...| Canadian Apparel Federation | Exploratory Research Assignment | Owner June 2, 2012 | Introduction The Canadian Apparel Federation is facing numerous challenges as the apparel industry is very competitive and consumer tastes and preferences are constantly changing. Our study will present some of the major trends developing in the apparel industry and what companies can do to capitalize on the market and distinguish themselves from the competitors. Research Objectives The purpose of study is to identify what a company must do to separate themselves from their competition and how to best retain and attract customers. We will examine what actions are required by companies to become successful in the market. We will compare what qualities and traits successful companies possessed which provided them with a competitive advantage in the marketplace and kept their customers satisfied. We will compare three companies; Lululemon, American Apparel, and Roots Canada and report on what separates them from their competition and mistakes they have made in the past. Research Method Our research consisted primarily of exploratory research which will focus on the industry’s background to help us determine key industry trends, customer preferences and keys for success. We will collect background information from articles, industry data, companies internal data, competitors data and consumers opinions which will be gathered from online social media. Secondary data will...
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...American Apparel: Exploitation to the Highest Elevation Amanda Data Lifestyle and marketing through social media platforms, such as Instagram, has increased company sales exponentially. Well-known, “Made in the USA” brand, American Apparel has continually sought after its minimalistic customers through heavy media presence. Clay Shirky’s “Here Comes Everybody” suggests that social media democratization has secured a “unified freedom of speech” in a society that encourages the publication of anyone that wants to have a voice in these social media outlets (79). American Apparel’s Instagram presence has created a feed of the brand’s current aesthetic, showing no evidence of the risqué and inappropriate advertisements from past seasons – accounts that the company has been chastised for on numerous occasions. In a society where freedom of speech unites social media users, it also has consolidated a profile of companies where others have access to preconceived ideas of them. While American Apparel has attempted to use Instagram in effort to retract their resentful brand image from the past, it appears that they have misused the security of “unified freedom of speech” to the own disadvantage, resulting in wallowing debts and a cooperate image that is misrepresented by their picturesque Instagram. Author of The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell focuses on the idea of spreading thoughts, ideas, and relationships through one single people that enables themselves to provide this sort...
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...Case Analysis American Apparel: Unwrapping Ethics Whether American Apparel should change their advertising or stay with the highly sexualized nature they have been using for advertising Situation Analysis How American Apparel is going to take the brand from where they are at and move forward with it, either by changing their ways or staying the same. Internal Environment The resources American Apparel has available to them internally come from hiring young people for design and advertising to help them better reach their targeted market, and come up with the advertisements and style of clothing. The overall organizational goals are to offer a sustainable, high quality clothing product that appeals to young urbanite individuals who are likely to be loyal to their brand, and advertise it just by wearing it and making it popular. External environment Five Forces Influence the industry as a whole and determine the conduct of the firms within the industry and also determines profitability Competitive intensity-High Part of the reason American Apparel wants to change in order to build a lasting brand and to make a turnaround is due to the competitive intensity within the clothing industry. Competitive intensity reduces profitability because the more strongly firms are competing, the more likely they are to cut their prices. This intensity increases when there are numerous balanced competitors, slow growth, high fixed costs, lack of perceived difference between products...
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...tech, super light wool and bra-tops. The heat tech can let consumers get warm all the time, the super light wool can let the apparel of Uniqlo become lightest. This kind of things will get the interest of consumers. Uniqlo always have attractive campaigns when they will be open at some complex/shopping mall. For example, they will have a offer price when they opened at somewhere in 1 month. Sometimes, they will have a campaigns for 1 man’s underwear in RM10.All of this campaigns will let every gender ,every generation can find your own apparel at Uniqlo. Introduction On “Uniqlo” Uniqlo is the Japanese largest apparel brand owned by fast retailing, apparel is a fast moving consumer goods, include Uniqlo. Consumers will not high loyalty in a brands, the apparel company will get some attractive way to interest their consumers. Uniqlo advocate “low price, good quality”, the consumers always love the way you can get the cheapest things with high quality. That’s why Uniqlo can be success. The apparel of Uniqlo become popular among every generation since the introduction of their fleece jackets, they made the apparel for everyone. Uniqlo is using SPA (Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) business model to encompassing all stages of the business--from design and production to final sale. The SPA (Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) business model incorporates the entire clothes-making process from procurement of materials, product planning, development...
