Marketing Mix
PRODUCT
Abercrombie & Fitch offers a verity of clothing line products including, tops, sweats, hoodies, jackets/ coats, swimwear and active wear. They also have their own section for denim jeans and a fragrance line. Showing for their demographic of both women/ men in college university. Sizing of the clothing now vary from XS to XXL. This was a problem in the past due to the brand believing in having a large size for a woman, but this was mainly due to the pervious CEO which did not believe in ‘plus size women’ and had a negative from consumers as their competitors had started to show more sizing. (2013, The Huffington Post Canada). This was changed later in the year as the brand had released a larger size range to help the change to consumers' thoughts and have a high profit rate as the stocks started to lose by 30%. Allowing the brand to see that the change over the feeling of ‘cool’ ‘sexy’ consumers. (2013, Daily Mail Reporter).
The current consumer research and question from staff show the brand has now gone into the high street, fashion showing trendy clothes within the season following their competitors once the clothing is in store. But this is a damage as it means the products are going into store weeks after being sold to the public and feel as a copy the trend-setters.
PRICE
Their products show a similar see to their competitors showing the A&F should market at a similar price, however it feels overpriced for their consumer demographic and was shown through the feedback. As due to quality feeling the same it is not labelled as the casual luxury product therefor, they would have to be aware as currently a jumper and sweat cost from £58-£68, and competitors from £15-30. Showing a big difference, from competitors to what A&F sell.
When looking at the brand their pricing strategies are utilising sales to gain attention. This is done for both Hollister and Abercrombie which is showing sales on window displays to gain attention to come to the store a buyer thinking they are saving money. The sales are shown within the website as well, giving 20% up to 70% of sales, which pops up on the website the first thing, this is allowing them to engage in gaining attention. The brand is also aware of the e-commerce market as offering ‘promo-codes’ when shopping and free gifts allow them to gain loyalty and more spending of consumers. The band also uses. The brand use loyalty schemas, which is attached to online, in store and app, shopping this is shown when a customer shops and earns enough points, they gain rewards and money off their next purchases. Ensuring loyalty and gaining consumers back to the stores for more shopping, which is an advantage to their strategies.
PLACE
A&F company currently has 843 stores in America and 186 international stores, across all 3 brands for Hollister, A&F’ kids and A&F. The brand had released their new prototype store in the Manchester Trafford centre, this layout of the store ‘includes changing rooms with separate light and music controls and phone charging docks’ to improve from the feedback consumers gave from their backlash. (2018, Eliza Lyons) Each store also gains the atmospheres and smell which brand are known for and a certain layout. The brand also has a simple/easy online website for consumers, allowing online web shopping. In addition, they have a mobile which have simpler features, plus a music to gain a unique experience of in store but at the comfort of the consumers home. This app appears to be for any international shopper, allowing the worldwide shopping and gaining numbers of online retailers. The brand have use of technology to gain a better shopping experience and increase sales. As of 2017 the brand was ranked 4th On the mobile retail store due to the app causing 25% more engagement and causing more interest. (2017, Marcus LaRobidere)
PROMOTION
Initially the brand was promoting ‘sex’ in campaigns this is mainly for the college student as a method to boost what they though the consumer would like to be like. This is to show the beautiful imagination of real life, (2018, 123HelpMe). This method had brought a lot of controversies which had caused the brand to lose consumers as the thought of it was too fake from the generations expanding and society’s changes. This casing the brand to change crating the rebranding causing the new campaigns to be friendly and relevant to what they think ‘College/ University’ demographic appeal to be like.
The band also uses, the use of brand ambassadors who were the shirtless models in the past to gain attention to the consumers, where they were allowed to take pictures, and the models just had to stand there and look ‘sexy’ as part of their job. However, the brand had to change this due to their strategies was to only use people ‘based on their physical body attractiveness’ and it did not go well with consumers as it was not realistic and were facing $40 million for discrimination in 2006. Therefore, the new branding ideas are allowing the brand to show a more diverse range of models based on their consumer demographic and being body awarded gaining some attention. (2015, Erica Tempesta)
Abercrombie & Fitch currently use social media with a range of different platform as a method of promoting new products or showing their campaigns with the more active account Facebook with 8 million followers followed by Instagram with 3.5 million. However, these platforms are used to show any new campaign like the current one the fierce body spray, giving a view if gender roles and diversity. Showing what the brand perception is now and promoting that.
From the sales showing in store windows the brand used the technique to attract consumers, and within the store, they use a trafficked strategy where it’s got all the more attractive clothing in the front and as they work themselves down it will make them want to buy more. This is because the point of interest is forgotten, causing more sales. Also, within in the store the brand has a strong fragrance which beings a woodsy fire smell, this when well, which consumers as it caused multiple of purchases due to becoming an interest.
Reference (in order of use):
o Erica Tempesta (2015, April 25), The end of an era: Abercrombie and Fitch vows t o stop using shirtless models in its stores while promising it will 'diversify' its overtly-sexy image. Retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3054517/Abercrombie-Fitch-vows-stop-using-shirtless-models-stores-revealing-plans-try-diversify-overtly-sexy-image.html
Comments
Post a Comment