Victoria's Secret Is NOT the Apple Brand

I was insulted when Les Wexner declared that Victoria’s Secret and Apple are first cousins. I’ve been a loyal Apple customer since 1996 and I LOVE the Apple brand.

Like so many other women in America, I’ve fallen out of love with Victoria’s Secret, even though I spent 10 wonderful years working there and continue shopping the store, when I must. It’s accurate to say that my heart and soul belonged to Victoria, and I don’t know what’s happening to her.

Let me explain key DNA differences between the two superbrands:

Apple Store at 5th Avenue and 59th St in New YorkSales Per Square Foot

Apple: $4,491in 204 stores, trending upward
Victoria’s Secret: about $689 and falling

Target Audience and Welcome Mat

Apple: Creative types of any age
Victoria’s Secret: Young and sexy

Victoria’s Secret admits they discourage any woman over 35 from shopping any brand: Pink, Victoria’s Secret, Intimissimi or La Senza. If you are an old person buying a gift, you are allowed in the store.

If you’re a MILF or — god-forbid — a good-looking, inshape, sensual GILF, you are not welcome.

Apple even welcomes PC users. They target PC users, inviting them to come into an Apple store, convinced that a diverse customer base makes Apple stronger.

Customer Experience

Apple: Learn, browse, explore, have fun
Victoria’s Secret: “Hi, what can I sell you today?”

VS is a selling farm, not the feel-good sanctuary it used to be. They call the experience “service” but it’s a high-pressure sell.

Today’s Victoria’s Secret is a Las Vegas casino, broadcasting diffferent songs into my ear at the same time. Add a slot machine where legal, for heaven’s sake. It will help the bottom line, but the place is hot pink chaos.

Apple invites me to a me-centered experience. The brand unleashes my creativity in the way that Victoria’sSecret once unleashed my sensuality. VS tells me now that supermodels (downtrending in value everywhere) define my customer experience, not me.

I don’t know how to deliver this news to Victoria’s Secret, but today’s young alpha women are writing erotica, running adult websites, and starting vibrator companies. Any number of today’s gorgeous grad students are expensive call girls on the weekend.

A dear friend of mine who is an ace blogger with a huge following.My point is that they wear French manicure nails and J Crew hoodies. They enjoy a me-focused sensuality and are aggressive about getting what they want. However, they do not broadcast their sexuality on the street corner.

This new breed of women is smart and confident enough to understand that they can enjoy a luxurious weekend in St. Barts, come home with $5000 in their pockets, and be back in The Wharton School for Monday’s M&A class.

Edited Assortment/Product Point of View

Apple: Tightly edited assprtment, great design

Victoria’s Secret: cluttered, a visual cacophony, trashy sexy

While Apple is not a brand for hoochie mamas, it enjoys a fantastic following of creative urban types of every race. Apple elevates great, sophisticated design; Victoria’s Secret downgrades it.

Technology

Apple: fun, warm, me-centered technology experience

Victoria’s Secret: more is better, COLD, artificial bosom technology.

The American bra industry has backed itself in a corner, convincing American women that we must be smooth and perfect. No seams, no ruffles, just smooth as a marble statue.

Where’s the beauty in these products?

I know I have a French sensibility when it comes to lingerie, but I don’t need another seamless, contoured bra. I have 50.

Anne’s Experience at Victoria’s Secret Soho; Jan. 18, 2008

I left the Apple store in Soho recently, stopping next at the Victoria’s Secret, Prince/Broadway. Granted, this is not a VS flagship store, but there’s no excuse for my dreadful experience.

• Leaving for Paris the next day, I wanted a racer-back bra. I was directed to the back room, via walkie-talkie in room 1. When I arrived, no one helped me. Two sales associates chatted 5 ft away, inspite of the walkie-talkie notification.

• Unlike my typical VS experience, where six people are trying to help me at the same time and never giving me any peace, no one helped me. I worked my way through the drawers, finding two bras in my size.

