Everywhere we look, there are people wearing name brand, trendy clothing. The various styles are usually worn by people with similarities to the brand, or the company's workers. For example, skaters usually wear brands like Billabong and DC; both companies hire people who skate or maybe just look like skaters to run the floors of their stores. Though this they have created an affective advertising business. Cohen explains the increasing competitiveness in the retail world today, and of companies' need for effective advertising and representation. Coming up with a well liked, distinguishable model for their company is key to attracting new customers, and keeping their brand genuine in what they are advertising. Nearly every retail store uses this method of advertisement, and it has proved quite successful in captivating the attention of people of all ages and tastes.
Cohen is spot on by saying that "hiring by image" is "necessary and smart" in the eyes of retailers. The influence of media, fashion models, and advertising as a whole these days remains very high, especially with the the younger crowd. I am not sure whether I agree with Cohen's claim that "methods have changed for capturing the consumers awareness of your brand", but I rather believe that the practice of hiring people that represent your company's look well has always been a very important aspect of advertising. For example, models and celebrities such as Marylin Monroe were constantly being pain by retail advertisers to wear, drive, and eat a variety of things from the latest boots to the new cigarette. When people saw this, they also began following these trends as people looked up to these stars. The consumers often grouped themselves with a certain style or lifestyle that they admired, and therefore bought clothes and other goods from the companies that represented this. This is why it is so important, as Cohen describes, "to find a brand enhancer...a walking billboard". This, as it has been in the past, IS advertising. Sometimes people don't know what they like until you show it to them.
For as long as retail businesses have been around, stores have always decorated according to the styles they represented. Accordingly stores hire people that fit into this type of environment, and represent the style well. Good looks, no matter what the style or target of the business, are almost always a factor in selecting who is hired by the stores. The same way Tommy Bahama hires middle aged, clean cut, relaxed looking people at their stores, Hollister hires young attractive and energetic people in their stores. Giving the people hired by both stores equal opportunity to work for either store would seem irrational as the two brands/stores are not too similar. This is why retailers usually hire a certain type of person to work and represent their products. In addition, sex appeal plays a big role in how retail stores hire. People are more likely to be influenced to buy a product due to the attractive people working there or a compliment by an attractive salesperson. Many times, my friends and I have gone int a store only on the basis that there were attractive girls either shopping in or working at the store. I would like to add onto Cohen by saying that advertisement is the majority of the battle, and the real product is less important.
Examples of hiring for look, or buying for the look are everywhere in our society. We choose our lawyers and financial advisers not only on the basis that they have a good track record, but also on their looks. Most people don't want someone too old because old age usually means less energy and less passion. If they are too young, they may be easily distracted and might not have enough experience. What people do want, is a happy medium; someone who dresses nice, but not too nice, someone who is down to earth yet is not trying to be your friend, and someone who give you the feeling that they know what they are doing and can help you. Though many people deny it, especially in the business world, people have natural inclinations to hire or even do things/favor people that are physically attractive. Consumers as well have this inclination, so if a business were to hire people who are attractive, the consumers would be inclined to buy or do things that the attractive model or salesperson says or asks for.
On a personal note, I have recently bought a pair of clippers. At first I was daunted by the sheer number of brands and models, but after a while through word of mouth and reviews and advertisements on YouTube, I decided to get a pair of Andis Masters. Now there are equally good brands out there, but the Andis, along with the Wahls seemed to have the most hype and best advertisement strategies and advertisers. Not to mention the people who reviewed them seemed to be all barbers, and not so much just a mom who cuts her son's hair or some amateur. Andis in particular hired a man by the name of Ivan Zoot, a world record holding hair cutter, as their advertisement director. He does dozens of commercials and demonstrations, and attracts a lot of attention and also trust from the consumer society because they trust someone who holds world records and seems like he would be being honest about the quality of the product. This advertisement strategy convinced me, as well as millions of other Andis customers to buy clippers from that company, all on the basis of who was in the videos, and what the hype was pertaining to the company. People want to buy from people who look like they know what their doing. In the same way that women buy beauty produts from attractive ladies at Sephora, I bought clippers from a man who seemed to know what he was talking about, and who looked like he knew how to cut hair.
All in all, the importance of image in a store is undeniable. It prompts people to make decisions based not on the product but by the appearance of the people and of the store, and also gets people to be long-term customers by having them affiliate/define their style with the one advertised. Just like with anything else, humans are driven by impulse, and big companies take advantage of this to maximize their number of customers. Hiring people who "look the part" is a part of business, and business is not always fair.
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