Context

What can you learn from the world of high fashion couture?
Not necessarily tips on how to dress. There’s a valuable business lesson you can take away from all the frippery you see on the runways of Paris and Milan.

And it is simply this: those handmade, leading-edge couture garments draped over supermodels only sell a few copies, but they drive enormous demand for billions of dollars of clothing, sunglasses, perfume, cosmetics and other accessories bearing the same designer’s name.

On any fashionable street, you’ll see far more $500 Dior sunglasses than $50,000 Dior couture dresses. And that’s an idea you can borrow.

It’s the unattainable that builds the cachet for the name
Do you have a product that shows the ultimate expression of your product line? Something that will get attention among your prospective buyers and even the world at large?

Every year car companies roll out their “concept cars” at the auto shows. Once again, it’s the cars you can’t buy that get the raves and draw the crowds. Along the way, they pick up millions of dollars of free media coverage.

Could you benefit from hiring a brand name designer?
Imagine hiring a designer to create a leading product for your line. First, you’d get a stunning product that would be worthy of attention in its own right. It would be a product that sets the pace for your company. But nearly as importantly, you could attach the designer’s name to that product, and by proxy, to your company.

What if you hired Karim Rashid? (Do a Google search – 348,000 results) It would likely cost a pretty penny, if he took on the assignment. But consider the league you would now be in. Think of how this could affect your advertising and PR, your tradeshow activities, your presentations to your sales channels and your end customers.

And if you followed the leads of the fashion houses and car companies, you would incorporate some of the ideas of your high profile product into the rest of your line. And that would raise the benchmark for all of your products.

Look around you. We have entered the design economy. People recognize and pay attention to design. Design consciousness should start with your products and flow right through your packaging, stores, showrooms, brochures, Web site… the whole brand chain.

And that’s why you need a $50,000 dress.

This is the big idea
These are the things we think about at Context Creative. With competition coming from everywhere – China, India, the guy in his garage down the street – you must work harder than ever to make your brand have meaning, memorability and visibility.

We like to think that it is our curiosity, analytical thought leadership and creative insights that makes us dig deep and do whatever it takes to help make you a success in the marketplace.

Whether you are launching a new product, creating a new marketing model or recharging consumer behaviour, Context can help brand, market and communicate your products or services.

If you’re ready for a fresh look at your marketing and communications, call us at 416 972-1439 or contact us.