The Five Stages of Brand Grief: Why Vans Left Me Barefoot (and Angry)
The Five Stages of Brand Grief: Why Vans Left Me Barefoot (and Angry)
I wanted to give Vans my money, but they wouldn't let me.
I'm a retail quant strategist whose instincts and policy are to help every organisation unlock its hidden billions and thrive. In that regard, my business model is transparent: a finders fee (2%) and a performance fee (20%). The performance fee is the fee paid on the incremental revenue generated beyond a specified minimum x-million threshold. And reflects my deep-held ethics and policy.
A few weeks ago, I visited London. I packed light and wore just one pair of sneakers, a canvas pair of Converse Chuck 70s low tops. It turns out my friends are avid walkers, and after walking over 30 miles (50 km) in two days along the River Thames, I got blisters. First concession. This has not happened wearing Vans, which I left at home. Mental note to self: Vans Old Skool low tops (suede/canvas) are more comfortable for long walks than Converse Chuck 70s. Second concession. Sorry, Converse.
Imagine my journey of discovery and disappointment with my single desire: I wanted to buy a new pair of Vans shoes. Confident I could easily find a Vans store (DOS) in central London, I set out to make a purchase. But despite the Vans website listing four (4) stores, I embarked on an unintentional odyssey, visiting three locations and finding none. Zero. Nada. Disappointing. The flagship store on Oxford Street was closed for renovations (unannounced on the website), another was mysteriously absent from Neal Street, and the third was nowhere to be found within Westfield London. I even searched. “No Results.” Third concession.
This frustrating experience wasn't just a personal inconvenience but a stark reminder of the invisible, powerful force that exists and disconnects brands from their customers (my specialism, visualise the hidden). It also sparked a realisation: this journey mirrors the emotional stages of grief outlined by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross [On Death & Dying]. And. It reminded me of something Rory Sutherland Sutherland [Ogilvy UK], the famed advertising executive and behavioural science expert, often highlights 'context matters'.
Denial: Brands, like people, often are in denial about their problems. In Vans' case, this might manifest as an underestimation of the impact that inaccurate website information and closed stores have on customer experience and revenue (an example of a finders fee). "It's just a website glitch," they might think, "it's no big deal." "Absolutely abysmal, I ordered hi tops for my son over a week ago...after a week checked Vans website and my order was still processing..." But for a customer eager to purchase, it's a significant obstacle. And a real pain. And that is about something other than "…a change in the operating model, simplifying the product line-up, introducing a sustained level of investment in design and innovation, or transforming and simplifying our marketing." It's much closer to home. It's not having the information to ask the right questions. Perhaps they'd benefit by really understanding the reason (why) behind the data. A quick review shows a staggering 74% of Vans' online customer reviews are 1-star, with an average rating of just 1.6 stars. This points to a significant disconnect and a brand in denial (context matters).
Anger: My own frustration with the situation, my mental mind-map and my journey visualised in the image reflects the anger that customers may also feel when a brand fails to meet their expectations. "They totally cheated me. Ordered shoes several weeks ago but have not been anything yet. Have emailed but received no answer." This unnecessary and preventable customer anger, born from wasted time and unfulfilled desires, quantifiably leads to lost sales and damage to brand loyalty. Reflected in VF Corporation's current turnaround plans. As Sutherland might say, Vans is failing to understand the "why" behind my behaviour. Why am I frustrated? Because the context of my experience – inaccurate information, closed stores, wasted time – has created a negative emotional response and 'Billion Dollar Behaviours'.
Bargaining: At this stage, a brand might try to rationalise the issues, downplaying their significance or seeking quick fixes instead of addressing the root causes. "We're working on it," they might say, without a real commitment to change. i.e., selling off corporate aircraft and aircraft hangars. "After being told to take them to a store for exchange and a 50 Mile round trip, the store refused and diverted me back to customer services. After going around in circles with their customer service, I gave up. £65 wasted." That outcome may please shareholders and investors in the short term, but it's just misdirection. They're bargaining with themselves, hoping to avoid the real work of transformation. Maybe instead, ask 'why'.
Depression: This stage represents the realisation of missed opportunities and the potential consequences of inaction. "Will never purchase from them again. 3 months later I still didn't recieved my order, only thing I recieved was ignorance from this company." It's a critical point where brands must acknowledge the need for change and seek solutions or risk falling further behind. I then realised VF Corporation's Vans plan is not a strategy (see Roger Martin's POV). Instead, it is solving problems with plasters for wounds that do not exist. Mine was real.
Acceptance: Finally, acceptance involves embracing the need for true transformation and committing to a new path, even if it challenges existing playbooks and ventures deep into the unknown. It's not accepting the first answer. "Two words: Yodel delivery." This is where true growth and revitalisation occur (and my performance fees). I should know. As a retail quant strategist with decades of experience in the luxury and retail sector, I've helped brands like Nike, and many others, identify their new and successfully unlock billions in hidden revenue. My approach combines quant analysis, behavioural science, and a deep understanding of customer psychology, illuminating an untrodden path to extraordinary growth. It's unthinkable to turn back once you see it. This is the area where brands can truly "behavioralise" their approach, as Sutherland suggests, by understanding their customers' psychological and emotional drivers. Now those, I can monetise.
My experience with the Vans brand on my trip to London highlights a critical need for VF Corporation to move through and beyond the stages of grief to unlock its unseen, hidden internal revenue destruction. As a Strategic Bloodhound, I see, illuminate and try my best to help clients transform the simple customer keys others miss (seeing why behind the what). And once seen, the path to extraordinary growth is revealed.
My background and ethics revolve around encouraging organisations like VF Corporation to be humble and examine their portfolio's naked truth. Taking that first step can be difficult, I should know. I've been there myself. But remember, every journey begins with a single question. Your comfort is knowing I'll share what I've learned and help you and your portfolio brands quickly unlock their unseen potential. The new path and quantified strategy beats any plan or plane.
My humble offer is simple: I will help VF and Vans reveal the keys to your missed revenue. I've graciously shared two findings, one with US$0.10 and the other with US$0.00 solutions. Each holding the unseen keys to unlocking billions in revenue for Vans. Bracken Darrell, I invite you to schedule a talk or visit. It may enable you to also see Vans' invisible revenue, drive customer experiences and in the process transform your broader portfolio brands. Faster and much more efficiently. In exchange, VF Corporation pays the finders and performance fees on the incremental revenue generated beyond an agreed minimum x-million threshold. I see US$2 billion for Vans, and US$6 billion group wide. And how much do you desire?
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