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...PROJECT: AMERICAN APPAREL Marketing Strategy AMERICAN APPAREL Abstract American Apparel has been experiencing a declining trend since 2008. My aim is to identify the reasons why this has been, and continue, to happen. Even if the world financial crisis had an important role at the end of the day, there surely are other actual and potential threats the company has overlooked: for example, right 2 days before the beginning of the decline the CFO resigned; they didn't properly manage internal control especially regarding the financial closing; they cut the advertising budget during 2009; they have been opening stores without considering cannibalization. While trying to describe the mistakes American Apparel did during the last 6 years, an evaluation of its recovery marketing plan to put the company back on the right track will be made. Company's Strategy American Apparel (from now on APP) is a clothing manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing company headquartered in Los Angeles, founded in 1988 by Dov Charney, who is still its CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. During the late 80's and the 90's, when the identity of APP was being modeled, Charney was living his life between Canada, South Carolina and California and that deeply influenced the company: while driven by the initial intention to bring affordable American t-shirt to Montreal people, APP slowly developed interests in fashion to please the young in Los Angeles, yet maintaining...
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...III. Executive Summary Abercrombie & Fitch is one of the most famous apparel retail industry that have done a wonderful job to stay in the market position despite the changing trends and lifestyles that generations have nowadays. It’s hard to keep intact with fashion trends because once you cannot cope up with the changing lifestyle of your consumers, you can expect to have a decrease in your sales and market share in other countries. The industry offers a lot of new and existing potential competitors especially in the fashion industry; you’re not just competing within the U.S. brands but also with European brands that are getting popular in all over the world. They are also products that can substitute with branded apparel, some teenagers who are experiencing financial problems can just buy an imitation one just for a cheap price and even the quality’s great, no one will notice that it was a fake one. Young generations nowadays are conscious of what they have and what things they don’t have, especially with apparel, because the trend nowadays is when you are wearing that kind of shirt and it is a high class brand, you’re in with the trend and you are considered one of the coolest kids in your school. While the organization culture of A&F is very different from other brands because they are the only company who hires people based on their looks and how they act and not with the skills. They are always saying that they don’t treat them as salespeople; they are the image that...
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...Nike is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services for men, women, and kids worldwide. The company offers products in eight categories, including running, basketball, football, men’s training, women’s training, sportswear, action sports, and golf under the NIKE and Jordan brand names. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. It is one of the world's largest suppliers of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$30.6 billion in its fiscal year 2015 which ended on May 31, 2015. Nike now has 62,600 employees all over the world. In 2014 the brand alone was valued at $19 billion, making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses. The company was founded on January 25, 1964, as Blue Ribbon Sports, by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, and officially became Nike on May 30, 1971. The company takes its name from Nike, which means the Greek goddess of victory. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Blazers, Air Force 1, Nike Dunk, Air Max, Foamposite, Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including Brand Jordan, Hurley International and Converse. In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike sponsors...
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...In today’s market economy, American Apparel places a premium on differentiating itself from the competition by creating a unique brand image based on a hip, comfortable line of clothing, and a “Made in the USA” slogan. Founded in California, American Apparel is a company that wants its customers to be comfortable in its merchandise, as well as in their own skin above all else. American Apparel offers clothing and accessories for men, women, children, and even pets. The vertically-integrated company prides itself on providing value to its customers, making them loyal shoppers of their brand. With over 150 retail store locations nationwide and over a dozen more in countries across the globe, American Apparel has earned its reputation by offering fashionable products of high quality at affordable prices. SEGMENTATION The fashion apparel retail market can be segmented using the following factors: geographic, demographic, and psychographic. Before entering the market, American Apparel studied these factors to create segments. In terms of geographic factors, American Apparel could have alternatively chosen to target include those living in rural small towns, far away from a major metropolis, or in the middle of a farming community. While American Apparel operates over 150 stores in the United States alone, there are less than 24 retail outlets located in the Midwest[1]. As far as demographic factors are concerned, American Apparel mainly steers away from tweens...
