Branding and Heritage with South Coast Plaza and Brooks Brothers

     After the Antex tour, we hurried to South Coast Plaza. South Coast Plaza has done a tremendous job of branding themselves. They are well known world-wide as a travel destination. They keep this image up by offering services not typical of a shopping center, such as a concierge desk and a VIP lounge. They also participate in the event "Fashion's Night Out" which was created to support consumer participation in the fashion industry during the U.S.'s economic struggle. They have a luxury assortment of retailers in the shopping center and equally luxurious dining, to create a calm, relaxing shopping environment. Retailers include (but not limited to); Bloomingdales, Christian Louboutin, Valentino and Oscar de la Renta, etc. Here is a link to their website to learn more about South Coast Plaza.

Brooks Brothers

     We were fortunate to also be able to speak to the store manager of Brooks Brothers, Stephanie Karr, as well as a man who has worked for the company for many, many years, Ted Flood. We learned of the Brooks Brothers Heritage and Sales philosophy. They hold the utmost respect for their clients, and take great pride in what they do every day.
     It takes a good deal of commitment to the product to stay in business for almost 200 years. In it's beginnings, the brand made men's suits and have clothed almost every president since 1818. In the 80's they introduced Women's wear and today they carry children's wear as well as a line of collegiate wear for the younger customer. They have multigenerational clientele and the tradition is, historically, passed down from father to son. Going into the future, they plan to clothe the whole family and create an even more familial integration to their average client base.
     The product assortment for their base customer, the professional man who wants to dress classic and polished, and his son, is specific and calculated. They offer off the rack product as well as custom built suits. A customer can speak with a specialist and choose everything from cut, to fabric and collar shape. They offer basics that stand the test of time and are tried and true products for their customer. Their wrinkle free button ups are the original "Polo" shirt and can be worn directly out of the dryer. *Ralph Lauren worked for Brooks Brothers and had an idea for a different polo shirt, this is when he started his own company and created the well known, modern polo shirt*
     To be profitable, you must have a clear and concise view for your brand. For a few years, the company was owned by someone trying to update the brand by getting rid of it's heritage and trying to, basically, create a new brand. When this happened, the company lost it's core client base because the brand was unfamiliar. Recently Brooks Brothers was purchased by an independent investor, Claudio del Vecchio. He is the sole proprietor of the business, so he is the only one who gets to call the shots, and they have all been wise. Since he took over the company, they have reached back to their roots; dark woods in their stores, a multigenerational sales approach, and a professional relaxed vibe in their stores. They have added trendier collections to broaden the customer bas, but have begun to regain the trust of their core customer. Here is a link to their website brooksbrothers