Hi Heidi!

Frau Heidi Klum, aka The Body — wife of Seal, mother of four, hostess of Project Runway, hostess and co-producer of Germany’s Next Top Model, Victoria’s Secret model, designer (did you know that? For Jordache, Birkenstock and Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Body), fragrance maven (Heidi Klum, and Me) and triple Gemini for those of you who wonder who the real Heidi may be — has just inked a deal to be the Creative Director and face of Astor, Coty’s European-only brand of cosmetics. Whew.

Astor is at an interesting moment in their brand development. They have been around since the early 1950s, selling modestly priced make-up allowing women to “express her beautiful best in any situation.” According to their website, Astor Live Beautifully is about the pleasure of feeling beautiful and confident; it is about the beautiful moments of life; above all it is about how beautiful it is to be a woman, to be yourself. Meanwhile, it’s clear that they are entering a moment of brand reinvention and are looking for a way to be relevent in the crowded beauty marketplace. The voice of the brand seems a bit out of step with the products and lines that women seem to gravitate towards these days, everything from Maybelline (Maybe she’s born with it, still with the best-selling Great Lash mascara beloved by women everythere) to Chanel (every time they launch a new nail polish color, it sells out in a megasecond — it’s the perfect blend of classic and trendsetting) to a playful and accessible brand like Stila.

Bernd Beetz, chief executive officer at Coty, said: "We are very excited about the new partnership between Heidi Klum and Astor. As one of the most beautiful, talented and most recognized women in the world, Heidi will play an important role in ensuring that the Astor brand continues to be seen as relevant, modern and sophisticated." Stephen Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing at Coty Beauty, said: "Heidi Klum was an obvious choice for us for brand ambassador for Astor. Her beauty is glamorous and feminine but she's also down to earth and approachable, that's why she is an inspirational role model for women of all ages." So there you are. The brand is trying to spread out, modernize, and become a more relevent player. At this point, Heidi’s powerhouse brand is bigger than theirs, and will bring them credibility and visibility through her incredible reach. According to the brand, she is going to be involved in the design of product collections "inspired by the latest runway trends". Project Runway designers, watch out! Your brand extensions are knocking at the door!

Say Cheese

The other week I attended the New York Fancy Food Show at the Javits Centre and was delighted to see the refined emphasis placed on branding by the food industry. After much delicious grazing, I worked my way over to the British Pavilion and discovered Ford Farm, a small English farm making artisanal English cheese, who have recently won the Queen’s Award for International Enterprise, as well as many other awards. That's "The Queen," as in Queen Elizabeth ll. Despite their size, one of their cheeses, Coastal, is currently the largest English Cheddar brand in the US. At a time when other food manufacturers are concerned about the future and staying alive, the establishment of a clearly defined, prestige brand has set Ford Farm apart from its competitors, some of which are large businesses with much greater resources.

The business was formed when two cheese farmers, each facing closure because Margaret Thatcher restructured their industry, put their businesses together. Luckily each had what the other did not, one having the products and customers and the other having the production facility and cows. Interestingly enough, now they sell one third of their production to the US and have increased sales, staff and production. Good for them, good for Britain. Hence the visit with Her Royal Highness.

How did they do this? Through developing and using the power of branding. Rather than make private label products for large retailers, Ford Farm consistently reinforces their brand name and quality in the US market. The brand is not just the cheese -- they understand the product is comprised of the cheese itself, on-time delivery, US customer support and personal visits by the English principals, technical support and extensive customer service. So they are communicating and supporting both the personal and heritage aspects of their brand in everything that they do.

By the way, the products are very tasty! I especially loved their Coastal Cheddar which crunches as the calcium crystallises in the cheese. So they say. I can only tell you that I can't stop eating that cheese!

Votivo on fire

I was reading an interesting interview with the Grace family of Spartanburg, SC, who own and operate the Grace Management Group, which specializes in fragrance research and development for four distinct brands: Bridgewater Candle Company; Votivo; Willowbrook; and Greenleaf. The brands operate as four separate and independent brands, each with their own target markets, marketing strategy, product development, packaging and retail base. At the same time, the company's core values infuse all of their business practices: family, personal (e.g., grandpa and grandkids handing out product samples plus ice cream at trade shows), an early commitment to sustainable and environmental products and production, and individualism, as the company is structured so that each family member is encouraged to find their own voice and vision within the family business.

I've always been interested in the Votivo candle line, as it was one of the first domestically produced luxury candle lines, known for its quality fragrances and consistent, beautiful packaging. Each Votivo product is hand-wrapped and each seal is hand-pressed. These candles are for people who are into candles, and they have carved out their niche in a very crowded field. It's important to note that this brand has been in production and distribution since 1994, proving the branding and marketing axiom that early entrants into the field will scoop up a big portion of the market share. Then it's about brand management -- keeping production consistent, solid distribution, product development that is consistent with the values, voice and visuals of the brand.

