Why Do I Feel Confident while I Am Using Louis Vuittons Products - Coursework Example

Why do I feel confident while I am using Louis Vuitton’s products?” Since branding is a major component of a business that cannot be ignored, and based on the fact that just a tiny item such as a small bag mounted lipstick may fetch more money if sold at the luxurious hotels, shops and airports. It is true to say that carrying a Louis Vuitton product is not only a reflection of being moneyed but also of status. Introduction At this tender age, though I am not yet in employment, my appetite for designer fashions has been great. Since the last two years I have been totally hooked on buying Louis Vuitton products. I agree to the fact that Louis Vuitton is one of the leading international fashion brands. The story behind Louis Vuitton conception plays an important role in understanding the brand and why people use it. So what is so special about Louis Vuitton? I have thoughtfully decided to take a critical examination of Louis Vuitton and as well try to make an analysis of what motivates me to be an ardent consumer of Louis Vuitton products. I have generally used the introspection method in doing so, thus developing a meaningful analysis of the company’s brand success that involves marketing strategies and advertising to reach a wider market. I will also in essence be illustrating such findings through the research initiative that has been conducted within the university for the purposes of establishing the behavior of consumers that primarily makes Louis Vuitton’s brands to a remarkable brand with global success. Why the LV products has high appealing to myself Undoubtedly, most people would react positive to someone who owns a luxury product and would look down to someone who does not. Almost all my friends including me associate the term with being upscale, living on quality, exhibiting good taste, and being flashy, modern and upmarket. Owning a Louis Vuitton’s product is luxury in itself, even though you are not affluent. Since I was young, I have had many chances to escort my mother on her shopping trips.It would say that my mother is a big fan of Louis Vuitton.She has almost very collection of Louis Vuitton.As time passed, I have an assortment of Louis Vuitton products. Currently I have a leather suitcase and four lady handbags. Since I come from Thailand, I have done a lot of window-shopping in Bangkok city where the company’s shops are located. At the moment there are many Louis Vuitton stores in Thailand, most of them are located in the capital city, Bangkok. However my favorite store that I normally go are located atGaysorn Department Store (RatchaprasongRoad)(Figure 1). I have become an ardent fun of the company’s products hence regularly comments on the new products launched by the company in its Facebook page. (Figure 1) In United Kingdom, I discovered that the depreciation in the exchange rate has made Britain to be one of the cheapest places to buy the company’s products. The company’s franchise stores are located in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester. I personally prefer buying the company’s products in London as the shops there have the ability to get the just released collections. The most famous LouisVuitton shop in the United Kingdom is located at Harrods Knightsbridge (Figure 2). I have gone there on several occasions to make purchases. (Figure2) Figure 3 What I feel when I see LV products? Brown colour with LV letter Colour has gained great significance when considering the image and appeal of the product. As asserted by Solomon et al (2010), the power of association and symbolism relating to colour has been used by many well known international brands to relay certain consumer values and in the case of Louis Vuitton products, it is my feeling that the array of colours in use perfectly conveys a sense of vigour, fun, youthfulness as well as individuality. This is against the back drop of more serious messages that do not consider aspects of fun in them.(Figure 3) Celebrity Endorsements and Advertising According to Kahle and Pamela (2005), product brands have for along time leveraged on celebrity appeal. Across board, many brands whether products or services have heavily relied on mass endorsement and appeals by top celebrities. I can recall being enticed to buy a handbag when I watched a television advert showing a trendy lady carrying Loius Vuitton handbag. The company had a past collaboration with celebrities such as Madonna (Figure 4) and Kanye West. The Louis Vuitton concept of celebrity involvement can therefore be justified based on the following: (Figure 4) Establishment of credibility based on the approval of Louis Vitton brand by a well known celebrity brings a renewed sense of trust for the would be consumers, which is generally true for designer products. Capturing Attention: Celebrities are used by the company to ensure that the attention of the target group is captured by effectively breaking the assortment of advertisements Celebrities are used for public relations