The document discusses the '4 Cs of the Modern Brand'—Community, Content, Curation, and Collaborations—as essential elements for retailers to effectively launch and market products and create value. It emphasizes the importance of fostering social connections among customers, creating engaging content, personalizing customer experiences, and collaborating with culturally relevant brands. Examples from companies like Rapha, Dôen, Adidas, and IKEA illustrate how these elements can drive competitive advantage and customer loyalty.

1. By Ana Andjelic Senior VP-global strategy director for Havas Lux Hub.
THE 4CS OF
THE MODERN BRAND
AdAge

2. COMMUNITY
CONTENT
CURATION
COLLABORATIONS
4CTHE 4CS OF THE MODERN BRAND

3. These elements impact how a company
launches and markets its products and creates,
captures and delivers value for its customers.
THE 4CS OF THE MODERN BRAND

4. A retailer needs to encourage social connections among its
customers. These social connections will become its primary
source of value and the key driver of competitive advantage.
Social connections work best when created around an
audience's pre-existing passion, hobby or interest. High-design
bicycle wear brand Rapha positions itself as a "vibrant
ecosystem for road riders around the world." Its belief that
cycling transforms lives translates into the series of local Rapha
Cycling Clubs, where cycling enthusiasts can gather for events,
rides and races, and to bond with others.
Community
https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en
THE 4CS OF THE MODERN BRAND

5. Content created by a retailer generates value even before a
single product purchase or use of service. California-based
fashion apparel brand Dôen creates social networks around
its proprietary content. The brand prides itself in selling
"thoughtfully designed clothing by women, for women." This
is Dôen's value proposition, and it consistently delivers it
through its product design, events and its blog Journal,
where Dôen profiles the extraordinary stories of community
members that others can have conversations around.
Content
https://shopdoen.com
https://shopdoen.com/blogs/journal
THE 4CS OF THE MODERN BRAND

6. New customers can lower the value for a retailer's existing
fanbase. Retailers need strong curation and personalization
of the customer experience. In order to ensure that its
products and services are relevant and valuable to its
customers, Adidas introduced Creators Club, a
membership program that gives customers access to
exclusive events, products and special offers.
Curation
https://www.adidas.com/us/creatorsclub
THE 4CS OF THE MODERN BRAND

7. Ask what else your customers are wearing, reading, listening
to, experiencing and talking about in addition to your products
or services. A retailer's relevance is greater if it is culturally
amplified. IKEA's collaboration with streetwear brand Off-
White aims at designing an affordable furniture collection for
millennials to help them create their first home. More
importantly, it reflects the broader taste and aesthetics of their
joint audience.
Collaborations
THE 4CS OF THE MODERN BRAND
IKEA / Off White
https://tinyurl.com/ya2kr8m2

8. By Ana Andjelic Senior VP-global strategy director for Havas Lux Hub.
THE 4CS OF
THE MODERN BRAND
AdAge
https://adage.com/article/current-issue/4cs-modern-brand/315301/