Brand manifesto

Brands as a process

Brands cannot simply be "made". They are initially an idea in the mind of the entrepreneur. This idea must be translated into first-class products and meaningful messages for the market.

The market decides whether an idea, a product and the associated message touches people and causes them to engage with it and react. There is therefore an exchange that is becoming increasingly complex in global markets with countless media. For us, this means that we have to embrace this complexity and create order and structure in a world of an overabundance of products and signals by adopting clear positions.

The basis of brand: Clear values

In my view, clear values are the foundation of every brand. Only anchoring a brand on the basis of values and a corresponding value system can lead to what drives us as entrepreneurs: We want to offer our idea, be authentic, have a long-term focus, we want to provide orientation, create meaning, arouse desire and, as a result, convince people of this idea. However, this cannot work if the brand essence is constantly being changed. Unfortunately, this is the case in many companies that keep replacing their CEOs. Ultimately, this leads to constant uncertainty internally and blurred messages externally. The result is chaos.

Brand management

I firmly believe that the core of a brand cannot be negotiated and decided democratically. The values of a brand can only be determined by the top management. They must be firmly anchored and kept away from any arbitrariness. If this is practiced consistently and without compromise, brand management is relatively simple in my view: a stable foundation is created on which a clear concept gains conciseness in an otherwise variable and certainly complex environment. One thing is clear: the top company boss is also the top brand ambassador. If he does not exemplify the topic, all other brand ambassadors are untrustworthy and remain an investment without value.

Valuation

However, the best values are useless if they are only ever invoked and not lived. This is a typical fate of many corporate mission statements. All that remains are incantations and empty phrases. Brands that are not lived can have no effect either internally or externally. Arbitrariness on the inside inevitably leads to unclear messages on the outside. This does not create trust in a brand, which is ultimately what it is all about.

Brands and marketing

Unfortunately, marketing is still reduced to advertising or communication. However, it is not limited to sparking on all channels, but affects the entire value chain. And this begins with a value message, a reason why that holds everything together as an anchor point. Snappy slogans, preferably accompanied by false incentives in the form of "sales" or in the form of mediocrity through trivial "big data", may work in the short term, but ultimately stand in the way of developing genuine brands.

A triad of values: Quality, innovation, style

Genuine brands have a proven origin, a brand story, a narrative. FALKE has gone through many fundamental learning processes in every phase of the company's 125-year history. The FALKE value base is founded on them. We come from a tradition of craftsmanship with an unconditional commitment to quality. After a period of manufacturing, we then developed into an industrial company and have since then claimed to produce uniqueness in series.

However, product perfection alone would never be enough in dynamic markets such as the clothing market. We see permanent innovation as another key value. This requires a willingness to constantly reinvent ourselves, while maintaining the brand essence and still inventing new products that fit in with it. This may sound paradoxical at first glance, but it describes precisely the tension that is inherent in every brand: thinking continuity and change together.

But looking at the products alone does not establish the added value of the brand. Many companies now have good products. But only brand companies reach people in their life concepts and not just "customers" or "consumers". So we don't just offer stockings or fashionable accessories, we offer style products, in other words we rely on the power of creativity. These offers should reach people, challenge them, touch them, provoke them and make them think about their own way of life, about the "good life". Clothing is always about basic questions: how do I see myself, when do I feel comfortable, how do I differentiate myself from others and how do I want to appear to others. In other words: We need to set credible impulses for wishes and desires and ultimately gain trust through this.

Brand as orientation

People have long suffered from the variety of options. It makes it difficult to decide. In fashion, this is taking on increasingly perverse forms: "fast fashion" - worn once and immediately discarded. This consumerism has lost its meaning. Instead, we want to offer people style that makes sense. That's why we focus on timeless modernity, a style that allows for change but has a firm foundation in the present and can be extended into the future. It is recognizable and remains recognizable, even though it is constantly renewing itself. Developing such a range is the challenging task of our creatives.

Sustainability

Everyone is talking about sustainability. However, I am increasingly allergic to this hype topic. Especially when it is unclear what is being talked about at all. Often only morals are invoked without consequences. Without sustainable business models and relevant services for many people, we as a company would no longer be on the market. However, we also need to keep rethinking this topic, especially in light of climate change, the global division of labour and digitalization. Complaining and appeals won't help. We need systemic solutions in the sense of a resource-conserving circular economy. We need to develop these step by step.

Brand knowledge

If we want to shoulder these challenges, more knowledge is needed on all fronts. I have great concerns here. If we have never learned to think holistically and recognize systemic opportunities and risks, we will not be able to achieve holistic, value-based brand management. Our streamline training - which is often only specialized on a small scale - means that the higher levels and overall contexts are no longer seen at all. If only quick headlines count and there is a lack of depth, brand development cannot succeed.

Culture

The cultural environment in which we operate as brands is the real asset in the global world. An aspect that should not be underestimated. Why do you think Asians like to buy Hermès, Chanel, Dior or Louis Vuitton? A united Europe would be unique due to its cultural diversity and could be an invaluable (brand) advantage. Speaking of culture: I use our intranet to inform our employees about interesting topics from all over the world, the economy, politics, etc. and I am always ready to discuss them with everyone, which is also accepted. I am convinced that only the combination of knowledge, passion and dedication on the part of employees creates the prerequisites for ultimately bringing brands to life across all channels.

Cecilie Schjerven and Günther Misof, The Business of Brand Management, spoke with Franz-Peter Falke, Managing Partner of FALKE KGaA. The result: a brand manifesto in 10 points.