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... 1. In the United States, what is Nike’s: a) Brand image, and b) sources of brand equity? a) In the United States, Nike’s brand image is built on being a high-performance, innovative and aggressive brand. The company associates the brand with top athletes through sponsorships. Since inception, Nike has placed performance as a top priority for the brand. Through designing high performance shoes and apparel, as well as sponsoring high-profile athletes and teams the brand has developed a reputation as being high-quality. Nike’s high tech products have allowed the brand to be perceived as innovative in the minds of consumers. Nike is continually introducing new products to the sports market as a way to improve performance. Through high performance and innovation, Nike has been branded as arrogant as the company has a high regard for the spirit of competition and portraying a rebellious spirit. b) Source of Brand Equity Description Logo Nike’s logo is a check mark. It is commonly referred to as the “swoosh.” As of 2000, 97 percent of American citizens recognize the brand logo. Nike has been seen as aggressive in the overabundance use of the “swoosh” with the symbol being placed on shoes, jerseys, hats, billboards and soccer balls across the globe. This ubiquity has been criticized as diluted the “swoosh”. Advertising Advertising has allowed Nike to portray its rebellious spirit and “nasty boy” image. However, this approach in advertisement has caused negative perceptions...
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...writing skills will stand you in good stead going forward. A first-rate job. Case study: A American Apparel: Vertical Integration and the Make-Or-Buy Decision The production of any good or service generally requires many activities. The process begins with the acquisition of raw materials and ends with the distribution and sale of a finished product or service; the process by which this happens is known as the vertical chain. Organizing the vertical chain is essential to business strategy, and the question that firms face when deciding how to do so is whether all of the activities should be completed within the firm or if they should be performed by an independent firm in the market. A firm who decides to “make” performs the activity itself; a firm who decides to “buy” relies on another firm to perform the activity. American Apparel is considered by many to be cutting-edge, not only in fashion but in business. Former Acting President Tom Casey describes the company as “one of the most innovative companies in apparel retailing with a unique business model, loyal customer base and commitment to American manufacturing.” Part of what makes American Apparel so unique is that their business model keeps the knitting, dyeing, cutting, and sewing of their product right in downtown Los Angeles, operating the largest garment factory in the United States(and does so in at a time when most apparel sold in the United States is produced offshore). The company also does their own photography...
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...paper will compare the advertisements with respect to the main sociological perspectives. This paper has picked three printed advertisements to better explain the ideas behind the brands, consumer behavior and their intended relations. “Ad vertere” a french word meaning to “to turn toward” is a form of marketing tool to engage customers and influence customer behavior. Advertising is meant to increase consumption of products or services by encouraging consumers to associate certain qualities with their products/services. Media is one of a kind invention which has evolved throughout the decades and still evolving. It was created as an informational tool encompassing a wider platform but became a multi billion dollar business affecting our lives everyday. Advertising is part of a media tool used by commercial and non commercial entiities to promote, influence or encourage individuals and consumer behavior. The below image is targeting female bankers who most likely are single and want to have fun. The picture shows a body of a nice model with a great belly and belly piercing. Since girls like cocktail drinks and Bacardi is a great liquor to make cocktails this ad will definitely work with single white collar ladies ready to have fun. The conflict perspective would examine this ad and argue that this ad is not inclusive to the non-white collar women and off course it’s not inclusive to those who have a bigger belly with no piercing. This advertisement is depicting those single...
