Unbranding, it appears from my research, is a term used to describe a fix, meaning one or more of the following:
My idea of unbranding, in the context of this discussion, goes more to the question raised by John Freeman in the previous post when he said that he “hated brands.” The comment was made in the context of a discussion about storefront design. My interpretation of this is that he hated the uniformity, the lack of surprise, even the visual dominance of the well known brands. This describes a store design problem that is related too, but not the same as “unbranding” as a fix.
As an additional note I should say that bigger business brains than mine are describing this “unbranding” trend that I have seen coming for a while. This article in Harvard Business Review is important enough to retailers for me to reference it here. Continued in Part III.)
Bridget Gaddis, is a Licensed Architect and LEED-accredited Professional practicing nationally, and locally in the Washington DC area. She holds professional degrees in both Architecture and Interior Design, and with a comprehensive background in commercial retail design, planning and construction has completed projects for such for such well known brands as Chloe, Zegna, and Bvlgari. Her career began in tenant coordination and site planning for two well-known Cleveland developers, followed by six years in store planning for a national retailer. After a move to New York City in 1997, she spent the next years working for architecture firms specializing in retail projects. In 2011 she started her own practice in Alexandria, VA. Ms. Gaddis is the author of two blogs dealing with architectural subjects.