Case Study: Making Brands More Human

Just like brands, marketing evolves over the years. Fonts come in and out of style, headline treatments change, colorways in product and design evolve – but the best examples of both pay homage to where they came from, and aren’t afraid to return to it now and again. I recently stumbled across a catalog from 1986 that sent me down fast fashion memory lane, to revisit khaki-toned safari jackets and clothing stitched for adventure. Whether it’s in a mall, a stand-alone store, or online, the Banana Republic we know today looks a bit different than it did in the 1980’s, but the vestiges of the explorer style it started with still remain. Let’s revisit this catalog to see some surprising differences, unexpected similarities, and an illustration (quite literally) of how Banana Republic used to tell its story. We’ll examine the practical elements of their book and their brand, looking back at where they’ve been, and ahead, to what they can apply in the future. see much more at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/catalog-critique-throwback-edition-banana-republic/

A while back I wrote a blog about price as an often-overlooked brand positioning tool. Marketers are always looking for ways to influence how consumers perceive their brands in an effort to build relationships that are more than simply transactional. They know that effective brand positioning helps separate them from the competition and not just capture, but keep a larger share of both consumers’ minds and wallets. Here are six of the most common positioning strategies that companies use. Depending on the product category, some will be more effective than others and all come with some potential drawbacks. Learn more at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/lets-talk-about-brand-positioning/

In Episode #20 of the Millennials in Print Podcast, Alex Krupski and Jake Hoffman from Arandell chat with Brent Niemuth, President and Chief Creative Officer at J.Schmid. Tune in as they chat about the evolution of print, Humanity Marketing, and why the catalog is still a highly effective tool in today's marketing mix. Watch Video at: https://www.jschmid.com/millennials-in-print-with-brent-niemuth/