Nike / Sears / Kmart

Home
>
Branding
>
Nike / Sears / Kmart

Nike / Sears / Kmart

The Sears-Kmart merger hopes to fabricate some sort of silver lining for both retailers but instead seems to embody the inevitable philosophy of "going down together." Kmart, an already sinking ship, certainly worsens conditions for Sears, and Sears does not have a strong enough current to keep Kmart afloat when there are enterprises like Wal*Mart and Target constantly blasting holes in the stern with brand messages of "smart and classy."

On the opposite end of the branding spectrum, Nike sits at the top of the todem and watches the plethora of other brands struggling beneath. Nike is the only brand of shoe for which people are willing to pay two to three times more just to bear the swoosh emblem in the gym. Nike is the only athletic brand creating new and original advertising (i.e. the Nike Pro Apparel "Warriors" campaign) while Adidas, Reebok, Puma, New Balance, and countless others attempt to "be like Mike" and copycat concepts to boost their market share. In reality, Nike only becomes more powerful and valued despite the efforts of brand emulation.

Before Sears merged with Kmart, Sears carried several Nike products, shoes, clothing, a few sporting goods...etc. However, when Sears announced the agreement with Kmart, Nike announced to Sears that they would no longer be needing their shelves. If Sears was opening up to Kmart, Nike was closing off to Sears. There is a simple equation and contingency of Nike's brand conservation.

Kmart is known for "lower quality, but dirt cheap," and Nike is a premium, high quality brand that can inflate prices based on brand equity and reputation.

What can brands like Sears and Kmart learn from brands like Nike?

Unfortunately not much can be accomplished at this point because when it comes to brand, this market does not allow much time and space for second chances let alone acts of desperation. Nike "got it" from the beginning, and continues to grow their market share by being the father ship. Consumers can see themselves inside the Nike brand and feel a sense of pride and confidence. Sears and Kmart cannot even even make consumers feel like consumers. Being loyal to these brands feels more like a public service.

Molly Sunderdick
Brand Strategist
Stealing Share, Inc.

In The News:

VentureBeat
Top four global tech brands now worth almost $500B
VentureBeat
Four out of five of the top brands in the world are technology brands, according to a review of the top global brands released Tuesday. The report valued the Apple, IBM, Google, and Microsoft brands at a combined half-trillion dollars.
7 Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Based on the Brandz Top 100 Global Brands ...Customer Think (blog)
Top Brands Thrive Despite Economy According to Millward Brown's Latest BrandZ ...Sacramento Bee
Apple Again Ranked as World's Most Valuable BrandMac Rumors

all 237 news articles »

Kansas City Star
Kraft's new branding provokes plenty of yucks
Cherokee Tribune
Today, Kraft shareholders will decide whether to approve the name for the company's business that sells global snack brands such as Oreos, Fig Newton and Cadbury. The four-month odyssey of how “Mondelez” was picked — and how it was received ...
Kraft's new snack business name faces crucial voteChicago Sun-Times

all 262 news articles »

Branding the mental drawer companies send to consumers
StandardNet
We simplify our lives by buying brands that we know and trust. We totally ignore offerings that do not have a significant personal connection. Our mind, like a powerful and logical computer, inputs data and stores it deep within the brain.

Bluewater Unveils New Branding Initiative
PR Web (press release)
Christine Kropp, CEO Bluewater, a one-to-one marketing services agency, has launched a new branding initiative to reflect its latest evolution of capabilities and offerings. Bluewater combines personalized marketing services with leading edge ...

and more »

BusinessDay
Branding for small businesses (II)
BusinessDay
Big corporations spend millions promoting their brands successfully; it's a tool proven to work. Branding is one of a company's most valuable assets. Essentially, it is the company's reputation; how customers portray a product/service, including how it ...

and more »

HnyB Insights Predicts Global Social Branding Market to Touch $13.8Bn by 2020
PR.com (press release)
Social Branding Strategy and Outlook, 2012 - 2020 released by HnyB Insights predicts consistent growth in Global Social Branding revenue, the market is projected to reach $2.1Bn in 2014, will touch $7.8Bn towards end of 2018 and by 2020 it will grow ...

and more »

3 Personal Branding Must-Haves
Business Insider
Personal Branding Blog offers branding and career advice from Dan Schawbel and his team of experts. Fundamentally, the process of personal branding includes taking time to define yourself and then intentionally connecting yourself with others who ...

and more »

Design Week
BC-OLY--London 2012-Branding,1st Ld-Writethru, OLY
The Huntsville Times - al.com
"It's fine to clamp down on the threat, but where it impacts the individual, it's going to be very difficult for (London organizers) to get it right," said Hugh Tebay, a partner at Sipara, a British law firm that specializes in trademark and branding.
The 2012 Olympics branding comes goodDesign Week

all 658 news articles »

Matthews Marking Products Showcases Branding, Traceability Solutions at ...
MarketWatch (press release)
These products aid packagers with branding and traceability solutions for their products, from graphics and trademarks to date codes, batch numbers, and barcoding. Secondary and primary package marking solutions will be on display.

and more »

Fibre2fashion.com
Branding is important for apparel SMEs: UK expert
Fibre2fashion.com
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including those in the apparel sector, need to take branding seriously to sustain their businesses in a competitive market, according to an expert. In the absence of any knowledge about the company, people tend to ...

Google News