“Why do my dad and I both choose to wear Sambas?”

The second day of our Mentorship with Stefano Filippelli began by exploring the concept of icons and ephemeral. The initial question delved into defining an icon, emphasizing its immediate recognizability, distinctive codes, and cultural connections. It evokes a sense of belonging among consumers, and it can embody both a brand and a product. The key feature lies in its salience, indicating its memorability and recognizability.

Moreover, brands or products of this nature hold significance due to their heightened perceived value for customers, which becomes invaluable during irrational or emotionally charged instances. To concretize, Stefano provided us with an example of his childhood yearning for a purple vest, clearly representing an impulsive purchase linked to an icon product and desired brand from that period. When buying such items, customers aren’t paying solely for the product’s utility but for its perceived value, which is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as “Value is determined by the desirability of an item rather than its actual price”.

Icon products hold immense value for brands as they offer a substantial competitive edge. In today’s market, which is greatly polarized, the competition is extreme, and the dominant player has a significant advantage, their distinction is so pronounced that no one else can rival them. This means that even if newcomers are overperforming, they are competing in a world of giants, who are already experiencing such success and are positioned as the winners.

Returning to adidas’ scenario, Stefano and his team are considering themselves as an icon brand, showcasing icon products like the Samba sneaker. However, what steps did they take to achieve this esteemed status? Stefano emphasized that for a brand to become an icon, it’s essential to understand its identity, comprehend its audience, and maintain distinctiveness. Likewise, according to Bain & Company, “Brands who want to succeed, focus holistically on consumers; balance their exposure across geographies; offer a high value proposition with elevated entry clienteling and experientiality at scale; and push on icons, timeless, and statement pieces”. The keywords here are icons, timeless, and statement pieces, this means that brands need to focus on creating and promoting products that have the potential to become that kind of product and stand the test of time. It involves developing items that make a strong fashion or cultural statement and are recognized for their enduring appeal and significance. Expansion is important as it allows experimentation with ephemeral things, potentially setting the foundation for future icons. It is the step to take, but if the capacity of a brand to stretch is compromised, it often leads to the creation of goods without a clear purpose, ultimately resulting in losses, reducing credibility, and falling into misunderstanding. This occurs unless the intention is to break boundaries through innovation, as demonstrated by Peter Moor introducing a new adidas logo during a challenging period for the brand, an unfamiliar move yet groundbreaking and successful.

Overall, venturing too broadly can lead to creating products without a distinct identity, which Stefano simply referred to as “stuff”. The optimal strategy involves expanding the icons while integrating ephemeral elements, finding a careful balance between the two. Another perspective to consider is maintaining connectivity and credibility through brand DNA; icons are “hot” and credible. Therefore, when a brand owns icons, the imperative is to continue pushing forward without presuming that what’s good will remain indefinitely. Additionally, ephemeral products should be injected with a brand’s DNA to potentially create new icons, while a brand may also require “stuff”, even if caution is advised in this category.

However, can a brand depend solely on an icon? Stefano’s response was a definitive “Not adidas”. The approach to managing icons, ephemeral items, and “stuff” will be the focus of our next mentorship with Stefano, scheduled for the beginning of 2024.

Finally, following our insightful discussion on icons and ephemeral with Stefano, Fabio Minutoli introduced us to an engaging and ongoing assignment. The task involves choosing a brand and exploring its journey across past, present, and future while aiming to identify and define its icon products. Our objective is to understand why these items hold such importance, as well as their connection with culture, and to evaluate their role in the current narrative of the brand’s history. Furthermore, we aim to strategize ways to preserve these icons in an industry that constantly evolves, ensuring our brand remains authentic and true to its essence amidst change.

– Stella Meier