Guess Who?

[rep]

There are “brand aspirationals” (people with low incomes who are obsessed with names like KitchenAid), “price-sensitive affluents” (wealthier shoppers who love deals), and “value-price shoppers” (who like low prices and cannot afford much more).

Even in this market they understand the value of brands.

Rep

[For-Life]

That was pretty random.

You know the reason why we debate you on this issue is because we have DIRECT contact to the market and it tells us otherwise.

[hcjilson]

Even in this market they understand the value of brands.

Rep

With all due respect Rep, just exactly what is the value of a "brand" to the consumer?

[Chris Ryser]

With all due respect Rep, just exactly what is the value of a "brand" to the consumer?

In my humble opinion the value of brand is in the optical a license fee from the brand owner to the manufacturer of anywhere from $ 1.00 to about $ 5.00 per frame manufacturers for the right to call it a certain name.

There is no designer value because the brand owner never even looks at a design nor is he interested in it.

[HarryChiling]

Brands are supposed to give the consumer and easy way of distinguishing quality, or at least that used to be the case. Some brands are still very carefull what they will allow their name to be placed on. Lets say columbia sports wear. You know you are getting a great product, timberland great boots they last forever and the company stands behind them.

Now in eyewear it's not he case, lots of brands just have names on them and in a lot of cases are poor quality frames marked at ridiculous prices, how long do you think before the brands start to lose their integrity if the manufacturers keep making shody product with brand names on it?

[optical24/7]

In over 30 year, the last 24 in retail I've lost a grand total of 2 patients that insisted on a paticular brand. Patients arn't near as hung-up on "brands" as manufacturers/distributors.

[drk]

It's WALLY!

[Jana Lewis]

In over 30 year, the last 24 in retail I've lost a grand total of 2 patients that insisted on a paticular brand. Patients arn't near as hung-up on "brands" as manufacturers/distributors.

Exactly!

I have found that lately I am getting increasing number of patients who do not want any type of designer stamp on the side of the glasses. As a matter of fact, we now base most of our purchasing on whether or not there is a brand stamp.

[Fezz]

Come on you guys, all consumers care about brand names.

Now please step this way grab a cup and proceed to the Kool-Aid jug, fill your glasses, thats it come on, lets all drink the Kool-Aid. We can become on with the brands. Drink UP!




PS. The above was meant to be sarcastic for those who did not get it the first go round! Jim Jones was a cult leader who made his followers drink CYANIDE LACED Kool-Aid in a mass suicide/murder. Hence, the title of my post.
For the record: I think brand names are bogus !

[Jana Lewis]

Come on you guys, all consumers care about brand names.

Now please step this way grab a cup and proceed to the Kool-Aid jug, fill your glasses, thats it come on, lets all drink the Kool-Aid. We can become on with the brands. Drink UP!

Not here, and not with eyewear in my shop.

[Barry Santini]

...to help "sugar-coat" the pill of Rx eyewear (when Rx eyewear is though of as *medicinal*!).

"Now Johnny, take your medicine...its "cherry" flavored, your favorite!"

PLEASE, let's try to stop looking at eyewear in a *medical* sense. Anyone with me on this?

My 2 cents, what's yours?

Barry

[tntborden]

Very good DRK, I thought I was the only one who read about Wal-Mart's new way of identifying consumers

[HarryChiling]

Now please step this way grab a cup and proceed to the Kool-Aid jug, fill your glasses, thats it come on, lets all drink the Kool-Aid. We can become on with the brands. Drink UP!

mmmmmmmmmmmm Kool-Aid :cheers:

[OPTIDONN]

I've had an amazing amount of people comming in asking for certain brands of lenses and coatings!

[For-Life]

The thing is you cannot compare us to Wal-Mart, Sears, Zellers, Target, or any of those places. Yes, they care some brand names, but they also do not do one to one sales. There are plenty of independent specialty shops in other industries that do extremely well in brand oriented markets without carrying brand names. They base themselves on their customer services and experience.

Also, if they do carry brand names it is industry brand names, not designer ones.

Rep, you mentioned Kenmore, well the last time I looked Kenmore was appliances only. I go to a bike shop and I am sure to not see D&G bikes and bike helmets. Does that make these stores week? Does that leave them open to attack? No.

We have all done rather well carrying the industry's best, and I am sorry to say that the designer brand names are not the industry's best.

[For-Life]

I've had an amazing amount of people comming in asking for certain brands of lenses and coatings!

That is different. These are products that have built a name for themselves based on quality. I would rather use a Crizal coating any day versus a no-name brand, because I know the result of the Crizal coating after wear.

Rep is arguing the designer brand names, because that is what his company carries. It is amazing that the outside brand names like Teflon, Kodak, and Nikon have entered our industry yet it is the industry name, Crizal that gets the demand.

[OPTIDONN]

That is different. These are products that have built a name for themselves based on quality. I would rather use a Crizal coating any day versus a no-name brand, because I know the result of the Crizal coating after wear.

Rep is arguing the designer brand names, because that is what his company carries. It is amazing that the outside brand names like Teflon, Kodak, and Nikon have entered our industry yet it is the industry name, Crizal that gets the demand.

Oh I get it;) .

[Fezz]

Not here, and not with eyewear in my shop.

Sorry you couldn't read my sarcasm into my post.

:hammer::D:hammer:

[optirep]

Why then Are the best sellers in Independent accounts BRANDED product.

