no matter what. Such people often go to shopping trips which are comparatively pocket friendly.

But the whole point is that even after all these differences, there are so many things which unite the youth and make them exactly similar!

1. Thinking – No matter what they wear or how they wear it, they all believe in justice and equality and that is what unites them. They can be rich or not so rich, they can be all posh or not so posh but when it comes to fighting for equality, they will all leave what they love doing to support the fight for truth, justice and equality.

2. Actions – They act like they own the world, behave like they don’t owe any explanation to anyone and talk like the leaders of tomorrow. Hail the new generation because they are here to take the world by storm. Their actions echo their thinking and for once we have people which can be taken on face value. They are passionate, they are fighters and their clothes may differ but the substance they all are made of is just the same.

Indian Teenagers may be conscious about brands but that is not something that can ever be taken as their identity. Their identity is way different from what you take them to be and the day the world stops stereotyping the youth, they will see the metal the youth has within and respect them for just that. The youth which is changing the world and self, the youth which is a believer and a doer and the youth which thinks smartly and looks even smarter.

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Our brains are more synchronized to adopt what is more colourful and have an ability to impress the outer beauty. Our younger people are required to understand that the ideas and power lie in the brain and not the brand you wear. One must focus on the personality development and not wardrobe building. For once you have the mind of best compatibility, your clothes will just be a mark of your own personal style.

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Series Mania, Beta Group Open Up Seriesmakers to Directors of Box Office Hits, Lesser Known Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE) 

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  • Series Mania, Beta Group Open Up Seriesmakers to Directors of Box Office Hits, Lesser Known Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE)  2 days ago

Laurence Herszberg and Koby Gal-Raday

Seriesmakers , twinning Series Mania , Europe’s biggest TV fest, and European film-TV powerhouse Beta Group , is opening up its selection criteria to embrace directors of box office smashes or hits at festivals beyond “A” list events.

Launching 2022 as a project-based mentorship program for film directors aiming to become TV series creators, Seriesmakers has fast consolidated as one of Europe’s top-notch training facilities.

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Now, as it prepares its third edition whose call for applications closes June 20 , Seriesmakers is aiming for a larger inclusivity.

For its first and second editions, being chosen in official selections of a “A” list festival was required for a director to even be considered for Seriesmakers, Koby Gal Raday, Beta Group chief content officer, told  Variety . 

“Series Mania and the Beta Group has had near daily discussions about how Seriesmakers could better support the industry, opening up and expanding without losing its very high-level program,” he added.

“More and more filmmakers are interested in making TV shows. Creativity is not defined totally by “A” list festival selection which focuses often on up-and-coming talents and highly established “A-list” icons. That leaves out a whole middle section of directors and we have a lot of talented people who apply to other festivals, not “A” list events,”  said Laurence Herszberg, Series Mania general director. 

Local box office hits may not even go to festivals, Gal Raday observed. “Their creators, however, are still cinema directors who don’t understand – or as yet don’t know how to play by – the rules of TV,” he continued.

“We believe very much in the intimate, very human process between two mentors and creative duos. Anything larger and it becomes a group session, which has a differ dynamic,” said Gal Raday.

Second edition mentors were German producer Janine Jackowski (“Toni Erdmann,” “Spencer”); Israeli writer-script doctor Ronit Weiss-Berkowitz (“The Girl From Oslo”); Isabelle Lindberg Pechou (“Trom”); and Brazilian producer-writer Felipe Braga (“Sintonia”). 

“I’m very honoured, surprised and humbled that most of them are quite happy to join again,” said Gal Raday. 

Seriesmakers’ third edition will run four months from November 2024 through February 2025. For the third edition, there will be one main award of €50,000 ($54,500) entitled the Beta| Kirch Foundation Award.  The winning team will be announced during the 2025 Series Mania Forum in Lille, France and will develop a pilot script and a bible for the awarded project with further creative support from Beta’s Content Division.

Seriesmakers is a TV series development program initiated and conducted jointly by Series Mania Forum, Beta Group and University of Television and Film Munich (HFF).

Variety  chatted to Herszberg and Gal Raday as they looked forward to a 3rd Seriesmakers: 

One hallmark of Series Mania and Seriesmakers is the high artistic ambition of its titles. Would you be looking for that from more commercial directors?

Herszberg:  Yes, that’s something we really pay attention to. That the project has something which is of value. It’s not that we ask a filmmaker to write a thesis about that, but we have to see the potential. The training sessions will help directors tease out that potential.

Looking at this year’s Series Mania, there were social-issue series such as All3Media Intl’s “Boarders” and Beta Film’s “Soviet Jeans” which had an agenda – equitable access to elitist education and freedom-pushing counter culture in 1979 Soviet Latvia – which were at the same time broadly upscale, fast-paced entertainment. Would you want that?

Herszberg:  The best way to have a success, something popular, is to layer something that will make people think. Yes, of course we want that.    

Gal Raday:  I was amazed to see that at Seriesmakers’ first two editions most filmmakers coming from extreme arthouse cinema were very keen to have an audience. Commercial arthouse is not an obscene phrase. The winners at Cannes in many sections were commercial arthouse, not pure arthouse.

So you’d welcome series which are kind of hybrids?

Gal Raday:  Yes, we can find and identify singular voices, original stories, that answer the criteria of an artistic vision. But they still use some tools of mainstream television, obeying genres and then redefining them. We just get better television.   

Gal Raday:  The “A” list festival is a very determined list. We have got a lot of interest from MENA, Asia and Latin America where there are not so many qualifying festivals. We’re responding to the industry and markets from those regions.

You’ve said you’ll maintain the system of tutors and members…

Herszberg:  We made a survey, asked participants about the mentors, and they all said they were really top notch. Their support is really appreciated because it’s not that easy when you’re trying to create another redo and you don’t ever know if you’re going the right way. It’s better to have someone supporting you and telling, yes, that’s a good direction, or not.

Any other changes?

Gal Raday:  We are looking a bit at the structure of the workshops: How many hours a day, how to structure so that they’re more operational. The fact creators are based in very different time zones around the world makes it challenging to use the same timeline. A very good project manager can handle that.

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