Speaking of branding, you’ve rebranded FUBU as FB Legacy, correct?
Because FUBU had slowed down in the United States, as did other brands here, and started globally becoming really big, we decided to bring it back into the market. A lot of the kids may have not wanted the old FUBU name, so just like Armani Exchange has AX and Dolce has D&G, we decided to do FB Legacy.
Because we have a following, they know what it is and this is just an abbreviation. We always went under FB as well [as FUBU and 05]. There is a different audience. A fashion line in 15, 20 years, it’s a new generation discovering it.
How is branding different today?
With the Twitters and the Facebooks of the world, branding has become personal. No longer can you just plaster something all over and make it and they will come. Because of the way information is moving very fast, if it’s not a true message, it will be discovered that it’s not a true message. People will basically punch holes in it – if your model is holding Coke and drinking Pepsi, there will be a picture of them drinking Pepsi somewhere immediately.
The consumer, they need to feel special. They need to feel like you’re talking to them. That means you need to have a lot of interaction with them, like giving them discounts on Foursquare. It’s just not as simple as, ‘Alright, come to the store and maybe we’ll hook you up.’ You’ve got to reach out to them.
Branding in those aspects has really changed, but I always say that there’s nothing new created in this world; it’s only a new form or delivery. Branding has stayed the same in the one simple matter: a clear, concise message and the truth.
How should brands leverage this new environment?
I do a lot of consulting with other brands and I try to advise them and say, ‘Why don’t you punch your name or your product’s name into Twitter [or other social media platform] and just look at all the feeds that are coming through. You can’t have thin skin. That’s your report card.’ Once I advise them of that, they sit there for months looking to understand the real problems with their product.
Kentucky Fried Chicken was basically saying, ‘I don’t know why Chick-fil-A is beating us. Maybe we need to come out with this double-breasted sandwich.’ I said, ‘Look, that’s not your problem. Your problem is: There is an urban myth that your chicken is steroid chicken. You’ve never fought that issue. If you go on Twitter, most people are saying, “Look at the big breasts on that chicken, that’s steroid chicken. Isn’t that stuff grown in a vacuum where the chicken has nine wings?”’
I said, ‘Until you attack that, you cannot advance yourself because you’re not even taking care of the issue at hand.’
There was a misunderstanding that FUBU was just for African Americans, and it wasn’t. It was about making it for the consumer that we are. After you hear a certain message, a certain line that everybody’s saying, you have to pay attention to it and you have to address it.
What are the strongest brands in the marketplace today, and why?
They’re going to be Apple, Coke, Nike.
Interesting enough, I had a conversation with Phil Knight (chairman of Nike Inc.) yesterday on the phone, and I’m not throwing that out casually because I was very excited to have a conversation with him. He’s still so laser-focused on sports that I was amazed and impressed at the same time. He never veered off of his brand, and his brand is one of the biggest in the world.
Coke is purely marketing and they change with their consumers over the years.
Nike is clearly marketing, but they stayed very close to ‘Just Do It,’ [asking,] ‘How can my product enrich an athlete’s life?’
And Apple came out and said, ‘Computers are cool and everybody’s going to have computers but we’re going to make it fun and we’re going to make it sexy and we’re going to make it quirky.’
Maybe a smaller company doesn’t have that marketing reach or those product ideas. What can they learn from these brands?
They can concentrate on their market and stay true to their brand. That’s going to be first and foremost.
Deliver an exceptionally great product and look like you’re having fun. All three of those brands are doing what they love and they’re doing it with people they love. Phil Knight probably can’t get enough of seeing athletes and talking to them about how to advance their training.
What are the keys to branding?
First of all, before your brand even gets out there, what are we going to provide? People are buying into it for either one of two things: for a need or for a want. So are we providing a need or a want?
The next thing is: What is the impression you’re going to give the brand when it comes to advertising and marketing?
Now, it’s: Where will they find this product, at what price?
Creativity in production is first, second of all is marketing it, and third is where will they touch it – will they get it online, will they get it at Target or will they get it in Louie Vuitton, will they get it from a street vendor, or will they get it in their five and dime store?
If we went to Target and we saw something with LV or Jimmy Choo on it, we would think either, ‘This is counterfeit and we don’t trust Target,’ or we would say, ‘I’m never touching Louis Vuitton or Jimmy Choo because this is garbage.’ It would be such a brand confusion that your head would pop.
How to reach: FB Legacy, www.fblegacy.com
Daymond John, @thesharkDaymond
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