Stick to your “Core” Audience…

When you have defined who you are as a brand, part of this process is what consumer/athlete defines you and their desired lifestyle. This “core” audience principle is driven by Lifestyle and Aspiration, each are not mutually exclusive, but rather they work together to define what a brand stands for in your target audience’s eyes.

This message becomes unclear when you position yourself as something you are not, which is part of your defining Lifestyle principle. When this principle positioning is not clearly shown in everything you are as a brand, (i.e, messaging, viral, imagery, creative, lifestyle, products…) the message become blurred. Be “true” to yourself, and the “heart and soul” of the brand. Always, always be asking, “Is this right for the Brand”, and if you have clearly defined  who you are, an image of right vs wrong should send sirens ringing in your head.

Staying true to your “roots” that have anchored your brand message is the most creditable way to build and sustain long term growth with your consumer. Many brands have tried to move outside the zone of this message, and as a result they neither stay true to their customers or the brand, and authentication evaporates…

Stay “True”

Stay “Authentic”

Stay “Alive & Thrive”

 

Enjoy the Ride..!

Bryan Smeltzer

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Inspired Product Design..

Inspired Design… Every brand aspires to blend creative designs with the most innovative, market driving concepts. This objective and “true” brand foundation starts with inspiring your design team, and allowing the freedom to be creative beyond reality. Eventually, reality is brought to life in these designs, but it always starts with what is thought to be impossible.

From this foundational platform which allows designers to think beyond, “what currently is” to “what can be”, you will breed a creative force. It is the “what can be” that drives the creative engine, and allows for the most innovative product driven platform. Inspiring the design team is a process driven not by looking at what  is in the marketplace, but rather what is not being done, and what can be “adapted” to ensure the brand will drive innovation for the next century. As I have mentioned previously, you do need to look at your competitive set as  this will always be part of the process, not for what they have done, but rather for what they are not doing. The best designers do not want to drive in the rear view mirror, but always want to be driving the Lambo down the open road, while letting reality take a backseat.

” The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts, but how the get the old ones out…” Dee Hock

Inspire the design team, both graphic and industrial, with free-flowing, brand driven, creative briefs and you will be rewarded with the most innovative, market driving concepts, which then are brought into real world. You will find this process will create concepts/ideas ahead of their time, and some will be uncomfortable with this direction. But isn’t that the goal…?

Enjoy the Ride..!
Bryan Smeltzer

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Merchandising drives Revenue & Lifestyle..

Merchandise your product as a complete brand, reflective of the “Lifestyle”, “Look” and “Feel” your “core” consumer would like to aspire to when they exit the retailers door. Many times brands do not fully embrace the significance of ensuring that all “pieces” of the merchandising puzzle are pulled together at retail. There are significant advantages to having a complete merchandised brand picture at retail, not the least of which is increased sales/ft 2, and brand equity. This not only involves the product, but also involves the aesthetics and environment in which you place your product. Uniform in design, complete in its message and rich in its environment.

When looking at what makes for a successful merchandising strategy for a brand, one key ingredient is a mixture of vertical product flow, assuming a collection driven product line, blended in an environment which makes purchasing this assortment open and easy to navigate. Many times the downfall to this strategy is out of stock sizing, colors, styles or plannograms that are not held in check. If not company owned, which the bulk are currently not, this is not controlled by the  brand and can be very frustrating to deal with when you have laid out a very clear  and cohesive merchandising strategy. Nonetheless, it can not be overstated, having a brand merchandising strategy is key to the overall successful sell through of  your product at retail.

This is a win-win scenario, as both the brand and the retailers look to have increased inventory turns. It has been proven that an effective merchandising plan increases sales/ft2, represents the brand as a lifestyle, and can provide for a relaxing shopping experience. The reward is the payoff, for the brand, retailer and the consumer…

Merchandise as a “Complete” Brand

Create a “Lifestyle” Environment

Build a “Loyal” Consumer

Drive the Brand…

Bryan Smeltzer

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Product Driven Marketing Strategy…

A Product Driven Marketing Strategy is the most effective way to translate your product, brand ID, lifestyle and “point of difference” at retail. By having the marketing team strategically involved at the outset of the product evolution/ideation level, allows for the most cohesive, brand driving execution on the retail floor.

The intention is to ensure the marketing/creative team have as much lead time and “ammo” at their disposal, as they lay the foundation for effective product release/marketing campaigns and merchandising programs.By having this team involved from the front end “ideation” level they can gain a full appreciate for what went into creating this new concept, product or progressive idea to realization. As part of the normal creative process, marketing is usually always part of competitive analysis, product line planning and briefings, but not always part of the creative “evolution”. I have said, it is easier to imitate, and I mean truly imitate, not making a substantial improvement sufficient to displace or eliminate current products, or invent a new category opportunity. In saying this, marketing’s job is to ensure they capture this “evolutionary” process and subliminally translate this through effective collateral and merchandising presentations/programs to your “core” consumer.

As I have also said, designers live the brand and know the brand ID, and marketing shares this bloodline. It is incumbent on both to ensure this bloodline for the ID gets translated and infused into your target consumer. Live the life, the lifestyle and DNA of the brand… Like a machine running on all cylinders, Design and Marketing together create the octane that flows through the retail engine..!

Live the Life…

Love the Brand…

Enjoy the Ride..!

Bryan Smeltzer

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Market Driving vs Market Driven…

Ever try driving down the road while looking in the rear mirror without crashing.? Probably do not want to try this, as you are likely to crash and burn. Even with this common sense knowledge, you will find this analogy going on with companies every day, even though they know this will likely result in failure.

Market driving companies are one’s that find themselves at the forefront of consumer perception, from both a product innovation and market positioning standpoint. Those that “drive” the market vs those that are “driven” by their respective markets, have established creative processes which allow them to interpret future consumer desires, dreams and needs and bring them into reality. When brought to reality, it is packaged, merchandised and marketed as the next evolution/generation that all “early adopters” mush have or be left to follow the crowd. The earlier in the adoption curve the brand can grab these “early adopters”, the longer the product lifecycle and greater profitability  at retail. Both good for your customer … the retailer…

Companies’s that are merely “driven” by the market find themselves with a “late adopter” consumer base, competitive pricing pressures and shorter product lifecycle. They must be very adept at managing forecast and inventory turns, within a very short window of opportunity if they expect to achieve any margin contribution.

For this reason alone, the greater your ability to “drive” the market and “core” consumer to your new/next generation of products, the greater your ability to avoid significant competitive pricing pressures, increase your product lifecycle and eventually draw down your product price points over time, while still maintaining substantial margin.

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