Learning Activity – Understanding Ideals

• Visit a popular store, like an Apple reseller, Nike, Levi’s, H&M or Ikea. The brand should be well-known and you must visit a shop where their products are being displayed or distributed. Before going to the shop, determine the following about their brand identity and, once at the shop, evaluate how they remain true to their brand identity or how they do not. How is the brand identity enhanced (or perhaps, not expressed) at the point of customer interaction? Hand in a write-up with photos of the following:
  
  • What brand identity element are they using in their logo (e.g. abstract mark or word mark)?
  • What do you think their brand ideal is?
  • How do they remain true to their brand ideal within their shops?
  • Evaluate the customer experience according to the brand ideal. (For example, if the brand ideal is “innovation”, do you get a sense of that ideal when you visit the outlet?)

Evaluate the visual display of the products according to the brand ideal. (For example, if the brand ideal is “value”, is this expressed in the way they display the products?)

So I chose to visit H&M for this weeks learning activity. It’s a store that is popular and well known throughout the world, and luckily we have that store where I live.

The logo:

The logo consists of two letters with the symbol of “and” between them making us see the letters stand for two different words. I would say it’s a monogram and as far as I know the logo has never changed. The letters stand for Hennes and Mauritz. Hennes was the original name when the Company first was founded, because it means “hers” in swedish and they were only selling women clothing. But after the founder acquired a haunting and fishing company, called Mauritz Widforss in 1968, he changed the name to Hennes and Mauritz, and started selling clothes for everyone, both genders.

Back to the logo – the monogram is a design of one or more letters, usually the inititials of a name, used to identify a company, puplication, person, objekt or idea. It can have some disadvantages when monograms are masqueraded as logos. They often depend on a large-scale audience contact and repeated viewing for recognition. H&M has made it I guess 🙂 The logo/monogram is red which is a color that can be percieved as strong, but also give an impression of love and passion, which I think fits with their brand Identity. They have a passion for fashion, the have grown to be a strong buisness, and they love their customers. Their logo is well known over the world, and it has become a brand in many ways, offering clothes, interior and makeup, among other things.

Brand ideal

I think their brand ideal is to make fashion clothes with good quality at the best price. As they say: “Fashion and quality at the best price”. They want to make great design accessable for everybody, and want to lead the way towards a more inclusive and substainable world. Their goal is to exceed customers expectations.

Do they remain true to their brand ideal within their shops?

I think they do. I think they show of their fashion in their stores and is categorized in a way that it’s easy to find the things you want, and you can tell it’s for everybody. Me, my mother and my children can go in there and find clothes at the same time, and feel well about it. Whether it’s for a night out and you need more exclusive outfit, or it’s for the everyday use, where you still can feel a bit fashionable. They have marked their organic clothes and they have good prices. You don’t find clothes at a high price.

Evaluate the customer experience according to the brand ideal

I visited the local h&m where I live, and by looking at the shop in a Critical point of view regarding their brand ideal, I feel my experience is good and they live up to it. I am a bit shy, so I asked if I could take some pictures in the store. The manager first said that you’re not allowed to take any pictures inside the shop because of h&m intern policy, but she allowed me when I explained the purpose of it. She became very interested and was certainly aware of the substainable development and could tell me about the campaign they had going on now was on recycled clothes, which at least 50% of the material was recycled and made by PET-bottles or other materials with less impact on the environment.

On most of their clothes this is visible on the conscious tags. It says how much of the material that is recycled.

They have fair prices and often campaigns, and if you are a member of the h&m Group you can get offers and coupons to use and get a discount.

I also think they show off their fashion in a good way, the store is big and gives you space to go and look.

Regarding to the recycling they have recyclebins where you can deliever and recycle Your clothes. And on the side they had shoppingbags which want you preventing using plastic bags.

Overall I had a good experience and were delighted to hear that the employees also had a good knowledge about this.