How does Converse represent itself as a brand?

What is branding?

A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that customers and consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan or design of the company who owns the idea and image (Brick Marketing – SEO Marketing Solutions Company, 2016). Branding is when that idea is marketed so that it is recognised by more and more people. This is usually done through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. (BusinessDictionary.com, 2016).

Good and bad examples of branding

There are many examples of both good and bad branding techniques, even from the biggest companies and people. One recent example of a brand fail is that of Irish band U2, who in 2014 caused a worldwide upset by forcing its new album into 500 million desktops and iPhones, regardless of whether anyone wanted it or not (Klara, 2015). The idea to release the album 'Songs of Innocence' for free to iTunes users, sparked an instant backlash, with critics saying both U2 and Apple were 'out of touch' with what their customers actually liked to listen to (Vincent, 2014)

What could we take from this though? One of the main factors is to know your target market well, know what they get up to and what they want. This links to brand placement and its importance. You want to make sure wherever you’re advertising your brand, it’s a place that appeals to your target market. There are some horror stories about ad placement out there. One example is that of insurance company, Aflac, who posted an ad featuring their duck mascot on the same page as an article about anatidaephobia - the fear that you are being watched by a duck! Could this be placed anywhere worse?

Moving on from that, a good example of a branding success is that of Coca-Cola. Coke's strength is that it knows how to connect with its current customers. The brand has had to make a lot of changes since 1886 to keep up with their audience, including changing their logo over the years to become more modern and thinking of creative campaigns to keep up with the times. One example of this is their 2012 Super Bowl commercial. Their commercials picture two polar bears; one supporting the New York Giants and the other New England Patriots. The commercials would play depended on who was winning at half time. This is a great example of how the 125-year-old brand is still able to stay current (Churt, 2012).

How does Converse represent itself as a brand?

We all know what Converse look like, especially its signature Chuck Taylor All Star style, which has been around for decades. So it's no surprise that celebrities from Andy Warhol to George Harrison, Kristen Stewart to Tommy Lee have all laced up a pair of Chucks at one time or another (Klara, 2015).

But whom does Converse target their products directly towards? For a company to brand itself successfully, it’s important to understand their target market. A case study by Matt Woestehoff, Director of Business Development at The Foundation (2010) outlined that male and females, aged 16-24, earning under £45,000 a year are the main focus for Converse. Whilst he always uses words such as independent and rocker to further describe the desired customer.

Looking at Converse’s website, it can be seen throughout how the company targets towards a younger audience. The ripped jeans included in the photo on the homepage, as well as the tagline ‘Last Night in Paris, London 2016’ with a person dancing in Converse shoes, all direct towards a younger generation.

Looking at how the website brands itself in other ways can also be noticed. The simplicity of the website makes it easy to navigate and doesn’t over congest it, therefore broadening the target market, as older generations may want to visit the website to not only buy products for people they know, but also for themselves. The brand logo is also a reoccurring element of the website, which can be seen both in the top left and bottom right. This increases brand awareness to the customer.

The interactive elements of the website such as Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, help audiences engage more with the website and help publicise the brand more. Whilst the brand slogan ‘Made by you’ makes the brand feel yet again more personal.

It could be said that Converse as a company don't directly target a young audience overall, as many older generations wear the brand. However its intentions do seem to keep the brand to a youthful tone so that older generations may find some nostalgia from the brand. Therfeore engaging with its products.

How can this information be applied to a personal portfolio and a client’s website?

With all the above information taken into account, it can be said that one of the main factors to creating a successful online presence is to know youre target market well. This ability to understand your audience and who you are aiming towards will help you stay away from causing mistakes such as the one of Irish band U2.

A simplistic website broadens your audience and makes navigation seem both more fluid and accessible. Whilst the lack of information on certain pages could support the phrase 'less is more'. Pictures are also a must. No consumer wants to just read, its bland on the page and boring to view.

References

Brick Marketing - SEO Marketing Solutions Company. (2016). What is Branding? - Define Branding. [online] Available at: http://www.brickmarketing.com/define-branding.htm [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016].

Churt, R. (2012). 5 Examples of Huge Branding Successes and How You Can Achieve Them Too. [online] Social Media Today. Available at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/5-examples-huge-branding-successes-and-how-you-can-achieve-them-too [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016].

Klara, R. (2015). Converse’s Street-Style Campaign Shows How People Rock Their Chucks Around the World. [online] AdWeek. Available at: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/converse-s-street-style-campaign-shows-how-people-rock-their-chucks-around-world-163189 [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016].

Nudd, T. (2014). The 13 Biggest Brand Fails of 2014. [online] AdWeek. Available at: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/13-biggest-brand-fails-2014-161978 [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016].

Vincent, J. (2014). Bono apologises for free U2 iTunes album, blames 'a drop of. [online] The Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/bono-apologises-for-free-u2-itunes-album-blames-a-drop-of-megalomania-a-touch-of-generosity-and-a-9795281.html [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016].

Woestehoff, M. (2010). Converse Target Audience Overview. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/thebraincokid/converse-target-audience-overview [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016].

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