TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

The name of the game in marketing today is creating and growing your brand.  Rae Dunn (Pioneer Woman) has done a great job of this very thing.  She has grown from a blogger to a corporate empire in a few short years.


A friend recently told me her daughter, who collects all things Rae Dunn, had 69 coffee cups from the Rae Dunn collections.  There is only one person in the family who drinks coffee.  BUT HEY, if 69 close friends drop by for coffee, they are set to go!  The mark of marketing genius is convincing people to buy your products that they do not even need!

Seeing that Ellen DeGeneres has a new collection offered at Wal Mart and various other sites set this stream of loose association off.

Ellen has clothing, linens, shoes, dishes, and bags to name only a few--all sold under her name.  It never occurred to me I might want Ellen dictating my style.

We all know people who are very brand conscious.  If it doesn't have a polo player on a horse, they do not buy it.  Or how about those expensive purses with the famous initials on them.  For MANY hundreds of dollars you can be the proud owner of one.  Unfortunately there are style idiots like me who are not impressed because we do not have a clue that you did not buy it off the Wal Mart sale rack. 


No one has ever done a better job of branding than this company



No need to provide a name--for we all know Nike.  Expensive clothes to sweat in is their game plan.

SO, I was thinking I should create my own brand and sell those things I am particularly fond of.  The problem with that is I tend to lean toward the Minimalist Lifestyle.  NOW that is another post in itself, but after four moves in six years--I am down to the bare necessities.  



There you go, I am in trouble already and we have not even gotten out of the blocks.   My minimalist tendencies have limited me to only half a brand. My wardrobe consists of six dri-fit shirts and shorts--one for each day of the week and a skirt and blouse for Sunday.  A good pair of walking/exercising shoes and one pair of flats and I am in business.  The shirts are not fancy, they do not have slogans or logos on them, and the shorts are mostly black.  ALREADY I am at a road block.  To be successful at this branding business, you have to offer variety.  There is not a great deal of variety in my wardrobe.  In fact some of my workout clothes I have had for 15 years or more and I have worn the same brand of shoes for more than 30 years.  You cannot be successful in the retail business unless you are convincing people they need change.  

SO for me to convince you that you should buy things branded with my logo, first I have to dream up a logo--how about


That is a cuckoo bird--seems appropriate.  And then I have to convince you that you want six dri fit shirts of various colors and six pair of black dri fit shorts with my cuckoo emblem on them.  WHY would you not want to buy my line?  The only thing is after buying the first set of six--they would last 10-15 years.  NO MONEY IN THAT!

NOW--perhaps I could convince you to buy my brand of chips---I DO LOVE a good chip



OR perhaps my favorite late night snack--ICE CREAM




But first I would have to convince you my brand of chips or ice cream are a MUST in your life.  That might be difficult to do when everyone knows I never met a chip I would not eat and not everyone likes ice cream (WHY?  I CAN'T IMAGINE)  For you to be willing to buy my brand, I would need to convince you I know what is best for you. 

SO somethings tells me these people who are making a mint from putting their brand on retail offerings are NOT all using each and every item offered under their name.  Even Rae Dunn with the huge broad of kids and ranch hands to boot could not possibly need 69 coffee cups.  AND Ellen---does she REALLY shop at Wal Mart?  BUT if I might use the item, or if I looked at the item and think it would be neat if you used it, would I put my name on it?

It is beginning to dawn on me I will never get rich from using my name or brand to endorse anything.  After a day long session in my work out clothes, I could almost guarantee I could not convince anyone to buy them!


 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

16 comments

  1. Wow ... wow ... wow ... Too many things to comment on in this post. You've really gone to town today, Lulu.

    First: I agree 100% with you about not wearing anything with a brand name or logo on it. My motto: "If you want me to wear an item with a logo on it then pay me for advertising it for you!" No one has offered to pay, so I don't wear their expensive stuff most probably made in the same factory where I buy my "cheepo" brands.

    Second: I agree some branded items are over-priced just to show off the name/logo. I have seen ladies' handbags in a shop window costing over £2000.00 I thought they had put one 0 too many. But it was the right price: over £2k for a handbag. My supermarket plastic bag costs nothing.

    Third: I did not know you had Mackies crisps from Scotland in the USA. Have you tired Mackies ice cream?

    Fourth: I like your minimalist logo in red. Gave me a super idea for a new brand. A very tiny T shirt for women covering just the essentials with that logo on it. Will it sell? Or do you think I am rude?

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The expensive handbags are a total waste of money, Victor. Think how many ice cream cones I could buy with that much money. We do have imported cookies. My grands love digestives. As for the ice cream, there must be too much expense involved in getting a freezer ship to get it here. Pretty much only local brands are sold. AND the shirt, you better hope your wife doesn’t read this!
    Blessings, My Friend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You sound so much like me, Lulu. I could care less what brand I wear, I wear clothes until they wear out, and I'm NOT a collector of anything. Minimalist? You bet!
    However, the next time I buy running shoes, they won't be Nikes. I think you get my drift . . .
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I do. I have never worn Nikes. Once I found a shoe that worked, I stayed with that brand for all these years. It is not always easy avoiding collecting stuff, but it makes life much simplier!
      Blessings, My Friend!

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