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A special gift from the Royal wedding

Bloomer Jason's father works on the Sandringham Estate, which clearly has its perks because he was given a slice of William and Catherine's wedding cake as a commemorative gift.  Whether it's from the original cake or just the same recipe we're not sure but apparently it smells like the best fruit cake in the world.  It also comes in a wonderful little tin, which was designed by Peter Windett of LRW design and Sally Mangum, a calligraphy artist. We think it's a beautiful design. Classic and a befitting keepsake of such a momentus occasion. The only question that remains is - do you eat it or keep it?

Brand Will & Kate

Royals are some of the oldest brands.  In the centuries before national tourist boards, royal courts were the primary advertisements for their kingdom.  The tone of the court influenced the realm’s style, behaviour and the economy.  Thus the Spanish Habsburgs’ love for horses fuelled a swift trade in the majestic beasts, while the Bourbon’s passion for fashion created a silk industry in France without equal on the Continent. 

Although they are no longer the sole representatives of brand Britain, the Windsor family undoubtedly still makes a valuable contribution to our economy. In particular the frenzy surrounding William and Catherine has helped give a boost to British brands and Britain as a brand.

In light of this we’d like to do a quick brand health check on the British royal family.  For the most part they are helping steer our economy out of a turbulent patch.  However there are a few concerns when it comes to the long-term future of brand Windsor, which cannot be divorced from brand Britain.

Will and Kate excelled themselves in Canada, but it was in Hollywood that they really made an impact.  There they filled a gap in the market, bringing gravitas and tradition to a land of manufactured glamour.  It was incredible that two twenty-somethings could make some of the world’s most powerful celebrities nervous.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are promoting exactly the right image for Britain right now. In the past we’ve been known for our imperial prowess, industrial ingenuity or Brit pop sound. But these are no longer niches we can own. Instead Will and Kate have helped create a new image for Britain, one that is regal yet accessible and, most importantly, incredibly well suited to Britain’s fastest growing industry – luxury.  

The roaring success of Burberry trenches and Mulberry Alexas is a testament to the unique international appeal of our luxury goods. They are understated with a distinctly British heritage, just like the royal couple.  It’s an image that the rest of the royal family can’t quite equal. The Queen commands great respect, but she is not accessible in the same way. Whereas Kate may have worn McQueen to her wedding but you can steal her style by shopping at High St chains like Reiss, Whistles and L.K. Bennett. Herein lies the secret to growing Britain’s luxury brands. The fashion houses should maintain an air of inaccessibility while quietly pushing entry-level products.  They are starting to do this but they need to emulate the size and scale of the Diors and Armanis of this world to reach their full potential as global brand powerhouses.

Brand Will and Kate have done an incredible job of boosting the profile of Britain and providing a very lucrative model of behavior for British brands to follow when overseas.  However there are a couple of lingering concerns. International commentators lack the same fondness for Charles that they have for his mother and son. The reception for Charles and Camilla was notably cooler two years ago when they toured Canada.  One wonders whether there is a danger of range cannibalization?  What will the opinion of Britain be when the Prince of Wales ascends the throne?  Perhaps some damage control needs to be done to prepare for that event.

Furthermore beneath all the admiration for Kate’s sparkling smile and tasteful tailoring, there are rumblings over whether she will ever reveal more of her personality to the public.  There are flashes of it but in front of the camera she appears to lack the emotional depth that we expect of brands nowadays. The tabloids have chosen to fill the vacuum with comparisons to Diana, which though complimentary are presumably upsetting. 

Will and Kate have made an excellent start but in order for them to have true longevity as a brand, Kate must come out from under Diana’s shadow, define her position and take her place as a brand advocate for modern Britain.

Design trend: Looking to the past

Last week we posited that one of the reasons for Habitat’s demise was that its futuristic furniture was no longer to the public’s taste.  Increasingly in design we’re noticing a trend for reviving the old and making it relevant to the present.

