Core Values

2. Identify your core values. What really matters to you?

"Brands today represent more than a product, service or brand identity (the name and logo, design and voice of the brand). A brand is synonymous with the business and the style behind the product or service; it encompasses the people working for the company and a philosophy and spirit that sustains it. Brands offer a set of values, a vision and an attitude." At Xandria Marie we are committed to creating strong relationships with our customers, team members, and communities. “A brand makes value visible: value in the product or service and value in the corporation”

Customers:

At Xandria Marie, our number one priority is our customers. We work hard to gain the trust for our customers. “The ‘own brand’ also offers a one-stop shop for the customer – if they trust the brand, they can buy all their goods under the same label” Our customers are ultimately what keeps us going, so we would love to do the same, by being dependable, reliable, loyal, and by supplying our customers with the best quality possible. We work hard to provide our customers with the most accurate information on the products that we carry, such as measurements, fabrics, materials, finishes, and color. “The brand communication must be authentic and true to the product or service that is being offered” We employee only the most enthusiastic and friendly team, who work hard to provide customers with a great shopping experience. Xandria Marie is also passionate about designing for all body types. We do not believe in the labels "real women" or "model- size 2." Women who are considered to be a model size are not fake so we don't think they should be considered unreal. We want to dress all of the fashionable women no matter what their body type is. We also want to make sure that our designs are accessible and affordable. "At the heart of every brand is its audience. The consumer is no longer simply the person buying the product or service, but a broad spectrum of ‘stakeholders’ who include customers through to employees to external agencies and local communities. Each stakeholder may experience the brand in a different way, but there should be consistency in brand behavior. The relationship between the brand and the consumer is two-way – what the consumer thinks of the brand matters as much as how the brand projects itself to the consumer. This two-way interaction is at the heart of managing the brand perception. This is where branding happens: it is the dialogue that helps create and sustain a relationship between the organization and its audience. And good branding, according to the experts, must engage."

Team Environment:

"Many brands may succeed in communicating to an audience, but fail to engage. Engagement happens by identifying and exploiting the magic in a brand: the insight or idea that connects to the audience. It can be an intuitive process and requires a mix of strategic business thinking and creative ideas. The thinking and creative process must never stop." The XM Team is a huge part of keeping the company successful, so we strongly believe that with strong communication and getting input from our team, we will continue to be successful and grow together. We are committed to involving our team with every project that comes our way; we want to create a fun and enjoyable work environment. Our team members are the ones who directly work with our customers so with a great environment comes more satisfied and loyal customers and an increase in sales. "Brand style must capture the ‘spirit’ of the brand – the emotive element that makes us like or dislike a brand, or be indifferent to it. Style is shown in the way the brand projects itself in form, function and service. It can project an attitude we either empathize with or dismiss."

Local Community: “The 18-24 youth market is wired, educated, cynical and irrational. They’re into brand authenticity. They believe that companies should give back something to the world in which they operate” The communities that we conduct our business in are very much important to us as our customers and team members. In each store location, customers will be able to donate a percentage of their purchase to a local charity of their choice. We also believe in shining the light on local talent, so twice a year we will work with a creative local artist or designer to provide our customers with exclusive, fresh, and inspirational pieces that they can always incorporate with any outfit. "Brand style comes from the core – that is, the values of the brand. Brand values are the belief systems behind the brand. They are usually described as succinct adjectives that are often associated with archetypal characteristics: fun, rebellious, winning or inventive, for example. The designer must integrate the values into any brand communication, and their creative ideas should work around these."

Citations:

Davis, M., and Baldwin, J. (2006). More Than a Name: An Introduction to Branding. AVA Publishing. Page 27, 30, 32, 57, 82, 111, 147