#OnShelf: Innovative brand collaborations
by Louise Burgers. Epic brand collaborations in the multiverse; and on the Paris catwalk with local influencers.
by Louise Burgers. From a new homeware focus for Game; to the Paris catwalk with homegrown fashion brand Jessica Jane and influencer Minnie Dlamini; and a partnership between Marvel and Pandora jewellery in the gaming multiverse.
Game reimagined
As part of its turnaround strategy, Retail Reimagined, Game is relaunching its homeware range, updating 75% of the products on offer across categories including furniture, décor, flooring, and lighting. They hope the move will set them up to gain market share as a general merchandise retailer and increase share in the affordable homeware category. “Retail Reimagined is all about transforming and improving the customer experience – not only through an updated look and feel in our stores, but also through the product lines we are offering. Consumers no longer looking to purchase homeware products in isolation but rather are seeking a complete solution that will assist them in updating and finishing their homes,” explains Andrew Stein, Game VP. “Many of our consumers are renting or staying in small spaces – meaning they are often looking for modern, quality pieces to refresh spaces as opposed to making structural changes,” says Stein. Game is also creating experiential displays in some stores to illustrate the various homeware trends and options.
It will be interesting to see if Game succeeds where other retailers have failed. Their pricing strategy is good, but they need a clear differentiator with all these product extensions, without becoming everything to everyone. Remember Boardmans when it was at the peak of its success? Who didn’t furnish their first flat from key Boardmans decor and furniture items?
SA style and fashion at Paris Fashion Week
Minnie Dlamini is walking the ramp for JessicaJane at Paris Fashion Show this week to show its French-Xhosa Range. The range is inspired by the designer’s Xhosa family by marriage and her own European heritage. The range is called Noluthando (‘The one who gives love’), which is JessicaJane’s given Xhosa name after her marriage. The range is demonstrable of her love for her family and her country.
It’s wonderful to see South African designs grace the international stage again.
Purity launches hampers
Purity, Tiger Brands’ Baby nutrition and personal care brand, has launched an online pop-up store at www.purityshop.co.za offering unique hampers to help parents to navigate their child’s different development stages, from birth to pre-school, by catering for their nutritional, medicinal and toiletry needs. “The range of baby and early childhood development essential products available in the market can make it difficult for parents to decide what is essential for their growing child and what is not. Navigating these choices often adds to the pressures faced by parents and caregivers. Purity’s unique hampers are neatly packaged and contain what is required to adequately take care of your baby’s wellbeing while removing the hard work of trying to decipher it all on your own,” says Louise Ho, marketing director: baby, Tiger Brands.
It’s a good brand extension – much like the hampers new moms on medical aid get in private hospitals. This widens the scope to a larger demographic and provides a gifting option for hampers.
CAMPAIGN: Immersive brand collaboration
Pandora jewellery and Marvel have teamed up to create a digital experience in an immersive challenge to save the universe. It’s a brand collab that creates a brand extension for Marvel into what is essentially superhero jewellery, and gives Pandora massive street cred among the younger demographic who inhabit the multiverse. This first ever Marvel and Pandora collection launched February, along with a digital challenge that connects the world of collecting Pandora charms with the legendary Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans must assemble a team of heroes and go on a multi-level mission to save the world and destroy the Infinity Gauntlet. For every mission completed, there will be a chance to enter to win a Pandora bracelet. Joanne Crawford, VP of owned digital at Pandora, comments: “It has been an exciting challenge integrating two story-driven universes. This experience mixes gamification with collectability and storytelling.” The Marvel x Pandora jewellery collection uses a mix of metal finishes, textures and enamel applications to bring to life the iconic characters of the Marvel Universe as charms that represent each hero’s strengths. Could these brands be any more epic?
Main image credit: Pandora.
Louise Burgers is the Publisher and Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has spent over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, marketing, media and advertising industry in South Africa and on the African continent. She has specialised in local and Africa consumer trends and is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise again and that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a global gamechanger in the next decade.
– Receive the Retailing Africa newsletter every Wednesday • Subscribe here.