A Room With A View[point]

Some people forget how far we’ve come … how much we’ve learnt, developed and progressed … and much of this advancement can be credited to the influence of capitalism.

In many societies, capitalism has become a dirty word – however we should not forget there are many examples where it has been behind some of the innovations that we now take for granted.

There is nothing wrong with making oodles of money – without it you can’t do good things with it – however the secret to being a brand that is rich, yet still loved by the masses is down to what they do to earn it and what they do once they’ve got it.

If you need some other ‘reminders’ of how far we’ve come, here are some memories of Robert, 38 …

“When I was a kid I didn’t have the internet – if I wanted to know something, I had to go to the goddamned library and look it up myself! And there was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter – with a pen! – and then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in something called a letterbox. And it would take like a week to get there!!!”

We didn’t get cool games with huge background stories, we had monotonous stuff like ‘Space Invaders’ and ‘Asteroids’ where there were no multiple levels, it was just one screen that got faster and faster until you eventually died!”

Errrrrm, thank you Robert.

It’s all very well having ‘mascots’ to represent your brand, but like the Michelin man and Ronald McDonald, it can quickly become tired and/or irrelevant, especially if they are left to become nothing more than a visual image rather than a representation of what your brand stands for.

Iconography is incredibly important, but if you [1] don’t give it specific meaning [preferably backed up through the actions of your company] and [2] have an entire category that has copied your look and service to the nth degree without you progressing to any meaningful level, it’s about as useful as asking Steven Segal for acting tips.

So Diesel felt that given the current economic crisis, it would be a bit tasteless to throw a huge party to celebrate their new store in NYC’s 5th Avenue – you know, a night with fashion shows and models and bubby galore. Bad taste, indeed.

Why throw one party, when you can throw FIVE!

So instead, they’ve decided to host celeb dinner parties in the show windows- converting the store to look like an apartment. Called ‘FIVE on FIFTH’ the dinner parties feature celebs enjoying their champagne and avocado salads as confused passers by stop to stare.

Hmmn! let’s see – because showing people who are suffering just how the other half lives even when times are tough is clearly a ‘feel good’.

We especially love this one comment from one of their guests …

“We just had a homeless woman, and she’s just kind of like staring at people… This woman was just staring, I almost wanted to go outside and give her a glass of champagne! She hasn’t left since we got here”

Nothing like a dose compassion to sell fashion! Edgy or deluded – what do you think?

Full story here

So Robert went home and found his wife had dyed her hair …

Apparently she wanted it to be like this …

Photo: KevinLaw

… but ended up with this …

Photo: WeLoveColours

The interesting thing is Robert say’s she’s almost trying to force herself to like it.

It’s not because she can’t make it darker, it’s because she’s worried her ‘shock’ has more to do with what she has been subliminally influenced to regard as ‘acceptable’ rather than what she actually likes.

Which got us thinking …

Whilst hair colouring companies produce a vast range of shades, we would imagine the majority of their sales come from a relatively small group of colours.

However we know that whilst women place a disproportionate level of importance on their hair [yes, we know some men can be like that too, but women regard their hair like a 'public barometer' of their mood/attitude/health] there is a great desire to ‘experiment’ interms of styles and colours … so why don’t they sell ‘shade braver’ kits which are basically a slightly more intense colour to the usual/popular shades but with an additional treatment that allows women to ‘downgrade’ if they find the colour too potent for their tastes?

Not only would this give women the confidence/security to experiment but it could justify a premium price point for a hair care company.

We have to admit we’re not sure if a product that allows you to instantly reduce your hair colour potency exists or is safe – but given it is human nature to try and fit in [despite having a desire to stand out] we think there is an opportunity for brands to ‘encourage’ change without expecting their customers to simply let go of everything they are comfortable with.

With all the panic-ridden articles and gloomy reports about the current economic downturn, you’d be quite within your rights to think the World is over – however Hyundai in the US have developed an idea that is aiming [and based on early reports, succeeding] in bucking the trend.

Hyundai realise that the fear of losing your job is especially prelevant in people’s minds – and is one of the biggest barriers to new car purchase – so having asked themselves how to get around this issue, they have developed an offer that amounts to ‘job insurance’.

Basically if you find yourself without employment within the first 12 months of buying the car, you can give it back no questions asked, and walk away.

Now if you’re anything like us, you’d be wondering what is the catch …

What happens if you had a trade in? Do you get a proportion of the value back if the car is still worth more than you had initially paid? How is How is that figure evaluated?

And whilst we haven’t got all the answers, Hyundai do seem to be being very fair in their offer.

To qualify for the vehicle-return program, you must have made at least two scheduled payments and be current on their loan or lease. Valid reasons for returning the car include involuntary unemployment, physical disability, international transfer, and personal bankruptcy for the self-employed.

We are trying to find out if Hyundai have put up the unit price of each car to help cover any potential risk [because even though it is unlikely they may find themselves with millions of cars being brought back at once, we live in times where the impossible is becoming a regular occurrence] because if they have, it would show that in these days of uncertainty, people will pay a premium for a sense of assurance – which in itself is an interesting opportunity for brands under pressure.

However to top off the quality of the strategy, Hyundai have used an positive tone in their communication – telling people they believe in them to get through this bump without their assistance – and given the temptation would be to use fear, doom and gloom as a motivator [are you listening insurance companies?] they are to be applauded for this.

In an industry where year on year flat line sales is a success, Hyundai’s 14% growth is nothing short of remarkable – and we are sure there will be many people who were considering renewing their vehicle, ending up behind the wheel of one of Korea’s most famous brands rather than one of their home-grown alternatives.

In a quest to maintain profitability, it is easy for companies to look at any marketing exercise as an ‘expense’, but if you address fundamental human needs/fears/wants and dreams, you might just find yourself experiencing a period of growth and writing a blueprint for the next financial downturn.