Welcome

'Blog Your Brand' we hope will be your very own 'floodgate' to the world on your personal experiences of brands you love, brands you hate to love and brands you love to hate, or brands you...well...just couldn't live with... or couldn't live without!

That's the thing about real brands...one way or another they demand attention and are hard to ignore - so Blog Your Brand is the opportunity (we hope you've been waiting for) to get your brand experiences off-your-chest by sharing them with like-minded 'brandeurs' around the country, around the world.

So that's what it's about...whether it's brand facts, fiction or fantasy, we want to hear your experiences of the brands you live with and to learn more about what makes brands tick - what makes them so central to people's lives, and what that says about the way we live today.

To blog your own brand, simply click on 'comments' immediately below and give us your brand experience or observations. If they grab our attention, we promise to post your comment and maybe even prettify it with some nice images as we've done on the following brand posts.
So, keep checking in and chipping in on Blog Your Brand!

Cuddly or just plain UGG-ly?

When I was thinking of what brand I would write a blog on for this website I thought about the brands of my generation like Abercrombie & Fitch, Juicy Couture etc. I then peered down at my clothes to get some muse. I was wearing work clothes as I was on work experience at the time – Plain white Pennys top, Black Pennys cardi, white A&F vest top, white and silver dessert scarf and black UGGs. So, Why did I decide to wear uggs to work on this particular morning?

For the past week I had been getting the bus to work. I’d walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, ride the bus for 20 minutes, walk around sandyford industrial estate, go up the lift and walk to the office where I’d sit on my comfy rotating desk chair. And then repeat this in reverse to go home each day. In pumps!

I love pumps, wear them everywhere. They keep me small (I’ve always been very tall for my age!), look pretty and are very suitable for work.. but for walking around an industrial estate? Ouch. For the third day of my work experience I was late for the bus, so I speed-walked to get there. When I got off the bus, I had to speed-walk miles in twenty minutes with my toes gripping onto my shoes so they wouldn’t fall off at every step I took. That night, I had ballet class and to my surprise I couldn’t even point my toe or ‘relevé’ without my whole calf cramping up. So, I spent the class stretching out my legs. I knew it was time to change my shoe-type.

So, today I chose a pair that I knew would look good and comfy at the same time..my UGGs! UGGs were a huge craze last year in Dublin, so now I’m ‘soo last year’ when I wear them, But walking to work today was a dream. Like those days of getting home from work or school feeling sickly, cold and tired.. all you have to do is snuggle up in a pair of UGGs and sit in front of the gas fire.. okay a bit of a cliqué but you get the point, don’t you? – they’re comfy!

Lots of people disagree completely with me and believe that UGG stands for ugly – i.e., are the ugliest shoes they have ever seen, and while I’m open to critisizm, I have to disagree. I believe that most of the people who complain about this brand have never felt their cushiony softness..

In Ireland, they are only seen on girls of ages from 12yrs – 20yrs (although you do get some older people wearing this brand although them look like they are having a middle age crisis!). In Australia, they are worn by boys as well and If our Irish white-skinned boys can’t accept the fact that AUSTRALIAN TANNED MEN can wear them, this shows how manly they are!

In Dublin, UGGs are known to be ‘D4-ish’ (Dublin stereotype of rich people), but I wear them and I have a complete mix of genres of friends from nerds to rockers to poshys to knackers – some love them and some hate them. The point is I love them and the feeling of the pure sheep wool on my feet in the Irish winter! Ooh wow.. =]


Kathryn, Dublin, Ireland

Copy Cats Vs Starbucks

Starbucks is fighting an ongoing legal battle in Asia trying to stop local coffee houses from using logos that too closely resemble the distinctive trademark of the Seattle company. But why are Asian coffee brands copying the Starbucks logo? - In Korea and China the Starbucks logo isn't very well known. Starbucks’ legal battles have not been so successful in Korea however, where a court found in favor of a local brand, against the American company. These local coffee shops are going strong and they've built their success on their coffee, not a logo. Also, Starbucks has not been able to take the majority market share in Asia. There are just too many coffee shops in Korea, Japan and China for Starbucks to compete with. It’s true, Starbucks are trying take over the world, just like any other American multi-national, but using a logo that closely resembles any company logo is digging your own grave. Especially any American companies that are as wealthy as Starbucks. When they find you, they will sue you, it’s the American way. So far, Asian copy cats haven't given up.

