Establishing the ‘why’ behind your rebrand

How do you know it's time to rebrand? Robin Tooms talks to Chloe Dao, fashion designer and entrepreneur, about the decision to rebrand her boutique, and how she communicated the 'why' to her customers.

Robin: Hello and welcome to this edition of Brandonomics, and inside look at top brands and their marketing strategies. I am Robin Tooms, Vice President of Strategy at Savage, and my guest again is Chloe Dao, fashion designer and entrepreneur. So, Chloe, welcome back to Brandonomics.

Chloe: Hi, Robin, glad to be back.

Robin: Well, Chloe, I know your brand is Chloe Dao, but before that, you were Lot 8, so that is a different brand altogether.

Chloe: Yes.

Robin: Tell me, what was the catalyst that drove your decision to rebrand your fashion brand itself.

Chloe: A very, very smart woman named Janet Gurwitch. I had dinner with her and she said something that really, really resonated with me, which was, “Chloe, I always go look for brand to invest, and you’re one person that I know. Chloe Dao is a brand. You are really a brand, and people connect with you and your personality.” So it really just made me realize. A light bulb came up and said, “Accept it, you are a brand, and embrace it,” and I think that’s when it really just clicked, and go, “Okay, I need to do this.”

Robin: Okay, well, the first step was embracing that brand, which I’m glad that you did. What were the challenges that you faced? I mean, rebranding is tough.

Chloe: It’s very, very scary, because I was very loyal to Lot 8, ’cause it’s named after eight girls in my family, and that was a big deal for me, and that was the big story, part of my story. I think the biggest challenge is letting customers know, ’cause some people thought that we closed down completely.

Robin: Oh, my goodness.

Chloe: And so, we really had to really market that. We still exist. We’re just rebranding, and really shrinking the store in half too, ’cause we had so much space before. So I didn’t want people to think, “Oh, my God, we’re not doing the well.” That was the opposite. We were just – had different location. The design studio moved. The salon had moved. There were so many components, and people didn’t know that’s the reason we wanted to rebrand, and narrow down the store.

Robin: I appreciate you sharing that story with me.

Chloe: You’re welcome.

Robin: This has been another edition of Brandonomics, an inside look at top brands and their marketing strategies.

 

Chloe Dao boutique, formerly LOT 8, is one of Houston’s premiere shops located in the Rice Village shopping district. The philosophy is service with openness, warmth and charm to make every customer feel as if they are shopping with a trusted “girlfriend.” The boutique offers exclusive Chloe Dao’s ready to wear and bridal collections, as well as up-and-coming local designers. https://chloedao.com/