Marketing and all things related

Marketing Blurb always has a simple branding lesson for our marketing students. Companies do not own their brands—their consumers own the brand. Take New Coke, for example—please! Do not screw around with your brand unless you are prepared to alienate those who brought you to the dance. Amazingly, this is still a new lesson for our friends at Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks recently launched a line of tight-fitting clothing targeting the daughters of their real target audience. Oops. Admitting their mistake, the department store is trying to get back on track by re-emphasizing their classic labels known to their older and more affluent audience. As such, Saks windows will soon be filled with more traditional fashion by Ellen Tracy, Chanel and Fendi. Saks needs to forget Macy’s, because Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are still nibbling at the franchise from the high end and the low end. In the long run, however, do not depend on Marketing Blurb for the latest fashion trends—ask our girlfriend. We learned about this from the Associated Press via The Lost Angeles Times.