• Returning to the front room, a street pandandler persistently asked me for money, while two (I kid you not) sales associates just walked around him. Finally, a manager appeared, not the security guard.

• At the cash register, I paid my $90 for two bras, with no conversation — not one word from the associate. (No, she didn’t ask about my VS credit card).

Finished, she said nothing. I said: “You’re welcome. Just so you know, I expect to be thanked for spending $90 in your store.”

• Walking out, I sighed over the latest hoochie mama collection, reminding myself that Victoria’s Secret can’t execute sexy with any taste.

In the Dark, Looking for a Great Bra

Preparing for a Fall 2007 design presentation, I reached into my bra drawer, feeling for the right bra. I wanted a sensual fabric, womanly, everyday, smooth bra.

I executed this search in the dark, because I wanted a totally sensual choice, one that would make me feel beautiful. I avoided all my French lingerie, housed in another drawer.

The coldness and artificiality of the Victoria’s Secret bras stunned me, as I ran my fingers in darkness, over my extensive bra collection. I am warm not cold. Nor am I slick like plastic. Men always compliment me on my skin; I like feeling human.

Unlike Apple and technology generally, which is unleashing female eroticism, my Victoria’s Secret bras had no human sex appeal.

Feeling around my bra drawer in the dark, my fingers met a caress of a bra. There she was, 3-4 years old, smooth and lightly padded, demi and animal print, from Maidenform.

Many a guy could be pretty disappointed when I took off my clothes, showing him the gorgeous but real-deal 36B breasts that are mine, if I was so padded up that I look like a 36D. I don’t need that kind of “will he be disappointed when I’m naked” unease in my life.

The real me is beautiful enough, and I believe in delivering on my promises. I’m a sexual tease, but not in misrepresenting the scale of my bosom. A flattering silhouette is a whole other story. A good bra works wonders for a woman’s self-confidence.

Too Sexy Is Not the Problem

Sophisticated, sensual eroticism is gaining great momentum in America. I cringe now, reading 100 headlines announcing that Victoria’s Secret acknowledges it’s too sexy.

Trust me; that is not the problem. The challenge is that Victoria’s Secret cannot execute sensuality and sexy in real women’s terms. The problem is that today’s VS has no taste, no feel for real breasts. The brand is on steroids.

In August 2007, I visited the Las Vegas Forum Shops VS, in search of a sexy, black bra. All the sales girls wanted to sell me the reversible bra. Pink was in the front room.

VS had no sexy black bra in the Forum Shops location. Dah!

I went to Frederick’s and had a fabulous, jaw-dropping experience. In my life, I’ve never spent $1 at Frederick’s, and I walked out with three corsets and a sophisticated red shopping bag that I did not try to hide.

White Lotus Flower via Bahman FarzadApple Can Teach Victoria’s Secret

Unlike Apple, the Victoria’s Secret brand has more problems than they have fingers to count on. Rather than patting themselves on the back for being related to Apple, I suggest that the VS executive team come down from the mountain, step back and spend time really trying to understand the Apple brand experience.

Contrary to what some financial analysts write, this mess didn’t need to happen. VS created its own flawed strategy, and from my viewpoint, they do not have a solve in place.

Until VS creates a multi-brand porfolio that competes across the spectrum of today’s lingerie marketplace, they will never be a cousin of Apple.

Believe it or not, I want to love this sexy American brand again with my whole heart. But I correctly advised a hedge fund last summer that she’s is in for a rough ride.

Victoria’s Secret chose to throw away their private, intimate relationship with American women. The trusted brand owned female sexuality in America. Women did not want to divorce VS.

Yet, there comes a time in every woman’s life when she must stand up for herself. That time is now.

Sorry guys. Your strategy didn’t work. Put real women in charge of the cleanup. We excel at mopping up messes.  Anne

Credits:  Flickr lily photo