Brand personality is a reflection of what people feel about the brand rather than thinking what the brand is or does. It’s the process of allocating certain human personality traits to the brand that emotionally triggers the customers .Being a Luxury brand it decidedly belongs to the brand personality trait of sophistication. It’s one of the toughest brand personality trait to be achieved A lot of charm and patience are required to achieve the same. Donatella wanted once said that it’s her responsibility to make people purchase her brand by falling in love with the product no matter what it costs .Fashion drives the emotions of people. It uplifts the mood of the person ,brings compliments and makes them stand apart and feel confident in the world and with respect to luxury fashion which is accessible to a very few, Versace satisfies the need of the customers. The designs and clothing of the brand which are designed by themselves overlooked by Donatella, which is little off the line compared to the regular categories of apparel and that makes the wearer completely stand apart from the line and that’s what few people crave for. So the idea of exclusivity taps the emotions of the customer to live the life of sophistication. Versace flaunts the brand with the name of the late founder GIANNI and his outstanding work and passion for fashion back in time. In an interview to Newyork times , Donatella speaks how her brother was thinking beyond the time in the world of fashion. He was always keen on the fashion ideas that was appealing to the celebrities and that had a seductive view. She also says how she relies on her employees. She says her mother treated employees as families her brother did the same and so is she. She creates apparel for women that makes them feel powerful as she picks up a boot with heel and says, this brings the attitude the women needs. I feel she drives the idea through her brand of building the women power and strength .Being a woman this would inspire a lot of women to feel powerful the same way.
Donatella is very observant as she says that fashion modelling is getting excited again. She has categorized fashion before and after internet. She is so determined to take the brand to young consumers through digital means. She likes the Insta models Gigi Hadid who have become so powerful by social media. She believes that such influencers can carry forward the brand essence and emotions to like minded and similar aged people thereby catering the needs and desires of the target group. She says to the Guardian “ think they are amazing. Very smart girls. Again, finally, we have girls who dare to stand out in the crowd.” She expresses her voice towards women power and strength at every occasion she gets to build and nurture the idea of women empowerment in the world and building this emotion towards the brand will attract as well as give confidence to those deprived.
Quoting what she said from the 2017 Fashion week from Milan, "This is a collection about the power of women, and women who know how to use their power. It is a call for unity, and the strength that comes from that positivity and hope,"
Donatella’s outlandish look has made her one of the few designers in the field of pop culture. The brand has inspired singers lady Gaga and Bruno mars to create music. She has developed a cult and camp for herself. Her fans recognize her as a person who uses glamour not to attract men but in the sense of looking extraordinary during the face of adversity. Her very own sorrows and challenges in life which she has overcome has inspired a lot women that has resulted in an ardent fan base of 2 million followers on Instagram since 2015. Website homepage of Versace has the models below the age of 25 ,which suggests that the brand is targeting and is engaging the segment. Scrolling down the page the website also attracts the future fashionistas. There is a separate line of apparel for the younger generation which is the Young Versace fall winter 2018. It’s very clear that the brand is trying to immerse the targeted audience.
When the emotions delivered by Versace is awakening women empowerment, the market leader in the segment LVMH which is a leading Luxury fashion house located in Paris is in the business of creating desire and happiness the luxury house want their customers to buy something that’s they really enjoy and that seduces them. In an interview to Mckinsey, the CEO Pierre-Yves Roussel said “We have to come up with exceptional products that make them say, Wow, this is new, it’s interesting, it’s beautiful. I really want it. If we don’t do that, they will not come to our stores.” To achieve this the brand hires people who love creativity even though they are not related to fashion. They look for people who are open minded and are drawn towards the art of discovering new things.
On the other hand the London based luxury house Burberry resonates the emotions of the luxury brand with Music. Christopher Bailey the president of the Luxury house is so passionate about music that he compares the art of music with sewing of their signature trench coat product. He collaborated with Tom odell who has been performing in Burberry shows to have extraordinary music in order to stress the relation of the brand with the music. He trusts that music is an emotion that is authentic and that drives people which could be leveraged for the brand awareness and the brand connect with the customers.
Vijayendra GV
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/dec/05/fashion-how-2017-became-the-year-of-donatella-versace
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-business-of-creating-desire-an-interview-with-the-ceo-of-lvmh-fashion-group
http://blog.tunedglobal.com/burberry-brand-experience-evoking-emotions-power-of-music
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