Week 10: Excercise Fashion Consultant

If I was a fashion consultant that had to solve this issue I would sit there and be a mediator. These companies are both capable of solving this issue on their own. I would tell Ginch Gonch that although they can advertise anywhere they might like, the school probably isn’t the right placement for their ads. I might bring in statistics to show that they would be placing their ad in a place that will not generate them sales traffic. They might realize that there might be a better place on the freeway to put up their billboard. I would also argue Ginch Gonch side to the school that they are able to put the ad up wherever they would like. They want to market near the very busy freeway that just so happens to be 100 yards from the school. They might want it there to attract a lot of business because they think that their target market will be driving right there on the freeway. There is pros and cons for each side. I think that in the end the companies need to make a compromise. I think a good idea would be to let Ginch Gonsh put their ad up on the billboard that is close to the school, but say that it can only be a number of the less suggestive ads. Maybe Ginch Gonsh could have a few options and the school could pick which one they would rather put up. This way both companies are helping make the overall decision, and they are both somewhat getting what they want.

Week 10: Chapter Questions Ginch Gonch

1. The key characteristics that make Ginch Gonch advertising unique is their “in your face” risqué approach. They love to use double entendre’s that are very controversial. I think that this brands the company and speaks to one target market. People are buying this fun underwear because they are unique, good quality, sexy, and funny.

2. I think it is fine ethically to sell products using sex. Nearly every company does it in some shape or form. It is what moves product off the shelves. Another retailer who uses sex to sell products would be Dolce & Gabbana. They have very suggestive advertising that uses sex as a selling point. This resembles Ginch Gonch in a way. Both companies are very successful using this technique. I think it makes their product more desirable e because some people think that if they purchase those things they will look like that and or get those types of opportunities. The customer wants to be a part of that lifestyle that the company is promoting.


3. Jason Sutherland was very smart to market to the gay community. I think he decided to do it because he knew that their community would be accepting of his product and advertising. He knew that there was an underserved market for his unique product and that his product would sell well to gay consumers. I think there are many gay consumers! Not only that, but the gay consumers are smart! They know a lot about fashion and trends, and once they find a company they like they become very loyal customers.


4. To be in charge of Ginch Gonch nest fashion assortment would be really cool. Coming up with a name and a way to advertise it would be tricky. It needs to be able to be catchy and risqué at the same time. Since the company has such a large market of the gay community I would focus my name around that. I think I would call it “May Pride”, like gay pride but launch it in may. The colors for the underwear could be rainbow.

Week 9: Excercise Branding Myself

I would like to create a brand for myself that involved the company that I want to own. I want to have my own fashion styling company. I can form the brand around my personal style. My logo would be my name/company name. I have thought up the name Sage Styling (Sage being my middle name). I would not want anything else like an image to be a part of my logo. I want to create a really cool font that will be able to help me brand myself. I want my business cards to be really unique. I have thought about using one of my favorite photographs that I styled the clothing for to be one side of my business card. It would be really fun (and probably way more expensive) to make it so that all the cards were not exactly alike. I could have like 6-10 versions of my business card. The thing that would make them different would be the images that were placed on the front of the card. Every image I used would be an image that I styled the clothing for. I don’t know if I would have a theme song for the company. I would brand myself so that people that use my services typically will listen to a certain type of music, but I don’t think that I want a theme song. I would be selling my styling services to people that needed wardrobe assistance for special events etc, and also to photographers that need a stylist to style their photoshoots for them. My target audience would be women between the ages of 25-35 that typically make 60k-100k a year, and photographers that are mostly into fashion photography. I would not sell my services out of a brick and mortar location until the company grew very large and I employed other people. Until then the company would operate out of my house. I would have a website for information anf feedback from clients.

Week 9: Chapter Questions Brini Maxwell

1. Brini Maxwell is a very unique character not only because she likes the retro style of everything, but because she is a man playing a women. “Unlike other male hosts of domestic programs such as Christopher Lowell, who only does interior design, or cooking with Emeril and even Queer eye for the Straight guy, Brini Maxwell’s show instructed viewers on fashion, manners, decorating, entertaining, cooking, and home repair. Like her female predecessors, Brini Maxwell was a full-service domestic diva, with one small difference: she was a he.” (Brand Story, Joseph Hancock, Pg.152)


2. Ben Sander took several steps to help him develop his character Brini Maxwell. “Sander’s collection of cookbooks, magazines, furnishings, and other mid-century delights would be used in every episode.” (Brand Story, Joseph Hancock , Pg.146) He went above and beyond to create his unique brand. “To create the perfect look, Sander turned to his expertise in design and garment sewing. The Maxwell visual milieu included fashions reminiscent of the 19050’s, 19060s, and early 19070s.” (Brand Story, Joseph Hancock, Pg. 146) He was very successful when creating a brand image for himself.


