Brand Identity Prism- Michael Kors

Subject: Fashion Brand Management

MFM-III

Submitted to:
Ms. Gulnaz Banu

Submitted by:
Antarleena Sikdar

National Institute of fashion Technology, Bangalore (2014-2016)

Brand Identity Prism:

Brand identity has been defined as a word or a logo, related to a product, that at the beginning
has no sense and then, year after year, it acquires a meaning determined by the products and
the communications of the past. Firms cant manage directly the sense behind their brands but
they have to manage it through brand identity as perceived by the market.
While brand image is a reception concept, identity is on the senders side. Therefore brand
image emerges as the overall perception of a brand identity on the market place as driven by
brand personality and positioning.
The conception of brand identity was mentioned for the first time in Europe by Kapferer,
1986.
The Brand Prism is represented by a hexagonal prism which defines 6 characters of a brand.
Just like a person is known by his name, job, education, physical and emotional traits, a brand
can be identified by the following:

Physique
Personality
Culture
Relationship
Reflection
Self image

First of all brand contains an external specificity that is physical appearance, which
is the core of brand and its value added.

The second element of identity prism is brand personality. Brand personality is

described and measured using those features of consumer personality that are directly

related to brands.
Brand is culture. Brands possess that culture in which they originated. Brand is a
representative of its culture, including communication. From this perspective culture
entails a lot of values that provide brand with inspiration. Cultural features a
correlated with external principles of brand management (a good and communication)
Culture is in the core of brand. Culture plays the essential role in brand differentiation
as it indicated what moral values are embodied in goods and services. This feature
helps identifying the strongest brands because sources, basic ideals and a set of values

are revealed.
Brand includes relationship as brands frequently take the most important place in the
process of human transactions and exchange. This is extremely reflected in the sphere
of services and retail companies. This feature emphasizes the way of behaviour which
is identified with brand most of all. A lot of actions such as the fact how brands
influence and provide services in connection to their consumers determine this

feature.
Brand is a customer reflection. Consumers can easily define what goods of a
particular brand are produced for a particular type of consumers. Brand
communication and goods aim at reflecting a consumer, for whom those goods are

addressed.
Consumer self-image. Brand is closely related to the understanding of consumer selfimage that is the features with which consumers identify themselves and the very
same features they would like to be reflected by the chosen good and its brand.
Consumer self-image is important in the explanation of consumer behaviour as
consumers purchase goods, corresponding to their self-image. The conception of
consumer self-image includes an amount of individual ideas, thoughts and feelings
about him in relationship with other objects within socially defined boundaries

Physical appearance and personality allow determining the sender. The recipient is defined by
consumer reflection and self-image. The last two elements of brand identity: culture and
relationship link the sender and the recipient.

The prism of brand identity maintains a vertical subdivision: the elements on the left such as

physical appearance, relationship and consumer reflection are social and provide brand with
external expression (image) and are visible. The elements on the right such as personality,
culture and consumer self-image are connected with the inside of a brand and its soul.

Michael Kors
Michael Kors Holdings is a fashion company established in 1981 by American
designer Michael Kors. The company is known for handbags and accessories. As of 2015, the
MK Holdings has more than 550 stores and over 1500 in-store boutiques in various countries.
Michael Kors has featured distinctive designs, materials and craftsmanship with a jet-set
aesthetic that combines stylish elegance and a sporty attitude.
he won the CFDA Award for Womenswear Designer of the Year in 1999 for Michael Kors
Collection. All of this upped his standing in the fashion worldand he capitalized on this by
launching a full-fledged accessories line in 2001, a mens collection in 2002, and sportswear
line Michael Michael Kors in 2004. With flagship stores in most major cities, popular
fragrance and home linesand of course, the celebrity factor from his role on Project
RunwayMichael Kors remains a powerful brand in the American fashion landscape.

The brand currently produces a range of products under the signature Michael Kors
Collection (Premium luxury segment) and MICHAEL Michael Kors labels (more accessible
luxury segment). These products mainly include handbags and accessories; and also
footwear, watches, jewellery, mens and womens ready-to-wear, swimwear, eyewear and a

full line of fragrance products. With an innate sense of glamour, Michael Kors offers a luxury
lifestyle for the consummate jet setter that is as sophisticated as it is indulgent and as iconic
as it is modern. So the brand is a combination of owned and licensed brands.

