EOC Exercise: Chapter 10

PROS

·      Being able to have Ginch Gonch billboard anywhere they want should be a right of freedom.

·      High schoolers should be old enough to accept the fact that we live in a gay society.

·      High schoolers could be interested in the products that would help with revenue to the company. “He parked the Ginchmobile outside a restaurant with a glass storefront. As Sutherland entered the restaurant a table of women stoop up and saluted him by dropping their jeans to reveal their Ginch Gonch underwear.” (Brand Story)

·      High schoolers could feel like they can relate to the company and not be self conscious about being gay or not. “We on the gay market…Gay men love them; lesbians love them.” (Brand Story)

·      The public could enjoy the underwear and brand story of live like a kid!

CONS

·      It could have an affect on high schoolers to where they feel uncomfortable.

·      The parents of the high schoolers might not want to have their children exposed to the gay community or almost nude advertisements.

·      People might take it in the wrong way or feel offended. “Sutherland doesn’t care in the lease that some members of the public might find direct gay marketing offensive.” (Brand Story)

Personally, I feel that Ginch Gonch has the right to put their billboard anywhere but at the same time it could offend some people. I think by putting it about 250-300 yards away from a high school would be perfect. It wouldn’t be too close to it where it would cause a big controversy, it would be just right. I also think that high school students are old enough to understand and see this type of brand. High school is where you usually define whom you are by the people you hang with, how you dress and what you do. It could be great for some students who are still trying to “come out of the closet” because they will have an easier time to accept what they are and they can relate to this brand.

EOC Discussion Questions: Chapter 10

1.     The key characteristics of Ginch Gonch’s advertising makes them unique, because they use ads that is known as “double entendre, something that conveys two meanings, one of which is sexual and risqué.” (Brand Story, Pg. 167) They also use cheeky taglines. I think consumers buy Ginch Gonch products because they like to have cheesy, decorative underwear. It also pertains to the gay community.

2.     It might be ethical to some people to use sex to sell products. “Some may argue that using nudity in advertising or hiring expornographic models is wrong and immoral…” (Brand Story, Pg. 170) Other retailers that I know use sex to sell products would be Dolce & Gabanna and Tom Ford. It makes their products more desirable because it draws in the consumers and it makes them focus on the brand and the product more.

3.     I think Jason Sutherland decided to market to the gay community, because it was an instant success with the gay community. “We own the gay market…Gay men love them; lesbians love them.” (Brand Story, Pg. 162) It’s also his savvy female customers that drive his unique form of advertising. I think there are quite a lot of gay consumers out there because that is whom his niche market is mainly for. “By taking chances with a unique product line, creating risqué advertising and being loyal to an established market niche, this brand has grown larger each year.” (Brand Story, Pg. 170)

4.     If I were in charge of Ginch Gonch’s next fashion assortment, I would call it “The Ginch Gonch You!” as in “The Ginch Got You!” I would call it this because it was the first thing that popped into my mind. The Ginch Got You means that you have caved in to buying one of the Ginch Gonch’s underwear. As in the brand got you to buy one pair of underwear.

WEEK 9 EOC: TV Personal Style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmfgbXcIsYM

           The TV show that reflects my personal style or the style that I like is called The Secret Life of an American Teenager. Shailene Woodley who plays the main character in the show as Amy Juergens has a similar style to what I like and how I dress. She dresses very casual, sophisticated and cute. If she needs to dress up she will. I can relate to her because there would be my lazy days where I come in something casual and there are day where I need to dress up and I will. She wears dresses, pants with cute blouses, fun dressers and sandals. Besides her style, I enjoy her awesome long, straight, brown hair.

            The other characters in there such as Grace and Adrian have a style that I like as well. Grace is the girl with the blonde hair. In the episodes she usually wears pants, pastel colored shirts, little heels, dresses and a cardigan. Adrian the girl with the black hair, on the other hand she likes to show some cleavage and mid-drift at times. Sometimes I can relate to her style because I own crop top shirts that show a little mid-drift.

            All of these girls have a great sense of style. It is affordable yet fashionable. It would be your everyday girl outfit you can throw on to go out to the mall, dinner and school or hang out with friends. All of them also wears a satchel type of bag which are bags that I like.

EOC Exercise: Chapter 9

Being able to create your own brand, you need to know many things. “Branding is a powerful form of communication. Putting yourself out there as a brand can create a rapport with like-minded individuals.” (Brand Story) First you need to have a brand story that could relate to most of your target market. “The more you know the netter off you’ll be. Do research, work in the industry you want to launch your business in, find some mentors to ask for help from.” (Brand Story) My brand would be named after me; A Cubed. A Cubed represents my name because my first, middle and last name begin with the letter A. My logo would have to do with an A. My business cards would be purple, black and white. It would have a fashion mannequin of course! Also it would have either a daisy or bow. It would have A Cubed, my name, email and my title. My target audience would be teens to women in their early 30’s, women who are interested in fashion and like good quality clothing for affordable prices. “My target market is primarily young and urban. There is also a little crossover into forward nostalgic baby boomers.” (Brand Story) I would show my brand at the malls, on advertisements and possibly offer a fashion show. I would show it in store and create a website or blog. Later in the future my brand would expand to men’s clothing. Then possibly going into accessories and shoes.

