Every day I read in the media about brands plans to launch new ideas and products often by presenting high profile, highly paid celebrities as the face behind the genius, yet often I fail to see the symbiosis.
Let's take this weekend as an example of what I mean. It turns out after poor results in her own luxury fashion brand, Victoria Beckham is to be the face and entrepreneur behind a limited edition make up range for Ester lauder. When I read this my immediate reaction was why would they choose her when she has no connection to their make up, very rarely wears make up anyway and is already the face of her own brand and business empire, conflict.
In my view the only explanation, she has sold out for money and this collaboration puts Mrs Beckham in the same category of all the other celebrities who say they love what they are promoting but in reality would not been seen dead wearing it.
Marks and Spencer's the kings of getting celebrities to stand behind the brand in order to reach out and lull their customers back into the fold have almost ran out of people to ask these days. We have seen this once Made in England quality staple empire, known for using their retail assistants as their models, spend a fortune putting everyone from Danni Minogue to Lisa Snowdon to Rosie Huntington Whitley to Alexa Cheung in their campaigns as brand ambassadors, all if we are honest are too young and too hip for the loyal M&S middle aged middle class customer to relate to.
New boss Steve Rowe took over from Marc Boland at the beginning of April this year tasked with reviving clothing sales and now out of desperation because numbers are still dropping, M&S like many other desperate brands turns to the magic touch or so they think of the Kardashian clan, bringing out a fashion collection based on Khloe Kardashian's style.
To my mind a brand should always remember their customers are not stupid and just because a high profile celebrity gets paid to say "Buy this dress and your look and your life will be like mine", it does not mean the dress will sell. I believe brands like Marks and Spencer have forgotten who their real customers are and more poignantly why their founders started the company in the first place. It might be an idea to go back to what brought them so much success, before this ridiculous celebrity driven madness began to take us all over.
Real women with real bodies and real disposable income still want brands to listen to them, acknowledge what they desire as the customer and give them quality affordable ethically made clothing that fits well and will last more than a couple of washes.
Behind every brand lies a story, some have excellent ethical footprints, others have no moral compass whatsoever and only care about profit margins, the rest falling somewhere in between so before you spend your hard earned cash, think about what you are supporting in the broader sense and what you are buying into. If your purchase has a red 70% off sale ticket on it, recognize if the retailer can afford to knock off this huge chunk of money and still make a profit, you are being ripped off as much as the poor people making the too good too be true garment.
Updated 12th May, 2020
Anne Pitcher, Selfridges Managing director was quoted in Mail On Sunday said "We will change the way we shop from this point on forever" said the 63 year old senior retail veteren. She added "It will be the most difficult year ahead we have ever known" But for every cloud "it's the years beyond that are going to be the exciting times, this is about reinventing retail, nothing less. Stores will be different forever. Anne predicts "People may buy less but they may buy better"
She went on to say "the question is how we come back better than before" adding "look at everything through the lens of the customer, think what they need and build your ideas around that"
Only time will tell what happens to retail in the months ahead but I am optimistic our shopping experience will improve as brands, if they want to survive are forced to raise their game.
Photo by: Jorge Fernández Salas