From same old to gold: the role of brand coolness in the perception of co-branded products- the off-white case

Faria, Maria de Fátima Pinto de

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/51510

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Authors

Faria, Maria de Fátima Pinto de

Advisor(s)

Nogueira, Mafalda

Abstract(s)

In the fashion industry, a highly unstable and increasingly competitive market, brands are forced to make efforts and outline strategies that guarantee differentiation and brand awareness. Regarding the first, Coolness can act as the differentiating attribute that distinguishes brands from their fierce competitors. As evidenced, brand Coolness is capable of stimulating consumers, promote purchase behaviours and create strong relationships between the customers and the brand. Meanwhile, to ensure the latter, in recent years, brands have made a habit of celebrating collaborations with both similar and different product and target brands. Despite extensive research into the outcomes of the collaborations for both brands involved, no study has yet focused on the influence that the brand Coolness of the composite brands has on the success of such partnership. Therefore, this investigation focuses on studying the case of Streetwear fashion brand Off-White, recognized in the market for its extensive portfolio of collaborations. By conducting interviews and focus group sessions, with consumers of co-produced products and exclusive consumers and fans of the brand, respectively, it was possible to confirm the importance of Off-White’s Coolness regarding the purchase intention, willingness to pay and word-of-mouth of collaborative pieces, notwithstanding whether the partner brands were already perceived as Cool or not. This study also provides evidence of how a constituent brand Coolness can elevate the level of Coolness of the other brand, even if the second has a lower equity.