Brand identity prism of Michael Kors:

MK logo
Gold accents
Bags and
luggage
Camel colour
High quality
Jet set style
Clothing line
UniquePhysique
design

Personal
Trustworth
y
Relationship
Welcoming
Emotional
Long term

Traveller
Ref
Successful
Trendy
Stylish
Glamorous
Rich

Personality

American
Materialisti
c
Modern
Fashionabl
e
Outgoing

Culture

Consum
er
Reflectio

Elegant
Confident
Ambitious
Active
Stylish
Simple
Practical
Glamorous

Consum
er Selfimage

Traveller
Trendy
Stylish
Glamorous
Fashionabl
e
Highstatus

Physique: This is the external attributes the sender wants to communicate to the receivers.
The brand logo is unique and it speaks for the brand itself. It portrays the luxury and exquisite
feel the brand wants to convey through the design. No MK handbag is complete without the
lustrous gold brand logo. It is so desirable through the whole world that a huge number of
duplicates, even though not fair, are present throughout the global market.

Basically Michael Kors is famous for the exclusive collection of luxury handbags that
provide an ultimate status symbol and unique style statement. The fine luggage range for men
and women is also very popular among MK customers.

MK offers variety of products in camel colours. It is one of the most coveted colour tones
among MK users and also luxury brand consumers often associated the colour camel with
MK.

The Michael Kors brand is known for producing high-quality goods and that is also reflected
in the suppliers that they work with. The licensing deals with Fossil, Marchon and Este
Lauder are an example of this. These three brands have great reputations and enhance the
overall quality of MK. For those who cannot afford a Louis Vuitton bag, for example,
Michael Kors provides an alternative that is stylish , high quality and fashion forward.
Michael Kors associates himself and his brand with a jet set style that personifies an
individual who travels around the world in style. In a high economy, this standard is not only
something that the consumer desires, but is also attainable. The everyday business woman,
for example, can purchase clothes, shoes and accessories from the brand that give her a high
class feeling. MKs print ads as well as online promotion remain consistent with this ideal.

Jet Set Style includes imagery of yachts, private jets and glamorous parties in upscale
locations. These are just a few examples of the ads that the Michael Kors brand has used over
the years. The subjects in Kors ads are most often about to board a private jet or are hanging
out on a yacht in the French Riviera. Wearing the MK brand can make anyone feel as if they
are jet setting, even though in reality they are sitting on the couch reading a magazine or
commuting to the office.
The MK clothing line is a highly premium one and is a favourite among celebrities. Michelle
Obama, Lady Gaga and Heidi Klum, for example, are known for wearing MK. When the
general population sees these celebrities wearing his clothing, shoes and accessories, they
want to emulate their favourite stars and own the same items.

Lady Gaga in Michael Kors

One of the most important and contributing factors to the success of Michael Kors is through
their unique design vision. Michael Kors himself is a world-renowned and award winning
designer who is personally responsible for leading the design team. This includes both
conceptualizing and directing all product designs, resulting in a unique competitive
advantage. These design claims are validated not only through continuously strong sales, but
also through numerous recognition awards, such as the CFDA Womens Fashion Designer of
the Year, the CFDA Mens Fashion Designer of the Year, the ACE Accessory Designer of the
Year and the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award (Corporate Profile, 2012).Personality:
The lifestyle and brand personality that Michael Kors products produce are representative of
a simple, comfortable, yet luxurious way of life in which the majority of high-end designers
aspire to uphold within their products.
The products have an appeal of confidence in it and through the various print ads it shows
how MK products are perfect for confident, ambitious, active personalities who as well as are
stylish and glamorous in an elegant, simple and effortless way.
Kors holds a steady philosophy within creating and maintaining his brand: to stay away
from clothing that can only be worn at red carpet events and then left in the wardrobe until
the next big event.

Relationship:
In essence of informing the targeted audience of the brand, Kors made it an effort to disclose
his desire for fulfilling the needs and wants for his consumers. Kors most often claims that it
is his job to make women look good and that seeing them in the clothes, spending time
talking with them about their frustrations and fears helps him to service his consumers as
they aspire and create strong, intimate relationships and loyalty between consumers and the
brand.
Such quotes give the consumers a feeling of personal relation and reliability on the brand.
Michael Kors brand portrays a measureless, incredible interest in direct access with
consumers in anticipation of collecting opinion-based commentary to suggest what exactly
works for his cliental.
The primary focus upon creating a favourable opinion of the Michael Kors product by means
of establishing long-term, intimate relationships between consumers and products displays
the true characterization of a brand that uses, and uses well, the concept of Integrated
Marketing Communication.
The Michael Kors brand primarily works to establish meaningful connections and puts
consumers first, even if it means the brand may be at loss.
The Michael Kors brand recognizes that they can, and will never know enough or too much
about their consumers, which calls for much data-driven interaction and research upon those
who consume their products. When brands such as Michael Kors obtain a consumer-centric

focus, it is precise to claim that its brand-loyal, satisfied consumers broadcast and pass
forward a well-respected opinion and reputation of the brand to others.
Kors, being the busy man he now is, does not have time or ability to personally sit down with
each consumer at boutiques to discuss their wants and needs as he once was able to. Bringing
the social media aspect within Integrating Marketing Communication into play, consumers
are now able to comfortably and conveniently discuss comments or concerns through social
networking mediums, which they possibly had already partaken in, well before stepping out
of his or her way to comment on the brand.
The Michael Kors brand obtains multiple social mediums to connect with its consumers, such
as an official Facebook page, a Twitter with tweets from Michael Kors, personally, and an
official YouTube channel with videos of ad campaigns and recaps of recent events .

