Politicians and business people have been trumpeting the need to get U.S. factories working again. Consumers acknowledge the reality that much of what used to be made in America has gone to factories elsewhere, but there seems to be a growing interest in brands that pursue the effort to keep making goods in the USA.

Even luxury brands such as Joseph Abboud, Brooks Brothers and Tiffany have joined the chorus in light of the fact that a number of surveys suggest that a majority of wealthy American consumers prefer buying American-made brands. Now Bayard Winthrop, a consumer goods and retail merchandising veteran, wants to capitalize on patriotic fervor.Continue reading...

Second only to China, India continues its rise as a very desirable emerging market. With the cool-down of Western economies, global brand marketers are aggressively seeking out new opportunities in India. Marketers of luxury goods have had a tough time making their presence known, however. As noted here, outlets for luxury brands are scarce in India, because there are few centers of luxury. Instead, luxury brands are sold primarily in top luxury hotels or in a handful of exclusive malls.

That may be why Saloni Lodha, an up and coming Indian designer based in London, is using a different tactic: She is trying to put a luxury spin on the fact that her clothing line carries the "Made in India" label. Lodha recently told Agence France-Presse, "I have great faith in the made-in-India idea, and wanted to see an Indian, made-in-India brand in the world's best stores."

If anyone can pull it off, it is likely to be this thirty-year old.Continue reading...

Christian Louboutin is not about to let its very recognizable red sole get stepped on. The flash of color under spikey heels has become an identifying mark of the designer's high-priced shoes. Last August, Louboutin sought to protect that red sole in a case that pitted the iconic design house against another fashion legend, Yves Saint Laurent, who introduced shoes that were red all over, including the soles. But Louboutin was rebuffed by US District Judge Victor Marrero.

Hizzoner ruled that Christian Louboutin did not have a lock on the color red. In his opinion, Marrero wrote that "Louboutin's claim would cast a red cloud over the whole industry, cramping what other designers could do while allowing Louboutin to paint with a full palette. Louboutin would thus be able to market a total outfit in red, while other designers would not."

On Tuesday, Christian Louboutin was back in court, this time at the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, in an attempt to defend its right to exclusively use red, and specifically a tone it calls "China Red," on the soles of it shoes. Louboutin's attorney, Harley Lewin, told a three-judge panel that "Christian Louboutin has created one of the more iconic trademarks of the 21st century. Louboutin turned a pedestrian item into a thing of beauty."

Opposing attorney David Bernstein, arguing on behalf of Yves St. Laurent, countered "Artists of this type need the full palette of colors available. In order to compete and compete fairly, we need red. We don't want to find out that we can make green, blue, purple shoes... but we are enjoined from making red."Continue reading...

There really seems to be no end to the far-flung Virgin brand empire. Richard Branson, the entrepreneurial and brash personification of the brand, is always pushing his way into new and often unrelated business ventures. Just weeks ago, Virgin Money took over Northern Rock's 75 bank branches in the UK, acquiring four million customers in the bargain.

It isn't Virgin's only foray into the world of money; in fact, you might say its Virgin Games division revolves around cash (or is a license to print money). The business unit includes Virgin Casino, Virgin Mobile Casino, Virgin Poker, and Virgin Bingo, which offers cash prizes worth thousands of pounds in progressive jackpots. And it's Virgin Bingo's latest ad campaign that may have a Brit or two raising an eyebrow — and asking how far the elastic brand that is Virgin can stretch.Continue reading...

Given the strong emphasis on branded products, it is logical to conclude that the performance of a product is all that matters to the consumer. But a new global study suggests that the reputation of the company behind the branded product plays a surprisingly important role in the consumer purchasing decision.

Seventy percent of consumers surveyed avoid buying products if they do not like the parent company, according to a study conducted by KRC Research, a market research firm, for the Weber Shandwick PR agency. The study was conducted among 1,375 consumers and 575 senior corporate executives in Brazil, China, the U.S. and U.K. Weber Shandwick's Chief Reputation Strategist Leslie Gaines-Ross says, "Consumers are using their dollars as a vote of confidence in companies they trust... The company standing behind the brand assures consumers that they can trust the quality, ethics and safety of the brands they are buying."Continue reading...

Luxury brands aren't the only segment targeting the "1 percent," the uber-rich slice of the population that has been taking a lot of heat from the so-called 99 percenters. It is these wealthiest consumers, occupying rarefied air, who vote with their checkbooks, so their preferences are closely considered and carry a lot of clout.

So what is the high net worth consumer looking for? First and foremost, superior quality, according to "Luxury Branding and Marketing: A Global Comparison of Wealthy Consumers in Top Markets," a study just released by Luxury Institute. The survey analyzed wealthy consumers with a minimum annual income of $150,000 or the local currency equivalent in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

A broad majority (73 percent) of wealthy consumers think superior quality is the most important attribute that defines a luxury brand, followed by craftsmanship (65 percent) and design (54 percent). But increasingly, customer service is becoming a key consideration (47 percent). Customer service is even more important to Chinese consumers, who say that service has improved (63 percent).Continue reading...

Some fans, surprised at the result of the BCS National Championship game Monday night, in which Alabama blanked LSU, would not be surprised to learn that the merchandise sold at the game is big business. But they may be shocked to find out that not all of the merchandise sold there was legitimate.

It turns out that counterfeiting has penetrated the collegiate sports market — fake merchandise was being sold along with the real thing at all of the championship bowl games.Continue reading...

When it comes to personal branding, it's hard to trump Donald Trump. The self-proclaimed $3 billion brand name may have been conspicuously absent from the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, but don't count Donald Trump out just yet.

Flexing his publicity-prone muscles, Donald Trump gave the media and blogosphere a New Year's gift by proclaiming that he wouldn't rule out a run for president as an independent should the Republicans choose the "wrong candidate." In fact, a report surfaced that a group of Trump supporters had filed paperwork in Texas to allow him to run as a third-party candidate for the "Make America Great Again Party." 

Whether it's true or not, Trump continues to keep the political fire burning — and awareness of his name high.Continue reading...