Introducing the last in our blog series of eleven innovation and branding precepts for 2011.
MASSPIRATION
Consumers have long aspired to own premium brands and products, but for most of us, the hefty price tags ensure they remain firmly out of reach. However, recent years have seen the growth of a more ‘accessible premium’ – bringing higher-quality products, with aspirational branding, to mass market consumers.
Priced lower than the truly premium brands, but higher than the category norm, these brands make ‘high end’ products available for the masses through innovative brand architecture, retail delivery, and product usage, combined with premium messaging and visual cues.
THE SAMPLER
This independent London wine merchant lets you try the finest wines for less, by sampling small tasters rather than full bottles. Their aim is to make wine-tasting ‘un-elitist and fun’… and hopefully to convince you to buy a bottle of your favourite taster, of course.
DESIGNERS AT DEBENHAMS, STELLA MCCARTNEY FOR TARGET et al
By now the list of designers with high street store capsule ranges is long, but with the cult of celebrity still going strong, and the rest of us mere mortals still aspiring to own their high-end clothes and labels, this idea is not showing any signs of losing popularity. The latest incarnation comes from designer Narciso Rodriguez, this time with an accessible line retailing at below $350, designed specifically for and sold through eBay. These lines may structure their brand architectures differently, but the magic touch of the designer brand at a high-street price seems universal, and continues to spread into other categories including food (Heston Blumenthal at Waitrose), menswear (Joe Caseley-Hayford for John Lewis) and lingerie (Colette Dinnigan for Target Australia). www.ebay.com/narcisorodriguezforebay
FOOD FOR THOUGHT…
What does premium look like for your brand or category? How could you bring it to the masses and still maintain its cachet?
If you missed the earlier blogs, all eleven precepts can be viewed here.