EOC Discussion Questions: Chapter 9

1.     The thing that makes Brini Maxwell’s television personality unique is that she created her own visual milieu. “ Her reinvention of a bygone plays homage to her processors the creative efforts of her current competition. Brini has accomplished this by creating a unique visual milieu.” (Brand Story) Her personality benefits the brand because she demonstrates a new recipe, home repair, fashion segment, or interview.

2.     Ben Sander came up with the idea of acting out a girl named Brini Maxwell by other characters from TV shows. “Brini Maxwell was the iconic branded symbol, while the androgynous of voice of Ben Sander reflected his knowledge of retro fashion, style, cooking, home improvement and everything he knew…”(Brand Story) Brini’s show was a big hit in NYC, everyone kept waiting till the next episode was aired.

3.     I think she made it to the national spotlight on television, because people could relate to the show, she gave advice and entertainment and that’s what everyone loved. It was interesting to viewers because a man was giving advice on every area of the home. “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 smaller difference: she was a he.” (Brand Story)

4.     Brini’s target market is young, urban and baby boomers. “It’s for people who define themselves as somehow different from the norm.  The boomers find my brand appealing for a different reason. They see the nostalgia of what I do and fit it comforting.” (Brand Story)

5.     It a smart step toward rebranding because people now all over the world can hear, watch or see it wherever they are. It draws more viewers in and makes her brand known.

EOC Discussion Questions: Chapter 8

1.     Consumers feel such a close attachment to their bags, because they save up money to invest in a good one. They want one that would match their personal style and wants to make sure it has everything they need. Also a handbag could either be for status, an accessory and to even to carry your personal belongings in.

2.     When it comes to bags, I don’t really have a personal favorite brand, but most of my bags are from H&M or Aldo. I do own a few designer bags but that’s a different story. The way that I chose my bags is by color, shape and size. I also look to see if there are any pockets. I can use my bag for a long time until I get bored of it, then I will switch to a different one. It just depends on if its old, breaks or if I want to transport everything in a new bag.

3.     First of all when I typed in www.dantebeatrix.com the website changed to http://www.beatrixny.com/. On the website it only shows that you can buy kid things and not anything else. They do have a catalog where you can shop. They also have many stores around the world. They also show celebrities carrying the bags for their kids.

4.     I think Dante Beatrix is so successful with the company’s idea to pursue graphic design instead of just focusing on bag design because of the little cute, simple graphics that is put on the bag. “…although their customers love their bags, what they really like about Dante Beatrix products are the graphics!” (Brand Story) I have a few Coach bags but the only main designer bag that I have is a Louis Vuitton. The thing that makes it special to me is the name and the shape of it. I always wanted the Speedy 35 because it is like a cylinder bag with short handles. On the inside it is really big and can carry a lot, but only has one little pocket. “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 pricepoint bags.” (Brand Story) I enjoy having designer bags, but I think I would rather chose a bag that is cute and fashionable over a really expensive plain one. “For many women, purse shopping has changed from just finding an adequate accessory to being almost an obsession; a guilty pleasure.” (Brand Story)

EOC Exercise: Chapter 8

I think that there are many fashion products in today’s world. It is very hard to come up and create something new and fresh. “Some say this is “Vintage,” I challenge designers to think outside of the box. It has been a long time since we have seen a “new” style.” (Brand Story) Women and teen’s love their shoes, they wear it everywhere, to accessorize, for work or just because. Since Dante Beatrix shows how women’s handbag reflects who they are, shoes do the same as well. “A handbag represents a women’s identity, much like a briefcase may indicate a man’s status or profession.” (Brand Story) Women also have a hard time deciding between what a few colors of shoes they like or they can’t find a certain shoe they want in a certain color.  I wanted to create something that would want them to have a shoe in any color they would like. “People feel more confident buying a necklace, handbag or shoe in a wild pattern or totally innovative look…” (Brand Story) It would be known as Shoe Slips. First they would choose to buy a certain style of shoe, for example: heel, pumps, wedge, boot, etc. then they would choose the type of fabric they want, for example: leather, suede, patent leather, etc. Lastly, they would have two options to choose from black or nude. Then they would purchase as many different colors or material of Shoe Slips they want. The only thing is that if they order a suede heel, they would need to order a suede heel shoe slip. This shoe slip is made so that you can change the color of your shoes. You can slip on the shoe slip onto your black or nude heels and before you know it, you shoes turns into a different color!