Week 9 EOC: Brini Maxwell

1.       What makes the Brini Maxwell television personality unique? How does her personality benefit the brand?

The Brini Maxwell personality is unique because first off Ben Sander is a man dressing up as a woman for a show. He plays off of the 50’s house wife persona in an advice giving broadcast.

“The story of Brini Maxwell is unique. Sander became a national celebrity by taking a simple idea from his own personal collection of vintage products to create a fashion-branded style.” – Brand Story Page 145

2.       What were the steps taken by Ben Sander to develop his character, Brini Maxwell? Was he successful? Why or why not?

Sander went to fashion school but was inspired by Pyrex bowls he bought at Salvation Army. This triggered him to want to create a cooking show and with the help of his parents he put together Brini Maxwell.

“Brini Maxwell began in 1998 as At Home with Tigs, which focused on a contemporary jet-setter known as Tigs Vaderveer; however, Sander soon realized that the Vanderveer character was too stuffy.” – Brand Story Page 145 He was successful because he managed to gain a regular following on a public TV station that most people don’t watch and then gained recognition by national networks.

3.       Why do you think Brini Maxwell made it into the national spotlight on television? What was her brands message?

“Brini’s original show aired from 1998 until 2003. During those five years, the show gained a huge cult following. Producer Amy Briamonte heard about Brini Maxwell from a friend…She knew that viewers of the E! Network’s style channel would love it, so she immediately pitched the show to the stations executives.” – Brand Story Page 149-150

She made it because she was able to relate to the viewers in NY and gain a following. Her brand message was comforting, friendly and enlightening.

4.       What do you think Brini Maxwell’s target market is today? Why would baby boomers be drawn to watching Brini Maxwell?

I think today Brini Maxwell’s target market would be stay at home moms or even working moms who just need a good laugh or some unwinding time. I think baby boomers are drawn to Brini Maxwell because they can relate to her more than anyone. This is the “mother” they grew up with, the image of Brini Maxwell is a reflection of all the hit TV shows they grew up watching.

5.       Why were the iTunes podcast and the reproduction of her old shows as vidcast a smart step towards rebranding Brini Maxwell? Would you have done anything differently?

The iTunes and vidcasts were smart moves for the Brini Maxwell brand because once the brand completely disappears, people will forget about her, this is a good way of using modern technology to keep the brand alive and possibly reach out to a new market. If I were to do anything differently I would release limited edition DVD’s of the episode to strike up some excitement amongst fans.