Sources of brand equity:
KENZO AND DVF by
LAIS ISFER
LINA BORSELLINO
KENZO The KENZO brand dates back to the year 1970 where it was started in Paris by Takada Kenzo. Takada Kenzo is a Japanese designer that was educated in one of Tokyo’s w o r l d renown academic institutions called Bunka Fashion College. Soon after Takada Kenzo moved to Paris, France where he opened his first boutique named “Jungle Jap”. He tapped into the market with his innovative designs that included vivid colors and pieces heavily inspired by multicultural elements and nature, a combination that was lacking in the industry. After the brands rise in the 1970s Takada Kenzo launched a series of new collections for men, woman and children followed by his first woman’s fragrance in 1988 “ça sent beau,” which was an instant success. Since the launch of KENZO FRAGRENCES,
the brand has introduced a series of revolutionary fragrances over the years such as such as Flower by KENZO, KENZO Amour, L’eau par KENZO, and Summer by KENZO. In 1993, t h e K EN Z O b r a n d w a s bought by the LVMH Moet Hennessy L o u i s Vuitton group. Soon after in In 1999, the brand celebrated its 30 year anniversary in the fashion world and Takada Kenzo took his retirement. He left the direction of KENZO PARFUMS in the hands of the new president and CEO Odile Lobadowsky and in the following year, Patrick Guedj was named the new creative director. In the year 2000 the Flower by KENZO was born and quickly became a classic in the perfume world. This poppy based scent was the highest grossing perfume put out by KENZO of all time. In 2001, a skincare line,
KENZOKI, was launched. Built around four Asian plants; Rice Steam, Ginger Flower, Bamboo Leaf and White Lotus. This cosmetic range brought a new approach to skincare; a marriage of pleasure and efficiency. In 2008, KENZO PARFUMS celebrated its 20th anniversary by creating a limited edition fragrance, Vintage Edition, which celebrated the 1970s, the decade in which the brand was founded. Now a days the brand continues to thrive under the direction of Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. They continue to capture the essence that KENZO customer craves and that Takada Kenzo introduced in the very beginning. This code, the “KENZO” code is the platform that had made the brand so popular and continues to rise to the top.
CUSTOMER PROFILE Prior to Carol Lim and Humberto Leon taking direction of the KENZO label the target consumer was older, both men and woman aged 50 to 65 years of age. The previous consumers were typically successful entrepreneurs with an annual income of about 70,000€ to 90,000€ with large disposable income to spend on fashion and luxury goods. In a recent interview with STYLIST UK Magazine Carol Lim and Humberto Leon commented on their target consumer, Lim said “It’s not that we changed the customer base, we expanded it. We’re not after a younger customer specifically. We want a bigger dialogue and we want different age demographics to exist together”. Leon expanded this statement by saying “That’s the goal; we didn’t want to exclude the existing customer. The average age has come down by 30 years from 70 to 30 and the reason for that is that the 40s, 30s, 20s and teens have joined. Now it’s balanced out”. Now, the KENZO consumer consists mostly of a younger customer base, men and woman aged 27 to 37. These people
are early adopters, trend setters and creative minds. They are young businesspeople earing between 50,000€ to 70,000€ a year. Their disposable income in not very flexible but they choose to spend money on fashion forward one of a kind pieces. KENZO is concerned with reaching customers
all across the board of all genders, ages, income brackets and lifestyle. Ms. Lim’s comment that KENZO is for “sexiness, powerful men and women and those not afraid to wear color.” Their goal in the maintenance stage of their brand life cycle is to keep the brand as global as possible and reach as many people as possible.
ZMET We conducted an intimate ZMET interview with five candidates. We asked a series of questions in regards to brand attachment, brand perception, customer loyalty, brand performance, etc. We also showed a set of images to analyze the consumers reaction and emotions attached to the KENZO label. To start off we showed an image of the classic KENZO jumper and asked; “what is the first thing that comes to mind when you see this article of clothing?”. The participants had no issues pointing out the brand of the garment. Then we asked; “what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the KENZO brand?” The general consensus was; colorful, pattern driven and funky. We
followed that question by asking; “what makes you buy from KENZO?”. The interviewees responded by saying; the items are unique, the clothes are fun, their clothes serve as self expression. Then we showed two images of two similar outfits, one from the KENZO collection and one “KENZO inspired” look. We asked; “which outfit would you purchase and why?”. The participants were torn, but finally the authentic picture was chosen because of the quality, durability and the brand. We moved on and asked “when you buy from KENZO what feeling
surface?”. The general answer was, feeling of content and satisfaction because they found what they were looking for and even if the know the piece is nto one of a kind they will be able to wear the item in a unique way. With the results of our interviews we can assume that the KENZO consumer is brand driven. They hold the brand high
and take any aspects into consideration when purchasing from KENZO.