So, we have a family-run operation that fosters individualism at different tiers of the market, and delivers a solid and differentiated brand voice with their different product lines. Votivo is only one of the lines, and has had a solid brand presence and delivers a great product on a global basis. Love that!

Materalism and the Material Girl

Is Madonna relevant to teenagers? Macy's is betting that the answer is a resounding yes. They have just launched a line called "Material Girl," designed by Madonna and her daughter Lourdes. The designs are rooted in Madonna's glory years in the 80s, before she became the glamorous, couture goddess that she is now (and hence, the star of this past year's Dolce and Gabanna campaign, in which the photography referenced Italian neo-realism and the womanly appeal of Anna Magnani, at couture prices. Not exactly the Macy's audience).

So, back to the Material Girl. Macy's has done well with other celebrity-branded lines that are exclusive to the retailer, such as their fabulously successful line of housewares from Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart's credibility as a domestic icon was untarnished when Macy's launched her line. Despite her time in jail, her magazine empire, TV show and appearances, K-Mart products and Bernhardt Furniture sustained her brand mojo.

Will the Madonna brand sell clothes to teen-aged girls? Teenagers are notoriously interested in the "now," not the "then". The D & G campaign, as well as recent Louis Vuitton campaigns, starred today's Madonna. The Macy's line will have to stand on its own merits, in terms of price points, fun items, and lots of options, rather than in its association with Madonna's history--or not. Only the ka-ching of the cash register will tell.

Polaroid, past, present and future

Interestingly enough, the Polaroid brand seems to be going in two different directions simultaneously. January 2010 found them at a big event announcing the appointment of Lady Gaga as Chief Creative Officer, Imaging Products. Her job is to "create" fashion, technology and photography products. She said that, "I'm working to bring the instant film camera back as part of the future." Okay, that sounds vague and compelling because it's Gaga + Polaroid. Why did they pick her? Their sound bite: "The core of the brand is that it's real, it's unedited, and it captures the moment." So the Lady and Polaroid ostensibly dovetail in the unedited part of their brand.

Today it was announced that The Impossible Project, a company of former Polaroid employees, have come together to save the last existing plant manufacturing Polaroid film. This has been percolating for awhile. They have opened stores in New York, Berlin and Vienna (hotbeds of analogue film users, I guess). They are selling SX-70 film and have re-issued the classic Polaroid 600 camera from 1958, pictured here.

I find this fascinating. The corporate move is towards a superstar who does not deal in the realm of the personal. The former Polaroid workers are in the analogue space, responding to people's desire for instant communications with an instant film camera. I find their move to be more in line with the way we connect through social networking -- very personal and immediate. So they have taken an old medium and are making it accessible to a new generation of consumers who want a quick fix. It's much more reflective of where we are now as a culture.

Continuing the DKNY story

For those of you who heard me speak recently, you know that Donna Karan and DKNY have been very much on my mind lately. This is a brand that is managed well from the top down, and it has been really out there in recent weeks. Kell on Earth built an entire segment around a NYC based promotional film about Cozies, the multi-hued wrap sweater, tying (forgive the pun) DKNY back to its urban roots. And now it's been announced that DKNY is the first fashion brand to get placement in the new Yankee Stadium with a right center field billboard and title sponsorship, shown here in a PR image from DKNY.

WOW! This is incredible brand reinforcement. In interviews, Donna says that DKNY is meant to embody the pulse of NYC. And what could be more NY than the Yankees?

Blue Ribbon and the steady build

It's taken twenty years of steady growth, and finally Bruce and Eric Bromberg of the mini Blue Ribbon empire in NYC (and Brooklyn) were nominated for a James Beard award (the big banana award in the restaurant world) and published a cookbook. Whew. For those of you who get frustrated after a few years of brand-building, these guys are an interesting case study. Their business began with Blue Ribbon Brasserie in the heart of Soho, which was always well-reviewed and chock full of hungry people. They moved on to Blue Ribbon Sushi (ditto), Blue Ribbon Bakery (physically uncomfortable but ditto), 'ino, Blue Ribbon Brooklyn and quickly thereafter Blue Ribbon Sushi Brooklyn (a smart move, as Brooklyn the restaurant scene was exploding, and was full of -- you guessed it -- hungry people), Blue Ribbon Bakery Market and then....they started developing their own products.

2005 saw the introduction of Raw Mexican Honey, and then the really big deal: Blue Ribbon Naked Nuggets, a healthy snack for kids, which debuted at Chicago Costco and is now sold nationwide. What can we learn from this? Building a brand takes time and implementation of a vision that always cleaves to a central idea. The Brombergs defined the food, consistently built on the food concept, delivered delicious, fresh food in all of their venues, understood their core audiences, stayed within NYC -- a city that they know well -- and just now are winning awards. Then there is their widespread, affordable product introduction, one which takes the brand national and brings a major source of income that is not dependent on the restaurants. This is smart, smart and very controlled brand building, and requires patience, diligence and taking the long view.