What happens when a luxury label gets hijacked ... - Amber Nasrulla

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Dr. Martens is one of the first recorded cases of brand hijacking—where consumers take over a product and either dilute or alter its image in an unexpected way.
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hen Bill Griggs produced his first pair of Dr. Martens in 1960, he expected his ideal consumers would be burly policemen and firefighters. Instead, his shoes became the counterculture boot for British skinheads. Ironically, the design was based on footwear that was popular in the ’40s among little old German ladies who suffered from bunions. While the punks transformed the boot into a subversive social statement, the thick-soled shoes

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eventually entered mainstream fashion in the mid-’80s. According to marketing expert Douglas Atkin, Dr. Martens is one of the first recorded cases of brand hijacking—where consumers take over a product and either dilute or alter its image in an unexpected way. The noted author of The Culting of Brands, Atkin says that companies like Dr. Martens are more likely to embrace a consumer takeover if it bumps up sales and creates brand loyalty. h

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From ultra-posh to street culture—what happens when a luxe label gets hijacked? TEXT: AMBER NASRULLA

FASHION More than 10 years ago, Tommy Hilfiger was clever enough to take advantage of the situation when his jeans and sportswear developed urban cred after Snoop Dogg appeared on Saturday Night Live wearing one of the label’s shirts. Hilfiger then began to design baggier, streetwear styles to target his new cool customers. Unfortunately for Hilfiger, the ambush ended when consumers decided to switch their allegiance to Russell Simmons (Phat Farm) and P. Diddy (Sean John). Last December, after putting his company on the market for some four months, Hilfiger accepted a US$1.6-billion bid from Apax Partners (which partly owns the Calvin Klein brand) to take over his beleaguered brand. “The froth is off the cappuccino for Hilfiger, and it’s not going to get frothy again,” says

Margaret Mager, a Goldman Sachs retail analyst. While Dr. Martens and Tommy Hilfiger were involuntarily taken over, sophisticated marketers have taken to “seeding” their products into a desired group with the hope that they will become hijacked. Red Bull did that, tossing empty cans of its energy drink into washrooms in New York clubs. It quickly became the non-alcoholic beverage of choice among ravers, musicians and other night owls, such as Demi Moore. “It’s time to accept the new reality,” says Alex Wipperfürth, in his book Brand Hijack: Marketing Without Marketing. “In this era of the involved consumer, the market sometimes claims a brand for itself. Rather than shy away from the trend, why not embrace it as (mostly) a good thing?”

INVOLUNTARILY HIJACKED Brand BURBERRY Hijackers The posh print of the British upper class was taken over by soccer hooligans and “chavs,” a derogatory term for youngsters who use their welfare cheques to buy fake bling and counterfeit designer duds. Backlash Burberry clothing was banned from some pubs and clubs in 2004. Once a totem of old money, taste and class—the Queen often steps out in a Burberry trench coat—the print became a symbol of the modern-day hillbilly. Hijackees Burberry stopped production of its checked hats and heavily promoted others patterns, like its straight lines and florals. “We found our customers were looking for more sartorial elegance,” says a Burberry spokesperson.

wear Dickies Workwear utilitarian clothes, and the trade press touted the 84-year-old company as an emerging youth brand. Dickies quickly introduced a streetwear line. Damage Though grunge put the company on the map, execs knew the fad could fade and its authenticity with core blue-collar customers could be damaged. In 2000, the company decided to stop chasing cool, says Wipperfürth. Dickies phased out the streetwear line and seeded its stock in paint and hardware stores. Dickies’ goal was to emphasize a strong blue-collar message and not alienate long-time buyers. At the same time, Dickies recognized the importance of the youth market and played hard-to-get with that notoriously fickle demographic. Dressing staff at trendy SoHo restaurants plus soft advertising sent a message to young buyers that Dickies was cool and its product coveted. The fact that it was harder to buy only added to the allure. Payback Its sales of jeans, overalls and boots steadily climbed, and the apparel earned star cachet as Hollywood celebs tried to project the image that they’re “salt of the earth” real people. Sandra Bullock, Madonna and Leonardo DiCaprio swear by Dickies jeans and are often photographed wearing them as they stroll through tony parts of L.A. h

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Brand DICKIES WORKWEAR Hijackers In the 1990s, teen skateboarders and grunge fans started to

FASHION Brand PRADA Hijackers Chavs wearing Prada running shoes. Backlash Last November, some East England and Manchester nightclub managers banned Prada’s expensive high-top runners because they associated the footwear with troublemakers. They also sought to enforce a classier dress code. Hijackees The Milan-based fashion house regarded the shoe ban as an isolated, local incident. “It hasn’t damaged Prada,” insisted a spokesperson, who preferred not to be named. “In no way did it tarnish the reputation or have an impact on brand perception or affect sales in the U.K. market.” Though it’s hard to believe that Prada executives weren’t concerned, the company didn’t alter its course with respect to marketing, managing goods or targeting its core audience.

Brands COURVOISIER AND TANQUERAY Hijackers In 2002, Busta Rhymes’ song “Pass the Courvoisier” went straight to the top of the charts. In the 1994 hit “Gin and Juice,” Snoop Dogg raps about “Tanqueray and chronic.” Backlash The song revived Courvoisier’s popularity and sales of the cognac grew, but the boom was short-lived. Soon after the song was off the charts, orders for the French liquor fell too. When rappers extolled the virtues of Tanqueray, the gin’s popularity spread beyond the traditional Anglo-Saxon crowd to urban imbibers. Hijackees Courvoisier marketers brainstormed to build on the liquor’s new-found popularity, while rappers began to write ditties about other kinds of booze. It’s unlikely that a swank, silver-haired golfer is going to attend a rap event, so liquor companies have a whole new market to tap into.

founder Dov Charney hijacked one of the core principles of brand marketing—that you promote your logo—and turned it upside down. He created buzz about his line by dispensing with logos and selling plain-as-vanilla T-shirts, underwear, miniskirts and sweatshirts. The company doesn’t advertise in fashion mags or mainstream media but takes out ads in alternative press featuring amateur models— and sometimes porn stars—in provocative poses. The cutting-edge, steamy ads appealed to middle-class kids from the burbs who wanted to project a racy image that they, too, were sexy and rebellious. Damage None, so far! By taking an anti-establishment route, Charney generated underground buzz with teenagers and hip twentysomethings, which led to an estimated US$250 million in annual sales. He has more than 50 stores in five countries worldwide. Payback Industry observers praise Charney, saying that he has tapped into a cultural shift among people who are suspicious of corporate branding. These consumers don’t want to be walking billboards for clothing lines. They want their fashion to be reasonably priced and sweatshop-free. “The company is plucking all the right heartstrings,” Arnold Aronson, managing director of retail strategies at Kurt Salmon Associates, told The New York Times. “Patriotism, social values and an environmentally friendly spirit, plus value for the pocketbook, and they make a damn good product.” ■

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Brand AMERICAN APPAREL Hijackers Instead of this label being hijacked, Montreal-born