Marketing Strategy of Clothing Companies
Safe to say that clothing is one of the most vital items in human life. Of course, when faced with extreme measures, outfits are not going to be the first thought in mind. But still, every morning we wake up thinking of what to wear in mind. The clothing industry is rather diverse. There are way too many brands out there offering different kinds of clothes. And what do these companies do to stay relevant in such a competitive field? In this blog, that is what we are going to find out. We are going to focus on a specific brand, Hermès.
Before narrowing it down to Hermès, let us quickly go over the overall marketing tactics of most clothing brands.
Name any successful clothing company, I assure you they have taken into consideration everything we are about to point out.
As digital marketing is the new and most relevant section of marketing, clothing brands have to focus on it.
Thus, firstly they make a website. It has to be something attractive, nicely designed. Other than the products it offers, the website has to be pleasant to look at. Yes, clothing is what the company specializes in. However, that is far more than enough.
Even some clothing brands these days lack a physical store and only have a website.
People’s attitudes are shifting. It is much easier to click the keyboard a few times, rather than having to drive and walk around crowded malls.
The website has to be constructed perfectly. Otherwise, when a consumer faces frustration, they will simply visit a competitor’s site.
We take for granted how much influence celebrities have. They can simply communicate to their audience that a specific brand is worth it. And it feels like within a second lots of web traffic is increased for the brand.
Fashion brands usually team up with influencers while making campaigns.
It brings them mutual benefit. While a brand gains more followers and potential consumers, the influencer gets to enjoy the company’s goods.
The website of the brand needs to utilize some algorithms. For example, if someone searches for leggings and makes a purchase, it is smart that they later come across some new leggings in their feed. This sort of creates a personal/emotional attachment to the website. Even though the consumers are well aware that it is a simple algorithm put to work, it makes their job so much easier. Plus, it is also smart from the company’s point of view. Psychologically it lets a consumer know that they need to buy more stuff of the same category.
As a cherry on top, personalizing purchases is another clever approach for companies. Receiving a package with their name, and a hidden message, makes customers feel special.
The likelihood of consumers going back and making new purchases becomes incredibly high when the clothing companies follow these tactics.
Moving along, we are going to see the mission and vision statements that Hermès practices.
The company does not have official statements, but in its websites about section, this is what we can gather.
This is the mission.
“The freedom to create, the constant quest for beautiful materials, and the transmission of exceptional know-how – which enable the creation of useful, and elegant objects which stand the test of time – forge the uniqueness of Hermès.”
It is obvious that this is a luxurious brand, thus the material used for its products is high-quality and understandably pricey. Even though those are not items that all people can afford, they are still special.
This company makes sure to move with time and offers clothes that people these days would actually wear. Of course, some things never go out of style. There are also vintage items that lots of people enjoy. But still, following trends and the contemporary world is an important factor of any company.
That is why this exact company is so unique and knows its demand.
Outfits are so much more than we think. They are a way of self-expression and art for both the maker and the wearer.
And this is the presumable vision statement of Hermès.
“The company is committed to maintaining the majority of its production in France, through its 43 production sites, while developing its international distribution network of 306 stores in 45 countries.”
The company performs so well locally that it could stop right there. But instead, it invested in opening up tons of stores worldwide. All of them are operating perfectly fine.
At first, Hermes was a small local family company. These humble people innovated new ideas into growing to a huge chain.
Part of the reason for such high demand is the products’ sustainability. People care about our environment a lot deeper than they used to many years ago. Everybody takes interest in doing their part. It takes small steps but if most of us are willing to go for it, things will get better.
Next up, we are going to take a look at this Instagram post to unravel the archetype Hermes belongs to.
This post is advertising a purse produced by the company. The photo looks like it is trying to convey a powerful message. Although the post refers to a bag, the idea can be looked at from a much deeper perspective.
Even though sometimes things we love can be taken from us, it is important to hold on no matter what. This bad is sort of supposed to act as a power tool. It is something that empowers women of the things they can conquer.
Now, what can we infer from this post?
This post is not just about a bag as we said, it is about a specific goal in mind. Having small things guide you through the way can be incredibly helpful.
The deepness of this post is another hint. Its message can be perceived directly as well as in a psychologically deeper way. It targets people that look at the book’s context, rather than the cover.
This post is also striving to make a change, it is transformative. It is about loving oneself and knowing their worth but not at a cost of letting someone fall.
What more is there to see than the fact that the archetype Hermes belongs to is The Magician?
What do we know about it?
Desire: knowledge of the fundamental laws of how the world or universe works
Aim: make dreams come true.
Strategy: develop a vision and live it.
These are the messaging levels of the archetype.
Level One: hunches, extrasensory or synchronistic experiences
Level Two: magical moments and experiences of transformation
Level Three: the experience of flow
Level Four: miracles, moving from vision to manifestation
The Magician may be a good identity for your brand if:
- the product or service is transformative
- its implied consent is to change the clients
- it attracts New Age consumers or artistic creatives
- it helps to increase or extend awareness
- it is a user-friendly technology
- it has an emotional or psychological element
- it is a new and very up-to-date product
- it is medium to high priced
Next up, we are going to analyze the SWOT analysis of Hermes.
