I love this article in Drapers this week, not only because it is a rare “retail good news” story, but because it illustrates exactly what I have been saying about the power of real brands in the hands of people who understand them.
Martino Guerrini who heads up the enviably successful VF Corporation talks about the new “fluidity” of retail markets and the need for retail brands to keep pace. He talks of the “never-ending process” in the digital marketplace that I have referred to as “the state of constant change“.
Most importantly he explains the dynamic of the communities of great brands where customers, distributers and manufacturers all influence the brand, its character and its promise.
He clearly positions digital technology as a facilitator enabling brave organisations to align their brands to emerging opportunities with faster, more efficient delivery of that all-important brand promise – a lesson to a lot of business leaders who still fail to understand that digital transformation is not about the tech, but what it enables.
I’m particularly excited by his talk of sustainability and the “circular economy”, but it’s all there – change, convergence, omni-channel, brand relevance, community.
Definitely worth a read.
Phil Darby
August 16, 2018