Sunglasses the same>



Also, Mercedes-benz was just rated worst in customer satisfaction. People are still going to buy them!

Anything that a customer knows by name is a brand name. Crizal is a brand! Etc

? How do you know how many customers you have lost. How do you know what your customers are telling their friends. You could be losing new customers and never know!!!

Many People (Not all)want brands. They know they are paying more and they don't care. Why do you think most frames, lens and every other company slap any name that comes along on their product. Not all brands have the same demand but I would think that you would want to carry the ones that are selling the best.

[For-Life]

Why then Are the best sellers in Independent accounts BRANDED product.

Sunglasses the same>



Also, Mercedes-benz was just rated worst in customer satisfaction. People are still going to buy them!

Anything that a customer knows by name is a brand name. Crizal is a brand! Etc

? How do you know how many customers you have lost. How do you know what your customers are telling their friends. You could be losing new customers and never know!!!

Many People (Not all)want brands. They know they are paying more and they don't care. Why do you think most frames, lens and every other company slap any name that comes along on their product. Not all brands have the same demand but I would think that you would want to carry the ones that are selling the best.

It is number one rated in indepedents, because a lot of independents give horrible to no customer service. You take a doctors office where 40 percent of the clients leave with a pair of glasses (only mentioned the OD, because the regular eye exam traffic) and you replace those frames with brand names and you will see a jump. This is generally the case of what has happened. Poor service is compensated by the name, since it is the only thing that is seen by the customer.

How do I know what I have retained and lost? I talk to my clients, you don't. I have seen their reactions, I have heard what they say, I have discussed with them their opinions on things and their opinions on my competitors.

I do not try to hard sell them on a designer brand name because my rep tells me I should.

[optirep]

I do not try to hard sell them on a designer brand name because my rep tells me I should.

If you have a good brand you should not have to sell at all. They sell themselves --- And your post backs it up!

[optirep]

I go into different shops everyday. The ones that are going with Expensive brand names and upgrading the look of the stores are growing faster than the ones that don't.

I have sold Core product made in Itay with quality as good as it gets for 13 years. I have watched fewer and fewer people buy it and go with the brands I carry. After 13 Years I am swithing to the Polo brand because of the demand for that brand. And before you say there is no demand for the brand it was 10% of Safilo's business world wide and 20% in the US>

[For-Life]

If you have a good brand you should not have to sell at all. They sell themselves --- And your post backs it up!

EXACTLY

That is the difference and I think you are starting to see it. My competitive advantage IS my service, knowledge, helpfulness, and so forth. That is how I differentiate myself from the chains. My product is more fashionable, better looking, better quality, and at a better price than the brand name products.

So if I carried brand names I would be watering down my image and would look just like the chains.

See the difference?

[HarryChiling]

Why then Are the best sellers in Independent accounts BRANDED product.

Sunglasses the same>



Also, Mercedes-benz was just rated worst in customer satisfaction. People are still going to buy them!

Anything that a customer knows by name is a brand name. Crizal is a brand! Etc

? How do you know how many customers you have lost. How do you know what your customers are telling their friends. You could be losing new customers and never know!!!

Many People (Not all)want brands. They know they are paying more and they don't care. Why do you think most frames, lens and every other company slap any name that comes along on their product. Not all brands have the same demand but I would think that you would want to carry the ones that are selling the best.

They have fallen into the trap that's why, independent opticians are also becomeing more and more scarce, maybe it's the branded product that they can't compete with the chains for. We sell Coach frames and they are quality frames and it is a brand that people know well, now when they come into our store and tell us the philenes basement above us is selling Coach suns for $69.00 they call us expensive and then we don't know how many of their friends and relatives we lose as customers because we carried a branded product. Every store I have worked in that is heavy on branded product always seems to have issues with cost of goods. I am not necessarily saying all brands are expensive, but most are and the patient expects quality from the brand. The issue, for me; about branding lies in the cheap or shody construction of some of the brands. If I can get a better quality non-branded product for less I will always make money, because it's about the ability to sell the product. For the patient coming in looking for a certain brand the easy question to ask is, are you looking for BRAND X quality or BRAND X price? This usually gets their atention long enough for them to ask what the difference is, thats where the branded products fall short, when I go to discuss the features and benefits of a quality frame and pooint them out in product, the client start to notice a trend, that the branded product in most cases does not meet my requirements for a quality product. I also show them some brands that we do carry and the crap vs. the better made in that particular brand. The educated customer almost always buys a non-branded frame from me, but if you were to look at my office numbers we sell more branded product than anything else. Why, not because thats what the people want, but because they don't know any better and the rest of the opticians in our shop don't know any better and they will often think I am crazy calling a certain brand crappy until it comes back broken consistently in the spots I say the are more likely to break.

Branded product is for the dummys at wally world, lenscrafters, and the other big box chains. No need to sell the frame because the companys have sold the frame for you with advertisements. The brands that were mentioned like Crizal are gianing popularity not because they are a brand, heck a navigator progressive is a brand, they are purchaseing the brand because they believe inthe quality. Look at silhouette, synonomous with quality.

Carry the companys frames that are building a brand, not the companys frames that are exploiting a brand.

[For-Life]

Carry the companys frames that are building a brand, not the companys frames that are exploiting a brand.

Great way of putting it.

The designers have forgot that long, long ago.

Ralph Lauren, Klein, Armani did not make their names selling over priced, unreliable product that looks like everything else.

It is a shame what they have slapped their name on in the optical industry.