What Would J Do: A Lesson in Collaboration from the US Giant!

I've spent the past few days catching up on PR Warrior Trevor Young's second blog, Sweat Equity Biz which you MUST check out. His post on Jay-Z and Frank Sinatra and brand collaboration raised some great examples of how Jay-Z came to be the phenomena that he is - he's managed to tread the line between mind-blowing commercial success by selling a gazillion CDs and maintaining artistic credibility really well.

Brand collaboration is great for a number of reasons as Trevor pointed out and in the lifestyle sector, no-one does it better than US retailer J Crew. Whilst their menswear line sales have gone through the roof, thanks largely to Frank Muytjens who turned around GAP and is doing the same thing at J Crew, what's really helping their brand equity is their 'In Good Company' collection.

It opens them up the brand to niche markets and it sells consumers the old adage of letting people do what they do best. Alden make their shoes, Warehouse do their denim, Mister Freedom style peacoats, Barbour make their jackets, Levis Vintage do trucker jackets.. The list is endless! The best thing is that it makes your brand's credibility go through the roof.

J Crew started out making 'basics' and as their brand has grown, sure, their range has diversified but by teaming up with some of the "best of the best" it's given them the sort of 'cred' that a basics brand just can't get overnight when it wants to start doing shell cordovan leather boots. Going to the experts over at Alden just makes sense, and it's a lot easier to sell. I wonder when collaborations from bigger Australian labels will really take off?

Admittedly, I just wrote about Alden for J Crew so I could show off my new boots. Hmm..