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...first Zara store in La Coruna, in Northwest Spain. By 2006, Zara had owned 723 stores which hold a selling area of 821,100 square meters around the world. With sales of 3.7 billion dollars in the business year 2005, Zara had developed into Spain’s the most famous fashion brand and the leading brand of Inditex (Kumar, 2006). Zara is one of the most outstanding apparel retail businesses in the world today. Although it is not the biggest, its marginal profits and rates of growth are leading the industry. The purpose of this essay is to analyze what sort of innovation Zara used on its way to success and make comparisons of competing products or processes with its competitors. By analyzing and comparing, it is obvious that the company's success depends on conducting a series of innovations at each one of the parts in the business: fashion-forward design, unique branding strategies, in-house production processes and centralized distribution system. Basically, this essay has been divided into four parts: the first part focus on describing how Zara makes its designs more innovative compare with other appeal retailers. Then, what sort of innovation used in their branding strategies will be discussed. Next, it will consider Zara’s innovation of production process and show an apparent difference of this process among Zara, H&M and the Gap. Finally, it will look at how Zara promotes innovation on their distribution process in to become more fast. It is those innovations that set challenges...
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...impression. A person is judged by what they wear and how they look. For example, it is probable that many people would perceive a person wearing ratty clothes as uneducated and irresponsible while a person looking pristine in a designer ensemble is assumed to be intelligent and successful. In every city, there are multiple fashion brands with different styles and ranges of apparel and accessories. Every season, new styles and designs are created which influence society. It appears as if more types of clothing exist than the actual number of people. With so many different alternatives of fashion, the fashion industry is trying to please too many customers with variety. There are currently various styles to choose from, and the clothes people wear categorize or label them long before they realize it. The three fashion brands that will be analyzed extensively are Chanel, Nike, and Hot Topic. These brands have apparel but are completely different in their target audience. Chanel is a prestigious high-fashion brand; Nike is a popular athletic line; Hot Topic is musically and artistically edgier with a smaller target audience between the three. With these apparel brands, a person wearing each would be labeled or even stereotyped. One wearing a Chanel’s 2012 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear designer outfit with a white jacket, lambskin dress with pearls, and a glass pearl belt would be labeled as rich, successful, and intelligent. Another wearing Nike running apparel consisting of a shirt, shorts...
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...Assignment Executive Summary Established in 1892, Abercrombie & Fitch marketing strategy has always been to target those between the ages of 18 and 22. A&F’s gross sales have been $539 million in 2008; however sales have dropped by 5% from the previous year due to the recession. In order for sales to improve our marketing consulting team has developed an internal analysis, which identifies, assesses, predicts, and accommodates the human resources, technology, finances and operations that A&F possesses. The internal analysis explains how these possessions, which have helped the organization until present time, can be used to help increase sales during this recession. Furthermore, the report analyzes A&F externally showing what kind role each factor, such as price and quality, plays in A&F and its competitors. The external analysis describes the political, economic, social, and technological factors in A&F’s environment and how each of these factors can be used for the benefit of the company during this recession. To further clarify A&F’s positioning, a perceptual map has been developed in which A&F shown as a high priced and high quality retail organization. It can be noted at this point that all of A&F’s competitors are willing to promote its employees and give discounts while A&F chooses not to, and yet they have the highest drop in sales growth. Moreover, the report’s most important part being the Integrated Marketing Communication, talks...
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...Corporate Histories History of Under Armour Under Armour is currently an athletic apparel, footwear, and accessory brand with the mission “to make all athletes better through passion, science, and the relentless pursuit of innovation” (Under Armour website). The brand was founded in 1996 by University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank in the basement of his grandmother’s house in Baltimore, Maryland. Based on his own athletic experience, Plank was inspired to create a sweat-wicking undershirt that did not get moisture-laden with sweat during games and practice. The company gained initial success with grassroots marketing among the athletic community. Under Armour did not reach mainstream consumers until the company’s products appeared in the 1999 film Any Given Sunday. It has continued to appear in other movies and television shows, and it has gained many athletic stars as spokespeople of the brand. Under Armour launched its first television advertisement, featuring football player Eric Ogbogu, in 2003. These marketing efforts have done well to expand consumer recognition of the brand’s initial product. Sweat-wicking shirts are now commonly known as “Under Armour” similar to the way tissues are now often just called “Kleenex.” With its evolving brand image, Under Armour has been able to expand beyond the athletic performance apparel market, which it dominated at 75% of market share in 2005. Following its initial public offering in 2005, which raised over $100 million...
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