This chapter explores how brand DNA is established through vision, philosophy, and expression. Through the lens of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market, students analyze how ideals, experimentation, and deliberate strategy can define a brand’s cultural position. It presents a layered view of brand identity as something built over time through design language and narrative.

Students are introduced to the methodologies behind audience segmentation and community alignment. This chapter contrasts demographic targeting with psychographic and cultural segmentation, drawing on Jacquemus and Acne Studios to illustrate how distinct targeting strategies resonate with different market types. The chapter culminates in a debate between mass market reach vs. precise differentiation, and what the research suggests is the best approach.

Here, we explore brand mapping and the psychology of brand placement in market ecosystems. Using Comme des Garçons’ multi-brand model, students examine how to position offerings across price points and style cultures without diluting brand essence. Tools such as perceptual mapping and the 3Cs framework provide the foundation for practical positioning strategy.

This chapter introduces the strategic funnel, mapping the consumer’s journey from awareness to conversion. With GANNI as a key case, students learn to align brand goals with each stage of the customer experience. The emphasis is on balancing long-term brand building with short-term marketing activations, while leveraging classic marketing models and contemporary DTC strategies.

A comparative case study between Aesop and Le Labo, exploring how two similar product categories use different brand experiences to foster loyalty and differentiation. Students assess sensorial branding, retail design, and storytelling in physical space, considering how intangible cues become critical in customer retention and advocacy.