A blast from the past

Since the mass fashion market exploded in the mid 20^th century every decade has had its own particular style – hippie in the 60’s, rockers in the 80’s, grunge in the 90’s. This century has certainly had its own style notes – leggings sadly being a defining feature – but increasingly fashion brands are reinventing the past for the present. Prada has done an exceptional job of this in their S/S 2011 campaign.   They’ve done more than just take influence from the 70’s, they’ve fully embraced the decade to create a retro collection that really stands out from the crowd. Modern Classic

Christian Louboutin has chosen to recreate a number of 17^th C portraits for his Fall collection. In doing so he has created a shorthand for ‘classic’, a statement that his shoes, a hallmark of the modern age, will stand the test of time. The age of ingenuity

Whether influenced by the Doctor Who revival or the imminent arrival of the final instalment of Harry Potter, we’re not sure, but Steampunk has become a thriving cult movement.  
Embodying a kind of neo-Victorianism Steampunk has spawned a whole culture, influencing everything from architecture to music to fashion. The movement’s appeal seems to stem from its roots in counterfactual history, which encourages followers to use their imagination and consider – what if?  Author G. D. Falksen, wearing a steampunk-styled arm prosthesis by Thomas Willeford, exemplifying one take on steampunk fashion.

The Golden Age

Despite many consumers having to tighten their purse strings, the upper echelons still have plenty of cash to splash.  However in an era where superstructures are a dime a dozen and 3D tvs are the norm it can be difficult to impress the jet set.  Yet the past is rarefied and can therefore form a compelling reference point.  The fog of time has a tendency to preserve only the most glamorous features, making the memory all the more precious. To this effect Van Cleef & Arpels have recently created a Bals de Légende collection of jewellery. Consisting of 160 unique pieces, the collection has been inspired by five of the most extravagant balls of the 20^th C.  Today equivalent events aren’t nearly as exclusive and many have been commercialised, making a celebration of a bygone era is even more fantastical for its rarity, you almost can’t help but be impressed.

A simpler life

The last couple of years have also seen growing support for The Prince of Wales’ rejections of modernist architecture and a long waiting list to buy a plot in Poundbury, his New Urbanism development on the edge of Cornwall.  Again this seems to stem from a desire to return, not to the extravagances of the past, but to a time when things were simpler and communities were smaller.

Breathing new life into an old brand

Brands are also tapping into the past.  The most recent example is the Little Chef redesign, which has leveraged one of the brand’s biggest assets - nostalgia.  The simplification of the marque helps the quirky chef to stand out even more.  Meanwhile the bright modern colours prevent it from looking dated, giving it greater longevity than the Hovis packs, which have arguably gone too far down the nostalgia route and now just look a bit dated.

The past can be used at all price points in a multitude of ways - to inspire, excite and engage. Furthermore it provides a short-hand of associations, meaning you don’t have to re-educate the consumer. It’s not suitable for every brand, but get it right and a strong emotional connection with the consumer will be your reward.

 

The wedding

The biggest event of the two thousand and tens is taking place this Friday. With sales from wedding-related merchandise likely to top £26m and retailers anticipating an 11% increase in sales, brand owners are keen to get their slice of the pie - sorry - wedding cake. Some are more skeptical, with a recent poll carried out by JWT for Marketing highlighting that 66% of consumers said their purchasing behavior would not be influenced by associations with the royal wedding. Although this hasn’t been in keeping with our own experience of our local supermarket, where many Bloomers have witnessed consumers stuffing their trolleys with anything vaguely British, including the truly ridiculous Union Jack clown wig. 

With the one-off occasion demanding a quick turnaround and a limited running period, it’s important that brand owners are strategic in how they tap into royal wedding fever. We’ve noted that some brands are doing it better than others.

A large proportion of brands are doing the expected and tapping into Britishness.  While not particularly inventive this is a safe retail strategy, unlikely to put anyone off and with a shelf life that will extend beyond April 29^th if necessary.

However there are a number of brands that have taken it a step further and used this opportunity to cleverly accentuate their core brand proposition.

Pie Minister has brilliantly celebrated British wit and in the process won a well-deserved place at the heart of the street party spread.

 
Tate & Lyle’s pack eloquently highlights the brand’s British heritage and royal warrant while also reinforcing that the brand values simplicity and tradition.

Rowse has also done a special edition jar, as an evolution of their new identity, that is clearly British and uses a heart device, which ties it to the wedding in a way that feels quite precious and celebratory. It is certainly more successful than Relish, whose pack isn't celebratory and doesn’t really enhance or extend the brand proposition very far. 