Scunci or The way back home

Scunci (pronounced "skunsee") is a brand I came across during my time in Ireland as an intern at Bradley McGurk. One day whilst shopping, something struck my eye... a pack of multi-coloured hair-ties from Scunci!
Okay, you may not understand my excitement at spotting these hair-ties, but as a long-haired girl I'm always looking for inspiration. Then, browsing the internet, I found this great website dedicated to hairstyle products. Believe me, I felt like I was in seventh heaven! Scunci invented the comfy scrunchie, one of the defining accessories of the 80's (not that I'm THAT old, though!). They were also the first to develop hair-ties without the metal parts (to protect hair from breaking) and a unique hairgrip that won't slip off your hair. But where can I get Scunci products? In fact, they're only available in the U.S. (where Scunci originates), Australia and now also in the UK and ROI.
So I have to buy as many products as I can before I go back to Germany? Or make expensive online orders? What a pain! With this in mind I went home for Christmas. One day - I was shopping in town - I went into a jewellery shop and found myself totally flabbergasted. Why? They sold my new favourite fashion hair accessories! So I was able to create a pony wrap without any nasty pins... and look gorgeous on New Year's Eve... But still, why does Scunci remain such an insider's secret in Europe? Come on, you're the market leaders!

Battle of the Brands

The battle of the coffee retailer brands is fascinating to watch these days! Starbucks' arrival into Ireland in recent times was meant to transform the coffee-drinking experience of us natives, weaned as we were on Bewley's and Nescafe(help!). But then the unexpected - Costa Coffee! Now that's what I call a helluva 'brand experience'. Everything from the seating outside to the window graphics to the interior furnishings to the leaflets, lighting and layout! Even to the food...and, OF COURSE, the coffee. Consistency is the by-word here...but consistency with quality... with earthy class, I say. Which all adds up to a wow cup of coffee (I mean 'Americano' of course...and make mine decaf) plus delicious baguette, wrap and/or brownie...whichever tempts you. But Costa also means costly....but, hey, a pricy latte set up to you with style in a sensational environment (read...'sense'-ational)....that's real coffee still delivering real value. Starbucks? We need more brand-bang for your starbucks, 'guys'. So, in a word..Buck-up!

H&M - I love it, I hate it, I love it

It took me a while to recognise that I am kind of addicted to H&M. I still remember when I was first introduced to H&M: my mother gave me a dark blue, velvet-looking hat saying, "I bought it at a new clothes shop. It's called Hennes&Mauritz", I was 9 years old and did not worry much about what I was wearing. Moreover, I wasn't even quite sure if I like this hat. Nevertheless,
from then on I regularly bought my clothes at H&M, first with my mum and then...on my own, of course. But why? I think it is the large range of affordable, popular, but individual clothes that made me a shopping victim and the Scandinavian retailer a world brand. I know it sounds incredible, but there is rarely a day on which I don't wear something from H&M.
On the other hand, I sometimes hate this brand as well, for example, if I fall in love with a fancy t-shirt in one of the shops, I often notice that it is dirty or damaged and so grab for another one - same pattern, same size - and have to admit that it doesn't quite have the same fit. Then I start getting angry about the lack of quality in cheap clothes...If additionally there is a queue at the changing rooms starting outside the shop's doors I usually feel like I'm living in hell on earth!
But still I am always delighted to see a H&M store wherever I go, asking myself, what I would do without it?

Goodness Gracious Guinness

At last! A blog site for all because we all live with brands! And what better and original brand than "Guinness". Anywhere in the world, Guinness means one thing: 'Ireland'. A 'pint of the black stuff' - just the very idea of it - brings a smile to everyone's face and an emotional (sometimes imaginary) connection with 'roots back home'. But what's been happening recently to our very own Guinness brand?

There's talk that they're taking production out of Ireland. That the essence of Guinness will be made elsewhere. Will it be Irish then? What will that do to our brand (yes, our brand)? What will that do to our 'Ireland' brand, by virtue of association? Concerning times indeed! Who owns the brand? And who runs the brand? And where from these days? With talk of selling up plant and property at St James's Gate on the cards, what will this do to our grá for the Guinness?

Post-note: have you been to the Guinness Hopstore recently? Try getting in there for a browse around, for a bite, or for ...yes, you've guessed it ... a simple 'pint of plain' ...without 'having to' take the guided tour - which of course comes with a price-tag. Goodness... what's happening to Guinness!