3. It all happened after The Brini Maxwell show aired on national televeison. After that the show kept getting upgraded to new networks. “The E! Network would reformat the old Brini Maxwell in a more structured and well-produced show called the Brini and Maxwell show. Each segment would feature specific segments to episodes, the new set was a mid-twentieth –century New York loft apartment. However, the new setting made it appear that Maxwell had moved uptown to a more stylish, uptown location. The Maxwell visual milieu had received and upgrade and the brand message was clear, concise, and definitively 19050s chic.” (Brand Story, Joseph Hancock, Pg,151)


4. I think that Brini is targeted to the younger baby boomers. I think she is targeting to housewives that have kids and possibly work from their home. I think they are drawn to watching her show because she is the new Martha Stewart. She is more trendy and lively. People love that she is not your conventional domestic diva. People are drawn to this and they watch her show.


5. By putting out the podcasts and making the videos available on iTunes they could market the company to a new generation of people. This would open up their target market allowing for new customers to fall in love with the Brini Maxwell Show. I don’t think I would have done anything differently they did a great job at rebranding the company.

Week 8: Excercise Fashion Product

I want to create a fashion brand that offers 1800’s inspired men’s wear. I definitely feel like there is place for it in the market! The men’s market has plenty of room for more designers. The designers just need to be able to better reach their target market. That’s why I think that this company can be successful. There is no brands that are producing the exact style of the clothing I want to produce. The only company that comes close is John Varvatos. His clothing style is kind of similar but I will brand myself completely different than that. One way I will do that is by all of the social media I will be doing. It is a inexpensive way to brand myself and make myself known in the market. I do not want to have to pay a lot for advertising. I want people to find my brand and want to learn more about it through curiosity. I think that participating in a lot of PR will be a great way to get the company name out there for free. Another way I can differentiate myself from other brands is the concept of my store. I want to create a “shopping experience” for my customers that will make them want to return many times. I will uniquiely design my store with crazy elements to achieve this. I know that there is a place for this kind of brand in the market. I really want to target young professionals that make at least 100K-200K a year. These will be fashion savvy business men that are looking to ramp up their wardrobe with these fun styled suits resembling 1800’s garb.

Week 8: Chapter Questions Dante Beatrix

1. Most consumers feel a strong attachment to their bags because they feel like the bag defines who they are. They also fell like it is a part of their wardrobe. “ Research has shown that in the handbag industry, when consumers are given a choice to buy more expensive handbags over less expensive models, most will trade up to the higher price-point bags. This is due to the simple fact that most women look at their handbags as an investment in their wardrobe. For many women, purse shopping has changed from just finding an adequate accessory to being almost an obsession; a guilty pleasure.” (Brand Story, Joseph Hancock. Pg.126)

2. I have multiple brands that I like, many which I cannot afford to purchase. If I had to pick my favorite brand of bag I would pick Betsey Johnson. I can actually afford her bags even though they are a little more money then I want to spend. He bags are always very colorful and clever. She has been able to brand her company very well. It is very easy to spot a Betsey Johnson bag. There is no other bag company like it. I think I like these bags because they reflect the fun outgoing side of me. I do think that I will eventually switch it a different brand when I get a little bit older. I see her bas as fun bags for young women. I could not see myself carrying one of those bags around when I was older.

3. The company has evolved dramatically. I think the company has definitely found their niche with children’s bags. Before they were making all different kinds of handbags, but now it seems like they are specializing in kid’s bags. For example lunch boxes and bag backs. There is a section of their website that I really like, where they put up photos of their bags with celebrities. They pulled these images from paparazzi magazines. The images depict many famous celebrities with their kids holding the Dante Beatrix products. I think they have found a really great way to brand themselves. They also have an interactive game on the website for kids to go onto with their parents and learn about the characters that they place on all of their children’s bags. The company is definitely evolving for the better!



4. I think it was brilliant that the company decided to pursue graphic design as well as bag design. They are looking for ways to make bags simpler and to make the designs more appealing. They go hand in hand I think it was a great move for the company. I do not think that branding is everything when it comes to bags. The back I have with me right now is actually a no name bag. I love the bag because it is huge and has tons of space for me to carry everything with me! I commute a lot and I look for bags that are going to be adequate for all the things I have to pack around. Another thing I love about the bag is its color and design. It is a light grey color that seems to match with everything! It does not get very dirty at all! It also has large round studs down the side that give it a funky edge. Branding does help companies become successful, but the company first has to have a product that is worthy of being branded.

Final Project: Name and Logo

The name of the men’s clothing company will be London Destruction. The reason I chose this name was it fits with my initial inspiration for the line, which was the movie Sweeney Todd. The movie takes place in London during a very dark time. When I thought of the look of my clothing the imagery that came to my head was a rainy day in London. I just imagine old buildings being worn away from the weather and the multiple London fires. I came up with the combination of London Destruction. I fell in love with this name! I think it encompasses everything about my brand. I hope that it paints the same imagery in my customers head that it does in mine!