“Viva la Juicy”

From Tracksuits to Fast Track (WSJ, Sept. 13, 2006)
How Juicy Couture Became Liz Claiborne’s Fastest Growing Label

Of course, Juicy Couture doesn’t just make tracksuits favored by celebrities any more. With its edgy contemporary sportswear and accessories, it has become a lifestyle brand for women, men and kids with estimated annual sales of more than $300 million, up from $47 million in 2002, making it the fastest growing label in Liz Claiborne’s portfolio of 43 brands.

In doing all this, Juicy’s parent company is adapting a strategy pioneered by handbag maker Coach Inc., which positions its products as affordable luxuries while keeping margins high. The key: Limit distribution to maintain the brand’s exclusive cachet, even if that means sacrificing sales, a brand-management technique once used only for high-end luxury brands.

Things that I didn’t know before about Juicy Couture:

• One of the co-founders, Gela Nash-Taylor is John Taylor’s wife. (John Taylor from Duran Duran! Oh, how can I forget him!)
• Liz Claiborne bought Juicy Couture 3 years ago but Juicy is still managed relatively independently by the founders .

Juicy의 소위 ‘츄리닝’패션이 이미 너무 많이 보편화 되어 있지만, Juicy 는 2-3년 전부터 핸드백, 신발, 향수, 어린이 옷 등 엄청난 Diversification 을 하고 있다. 보통 premium brand 들이 여러 제품으로 넓혀가면서 범하는 실수는 브랜드 가치의 하향화 일텐데 아직까지 Juicy 는 그 함정에 빠지지 않고 있어 보인다. 기사에서는 그 이유를 “Limit distribution to maintain the brand’s exclusive cachet, even if that means sacrificing sales” 이라고 평가했다. 즉 제품군은 다양하게할 지언정 판매하는 공간은 계속 한정하자는 주의.

Juicy Couture 의 T-Shirt 에 써있는 슬로건들도 또하나의 매력이다. 다른 곳에서는 찾을 수 없는 상당히 provocative 한.

Apple’s iTV

Apple Computer Aims to Take Over Your Living-Room TV (WSJ, Sept.13, 2006)

Apple unveiled the new device, which it is temporarily calling iTV, at an event here that also showcased a deal with Walt Disney Co. to offer movies for sale over the Internet, the first of a wave of licensing deals Apple hopes to strike with Hollywood studios for films.

Apple said users will attach iTV — a flat, square device that resembles Apple’s Mac mini computer — directly to their television sets and home theater systems through audio-video cables. The device will access audio and video files stored on a user’s Mac or PC through a common wireless home-networking technology called Wi-Fi. Users will be able to navigate their movie and music libraries as they are displayed on a television set using an infrared remote control that connects to iTV.

애플이 드디어 PC 에서 TV로 비디오를 전송하여 볼 수 있게 하는 iTV device 를 내년 초에 시장에 내놓겠다고 한다. 기사에 의하면 iTV는 약 $299 정도 가격일 것으로 보이고, Wi-Fi 를 이용하여 PC에서 iTV로 영화가 전송되도록 한다고 한다. 쉽게 말하면, iTV를 사서 집에 있는 TV 옆에 놓고 AV 선으로 연결만 해 놓고 나면 내 컴퓨터에 있는 비디오 파일을 바로 TV에서 볼 수 있게 한다는 말.

이와 비슷한 기능을 하는 디바이스들은 이미 많이 나와 있기는 하다. 주로는 셋탑박스 형태로 되어 있지만. iTV가 중요한 점은 디바이스 자체라기 보다 이와 더불어 같이 실현될 비디오 판 iTunes 시장에 있겠다. Apple 만큼 Business Case 에서 많이 다루는 Complementary network effect 를 제대로 실현해 내는 회사도 없어 보인다. 실제 Apple 의 수익은 음악이나 비디오를 팔아서 나오기 보다 iPod 또는 iTV 등 하드웨어를 통해서 나온다. 그렇지만, 음악과 비디오 시장을 만드는 것이 자신의 하드웨어 판매에 얼마나 결정적인 역할을 하는지 아주 잘 파악하고 있다.

기사에서 보듯이 Wal-Mart 는 벌써부터 각 영화사들에게 complain 을 하고 있다. Wal-Mart 생각에는 DVD보다 싼 파일 다운로드가 DVD시장을 잠식할 것이기 때문에 DVD가격을 내려달라고 요구하는 것이다. 개인적으로는 두 시장의 canibalization은 많지 않을 것으로 생각하지만.

여하튼 결론은 당신은 iTV를 살것인가의 질문일 것이다. For me? If iTV can be used for movies that I download or purchase from other sources, I will definitely buy it. Not sure yet if iTV can do it.

Rockstar: Supernova – Final Week

From best to worst in my book (Disclosure: Videos are not mine. Link to Youtube)

Magni – Hush (Deep Purple)

It’s great to hear Deep Purple song on TV and I LOVED this song back in the day. He exudes the energy that the song needs. His voice may sound generic but he is still good in the generic pool.
I don’t think he is going to win ‘cuz everyone knows Tommy Lee does not like this guy. But that’s a good thing. I don’t think Supernova is good at all.

Dilana – Roxanne (Police)

Just when I thought I was completely over with Dilana, she pulled this great performance and makes me think again. I still think she is a shitty writer. Her songwriting is really bad and her attitude sometimes comes across emotionally unstable thus totally immature. Still, I should give her that most of the time her interpretations of cover songs were great. As long as she is going to sing songs that other people write, she will be ok. (but singers who don’t write songs are not in my cup of tea. They are simply good karaoke singers)

Lukas Rossi – Fix You (Coldplay)

One of his better performances. I still don’t get him. I think he is likely to win this thing judging from how Supernova tongue bathed him. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is a good performer. I do not think he is a good singer.

Toby Rand – Karma Police (Radiohead)

He does not have an edge or a charisma. He is super pop-rockish. If this is what they are looking for, they should not have said that they hate Bon Jovi. ‘Cus to me Bon Jovi is like the king of Pop-rock which is perfect for Toby.