By Daniel Kruse • We take brand custodianship seriously at Hempro Int. When we recently acquired the brand name PURE for its eponymous line of accessories, the necessary internal adjustments didn’t only require a strategy for logistics, personnel and assignments. With the addition of this great brand, we took on its historical value and relevance that dates to 1995, when the PURE HF Collection of bags was first introduced to the market (well ahead of its time). And Hempro Int. has been selling PURE bags since 2001. So we know that the brand is the most precious asset we acquired in the transaction.
Bringing the PURE brand in house was a good moment to remind ourselves of a few basics about branding that every brand steward should remember:
Fulfill the promise: In essence, the brand is the promise about the product to the customer. It anticipates the customer’s expectations. In the case of PURE, we know our customers value functional design, quality and durability – and those are what the brand delivers – backed up by a guarantee. We make it standard practice to not just live up to expectations, but exceed them.
The right fit: Beyond the quality factor, brand personality and character strongly contribute toward finding the right “market fit,” not just for the customer but up and down the value chain. A key consideration for us and for our PURE suppliers and customers is the sustainability that our products offer. The materials we use can be traced back 100% to ecological sources.
Reflect uniqueness: The brand should always reflect the uniqueness of the products, differentiating them from others on the market. This goes hand in hand with product development. Continual innovation is not only required, but so is the communication of those innovations to the marketplace. With our PURE line we’re constantly brainstorming new products and improvements to the products in our existing portfolio.
Advance the legacy: As we mentioned above, a brand is derived from its legacy. With PURE, in the hemp-textile accessory sector, that legacy is unrivaled. It takes us all the way back to the visionary founders who started the company more than two decades ago. And in a sense, it embraces anyone who ever created, marketed or sold a PURE product. We pledge to always respect and protect that legacy.
All of these factors are important when it comes to our strategy for the PURE brand. They’re not only critical to the long-term health of the brand but play an important role in communicating the true value the brand represents, down to the customer, be that at the wholesale or retail level. That’s a great basis for how relationships are formed, networks develop and real business gets done.