The wedding is a real opportunity for brands which celebrate tradition at their core. Despite the fact that Wills and Kate have positioned themselves as modern royalty, they are still getting married in the Abbey that witnessed the coronation of William the Conqueror and riding around in a carriage built for Queen Victoria.  

Macallan has created a commemorative pack for Charles and Diana’s wedding using casks from each of their birth years.  This time they’ve done a similar thing for William and Kate, blending a cask from 1996 and 1999, both of which were filled on the date of the royal wedding, April 29.  This blend might lead to a better taste because they’ve been more selective about the year, but the story isn’t quite as compelling and perhaps the execution isn’t quite up to scratch. 

It’s also important to suggest a sense of heritage while ensuring the packaging is still appealing to the modern consumer.  In the case of McVite’s and Quality Street, both of whom hold a royal warrant, it feels like this balance is slightly off with the former seeming a bit too Queen Mum and the latter a little too Fergie.

Finally you have to admire the brands that, true to their British roots, have taken this opportunity to have a bit of fun. Harvey Nichol’s commemorative mug certainly stands out from the crowd and who would turn down the Crown Jewels to mark this special occasion?

 From all at Bloom, enjoy the Wedding and the extended weekend.

 

Mind the Gap: Luxury

Last month we asked how brand owners are translating their brand online, starting with retail. This week we are continuing this theme with a look at how luxury brands are making the leap to digital.

 

There are a number of fairly obvious ways to cue luxury.  You can use beautiful visuals to communicate the quality of the experience, as One & Only have.

Or you can tell the story of the brand’s history as Jaeger Le Coultre and Ede & Ravenscroft do.

 

However digital is about more than pretty pictures and quaint stories.  Some luxury brands have used digital to become more accessible and aspirational, while others make a firm statement about exclusivity.

From its inception the Internet was about sharing ideas and democratising information.  It therefore has huge potential to make luxury brands more accessible, just look at the revolution instigated by Net a Porter  and now Mr. Porter.

Marc Jacobs has capitalised on the brand’s cult following by creating a diffusion line of lower-cost products, Marc by Marc Jacobs, which is available to fashion aficionados with smaller budgets. Expanding into the digital sphere made sense for the brand. The Marc Jacob’s experience is more accessible to all with its collections available for purchase on line, as well as broadcasts of their catwalk shows and links to Facebook where fans can comment on the designs. Is this dumbing down the brand or a clever way of capitalising on brand growth through digital media?

Daniel Plenge, who manages web and digital presence for Marc Jacobs International explained “By using these connection technologies, we want our fans to be a part of the Marc Jacobs community, which is in the original spirit of the brand created by Marc and Robert in 1984.”

This strategy is not appropriate for all luxury brands and Marc Jacobs has to be careful not to succumb to the overexposure that it took Burberry years to recover from.

 

Other brands have used the Internet in more unconventional ways.  Despite its origins as a tool to broadcast information to all, some brands are using the internet to maintain their distance from the masses.

Walpole, a Mayfair property development, channels the excitement of a spy movie by asking for passwords.  It tempts you with stunning visuals of the interiors but you have to be in the know in order to access detailed information about the apartments.

Private members clubs draw on both of these approaches.  In recent years Soho House has become more open to the world and its website reflects this.  Targeted at trendy media types, the brand is using digital media to generate awareness and buzz.  A mixture of both public exposure and private exclusivity has created strong brand affinity amongst members and the wider public, although this requires careful management moving forward to avoid the brand becoming too mainstream.

In contrast Annabel’s, another private club also owned by Richard Caring, retains an air of mystery.  Their website has very limited information and is instead populated by tempting visuals that don’t betray the secrets within.  More exclusive and with even higher-flying members, Annabel’s is a step up on the luxury ladder from Soho House.  It’s a perfect example of when less is definitely more.

Although slow to get started luxury brands are making the transition to digital.  Once there they are using different digital strategies that need to be managed with caution. Websites must align with their particular brand strategy and maintain the appropriate degree of exclusivity in a domain that’s all about transparency.