As I have been researching Hollister on the back of the intense research I did for my dissertation on Vans some interesting questions are coming to mind which I will start to document.
To me the pseudo history behind the Hollister brand and its lack of heritage in the surfing industry leads me to belive its relationship with Culture/society is insidious. Current thinking about Branding seems to promote the notion that to be successful in todays markets the brand needs to be authentic and transparent. At least VF Corp bought into some authenticity with the Vans brand whereas Hollister is all an illusion.
This is an interesting exercise done in Australia by The Principals Agency and also Brand Navigator.
The Authentic Brand Index
They tried to index the most Authentic barnds based on qualitive research across certain drivers:
Originality
The extent to which your brand has brought something new and different to market
Personal Utlity
The extent to which your brand delivers real utility to users that they feel they can't live without
Declared beliefs
The extent to which your brand stands for more than just making money
Sincerity
The extent to which your brand tries hard not to let people down
Familiarity
The extent to which your brand is well known by everyone
Momentum
The extent to which your brand has an aura of becoming more popular
Heritage
The extent to which your brand has a relevant and engaging story
I am just thinking does a Brand have to be HONEST to be authentic. Is it enough to build a story which it can maintain and believe in? Abercrombie seem pretty successful at it...
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