Foundation
Most of what we write about in this space is foundational aspects of brand, consumer behavior, and the intersection of the two. We rehash the same concept and topic frequently, sometimes looking at it from a different angle and sometimes just beating a dead horse.
Is that compelling enough?
It’s a question we’ve asked ourselves on occasion.
But then we catch these comments from VF CEO Bracken Darrell about the plummeting performance of Vans:
“The trend burned out 18 months ago. The trend moved on. When a brand loses its way, the answer starts at its foundation, its purpose and target audience.”
Vans, in case you missed it, has had multiple quarters of double digit sales declines (including a 40% decline in wholesale distribution in Q2).
It seems, in many ways, to be the cautionary tale that young brands need to watch, because Vans 1) is durable, 2) chased trends over what made it durable, and 3) can be studied in real time as management looks to right the ship.