RESONANCE As our ZMET interview clearly shows the KENZO customer is very brand aware. KENZO has done a good job of creating a loyal following. The KENZO consumer is very loyal to the brand. They are willing to pay the KENZO price points for the authentic items when there are tons of look-alikes in the market. The KENZO clientele is very much attached to the brand. They have followed the brand through its brand life cycle and have managed to gain more and more
of a following. KENZO has done a great job of creating a need with its pieces even though the brand aesthetics remain the same. KENZO has filled a gap in the market and the customer base has responded to this. The consumer has a high perception of the brand. Even though the brand is easily copied, which cheapens the brand to an extent, the KENZO client has remained loyal.
JUDGEMENT KENZO is known for combining Asian inspiration with French finesse and paying specific attention to luxury, creativity, design and most of all quality. Therefor, the brand is recognized for these exceptional abilities making it the consumer more and more loyal. KENZO continues to express the original values of the brand: attachment to nature, poetry, mixing of East and West and a playful marriage of contrasts. These elements along with the vagabond spirit of the brand are present in all forms of KENZO. From their magnificent installations around the world, to their
the KENZO aesthetic is one of a kind, and even though many have tried to duplicate it they have never been successful.
faithful dedication to every detail of design. KENZO prides itself on being a brand different from the rest. Over the years it has gained it premium status for its uniqueness and ability to combine French and Japanese “haute couture”.
FEELINGS After doing extensive research and conducting our ZMET interviews it is obvious that the consumer has strong feelings about KENZO as a brand. The consumer holds the brand high for many reasons; they pay attention to the needs and wants of their client. That along with staying true to what made the KENZO name from the very beginning. The KENZO consumer feels that
The KENZO customer is eager and excited every season to see what the company puts out and trusts that if needed they can always find the brands core items every season.
PERFORMANCE KENZO is known for staying true to the “KENZO Code” which was put into place by the founder and creator Takada Kenzo. Their iconic flat patters such as animal prints, tartan, vivid color combinations, attachment to nature, poetry, mixing of East and West and a playful marriage of contrasts. These
elements along with the vagabond spirit of the brand are present in all forms of KENZO. From their magnificent installations around the world, to their faithful dedication to every detail of design.
by folk costumes and ethnic inspirations like Spanish boleros, Austrian loden jackets, Indian trousers, Chinese tunics, Bedouin blankets and Breton aprons.
IMAGERY
KENZO is also famous for their simplified silhouettes and child-like shapes, like their ever so popular pullovers, knee length shorts, mini c o a t s , sweater dresses. T h e s e collection staples have been m a d e edgy by adding a kimono sleeve, which is very uncommon for knitted pieces, oversized berets, wide armholes and modifies shoulders. The brand follows the “KENZO code” which had been established by Takada KENZO in the early years of the brands life, which is influenced,
The brand is known to the public as a young contemporary brand. Prior to this shift in consumer base the KENZO consumer was older and more conservative, since the brand has taken the company down a different road allowing the “loyal customer to grow with the brand,” and “the current young fashion generation — and their children too”. The brand has made efforts to become more global to cater their product line to everyone, everywhere.
SALIENCE The brand is very visible in the market, the consumers act as walking advertisements as the garments are very distinguishable. KENZO has become very popular for their advertising as well. Recently, for their Fall/ Winter 2013 collection they collaborated with Maurizio Cattelan, Micol Talso and Pierpaolo Ferrari of arts magazine TOILETPAPER to create a surreal ad campaign using Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi and male model Sean O’Pry riding on giant manicured hand or wearing multiple cutout eyes. These advertisements did exceptionally well with the public (see ZMET results above) and undoubtingly set them apart from their competitors.