coverage. For example, integrated campaigns by celebrities such as Princess SiriwanwareeNareerat (Figure 5) of Thailand attends the Louis Vuitton Ready to wear Spring/ Summer 2012 show during Paris Fashion week on October 5,2011 in Paris, France, have appeared in numerous product adverts in Thailand. In my own perspective, Royal family is a very significant aspect to me as well as most of Thai people (Daniellaet al 2002). (Figure 5) Product identity is the very critical in the sense that it creates an idea about oneself, characteristic properties, and the values of importance. On the other hand, creation of image, which concerns how others see and judge a person, product or any other thing, is also very critical for LV Company. LV therefore focuses on creation and maintenance of personal image and product identity with their various advertising campaigns, hence incorporating celebrities to be ‘models’ of the brands. Ownership of brands transfers the real meaning of products and services to consumers. The ownership of an item ensures that it become an extension of the self. The image of the product should eventually contribute to the self-concept of the consumer, which concurs with the theory of the extended self by Belk which asserts that knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, human beings regard their possessions as parts of themselves (Scott, 1991) My perception of self As I have always dreamed of being like a famous Thai celebrity and have my life like as Blair Cornelia Waldorf (Figure 6) is the main character of Gossip Girl,I have utilized LV as a prop to more closely resemble this inspirational figure of mine. e.g. Clothes, bags will have to make people think about me in positive way. Figure 6 Last week I visited numerous designer stores, but unfortunately did not find any designer bag that matches my taste and preferences. It was until I almost gave up that I luckily came across one at a Louis Vuitton store in the Harrods. I settled for a Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag having the famous monogram canvas (Figure 7) as well as the classic silhouette that has been in style for so many years. It was my conviction that once I purchase it, I can be pretty sure that it will remain a well-adored classic and will consequently form part of my elegant wardrobe. One amazing thing with the Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag is that it blends well with EVERYTHING, notably from jeans, casual wear to cocktail dresses. I would say at this point that my purchase of the bag was psychologically influenced by the concept of self. Since a bag is something that I use daily, it definitely becomes part and parcel of my extended self. In relation to congruence models of self-image, the inner attributes of my coat should basically fit the image that I struggle to maintain of myself. Therefore in line with looking-glass self theory, I have been imagining how others will view and categorise me complete with the Louis Vuitton bag, with the struggle to portray and reflect an image of classiness, sophisticated and successful lady (Solomon, 2010). Figure 7 In reality, concepts of self may be either real or ideal. For example, functional objects are mostly linked to the real self while on the other hand expressive objects tend to be chosen so as to provide a projection of the ideal self and in some cases the self an individual wishes to be (Solomon, 2010). A Louis Vuitton bag serves quite a number of functions, thus expressive, functional in regard to storage and as a piece of fashion. Attributes of the bag therefore reflects what I value about myself. For instance, it is a clear reflection of my taste for pastel tones and muted earthly tones, which is a good representation of my character and nature of being down to earth. I critically look at the bag as deeply rooted in tradition yet modest in the contemporary times. Overall, the product is flashy. Over the years, consumers have agreed that it is very practical and durable as well as little quirky. Such qualities perfectly marches my style and is reflective of my inner personality. When I first grasp my Louis Vuitton bag upon purchase, I characteristically thought, “that’s me!” - I have the general feeling that my LV bag to a greater extent embodies my real self, not leaving expression of my ideals, though there may be possibility of my biasness in regard to my taste. I do have the feeling that there may be a slight discrepancy between the self-concepts; that I am who I want to be as well as I am well on my path to who I want to be. Consumer Interaction and Involvement through Social Media (Figure 8) One of the most important social trends to emerge in the last decade is the spread of the Internet and online media. It is rare to find a company or individual who is not ‘online’ in today’s world (Roy, 2010). Louis Vuitton is no different: they use social media to turn web-based technologies into interactive communication with consumers. Most of the consumers who normally venture into virtual worlds more often than