Authenticity
Seth talks about authenticity. How much fakery do we accept? What crosses the line?
When Howies sold out to Timberland (the footwear and clothing company; not the producer du jour), my friend Zoe with an umlaut sent me an email titled:
They all sell out in the end
Does it really matter? Why?
Well, yes it does matter. It matters because we care.
If you’re authentic enough, people start to care about your money-making enterprise as much you do. Give us a warm, fuzzy feeling and something to talk about and we’ll buy more of your products, we’ll read your email newsletters and RSS feeds, and yes, we’d love to come to your village fete in middle of London.
We wear (or otherwise) your products because they align themselves with what we believe in and aspire to.
So - going back to Howies - let’s see what a Timberland’s President and CEO, Jeffrey Swartz, had to say about matters:
“We are excited and inspired by the brand potential we see in Howies and are pleased to welcome them to the Timberland family. We look to invest in like-minded brands that are focused on innovation, authenticity and integrity, and Howies encompasses all of these core values. Together we will leverage our complementary strengths to bring our brands to new consumers and new markets.”
It is, perhaps, ironic that the only thing jeopardising Howies’ “authenticity and integrity” is Timberland. Well, that and Mr Swartz’s irksome use of the word ‘leverage’.
Not because Timberland is a bad brand. But because Howies built one of independence; with two fingers firmly raised towards take-take-take multinationals.
To me, these two companies curdle. A bit like when I was seven years old and thought that mixing cherryade and milk would produce a sumptuous milkshake.
Zoe said that it made her sick too.