Their advertisement strategy accelerated the concentration on the core business and built an autonomous identity for their brand. KENZO also shows collections in all the major fashion weeks; New York, Milan, London and Paris. This keeps the brand fresh and current. They bring out innovative collections every season that is cohesive to the “KENZO code” that appeals to the KENZO clientele. The ready to wear pieces are made accessible to the consumer though various channels of distributions such as, in store and online. KENZO’s marketing and communication
strategies are geared directly to the consumer. They chose various direct methods to communicate their brand to the end consumer such as; advertising, personal selling, internet marketing, promotions and other various forms of Internet marketing and social media outlets. The KENZO brand is known for their prints including flowers and leaves made very popular by their infamous Flower by K EN Z O perfume bottle. T h e i r iconic f l a t patters such as animal prints, tartan and vivid color combinations. KENZO is known for their simplified silhouettes and childlike shapes, like their ever so popular pullovers, knee length shorts, mini coats, sweater dresses. These collection staples have been made edgy by adding kimono sleeves, which is very uncommon for knitted pieces, oversized berets, wide armholes and modifies shoulders. The brand follows the “KENZO code” which had been established by Takada
KENZO in the early years of the brands life, which is influenced, by folk costumes and ethnic inspirations like Spanish boleros, Austrian loden jackets, Indian trousers, Chinese tunics, Bedouin blankets and Breton aprons.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Diane von Furstenberg is a belgianamerican fashion designer considered one of the most importants of the 1970‘s and 80‘s. Starting in 1972, Diane sold jersey dresses, before she created the famous wrap dresses two years later, those which would become a great success and attract numerous women and simbolized independence and power to that generation, defending the lady-like style with her famous phrase “Feel like a woman, wear a dress”. Her strong graphic prints are also part of her signature.
After twenty one years out of the market, in 1997 she re-lauched her brand using the iconic dress and established the company as a global luxury lifestyle brand. Nowadays she is sold in over 50 countries all over the five continents and her product range includes garments, shoes, handbags, scarves, jewelry, eyewear, leathergoods and, since 2011, home furnishing and fragrances. In 2004 she started her collaboration with the brazilian jewelry company H.Stern designing a collection that evoked herpowerful lifestyle and work through exuberant bracelets, earings, and rings in gold, diamonds and colorfull stones. She received in 2005 the Achievement Award
from the Council of Fahion Desginers of America (CFDA) for her impact on fashion, which council is is also president since 2006 and dedicated to help new talents and to establish an act against counterfeit reproductions and piracy from designers’ works. Also was her philantropical work she participates of Vital Voices, a nongovernmental organization that supports female leaders and enterpreneurs al over the world. In 2010 she created the DVF awards to honor brave and courageous women who had important roles in their causes. In 2012 Forbes Magazine nominated her as the most powerful woman in the fashion world. With the exhibition that visited already Beijing, Los Angeles, Moscou and Sao Paulo, “Journey of a dress” she celebrates over 40 years of work in fashion business.
CUSTOMER PROFILE
ZMET
The customer profile consists in the target segment of the market that the brand will reach and satisfy the needs and desires. In Diane’s case she says she designs clothes that are meant to be suitable for every woman. In an interview with The Fashion Makers in 1978 she said “clothes should complement a woman, the perfect accessories to her beauty and lifestyle”. She provides her customers well designed, ease and sexy looks for women that have a job and a family. The customer profile of DVF brand is real women, self-confident with an accurated fashion style but who still need to wear something to make them feel free. Her customers should not be necessarily segmented for their ages, but for their personalities. They can be from 35 to 70 years but they are for sure youngminded, confidents, with a stable career, loved people around her and they know want they want to be. They like to buy quality garments, they are sophisticated and have cultural backgrounds.
We also conducted the ZMET methodology to capture the perceptions of customers related to DVF’s brand. We conducted an interview with five individuals aware of the brand and we asked a series of questions in regards to brand attachment, brand perception, customer loyalty and brand performance. We also showed a set of images to analyze the consumers reaction and emotions attached to the DVF label. When asked what was the first word that came into their minds about DVF, the majority answered as being the wrap dress, followed by the characteristic prints and the lady-like silhouette and feminility appeal.
The reasons the participants had to justify the buying decision for DVF products (wrap dress, for example) were: the appreciation of the design, the signature prints the quality and also the desire to have the “classic” DVF dress. The interviews showed that the DVF customer is brand driven due to the “historical issue” that made the brand known and it’s status but also takes into consideration the quality of design of clothes and products sold by the brand.