not build cordial relationships with other consumers of certain products. The need of social media is mandated to maintain the time-space compression and bringing closer customers (Roy, 2010). It is through immense interest in the company’s products that consumers get the opportunity to engage in social relationship buildings with one another, thus reinforcing the concept of ‘brand community’. Solomon et al (2006) argues that the concept of brand community assists in the satisfaction of the psychogenic needs and wants of consumers. This include the sense of social belonging and acceptance which is critical in the creation and maintenance of consumer loyalty, thus group membership can be vital and satisfying, regardless of where an individual belongs and as such fitting in with a group may be a strong force of motivation (Ratneshwar&Mick, 2005:341). Louis Vuitton Company has embraced the use of social media such as Facebook (Figure 8) and youtube (Figure 9) to provide its customers with elegant video feeds from fashion shows as well as photographs of the latest information and product ranges in relation to new store openings. In reference to figures 10 and 11, We can seeThat there are lots of comments about the Louis Vuitton new products and it’s event. (Figure 9) (Figure 10) (Figure 11) The company uses social media for business association with exotic destinations, thus it relates to exclusive destinations such as Cannes Islands and Paris. The brand therefore posts numerous photos from its stores located in such areas and also offer reviews of parties in such premium tourist destinations. For example, a post on the social media gives people what it termed exclusive photos from a party in Beirut as well as others. Promoting its brand with exclusive art such as exhibitions, notably Espace Cultural Louis Vuitton exhibition, it positions itself in terms of brand awareness and image. The company has also been posting drawings done by Andre, the street artist in order to promote its store opening in Saint Tropez. Such association with art is perfectly promoted on Facebook, with the company posting photos of all the collaborations (Willsher 2004: 12-13). The Espace Louis Vuitton is a representation of what innovation can do to bring together expression of arts and culture. The Espace Louis Vuitton hosts and also produces three exhibitions annually that revolves on the themes of fashion, travel, art and heritage. Conclusion: So why do people buy Louis Vuitton? It is my strong belief that when people buy Louis Vuitton brands they get hold of a product that contains both tangible products and tangible produuct owing to the fact that the products come complete with social and psychological aspects. Louis Vuitton has strategically positioned itself to be the leader of the active and potential lifestyle fashion market. Through outstanding products, branding, and celebrity endorsements, the company has had an upper hand in trying to meet the needs and wants of consumers as noted by personal image, self-concept, and social acceptance. The awareness of Louis Vuitton in regard to the new media, its flexibility in utilisation of internet marketing and online social forums has been one of the main success factors in the fast expansion of its consumer base. The success of the company in capturing the dynamic imagination of the modern day consumer is a demonstration of how they are highly hooked to and and loyal to Louis Vuitton brand. It is due to this that I believe the Louis Vuitton brand will not only achieve immense success, but will also remarkably continue to expand and thrive in today’s growing global market. Bibliography Charlesworth, Alan 2009, Internet marketing: a practical approach. Butterworth- Heinemann. p. 49. Daniella, M , Chung-Kue& Hsu 2002, An Examination on Multiple Celebrity Endorsers in Advertising ' Journal of Product Brand Management , 11: 1 , pp 19-29. Kahle , Lynn R & Pamela M . H 2005, Physical Attractiveness of the Celebrity Endorser : A Social Adaptation Perspective ' Journal of Consumer Research , 11: 4 pp954-961 Roy, P. (2010) ‘The Importance of Social Media’, Suite101.com, Retrieved 1/16/2012 from http://www.suite101.com/content/importance-of-social-media- marketing-a326257 Louis Vuitton. Retrieved 1/11/12 from http://www.facebook.com/LouisVuitton Martin, Richard 1995, Contemporary fashion. London: St. James Press. p. 750. Ohanian, Roobina 2006, The Impact of Celebrity Spokespersons Perceived Image on Consumers ' Intention to Purchase ' Journal of Advertising Research, 31:1, pp 46-53 Solomon , Michael R 2002 , Consumer Behavior : Buying , Having , and Being , 5th Ed , New Jersey : Prentice Hall , pp 87-99. Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., Askegaard, S & Hogg, M 2010, Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. Prentice Hall Europe, 4th Edition. Scott, A. J 1991, "Prediction of Consumer Behavior by Experts and Novices". Journal of Consumer Research Inc. pp. 251–256. Willsher, Kim 2004, "Louis Vuitton's links with Vichy regime exposed, The Guardian. Read More