Sunday, October 16, 2011
Monday, September 22, 2008
What's that about Matt and Nat?
Matt and Nat describes its products on their website as a collection of design-centric, fashion-forward accessories that is also vegan. Certainly, this was part of what attracted me to the brand when I was shopping for a new bag last spring. A couple of years earlier I had noticed their stylish bags in many Montreal boutiques. It wasn't until I visited their website last spring that I discovered these weren't leather bags but completely man-made.
To be honest, I had been grappling with the whole handbag issue. The woman who cuts my hair was selling knock-off bags which her husband had brought up from Canal Street in New York. I thought about purchasing one until I examined my consumer conscience. It was then that I realized just how much your choice of handbag could express about your own personality. If I carried a knock-off handbag, what would I be telling the world about me? It seemed fraudulent in so many ways. I would be saying I cared about labels. I really don't. I would be saying I approved of counterfeit labels, because, let's be honest, no one would imagine I had the means or impracticality to buy the real thing. I don't approve of counterfeit. I would be saying, indirectly, that I'm a better person that you because I'm carrying the "right" handbag. I don't believe that either.
Having rejected the "faux" option, I thought about the handbag I'd like to carry, and started to remember those stylish bags in the Montreal boutique windows. This is how I ended up at the Matt and Nat website.
Once I'd discovered what Matt and Nat was all about, I have to admit that I bought into the brand. Then, I bought into it, quite literally, by finding out where their products were available in Ottawa, and purchasing the bag. I find my bag attractive, comfortable, eco, and practical (both for price point and its function — its interior pocket design is simple and purposeful, and I particularly like the cellphone pocket.)
Wait a minute! Did I just say the price point was practical? I paid $100 for the purse which is a considerable increase from the $20 I paid for my last bag — the MEC shoulder pack with external cellphone pocket and water bottle holder. Perhaps the price only seems practical now that I've heard what a fall version of the purse may cost me.
Finally, I get to the point of this post — the news I heard about Matt and Nat today that made me ponder their brand strategy. After yoga this morning, my husband and I were on our way to Bridgehead for a cup of fair-trade coffee. (Ah, you're starting to formulate my customer profile aren't you? Eco-purses, fair-trade coffee, a disdain for high prices and designer labels, especially obvious ones — and you would be right!)
It was a beautiful morning and fun to browse through the Westboro shops that lay between the yoga studio and the coffee shop. I pulled Peter into the boutique where I bought my spring Matt and Nat bag. I was surprised that there were only a very few Matt and Nat fall bags to choose from. A salesclerk overheard me and told me that Matt and Nat had informed the store that they would no longer supply them. Instead their bags would only be available at very high end stores. In fact, my best bet was to look for them in Ottawa at Holt Renfrew. I could also expect their prices to double. The fall bag I was holding in my hand, priced at $150, would be more likely to retail at $300.
Funnily enough, I had just been looking at leather bags priced at almost $300 at the new Roots store just three doors down. Those are lovely bags, but they are leather. Now, I'm all for saving the environment, as you've probably already guessed, but to pay the same amount for man-made is just downright confusing.
Now I'm reviewing this on both a personal level and a branding one. What is Matt and Nat thinking? I guess they want to elevate their brand through exclusive distribution and a higher price point. Are they counting on reaching new audiences that will pay a premium for eco-chic? Do they worry about alienating their existing customers? What exactly is their positioning? Has it shifted somewhat? What brand personality are they hoping to express?
So many questions, but perhaps the most important is what purse will I buy? Maybe none at all. Or maybe a visit to a thrift shop to reduce, reuse and recyle.
To be honest, I had been grappling with the whole handbag issue. The woman who cuts my hair was selling knock-off bags which her husband had brought up from Canal Street in New York. I thought about purchasing one until I examined my consumer conscience. It was then that I realized just how much your choice of handbag could express about your own personality. If I carried a knock-off handbag, what would I be telling the world about me? It seemed fraudulent in so many ways. I would be saying I cared about labels. I really don't. I would be saying I approved of counterfeit labels, because, let's be honest, no one would imagine I had the means or impracticality to buy the real thing. I don't approve of counterfeit. I would be saying, indirectly, that I'm a better person that you because I'm carrying the "right" handbag. I don't believe that either.
Having rejected the "faux" option, I thought about the handbag I'd like to carry, and started to remember those stylish bags in the Montreal boutique windows. This is how I ended up at the Matt and Nat website.
Once I'd discovered what Matt and Nat was all about, I have to admit that I bought into the brand. Then, I bought into it, quite literally, by finding out where their products were available in Ottawa, and purchasing the bag. I find my bag attractive, comfortable, eco, and practical (both for price point and its function — its interior pocket design is simple and purposeful, and I particularly like the cellphone pocket.)
Wait a minute! Did I just say the price point was practical? I paid $100 for the purse which is a considerable increase from the $20 I paid for my last bag — the MEC shoulder pack with external cellphone pocket and water bottle holder. Perhaps the price only seems practical now that I've heard what a fall version of the purse may cost me.
Finally, I get to the point of this post — the news I heard about Matt and Nat today that made me ponder their brand strategy. After yoga this morning, my husband and I were on our way to Bridgehead for a cup of fair-trade coffee. (Ah, you're starting to formulate my customer profile aren't you? Eco-purses, fair-trade coffee, a disdain for high prices and designer labels, especially obvious ones — and you would be right!)
It was a beautiful morning and fun to browse through the Westboro shops that lay between the yoga studio and the coffee shop. I pulled Peter into the boutique where I bought my spring Matt and Nat bag. I was surprised that there were only a very few Matt and Nat fall bags to choose from. A salesclerk overheard me and told me that Matt and Nat had informed the store that they would no longer supply them. Instead their bags would only be available at very high end stores. In fact, my best bet was to look for them in Ottawa at Holt Renfrew. I could also expect their prices to double. The fall bag I was holding in my hand, priced at $150, would be more likely to retail at $300.
Funnily enough, I had just been looking at leather bags priced at almost $300 at the new Roots store just three doors down. Those are lovely bags, but they are leather. Now, I'm all for saving the environment, as you've probably already guessed, but to pay the same amount for man-made is just downright confusing.
Now I'm reviewing this on both a personal level and a branding one. What is Matt and Nat thinking? I guess they want to elevate their brand through exclusive distribution and a higher price point. Are they counting on reaching new audiences that will pay a premium for eco-chic? Do they worry about alienating their existing customers? What exactly is their positioning? Has it shifted somewhat? What brand personality are they hoping to express?
So many questions, but perhaps the most important is what purse will I buy? Maybe none at all. Or maybe a visit to a thrift shop to reduce, reuse and recyle.
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