Understanding Market Placement and Brand Identity with Laura Bonnell

Today we’re talking about Market Placement, Brand Identity, and finding your brand’s authentic story. Understanding your brand’s place in the market compared to your competitors will help you make decisions like where to expand your product assortment and what prices to target. This foundational knowledge increases your chances of success in any product-based industry.

I’m interviewing my talented friend Laura Bonnell who has worked for such brands as Ralph Lauren and The Limited, amongst others. She teaches in the Fashion Program at Orange Coast College and has her own beautiful brand The Letterman Co.

We discuss:
- Laura’s career as a Fashion Designer
- Working for Ralph Lauren
- What she does as a Consultant Creative Director
- How she started The Letterman Co.
- Exercises to help you nail down your Brand Identity and Market Placement
- How to make our brands more sustainable

If you enjoyed this episode then you'll love the Free Product Launch guide that goes more in-depth into the process of launching a product business in 5 clear steps. Check it out at: https://theproductsessions.com/launchguide

GET THE FULL SHOW NOTES: https://theproductsessions.com/understanding-market-placement-and-brand-identity/

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: 
https://youtu.be/8-ye_nBZxX4

CONNECT WITH LAURA:  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-bonnell/
The Letterman Co.’s website: https://thelettermanco.com/
The Letterman Co. on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelettermanco/
The Letterman Co. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelettermanco/

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Fashion Program at Orange Coast College: https://catalog.cccd.edu/orange-coast/pathways/business-management-entrepreneurship/fashion/

SUSTAINABILITY INDUSTRY REPORTS:
The Pulse Report: https://globalfashionagenda.org/impact-initiatives/pulse-of-the-industry/
The CEO Agenda: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda.html
The State of Fashion: https://www.businessoffashion.com/reports/news-analysis/the-state-of-fashion-2023-industry-report-bof-mckinsey/

SUSTAINABILITY BOOKS:
The Future of the Responsible Economy: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Responsible-Company-Learned-Patagonias/dp/1952338115/
Sustainability and Social Change in Fashion: https://www.amazon.com/Sustainability-Social-Change-Fashion-Leslie/dp/1501334069/
The Future of Fashion: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Fashion-Understanding-Sustainability-Industry/dp/1641371404/
The B Corp Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/Corp-Handbook-Second-Business-Force/dp/1523097531/

SUSTAINABILITY DOCUMENTARIES:
The True Cost: https://truecostmovie.com/
The River Blue: https://riverbluethemovie.eco/
Seeding Change: https://www.seedingchangefilm.com/
Blood Sweat and T-Shirts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJtcaTakNZU

FREE SUSTAINABILITY NEWSLETTERS:
The Ellen McArthur Foundation: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/
A New Textiles Economy: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
Global Fashions Summit: https://globalfashionsummit.com/
The See Change Sessions: https://www.seechangesessions.com/
Sustainable Brands: https://sustainablebrands.com/

FACTORY CERTIFICATIONS:
Blue Sign Certification: https://www.bluesign.com/en
Fairtrade Certification: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/
WRAP Certification: https://wrapcompliance.org/en/
Sedex Certification: https://www.sedex.com/about/

Look up brands and see the factories they manufacture in on Open Apparel Registry: https://appareldata.org/entries/open-apparel-registry-oar/