Week 3 BOC: Mid-Term

“Kryolan has been a partner on I AM She, Miss Universe India pageant since its inception in 2010. It has an amazing range of products to suit every skin type across countries, and their commitment to quality is what makes them an outstanding brand!”

“During all these years in the body painting industry Kryolan Professional Make-up has always been an integral part of our make-up bags. “

“Being part of the Kryolan International Make-up Team to create make-up looks for the new corporate design of Kryolan Professional Make-up was such an honor.”

“What makes me love Kryolan Professional Make-up is the quality of their products. Their make-up makes my skin look healthy and beautiful on the outside.”

“I have been using Kryolan products as an invaluable part of my kit for over 30 years in the field of make-up and hair for movies, TV and theatre.”

      I chose Kryolan Professional as the brand; as for the product, I chose the T.V. Paint Stick Professional make-up foundation. Kryolan started in 1945 as a theatrical make-up company in Berlin, Germany. The company slowly moved into the U.S. and made specific contacts in 1976. The Kryolan type of consumer is a makeup professional who works in pageants, T.V., commercials, and advertisements. Kryolan doesn’t have a specific competitor, but their closest competitor would be make-up forever and they do more stage and high-end makeup. As of right now Kryolan still specializes in theatrical make-up, drag performers, and the miss universe competitions. This make-up brand has now become a lifestyle, and therefore people choose that type of lifestyle. I personally use Kryolan for drag performing.

The product that I chose was the T.V. Paint Stick Foundation. What the foundation does is gives you a full coverage of your face leaving any skin showing painted. It comes in 250 different shades and great on all skin types. It withstands HD lighting and filming conditions, but still stays true to its color. It is really an amazing product to use, when exposed to those types of conditions. For a closing statement the website also has a message from the their clinical credentials which state “We’ve always made our products to the state-of-the-art. In fact, the raw materials we use are of highest purity exceeding the requirements and expectations for cosmetics.
To meet outstanding quality standards is our goal. That is why we cooperate with leading dermatologists and accomplish ongoing clinical tests to ensure excellent skin compatibility.”

     Kryolan professional makeup has dominated a specific range of consumers here in the U.S. for 38 years and still continues to produce and market to the masses. Even though the brand is made theatrically, you can still use the makeup for everyday use, if you want your makeup to last longer. Overall, Kryolan professional makeup can either be used in the day or in the evening. Either it’s for an event or maybe you just want to look good.
 

Week 2 EOC: Discussion Questions

1.     Describe the relationship between branding and marketing.

Branding is to give a product its identity where marketing helps the product reaches its end user or consumer through various marketing techniques likes promotion, advertising, types of graphics and other things. Branding is about giving a product a name so that other consumers will feel like they carry that name, and feel a sense of belonging. Marketing is pushing the product out, and making sure the consumer likes the product. So they have to conduct surveys and do all sorts of things that will get consumer information to make the product better.

2.     How does the decision-making process differ between that of luxury brands and mass-market brands?

Decision-making is the process and the relationship between top management and the creative department that separates them into different categories. The difference between luxury brands and mass-markets brands is the power and role the designer has. For luxury brands, brand managers don’t exist for they carry and make a name for themselves. A couple of these luxury brands are Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Balenciaga, Tom Ford, etc. With mass-market brands on the other don’t have total control for they do have brand managers. Basically they fall under the category of trend followers, and not so much as trend leaders or innovators.

3.     Explain the meaning of “brand identity” and highlight its role in the positioning strategy.

The idea of brand identity is somewhat human. Here is a quote from the book that says so. “If I ask you to identify someone, the first thing that comes to mind would be that person's name. A name makes it easier to identify “John” within a crowd of people”. If you ask me that sound about right, we brand ourselves like we brand product. Brand identity is a good thing, but it can also be bad. Here is another quote from the book that talks about brands being concrete and very stagnant. “Consumers often define brand identity in terms of very concrete, palpable, and tangible attributes.” It does make sense as to why people perceive this way, but branding plays a big part in the world.

Week 1 BOC: My Voice

As a fashion industry professional, I plan to discover a different perspective of fashion by applying all that I learn and gain in knowledge to what I do in my everyday life. The retail industry isn’t about what you have or what you own; it’s about knowing your product and how to market that product. When I was a kid I would always try to reinvent a lot of things, but I couldn’t do that without everyone judging me. Being in fashion you can create a variety of things, but you need to know your stuff and know your industry. It’s like being a designer you have to be creative and be on your toes and be one step ahead of the game or else you’ll fall behind. Going into this type of industry is very hard work. You have to put in your blood, sweat, and tears into your work and keep persevering, and that’s what will keep you going. While in the fashion industry I decided that I am the creator of the fashion and business industry. A creator is someone who has vision, style, wit, and business sense.

Week 1 EOC: Discussion Questions

1. Explain in your own words why we need brands.

I think “need” is a really strong word, but for other people it can be a “need”. Brands were made to define a lifestyle, and who could afford that lifestyle. These brands were created for those needy people who wish to be a part of that lifestyle. Without brands we would have dull boring people walking around the streets of Vegas without emotion. With brands I feel that people define themselves as THAT brand, it’s like they get to choose whom they want to become by the brands they can afford. I honestly think that’s why we need brands. 

2. The promise of value is an important element of any brand. Explain the concept and its relevance to the brand.

Value is becoming a great deal now. I feel like most people shop for inexpensive things when they are disposable. When it comes down to staple pieces that you can use for 1-2 years you would rather spend the money for a great quality fabric, or piece. It’s good look at your options, and use the process of elimination so you can rule out some pros and cons about the product, before making a choice. Value is in the eyes of the beholder. So any company that makes a product can claim their products are of value, but are they really that valuable? 

3. Innovation and consistency may seem to be two contradicting notions. What does each term mean in relevance to the brand, and how do these terms work together in defining it?

Here is a little quote from the book that explains a little bit about innovation and consistency “Whereas innovation is about change, consistency seems to be all about standardization and conformity. In reality, the two terms complement each other perfectly. Brands have life cycles where they start small, grow, and can eventually die if not well-nourished and rejuvenated.” In my opinion you can create both a product and innovative, but you still can keep your product consistent and that’s what consumers like within a product. Something new that won’t change and still is of great value and quality.