American apparel goes political, not only blurring the frontier between US and mexico, but also between politics and fashionable advertising!
A communication strategy based on true brand DNA and pure honesty, that gets an ultra ‘ROI efficient’ online word-of-mouth and free offline covering…

Under pressure from the toughest crackdown on illegal immigration in two decades, employers across the country are fighting back in state legislatures, the federal courts and city halls. Business groups have resisted measures that would revoke the licenses of employers of illegal immigrants. They are proposing alternatives that would revise federal rules for verifying the identity documents of new hires and would expand programs to bring legal immigrant laborers.

The New York Times
Julia Preston - July 6, 2008

‘Legalize LA’ is about recognizing, celebrating and embracing the diversity of Los Angeles, so essential to the city’s success. As one of the most economically and culturally vibrant urban centers in the world, L.A. is not only the capital of the entertainment industry, it is also home to one of the busiest ocean ports in the world, and it
remains the manufacturing hub of the United States.
Los Angeles also represents the largest concentration of immigrants in North America. With over 224 languages spoken in the city, over 50% of the population is foreign born. Immigrants include motivated factory workers as well as entrepreneurs and professionals. Add to their presence native-born Americans from all over the country, as well as native Californians, and it’s easy to see why Los Angeles is a city where dreams are often realized.

However, despite the fact that so many experts agree that the productivity and hard work of immigrants improves our economy, the issue has been grossly misrepresented by the media and certain politicians. Businesses are generally afraid to speak out because they’re frightened of reprisals by government agencies, but at American Apparel we have not been able to sit in the shadows while the facts get distorted.

Our dream for Los Angeles is that the over 1 million undocumented migrant workers who live here, and contribute to the city economically, culturally, and socially will have the opportunity to become legal residents of the city, and the United States.

Dov Charney
Founder, CEO, Creative Director of American Apparel

Bold. Efficient. Interesting. Engaging.
…Love it!

Since we all work hard on CRM strategies to leverage brand communication, let’s take a step back and ask ourself this key question:

‘Who REALLY controls the interactions between the vendor and the customer?’

THE CUSTOMER decide when, how and why he will - or not - interact with a brand… And this simple fact leads us to the most mind blowing marketing concept since the long tail: the VRM

The Vendor Relationship Management is the reciprocal of Customer Relationship Management. With VRM, the customer controls his or her relationship with vendors rather than vice versa. The purpose of VRM is to provide the customer with ways of bearing some of relationship burden which has in the past been borne entirely by the vendor. In so doing, VRM intends to improve markets by equipping customers to lead as well as to follow.

This theory tests the belief that any market can be truly free and open, and in control by customers as well as vendors.

ProjectVRM, at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, is working on tools and methodologies to provide customers with both independence from vendors and ways to engage with vendors.

This project is headed by Doc Searls:

‘In real markets customers do more than just consume. They can produce more than just money and data for systems that manage them’ Doc says… ‘What if we help vendors rather than just carp about them. What if we could relate on our terms and not just on theirs, for the good of both. What if we were to manage our own stuff and relationships with producers and vendors. What if we were in charge of our preferences across whole markets. What if what mattered most were our real intentions, rather than just our attention.’

So, are your interactions with your customer focused on transactions or relationships? A real relationship, and not just coerced agreements we call relationships. ;-)