You don't always need to advertise

Kiehls is a company owned by L’Oreal which sells skin and hair products.
Haven’t heard of them? -maybe that’s because they don’t spend any money on advertising.
They rely entirely on word of mouth and generating awareness through their philanthropic activities. Rather than spending money on advertising, Kiehls focuses their energy and money on improving their products and increasing their personal service.

Although this may be seen as a risky move by some, Kiehls has profited from this tactic. I think because of this, many of their customers are very brand loyal and feel that Kiehls personally caters to them. They have built up their brand equity based on honesty and the utmost dedication to serve the community. By not advertising in mainstream media, Kiehls gives off the appearance that they are a small town company who cares about their customers and does not solely care about their profit margins. Although they are owned by a huge corporation (L’Oreal), they have done a great job with managing their brand image by separating the two companies in consumers’ minds. Overall, I think Kiehls is a great example of how you don't always need to advertise to build a strong brand equity.

-Sri Reddy