My clothing line will stay current in its’ design and continue to grow with its’ customers because the design team will stay ahead of the curve. Women will pick the line to wear over others because they want to be a trendsetter, not a follower. “In Emotional Branding, Mark Gobe points out that successful fashion brands are those that can capture the emotions and personal convictions of their customers. Gobe states, ’Corporations clearly need to fine tune their focus on the consumer psyche and understand the importance of the constantly evolving trends in their consumers’ lifestyles.’ Gobe believes that it will be the norm for retailers to brand according to the needs of their specific target markets; companies that make emotional ties to consumers will rise to the top, whereas those who do not will fail.” (Brand/ Story, Hancock, p. 30) The team will constantly be evaluating current trends by examining pop culture, celebrities, all forms of media entertainment, and going out to the places that the target market will be to see what colors, shapes, lengths, widths, trims, and clothing structure women are wearing. This information that is gathered will be incorporated in the current season. The main competitor for the line is the brand Affliction, a privately traded company out of California that is affiliated with the UFC fighting organization. The clothing is priced similar to what my clothes will be priced. However, one of the strengths of my line is that Affliction cannot boast the organic qualities and environmentally friendly manufacturing procedures. Another strength of the line is that it is constantly changing in terms of decorative elements so if customers aren’t relating to the current season, it will change quickly, thus constantly creating new opportunities for a new customer base. Affliction looks the same from season to season and the line doesn’t release new designs very often. Affliction has a fashion forward design that is rock and roll inspired and often features religious symbols such as crosses and angels in an ornate, vintage way. This design element has the potential to alienate some potential customers. My line will also feature symbols but won’t necessarily be religiously affiliated. They will come from the culture that the current season’s myth is inspired by. "Vincent defines a brand myth as: a traditional story of ostensibly historic events that serves to unfold part of the worldview of people or explain a practice, belief, or phenomenon. The occidental mythology of ancient civilizations served to explain the mysterious workings of the natural world through stories about the struggles and conquests of God and heros. Today, brand mythology serves a similar purpose. Brand mythology has curiously interceded. Like ancient mythology, it works through narrative devices." (Brand/ Story, Hancock, p. 193) Therefore, the brand shouldn’t have any reason to offend any potential buyers. Also, my line with fit a wider variety of customers by offering plus sizes. Sizes will go all the way to 3X and will only vary in style slightly in order to be the most flattering design for the larger body type. The materials will be forgiving and comfortable in nature. The belief is that larger sized women should not have to sacrifice comfort and style just because they are not a size 6. Having a larger size range will open the brand up to be bought by a whole other market that the competition is completely ignoring. This creates a huge opportunity for the brand to fill a niche in nightclub appropriate clothing for the larger woman. It will also make the brand appeal to buyers from more stores, such as Torrid. Affliction is constantly making advances through their sponsorship with very famous UFC fighters such as Randy Orton. My line will have the opportunity to be seen on the members of some very prominent bands that tour the world. UFC is primarily an American past time whereas rock and roll is followed all over the world, thus leading to more exposure. One weakness of the brand is that it relies heavily on an abundant nightlife presence in the city it is offered in. It will probably not do very well in a place that doesn’t have this feature. To overcome this hurdle, the brand will become established and then start making more conservative clothing that will be appropriate in a wider variety of venues. "Ginch Gonch is the story of an underwear company that went from being an idea to a global retailer in just a short time. By taking chances with a unique product line, creating risque advertising, and being loyal to an established market niche, this brand has grown larger each year." (Brand/ Story, Hancock, p. 170)
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