If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I love Dragon's Den. I'm finding that it's a great source of inspiration for this blog and Sunday's episode was no exception.
There's always lots of discussion about the strength of a company's brand and this week, the focus was on cult fashion label Brat & Suzie.
There's always lots of discussion about the strength of a company's brand and this week, the focus was on cult fashion label Brat & Suzie.
The label is headed up by twins Polly & Charlotte Vickery, who braved Dragon's Den to pitch for investment to grow their business.
The twins are lovely - very cute, very quirky, very driven and pretty damn persuasive. There's no doubting that their clothes range is unique and I shall definitely be making (a few!) purchases.
Polly and Charlotte appeared in Dragon's Den with just a clothes rail and wearing items from their range.
There was no corporate identity, no marketing materials, nothing to remind you of their name. In fact, I missed their name at the beginning of their pitch and only found it out when they explained that the name came from their kittens when they were kids - quirky but befitting considering their range features animals.
They clearly have a unique product, especially judging from the amount of magazine coverage they've achieved. The problem is that the twins are the company and without a strong brand to carry their ethos, story and personality, I don't see how they can scale up their operation.
There was no corporate identity, no marketing materials, nothing to remind you of their name. In fact, I missed their name at the beginning of their pitch and only found it out when they explained that the name came from their kittens when they were kids - quirky but befitting considering their range features animals.
They clearly have a unique product, especially judging from the amount of magazine coverage they've achieved. The problem is that the twins are the company and without a strong brand to carry their ethos, story and personality, I don't see how they can scale up their operation.
So, this would be my advice to Brat & Suzie:
Invest in a unique logo.
It can be tough when you're working on a budget but I passionately believe that it's essential to invest in a unique identity that has been designed specifically for your company. No free fonts, no matter how great they are these days - anyone can use them and this doesn't bode well for differentiating your identity.
Create an eye-catching corporate identity.
The illustrations that Brat & Suzie use are so stunning and kitsch, I find it amazing that they didn't enter the Den with visuals that would demonstrate their identity. How about clothes labels, banners, postcards? They could have given each Dragon a little branded package of goodies which would really have emphasised their message. Unfortunately, even the clothes rail was pretty uninspiring in its presentation and did little to promote the fabulous range of designs.
Build a compelling brand.
There's a story behind Brat & Suzie and you warm to the girls instantly. However, there seems to be little out there about the girls and the website does little to draw attention to the story with just an 'about us' link at the bottom of the page which I missed several times. Girls! Let us in on who you are and what you're about so that we can buy into your vision, not just your clothes!
It can be tough when you're working on a budget but I passionately believe that it's essential to invest in a unique identity that has been designed specifically for your company. No free fonts, no matter how great they are these days - anyone can use them and this doesn't bode well for differentiating your identity.
Create an eye-catching corporate identity.
The illustrations that Brat & Suzie use are so stunning and kitsch, I find it amazing that they didn't enter the Den with visuals that would demonstrate their identity. How about clothes labels, banners, postcards? They could have given each Dragon a little branded package of goodies which would really have emphasised their message. Unfortunately, even the clothes rail was pretty uninspiring in its presentation and did little to promote the fabulous range of designs.
Build a compelling brand.
There's a story behind Brat & Suzie and you warm to the girls instantly. However, there seems to be little out there about the girls and the website does little to draw attention to the story with just an 'about us' link at the bottom of the page which I missed several times. Girls! Let us in on who you are and what you're about so that we can buy into your vision, not just your clothes!
As I'm writing this I'm wondering if I've missed the point - maybe it's cool to be so invisible, maybe that's what makes it 'cult' - but then why appear on Dragon's Den looking to expand?
That said, what better coverage can you get? Maybe this is just the start of their strategy for expansion and according to reports, their website crashed during the show so at least now they're getting the attention they deserve. Now I'm off to get me a Victorian Rabbit Top!
That said, what better coverage can you get? Maybe this is just the start of their strategy for expansion and according to reports, their website crashed during the show so at least now they're getting the attention they deserve. Now I'm off to get me a Victorian Rabbit Top!
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