1. What are the dominant brands?
The dominant brands in the surf skate and snow industry are Billabong, Quicksilver and Rip Curl. These brands depict the surf industry perfectly. Billabong is the most prominent of the three but they all are successfully making a name for them selves.
The target markets for all three of these brands are large, from toddlers to older adults. The main focus for all the brands are young adults, both male and female. This is why I think these brands are so successful, they appeal to every age group, male or female.
2. What are the alternative, less known or more obscure brands?
There are a lot of these brands. They are the ones that have either not been successful or they are content with the size of their company and its cliental.
Some of the smaller brands that have tried to crack the market end up being bought by department stores. Piping Hot, Mango and Lost are an example of these brands.
Brands that are less known that I like are Two Chillies, they design and produce swimwear. Milk and Honey make beautiful clothes and accessories for young women. Le Specs are a sunglasses brand, not so well known but still doing an excellent job.
3. What visual identity do the above brands use?
All the brands have their name written in there own text, some with a logos some with out. But either way they are all easily identified.
4. How does their logo reflect their personality and product?
The brands that target women, their logos and text used are typically feminine and girly. I think they do this so the target market can easily identify the product.
5. Who is their target market? Are they successful?
The target market for these brands are females from the 16 to 25 age group. All of these brands are successful in the way they have marketed their brand for their target. This is apparent in the way that there individual brands and logos have been design to attract the attention of the attended target market.
6. What are your favourite brands? Why?
My favorite brands aren’t necessarily in the surf skate or snow industries. I like the street wear brands better because of there clothing designs. I thinks that surf brand don’t catch on to what’s in fashion until the street brands have brought it out first.
Some of my favorites are One Teaspoon, Material Boy, Illionaire and Cassette Society. All of these brands create well made and design clothing.
One Teaspoon make great clothes for 16 to 25 yr old females. They use lovely fabrics with nice designs that fit great.
Material Boy designs for boys form 16 to 30 yr olds. The head designer is quite ahead of his time with his clothes and he continues to impress me with all of his collections. Even though this brand is for males all of the clothes are quite androgynous and female are able to wear them aswell.
Illionaire are quite like material Boy in the way that they both are always a step ahead of the trends but Illoinaire also designs for women.
7. What are your least favourite brands? Why?
My least favorite brands are low quality behind the times surf brands that charge too much for there china made product. Some of these brands include Kustom, Jacks and West Coast Choppers.
8. What are your favourite examples of branding and why?
My favorite examples of branding are Milk and Honey, Illionaire and The Cassette Society. All of these brands use simple but recognisable text. None of them have logos but instead use there brand name as there logo.
Milk and Honey as well as Illionaire don’t just stick to their one text for there brand names either. They both use their brand in different ways with different texts. I like the fact that they don’t feel the need to stick to one text type and can experiment with different looks.