By

interacting with consumers, Kors is able to establish and maintain relationships and brand
loyalty in a simple, yet assertive way.
MK believes trust is an important humanistic aspect, not only within relationships between
consumers and retailers, but also those relationships consumers hold between their selves and
their families or friends. It is compulsory for consumers to obtain the trust and knowledge
that a product will deliver whats promised every time its purchased in order to initially
establish a brand loyalty. The more intimate the trust within the relationship between the
consumer and retailer, the less likely it is for the consumer to become easily influenced and
compelled by competitors.
Culture:
The products and offerings of MK follow solely the American culture. Through consistency
within magazine advertisements, consumers are able to rely upon the Michael Kors brand to
uphold and maintain its portrayal of the perfected formula for casual elegance that combines
simplicity, ease and luxury in a purely American way.
The products portray the modern American culture with heritage American values of
socialising and working and at the same time living a luxurious life. The advertisements
showcase the products in this way and also the brand also explains the products to be for
upscale modern society who are ready to take over the world.

The brand represents the traditional modern, trend-following and materialistic culture that
attracts the young crowd.
Consumer reflection:
It is how the products are advertised and promoted makes a customer reflection on the
product.
New York Times journalist and writer Ginia Bellafante wrote in an article, Michael Kors ads
unabashedly worship moneyed glamour. Its the 0.01 percent lifestyle the images convey. The
men and women in the ads are rarely resting quietly. They are forever travelling or
disembarking from helicopters, yachts and planes in which legroom does not appear to be an
issue. No one in a Michael Kors ad flies commercial. Women are occasionally pictured on the
phone perhaps calling the Beijing office and they are always in control.
From the Jet set style as discussed earlier a traveller image is associated with the consumers
of MK. Also from the print ads and celebrity associations the customer reflection are often
rich, glamorous, successful, trendy and elegant
Consumer self-image:
What MK customers see in their products is the way they would like to think of their image
and want the society to perceive them. The clothing seems to attract the same, targeted
consumers- those who wish to be luxurious, while remaining casual and comfortable.
The Michael Kors brand makes it an effort to display products in use upon everyday
situations that current and prospective consumers can relate to. If the product is placed in a
more tangible scenario, rather than strictly upon models or celebrities for advertisement
purposes, the consumer is more likely to recognize that the common man can also wear the
brand.
Product placement within consumer-familiar environments creates a meaningful bond
between product image and self-image. This is key within the magazine advertisement aspect
of Integrated Marketing Communication Such bonds allot for consumers to feel comfortable
with the brand and each individual is able to uphold their own personal connotations with the
product or service which they obtain. Michael Kors product advertisements contain a phone
number to call or website address to visit allowing for current or potential consumers to
obtain more information about the product.

Those who want to be effortlessly stylish, leads a luxurious lifestyle, is fashionable , loves
travelling around the world and also rich and successful , belongs to a high status and also
want their belongings to reflect that status, relate to MK products more naturally.

Conclusion:
The brand identity prism enables the brand managers to assess the strengths and weakness of
the brand using the six aspects of the prism.
The Michael Kors brand indefinitely attains a primary focus upon making sure that the brand
remains as a stable, well-respected consumer product through the works of public relations.
Integrated Marketing Communications does the job of tying in works of advertisement teams
with works of public relations representatives: a concept that had never been given much
thought until just recently.
In these efforts, excellent teams, each with individual interactive concepts, come together to
decipher the best ways to build brand awareness, brand equity, and maintain brand loyalty.
The three quality aspects play a massive role in creating and maintaining a well-regarded,
successful company through the use of Integrated Marketing Communication.

Bibliography:

https://prezi.com/754nukctmt4f/michael-kors-strategic-analysis/
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-michael-kors-is-successful-2012-9?IR=T
http://www.slideshare.net/jplopan/michael-kors-strategic-marketing-plan
http://www.mcarthurglen.com/uk/cheshire-oaks-designer-outlet/en/thebrands/michael-kors/
Caroline K. Callahan, Dr. James Lumpp, Michael Kors & The Aspects of Integrated
Marketing Communication, IMC 204: Introduction to Integrated Marketing
Communication, Thursday, Decmeber 8, 2011