RESONANCE The consumer relationship in DVF is treated as an important matter. The brand’s creator knows the importance of the consumers feedback on the company’s development an uses the internet as an ally. On the social media webiste Facebook, the company incentivate customers feedback and constantly share informations to make them feel part of the process. Following this strategy DVF is also using the mobile app Trendabl to get more proximity to customers and to show her expertise on trends. That gives the consumer the feeling of a
more personal approach and develop a stronger attachment to the brand. In a recent event she joined forces with American Express and invited card members to attend her show at New York Fashion Week. She creates customer appreciation by giving them something unique and special creating status and, in return, their loyalty is created or reinforced. On the brand’s website the customer service provides a phone number, instead of an e-mail adress, so when necessary, the consumers will reach a real person to solve their problems. These strategies help creating customer loyalty and therefore, brand attachment. Customers perceived DVF as being a luxury brand but still afordable an high quality clothes and products that are made for real women.
JUDGEMENT DVF customers give great credibility to the brand. They see in the personality of the designer the way they want to be: free, youngminded, innovative, independent. They have high appreciation for the brand’s designs and product quality, what starts to develop the loyalty although the the brand marketing strategies have an important role to reinforce it. DVF wants to be close to the customer and incentivate their
feedbacks. Those actiosn give the consumers the impression and the feeling that they are important to the brand. Those factors help to build strong customer relationship and increase their loyalty towards the brand.
FEELINGS The consumers feel the young, colorful and free spirit of the brand and the possiblity to be the women they want. Women feel real and confident when using DVF clothes and acessories because they do not have to change themselves to fit in a DVF dress, for example. It is designed to fit all silhouettes and ages, different that some brands that define their silhouettes in a
very restricted way and the consumers have to addapt to it to be able to wear the brand.
PERFORMANCE DVF is considered a luxury brand with high quality materials and final products but its price range is still affordable with clothes in a range of 200$-600$. The consideration with consumers’ feedback help creating reliability with them, and that is an special feature about DVF. They have great respect for their consumers and want to nurish their relationships and give the impression that they can improve together. When consumers want to buy the DVF wrap dress, they want to reflect the brand values of freedom and independence into their own-images. The brand does not want to sell simple products, but to sell it’s lifestyle, which is reflect into their products. This preocupation of DVF makes the products’ design more reliable, iconic and timeless. As showed in one of the brand’s advertisings for Mother’s Day, the slogan says: “We dress mothers and daughters” showing that the timeless pieces
and brand loyalty are can cross generations and still be strong and fresh.
IMAGERY The brand gives a young, fun, colorful and free atmosphere through the prints and the advertisments. The brand customer profile necessarily into an age gap, but in the personality
and the lifestyle of the women, just like Diane’s personality. Every woman can wear DVF, be what they want to be and feel confident about it and that is what the brand communicates.
SALIENCE In the women fashion ready-to-wear category the DVF brand is very proeminent in the everyday fashion. It is a luxury brand but with price ranges still afordable and designs very democratical. The prints and the creator’s personality are also an important part to define who is the brand in the fashion atmosphere. The brand satisfy their customers’ needs by provinding versatile and timeless pieces
that reflect the brands values of freedom and independence for women without losing elegance.
The DVF brand achieves brand equity through its iconic wrap dresses and prints, its quality material and products, it’s honest and affordable prices and still delivering a luxury good. Most of all, the customers attach to the brand due to its values and lifestyle that are always reflected through the designs, but mainly through Diane herself and her personality that gives all the customers the desire and will to be “the woman they want to be”. The coeherence in the brand values reflection in all the aspects such as products, communication and image is what gives the consumer a solid attachment to the brand.
CONCLUSION Even though the brands studied reach different markets and customer profiles, comparing both brands’ awarenesses, it is possible to notice that both are known and related by their inconic pieces such as the KENZO jumper and the DVF wrap dress. Their design outlines are also very similar with clean lines, simple silhouettes. Both brands have the goal to create the “everyday” luxury fashion that is still afordable to their consumers and that makes them eager to have the “it” pieces. Another characteristic of them are the graphic and colorful prints that also are an important part in the sense of creating brand recognition. The two
studied brands are very modern and innovative and close-related to their customers. Both brands creators (Takada Kenzo and Dian Von Furstenberg) started with the same brand values in mind, as quality , brand consistency and innovation.
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