Strengths
Strong brand image: Just the fact alone that the products this company offers are so high quality, is enough. You can make one purchase and go on years without buying anything new. It is pretty much available for anybody. People are more likely to save up for one long-lasting product than a few average-quality ones.
Global presence: Over 181 years, Hermes has managed to establish physical stores in over 307 locations. Among those countries are both European and Asian ones, as well as the U.S, Russia, and so on. Wide product range: This company offers products in both men’s and women’s categories. Plus, the range of those products is quite diverse. The items this company sells are not limited to clothing and bags. This company also offers jewelry, watches, perfume, even wallpapers, and furniture.
Brand strategy: This company does not fall for the hype certain influencers face nowadays. But rather, it focuses on A-list celebrities that have and will surely continue to stay relevant. Also, Hermes does not specifically make special lines, collections, or special discounts for its buyers. Some would say this is a weak point, but for this exact company, it is a way of leadership.
Weaknesses
Competition: Some competitors are just as successful as Hermes, so it gets tricky to keep up. Some of those competitors are Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Zara, and Burberry. All of them as well have a pretty high demand. Thus, being the preferable one out of all of them is a big challenge.
Imitation: Some people make almost identical-looking versions of these products. It is easy to fall for manipulation. But also, maybe some people do not really care about the quality but care about the company name. So, would be alright with making purchases of fake goods.
Opportunities
Global expansion: Hermes could be working on not only enhancing its store locations, but also the products it offers. With such a diverse category range, all of them perform so distinctively. For example, even though leather bags have high revenues, perfumes and accessories have a long way to go to catch up.
Strengthen brand equity: Connected with the last point, the brand equity for all the products this company makes has some work to do. When people hear of this company there are specific products that come to mind. However, it won’t hurt anyone to advertise the other items just as well.
Threats
Brand takeover: LVMH holds almost 22.3% of Hermes. Understandably this share can rise, and Hermes is working to block that. In between these brands, this is a cultural battle.
Economic Instability: From the economical point of view, this company faces some threats. The global trade of the company has risen by 5 percent. Companies have to deal with this uncertainty. And if it happens to become an ongoing factor, the company could face considerably big potential financial drawbacks.
Last but not least we are quickly going to find out the segment that Hermes has chosen to target.
Before doing so, let’s watch this short video.
With the help of numerous gorgeous and handsome models, this video is literally advertising every product Hermes makes. Beautiful silk and leader gloves, scarves, bags, clothing, and so on.
All of these people seem to be pretty confident. They must have put a good amount of effort into their outfit choices.
Even though some of them are dressed pretty similarly, all of them oddly stand out.
And lastly, as we all obviously are aware, these products are all pricey. They aren’t something everyone can afford.
And our presumable segment is very well in terms of an outstanding figure, different style, and one that is not achieved easily.
With all of that being said, the segment that Hermes has chosen to target is Peacocks.
Lifestyle and values:
This segment is very fascinated with the idea of originality. They contribute to it with their style, interests, and personality.
Peacocks are pretty confident. However, their constant obsession with confidence tends to bring out insecurities sometimes.
This segment makes sure to have a well-structured routine and stick to it throughout the day. They strive for success. And they are among those people that do not give up because of small failures.
Peacocks will work towards their career goals, and the likelihood of them being in a leading position is very high.
It is important that these people get their high education. The more they learn, the more their goals will become closer.
Money is an outstanding element in this segment’s life. They earn a good amount, however, they also spend a lot of it. They wish to buy things as rewards. As a result, the items they actually need for survival, exit the picture. So some of them claim to be living paycheck to paycheck. When in reality, Peacocks are just unwise with their spendings.
Attitude to shopping:
As already mentioned, this segment likes to reward itself. They live for purchasing from well-known luxurious brands because it creates a good image.
Peacocks value both quality and quantity. Therefore, they look for discounts and special offers but not from average brands.
This segment is trendy and up-to-date. Which is another reason why they shop so much.
As soon as they find a brand they enjoy, they stay loyal to it.
Peacocks get a lot of style influence from media. Whether that media is Instagram, different magazines, or a TV ad, it doesn’t matter. The more, the merrier.
More interesting facts:
- Peacocks value their looks and how they are perceived
- They regularly go to the gym. The gym is not only for getting and staying in shape but it is also an opportunity for meeting new people.
- This segment loves going to the cinema
- They are above average restaurant and bar goes
- Their friends must be a lot like them
- Their main source of information comes from TV
- Peacocks live for reading magazines
- Online platforms are means of staying social and connecting with people.
- A portion of them utilize print media and even less listen to the radio.
And there you have the marketing strategy and SWOT analysis of Hermes. In this blog, we brought up the overall marketing tactics of clothing brands. Then, we concentrated on this specific brand. As a result, we understood how many of those strategies are utilized by one of the biggest clothing companies. As we constantly upload new blogs on our main website, please make sure to check it out if you liked this. Learning about marketing has never been easier and more fascinating.
