The love of shoes has forever been one of the stereotypes put on women, along with chocolate, wine, and cheesy romance movies. I have to admit that while most days I hate going shopping myself, I do believe that shoes are the best investment in fashion. The same pair has the ability to make a little black dress or a little black t-shirt look equally amazing. I think that shoes can make you feel sexy, sophisticated and confident. Good shoes, however, the ones that come with a hefty price tag and designer signature can make you feel a lot more then that. I have a weakness for a lot of designers, but by far the largest dent in my wallet has been left by Tory Burch. Her style is a mix of retro hip and future chic, with a wide arrange of patterns that are geometric, bright and artful. What she may be most well known for are her ballet flats called the Reva.
The Reva is a simply designed ballet flat with limited material such as leathers, sequins, suede and even jelly (even better than the ones you had when you were a kid). They are adorned at the toe with the signature Tory Burch logo. That's it. Low on design and difficulty of production, yet high on price. But it isn't just because Tory Burch is a high-end fashion designer that these little shoes might cause a struggling young professional to eat Ramen noodles for a few weeks, but it is because the logo at the top of shoe means something more. And they care about it.
A lot of brands don't know what they really mean to their consumers. If you took a survey of women who wear the Reva they will probably reveal that it is because they are trendy, stylish, fun, pretty, etc. But isn't that what everyone says about shoes?? So you have to wonder what is it about Tory Burch in particular that has them digging into their wallets? The Reva is a really simple shoe that is priced from $195 a pair and up so to the consumer, are they more than just "trendy"? Sure, being trendy has a lot to do with their popularity. We see them on the feet of celebrities or our "cool" coworker and we may want to immediately go out and buy a pair. They reflect an inner feeling and fulfill a desire for the woman who wears them. Because Tory Burch is a designer brand, the painfully obvious logo on these flats shows that this consumer cares about brands and she wants you to know it. If she just wanted a ballet flat she could find a similar style at Target for $14.99. Logos matter and brands matter. Those "cheap" shoes don't project the right image and they don't fulfill a deeper need than just something to walk in. Accomplishing this is as simple as slapping the Tory Burch logo on her feet. The brand teeters on the edge of middle to high end luxury, so it has the ability to serve this function to women who are wealthy and trying to look it. I am not talking about the woman who uses her black Amex to buy these shoes, but the one who is on the verge of not making her rent on time to have the latest styles. It seems very Carrie Bradshaw I suppose (who's money source still remains a mystery to me...), but these are the people that we should be concerned with as advertisers. I think that these REAL reasons are the key to understanding why a simple product like the Reva has become so popular at such a high price. But why don't we use them in advertising?
We don't use the truth because it scares the hell out of brands and consumers are just in denial about why they buy. We hate anything that risks us being vulnerable or exposed... especially our shopping habits. I don't think that we try hard enough to uncover these pieces of gold among our consumer's insights because they can be controversial. People are often aware of the superficial reasons why they might buy a product but will cover it up with the band-aid of necessity. "I buy Reva's because they are well made, and I feel like the quality is worth the price." And I am going to have to call bullshit (sorry Mom) on that. I doubt that Tory would want to run a campaign that says something like "The Tory Burch Reva: you buy them if you are rich, you wear them to look rich" but what if she did?
As consumers we aren't suppose to acknowledge the superficial things that ultimately drive our purchasing choices because that is well, superficial. So we don't. As marketers, we are supposed to see through to these superficial reasons, but we don't use them. There is power in the way that we use brands on both sides. Whether it is for filling an emotional or a physical need, it is equally as important that we understand what brands really mean to consumers. If a woman is using a pair of shoes to make a statement beyond just having good taste, is it our job to uncover these truths among consumers or should we just continue to market brands based on their function?
I know what kind of girl I am seen as when I wear Tory Burch Reva's, but do you??
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