When Fashion Becomes Guilty by Association

Criminals have good taste. So says marketing guru Kevin Braddock, who has investigated fashion brands becoming guilty by association. While companies may not care who buys their product - as long as it is bought - marketing managers may be concerned that their brands are spending too much time in bad company.

Burberry's distinctive check has long been a favourite of soccer hooligans such as those photographed invading the pitch after England's defeat of Turkey in the Euro 2004 qualifies. Lawlessness and thuggery contrast starkly with the fashion house's marketing, which is full of fops, polo matches and country houses.

Menswear brands Ben Sherman and Fred Perry have tried to counterbalance criminal association, by distancing themselves from violent skinheads and neo-Nazi bootboys, who's classic wardrobe included their button-down shirts and tennis tops. Internationally thought of as a rightwing brand, Ben Sherman has sought to remove any aggressive overtones from their advertising. Andy Rigg, the label's marketing manager, states: "These days, we don't use white skinheads in advertising. Our brand history is about being British - but new British, reflecting multiculturalism.

The good news is that whims of fashion and youth culture sometimes remove brands' negative associations as quickly as they arrive, although the power of brand-based marketing can be so effective that they can barely be managed. It remains relatively obscure why some subcultures, such as hip hop and garage, seize on particular brands, but companies should become more aware of what happens on street level. When Mercedes logos are available for purchase online for $25, a new marketing strategy may be definitely be in order.