Henry Ford, founder of the once prosperous Ford Motor Company once said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business”. Clearly, the majority of corporations have a number of goals in mind but the predominant target that soars above all is profit.
Needless to say, many contemporary companies uphold additional elements that distinguish its reception in today’s society, bringing these to a level comparable to mere profit. For instance, the infamous American retailer “Abercrombie & Fitch” has undergone years of criticism for its brand image – the idea of worshiping exclusively “thin and beautiful” and likewise “cool, good-looking” humans.
From Abercrombie & Fitch Online
Another popular clothing brand is Brandy Melville. Characterized by its California-chic style, this blooming retailer faces a similar affair as Abercrombie. Loved by the petite and thin, loathed by curve-bearing women exceeding size four, Brandy Melville too received backlash for its “one size fits all” craftsmanship.
From Brandy Melville USA, Facebook
Both trendy brands have ostracized a large population of women. Abercrombie has explicitly confined their target market to a slim percentage of Americans while the latter brand has no plans in changing its sizing policy. The questions I pose today stand, is this pair of designers targeting the slim market a mere twist of fate, or are they acting upon business (un)ethics to cleverly evoke a particular image? And relating to Ford’s quote, are these two brands ‘’successful’’, with their sky-high profits but towering criticism?
I believe Abercrombie and Brandy Melville have pushed their image to be exclusive for marketing purposes and are, in the heart of Friedman theory, ‘’successful’’ – because ultimately, their exclusivity is what makes them so desirable in today’s public.
First of all I must this blog post is really intriguing as it is very relatable. I remember reading and hearing the controversy of A&F, and just thinking to myself how unethical it was to target specifically the “thin” and “good-looking” audiences. I agree that it is hard to understand as to who, how, and why the clothing business has posed this somewhat sensitive philosophy to its brand. But as you and many people may know for some businesses, in order to create a successful business is to perform somewhat unethical conducts.
Hey Yi-Fang!
I definitely understand how relatable the A&F controversy is. As for myself, for years I was conflicted when shopping at that store because while I loathed the company’s unethical brand concept, I really did enjoy their products.
As a result, after a strict two years of boycotting the brand, I gave in to my cravings and reactivated my love for the store. Not because I agree with their brand policy, but simply because their products fulfill my personal needs as a consumer.
Thanks for commenting!