There is much competition in the retail industry. Even before the emergence of online shopping, high street retail brands were doing everything possible to ensure they were developing an edge against their competitors. For example, many retailers in the past used consumer-based sales promotions to attract the attention of their target audience, such as ‘buy one get one free’ (BOGOF) offers. However, retailers can use other methods to build awareness and loyalty, such as focusing more on developing brand personality, physique, and culture.

Brand personality, physique, and culture are some of the components in a prism that marketers call the Kapferer Brand Identity Prism. Many leading retailers have used these components within their marketing approach to become household names in the retail industry, and this article will look specifically at Hampton Nautical, IKEA, and lululemon.

Advertisement

Brand Physique

Brand physique refers to the physical characteristics of a company, such as its colours, logo, and font. Ideally, companies want their brand physique to represent their brand personality, and a retail company that has excelled at this is Hampton Nautical. Hampton Nautical is a manufacturer and retail supplier of nautical, beach, and tropical decor. The company is known for its high quality, and Hampton’s logo features an anchor. Anchors symbolise hope, calm, and composure, all characteristics that we tend to think of when we think of the tropics or the beach.

Brand Personality

Many people think brand personality comes down to the company’s name, which is partially true. Brand personality refers to how a brand communicates with the world, but the terminology usually focuses on a brand’s tone of voice. For example, furniture retailer IKEA effectively communicates its tone of voice through its advertisements. Many IKEA advertisements show how the company is relaxed, positive, fun, and family-oriented.

However, that’s not to say the name of a company isn’t essential. Good company names form long-lasting impressions on consumers, but it’s not always easy to come up with one. That is especially true for retail startups competing with Hampton Nautical and IKEA. Fortunately, you can generate a business name for your retail company using AI-powered tools. All you have to do is type in the area you specialise in, and thousands of options will appear that you can customise and tweak to your liking. As long as the domain name is available, you can use it to capture the attention of your target audience.

Brand Culture

Brand culture refers to the principles and values a company uses to position itself at the top of consumers’ minds. For instance, Google is known for offering a fun and creative workplace where employees can access fitness and wellness centres on campus, as well as a bowling alley and beach volleyball courts. 

Lululemon has a similar reputation. The Canadian athletic apparel retailer offers its employees many perks, including extending health plans and access to fitness classes, which are two things that the company embodies.

More and more retailers are entering the space, particularly in the online sphere, which means companies have to get even more creative than they were 30 years ago. There are many ways to do this, such as offering sales promotions. However, companies can also spend extra time developing their brand physique, personality, and culture to attract their target audience and compete with their rivals.