Diesel in its initial stages was using a special way of advertising. The company used ironic, paradoxical, complex and sometimes humorous, artistic and colorful adverts in the “products make better living” and the “Diesel for Successful Living”. Diesel used them to express a concern among the members of the public and the consumers because they, on the quick look, undermined the established norms and institutions. However, the system coupled well with the wealthy teenagers who were looking for some different clothes to make them appear different. Examples include the adverts that mocked the core belief that jeans would help one to “seduce members of the opposite sex” and made one look good, and a videotronic on the shooting of a Diesel jeans wearer by a bad guy in nondescript pants and the bad guy’s utterance of the words “Diesel, for Successful Living”. In addition, the company used product placement among actors and celebrities, popular shows and independent movies. This identity seemed to have changed afterwards with the introduction of the product lines D-Diesel, Diesel Kids, 55DSL and especially StyleLab. The company’s introduction of a new line StyleLab focusing the market for casual wear in the 1990s, and its move to counterbalance increased diffusion of D-Diesel and prevent its commoditization was considered a move to prevent D-Diesel from eroding the exclusive and unconventional brand image. Concerns in Germany (that its success with older consumers was arguably influencing the shift of its identity and loss of its rebellious and edgy appeal), indicates its shift from the previous identity. The indicated brand in the images and advertising could not match usage of its products by the older generation. Further move from this identity is indicated by the style of advertising used by StyLab-exclusion and choice of channels, its rejection of the traditional “procterian” marketing and its new view of market research, focus on any age, and the creative team for StyleLab wanting to differentiate it with D-Diesel in terms of refinement and exclusivity.
The company however can be termed to have retained its image through the D-Diesel line which represented the “old world”, leisure and pricey clothes and usage of POP materials based on simple themes usage of materials.
The success of the StyleLab as a new line would be judged in terms of the revenues it created because this would determine the actual profitability of the investment. This success however would be dependent on the line’s success in terms of image and awareness. The more success it would achieve in awareness, the more it would achieve in image, and subsequently in profitability or the revenue. Revenue would be the final point of judgment but influenced by others.
Sub-branding and endorsement would ensure that the new line built on the popularity of the company and the D-Diesel line as opposed to a completely independent branding strategy. The success of the D-Diesel would influence the performance of StyleLab if they were closely associated in the mind of the consumers, and thus a careful analysis should be considered while choosing the strategy. Where the company hopes to reap the benefit as a result of previous excellence, the brands can be closely tied through sub-branding. Where the company has had a good reputation but poor performance of the D-Diesel brand, it should consider endorsement as a strategy. Where none has been considered successful, the company should build on an ‘independence’ strategy. In this case, it is clear that the company has had a reputation on the exclusiveness and kind of its products in some markets whereas it has experienced controversy and resistance in the method of advertisement. In addition, StyleLab has diverged from the D-Diesel brand as relates to issues like campaigns aimed at building the brand image, refinement and exclusiveness, media strategy, and choice of distribution. The best strategy therefore would be endorsement. Endorsement would ensure that the line continues to capture more market in terms of the customer and market on target as well as being built on the reputation of the company. The Logo should emphasize the new targets as well as diversity.
Market research would provide an informed decision on market trends for present commodity and competitors, and the market preferences. This would help the company to devise a branding strategy that will be favored by the prevailing and future market trends. The customer’s perception (achieved through talking to customers) on not only the company as a whole, but also its previous brands can aid the company decide whether to sub-brand (if D-Diesel scores high) or endorse (if company reputation stands tall) the line or make it independent (if none performs well) through appropriate branding. In addition, market research would be used to determine the necessary opportunities that are available in present or would be available in future for the brand to be launched, and the necessary adjustment would be possible on this basis.
The present activities would determine whether the company would remain at the cutting edge of fashion. This is because fashion trends do change from time to time (the brand therefore may be as short lived). However, continued emphasis on the market needs and the capturing of market opportunity may make them continue to remain on the cutting edge. The example is when the owner and founder, Renzo Rosso, identifies a market opportunity for casual wears and goes ahead to harvest the opportunity by introducing a StyleLab brand line, which also builds on the inventions of the workforce.
Work Cited
Diesel marketing case 2007. Diesel for Successful Living: Branding strategies for an Up-market Line Extension in the Fashion Industry.