PART TEN:

Rebranding Bershka: differentiating the brand from the Inditex stable.

Storytelling and a brand narrative is an essential part of any successful fashion brand as it allows the customer to identify and connect with its image. However, successful brands may choose to change this narrative to reflect its changing identity or separate from the crowd (Tungate, 2012). Fast fashion brand Bershka is a recent example of this, and aims to appeal to ‘adventurous young people who are aware of the latest trends’ (Bershka.com, 2023).

Bershka is owned by fashion conglomerate Inditex, who own several other popular brands such as Zara and Stradivarius. To separate itself from the Inditex label, Bershka have rebranded in several ways, most notably being its logo and website design. The website attempts to appeal to younger consumers by having a ‘Bsk Teen’ section that uses a mix of graphics, colourful images and videos, and young models. This is visually different compared to its sister brand Zara, that typically opts for neutral colours to appeal to a more millennial demographic. This separates Bershka from the typical visual branding that Inditex uses and represents itself as a brand who caters for a younger, generation Z consumer.

Similarly, the logo has recently changed from ‘thin’ lowercase lettering to a bold, uppercase, sans serif font. Whilst this isn’t drastically different, it is bolder compared to other Inditex brands, and allows the logo to stand out against a plain white background. Similarly, black has connotations of power and attention, which could possibly draw attention to the brand for young shoppers (Lischer, 2023). However, the logo does not relate to the colourful and exciting rebrand the landing page has had, and the use of a black logo can still be associated with Inditex and its sleek, monochrome design.