Living Beyond the Product: Levis Case Study

Any company that establishes market dominance built on a single unique product is successful for as long as the market remains the same. However, markets can change quickly with demand for goods decreasing, prices for raw materials increasing, and new companies entering it. Therefore, brands should strive to live beyond the products and, simultaneously, live beyond one market. This essay will consider Levis as the prime example of such a company, its president James Curleighs view on expanding beyond the product, and other companies that managed to branch out in other markets.

Levis is one of the most popular apparel labels in the world. The brand was established in 1852 as a company specializing in producing durable denim clothes, specifically jeans (Levis, 2021). Levis blue jeans became a staple of the brand, and the name of the business venture is associated with jeans more than with the name of any of the other products it offers. Today, the companys scope is far broader, and Levis sells different mens, womens, and childrens clothing, including jeans, pants, tops, sweatshirts, dresses, and other products (Levis, 2022). The brand is no longer focused on a single apparel item but aims to fill the customers closet with various products. Thus, it managed to live beyond its original incarnation and the original product and move from the denim market into the apparel market.

The companys strategy that led to it living beyond the product is attributed to the President of Levis brand, James Curleigh. In his Ted talk, Curleigh notes that at one point, Levis experienced the inverted synergy syndrome when the whole was lesser than the sum of its parts (Curleigh, 2013). The company was focused on producing jeans and a few other apparel items from denim and ignored other avenues for growth. By expanding into the apparel market, the denim company protected itself from fluctuation in the small market and established its place in a larger one. The overarching idea present in Curleighs talk is that established companies with unique products should adopt the start-up mentality to adjust to the changes in the market and transcend its first incarnation (Curleigh, 2013). Thus, to live beyond the product is to expand to a new range of products that complement the company culture and offer value to its customers. In my opinion, James Curleighs video is very informative and illustrates how brand leadership can advance the company by looking beyond the product and focusing on unexpected possibilities for expansion.

There are many other companies that, similarly to Levis, managed to live beyond the product. For example, Uber transcended its first incarnation of a company providing lifts to customers to a company that offers a range of services, including food delivery, easier access to health care, and freight transportation (Uber, 2022). Similarly, Red Bull changed from a company focused on selling the self-titled energy drink to a media company that produces sporting events and offers lifestyle content (Red Bull, 2022). Tesla evolved from a venture offering electric cars to one providing customers with a wide range of products, including chargers, solar panels for private residences, and even apparel (Tesla, 2022). Uber has the most similar journey to Levis as it extended beyond passenger services to a larger market of different transportation and delivery services, while Levis grew from denim to the apparel market. Unlike Levis and Uber, Red Bull did not expand to an adjacent market but opted to develop in an entirely new direction that allowed them to advertise its original product. However, all the discussed companies managed to transcend the original product or service.

In summary, living beyond the product should be considered the primary goal for every business venture. As markets and customer demand change fast, it is essential that companies that dominate the market retain the ability to search for the existing gaps in the market and respond to the needs of the clients. Such companies as Levis, Tesla, Red Bull, and Uber were established through one unique product or service but managed to live beyond it and develop further.