Brand Building - JustAnswer



Brand Building

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Brand Building

Part 1: Branding and Brand Positioning

Since high school denim favored the Levi & Strauss blue jeans. The 45 year old male customer with two children who is working in corporate sales for competitor in the cellular industry. Regarding brand preference, the 45 year old customer responded that he wants to try popular brand because many people speaks high about it. Customers' can be loyal only if they believe that the product has some quallity compare to competing brands. The Levi Strauss provides comfort and perfect fit jeans.

Levi company starts to produce a new product like denim jackets, that consumer was very much eager to try it on because of thier other good quality products. He believes that the jackets would be the same quality like its other products.

Consumers' like about this brand is that with washing it becomes softer and softer than before.

Though the consumer has purchased other brands, the Levi Strauss brand represents a

value that is hard to find in competing products.  One perspective on brand equity, known as

the information economics perspective argues "that a brand name acts as credible signal of

product quality derived from perceived firm costs or investments" (Anderson, 2007).  In

other words, the consumer has come to associate the brand with a recognized level of

quality.  In the case of the consumer interviewed, the perceived quality is in the fit and

comfort, rather than in other features, such as durability.  However, the consumer does

mention durability as being at least equivalent to that of competing brands.  This is not

the feature that makes the product stand out above the rest.

This point of view focuses on the additional value that the customer perceives in the

Product. Although extra value can be a fewer physical or more psychological characteristic of the

product, such as represented in a label or character, it can also be a feature that is considered

as vaguely better than that of challengers, such as the fit and comfort of Levi Strauss jeans.

This consumer did talk about that he has reserved a denim jacket from this producer ever since

1985. He does not wear it, although it remains in a very good condition. To the consumer

the item is symbolic of a brand that is somewhat of an American icon, a brand that will

not soon be forgotten, even when better competing brands are offered in the market. The

Levi Strauss brand does represent an added value that is based on psychological connections.

When in 1980’s the Levi brand Strauss became popular among teens and young adults they depends on the little red tab on the back of the pocket. During the interview, consumer mentioned that the brand became a symbol between class mates and friends in rural farming areas. “In this case, status is not so much a socioeconomic condition, but rather a way of life that is more laid back in many ways, while also focused on productivity and the association of brands that affected productivity in some way” (Akaka, 2010).  

Many people like and wore the Levi jeans for every day chores as well as farm chores. They wear the jean for school too. "The common structures and similarities in consumption patterns may appear to establish a framework for homogenous global consumer culture" (Akaka, 2010). 

Levi brand is not only popular in U.S. but in Asia and other western countries as an American brand like McDonald’s. Levi Strauss brand has been positioned globally as a product of added value.                                                                                                    

Part 2: Secondary Research

Through its vision statement, it is obvious that Levi Strauss targets a variety of segments through personality or character traits. It honors those who recognized the western frontier and those

who have fought for liberty with a wisdom of pleasure. It also discusses the braveness and dedication of those who have taken a stand for other reasons, such as tearing down the

Berlin wall. When the vision statement is measured, appears as though the organization

segments its customers into different types of heroes or workers. This could have been the

segmentation approach a few decades before and is likely the approach used to appeal to the consumer

interviewed. He mentions that this image is for the working people. In the late 1970s the brand has changed a lot. In order for companies to remain successful, a new way of marketing products had to be thought of after the introduction of lean retailing which was embraced by Wal-Mart. This meant expanding into new segments of the market for apparel brands such as Levi Strauss; for example, Levi Strauss was not longer seen as a brand that was strictly targeted for teens and young adults. Dockers, working apparel that is viewed as more mature and sophisticated, and Signature series, which is meant to be more appealing to younger females, attract different segments. For an organization that had quite a bit of trouble since the 1980’s, these strategies for segmentations were vital. “Property nurtured, an iconic image and storied history can help a brand soar. But if taken for granted for too long, those attributes can quickly weigh down a brand” (Zelliner, 2003). Young people today aren’t able to connect with Levi Strauss; therefore, by providing a larger variety of style choices and unveiling a signature brand that is lower in cost to discount retailers, the brand has successfully started to recognize as well as understand the new segments in market and how to connect with them.

Although Levi Strauss was able to develop brand equity in the time period when the clientele was growing up, it failed to do the same as this generation aged and a fresh segment of young adults demanded in-style apparel for a lower price. Even thought it has taken some time for Levi Strauss to once again build up its brand equity, some of the ground that was lost has been gained back by the new strategy. “An edgier advertising approach, innovative new denim products, better-fitting jeans and a major push for women’s jeans” is amongst these new strategies (Cuneo, 2002). A “dangerously low” advertising campaign has been launched by company in order to appeal to the younger female segment.

The apparel brand has successfully gained the “product for every need” position in the market. Like the consumer that was interviewed, the baby boomers who once enjoyed the comfort and great fit that the jeans provided, have aged and, in some instances, heavier. Their preference now is the relaxed fit to which Levi Strauss responded by creating their own spin of this. The company has also reacted to the younger females’ demand of different style by introducing the skinny and low rise styles. This is a different take from other jeans brands, such as LEI, who focus entirely on the young female segment alone.

References

Anderson, J. (2007). Brand equity. AMA Winter Educators' Conference Proceedings, 18, 142.

Retrieved from



-live.

Akaka, M. & Alden, D. (2010). Global brand positioning and perceptions: International

advertising and global consumer culture. International Journal of Advertising; 29(1), 37-

56. Retrieved for Business Source Premier database.    

                                                                                                                                                            

Cuneo, A. (2002). Ailing Levi Strauss refits U.S. strategy. Advertising Age, 73(28), 12.

Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Levi Strauss (2010). About page. Retrieved from

Zellner, W. (2003). Lessons from a Faded Levi Strauss. BusinessWeek,  44. Retrieved from

Business Source Premier database.

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