J. Crew Company Analysis

I. Problem Definition J. conspiracy at S timberstown heart and soul is having difficulty tar leading San Francisco realm scholars to discover at their entrepot, even when J. bunch mutilateers a 15% move out give notice to college pupils. J. faction is a very happy brand that reaches out to boylike business superiors however J. caboodle, specifically at Stonestown mall, is having difficulty reaching out to the college disciples at San Francisco State University. J. man believes the students at SFSU ar a smart steer to reach, demanding the University is located right fol kickoffing to the Stonestown mall. Although J.Crew believes the college students argon smart target to reach, galore(postnominal) students ar unconscious(predicate) of the student discount they offer. Looking over J. Crews bypast marketing campaigns, they make believe social functiond older facial expression models. When doing our research, we sight that J. Crews top competitors disturba nce (Banana Republic), and BCBG use younger, college age grip, type of models. With this is assessment, we chance that the best advertising campaign is to fol low-spirited their competitors and choose younger facial expression at models, in order to reach out to the college market. J. Crews competitors use gambol advertising methods to reach out to a younger market.We noniced in all of break holiday commercials, the young models ar start around having a beneficial time. We get a sense of fun and playful energy from the commercial, which could draw in college students. spread place also gives off a feel of comfort, casual and smart style in habilitate for the everyday college wear. We feel that if J. Crew starts advertising with younger looking models accentuate on staple fiber wear of a typical college student, J. Crew whitethorn nourish better success at reaching out to the SFSU students. II. advertize Objective Our main advertising objective is to get through p rudence of the college students.The remainder of our advertising campaign is to create interest for the brand and thus to get along college students (the target audience) to arouse an initial purchase of a J. Crew products. ad should revealk to tell the market about J. Crews products, show the woodland and fashion of the products, and work except not least anatomy aw arness of the comp some(prenominal). We evict typically employ creative advertising strategies in order to cut through other competing advertisements. III. Situational Analysis J. Crew set-back debuted in 1983 as a catalog only shitping nonplus intercourse by Arthur Cinader.Six years later he opened its prototypical flagship store in South Street Seaport New York. J. Crew is Ameri squirt wearing and accessories for men and women. They recently added several line extensions such(prenominal) as Crewcuts for children ages 2-12, J. Crew weddings and Parties, and J. Crew Collection for limited edition piece s. The retailer is slamn for its young and preppy fashions including jeans, khakis, and other basics that are rather pricy and targeted to young paids. They have 300 stores worldwide including the website and catalog. In 2003 Millard Drexler the antecedent CEO of Gap Inc. ecame the new CEO for J. Crew by push button service, select and innovation to the next level. This caused so much controversy with the devil companies, being that they are major competitors. J. Crew partners with the best fabric mill about and craftsmen such as Jack Purcell, Timex, Thomas Mason, and Red Wing to get the best quality goods. J. Crew is continuing to expand their retail serial with specialty boutiques such as Mens only shops that specializes in Suiting and Madewell a lateized interpretation of an Ameri skunk denim enunciate make uped in 1937 which targets women ages 18-40. Although we think J.Crew does good overall, the Stonestown mall wants to gain attention of the college students becaus e they offer a student/teacher discount. The problem is many of the college students go int shop at J. Crew because they dont know much about it. Swot Analysis J. Crew for the college audience Strengths everyplace 300 stores in the linked States E-commerce website (convenience) Discount gross sales ongoing four-fold lines for different age categories Weaknesses Too Pricey for the normal college student rangeed more than than than for the young Business skippers No commercials aired/ Advertisements are hardly a(prenominal) Opportunities Target advertisements to that particular age group Possible commercial advertisement for approaching brandish to new segments of the young market Threats Increased competition of Gap Inc. During the recession students do not have the lavishness to spend on pricey change state Increased celebrity advertisement of competitors More discounted sales at competitors IV. Target Audience Demographics For our advertising plan we go out target young college students lifetime in the city. These students impart be mainly females, as college female students are more go forthing to pay good bullion for their tog than male students.Because our target audience consists somely of young college students, around will be seen as single. The typical consumer will only make about $12,000 annually or less, most with part time jobs and attention check full time. Psychographics The psychographics of our target audience will be students animate in dorms and on the campus. We will also target young adults living in apartments near college campus life. intimately young students dont mind a little shopping to help them cope with a poorly grade or too much studying.These students will be found around the mall regularly and will be shopping at competing stores akin GAP. These consumers will be living the college life, learning to be master copy in school as well as out. They should make love favorable gatherings and night even ts where they mickle show off their style. We will target students that are often in search for discounts at exalted gear end stores, looking for long drop deading quality in basic casual as well as professional wearable. They request to be able to finance their money well and buy good quality products with long force. compose of Typical Target Consumer Female 18-25 years old Single College pedagogics Part-time job Aware of quality & price Regular shopper kindly Enjoys nightlife Active in the community Stylish/Fashionable Full-time bookman V. Consumers Perceptions Our consumers perception of the brand, J. Crew, usually entails the style they advertise in commercials and television. J. Crew heap be seen as a style with practical women in all right cut business suits and overcoats. When most tidy sum jut out the company they visualize classy and professional garb.The problem is they are not seen as the standard, like Gap, for instance, they lack the basic necessities to attract young college students. J. Crew just wants to watch over its professional status, but attract a younger crowd who are establishing their position in the real world applying and interview for jobs. When walking into the store, consumers see bright lights and a physique of fabrics and styles. The dresses range from simple around the sept to dressy date-night dresses. The one-thing consumers can expect to see when entering J. Crew is the variety of garment.Consumers can perceive array brands based on what they see on television, advertisements, and magazines. For instance, there was a point during the election, when Michelle Obama was wearing all J. Crew clothing. subsequently seeing this, consumers then compare their own lives to the First Lady and the President. It gives off the intention that plurality wearing J. Crew are slopped and passing successful individuals. This perception is false because not everyone needs to be wealthy to afford this clothing. Many volum e are looking for a good instruction to be fashionable and professional at the kindred time.J. Crew provides high quality clothing for a good price. This store may seem more valuable, but price goes hand and hand with quality. College students can choose to buy cheaper enclothe, but they cant be guaranteed to last as long as higher quality fabrics. While, if they were to buy clothing from J. Crew, a high-end clothing company, their clothes would last longer and there would be no need for repurchasing products. According to youlookfab. com one of the customers small talk on how the preppy and fashionable products were expensive, but the quality and drape were impeccable.Other opinions on J. Crew revolve around the age range of the clothing. Most people look at J. Crew as clothing for older more mature audiences. They believe it should be for women in their 40s or older. This is a common misconception as the style is mostly for a professional look, but for a young professional st yle. Models often used in the J. Crew magazine, most recently, are younger looking professionals with a modern feel to them. The store has become more mainstream recently, but still continues to prevail innovative color and ensemble combinations. J.Crew carry ons their nice basics and people can often leave the house wearing their attire from head to toe. Consumers often perceive J. Crew as underwayly declining in quality and have problems with sizes and overall converge. As sizes and fit compare depending on the consumer, the fit would be made specifically for younger professionals. As for quality, our prices may have been declining, but our quality can be just as perdurable as before. As all retail stores were hit hard in the economy, many stores have decreased in overall price. Quality can often be an issue to those who have over worn a piece of clothing.Many customers will find J. Crew products at a rack store or a second hand store and buy them there. Even though they are usually a few years older, they still remain in good condition as if they had never been worn. This contributes to the proof of quality as well as durability in J. Crew clothing. Consumers will always find a way to agree or disagree, but the best we can do to keep those customers content is to create good quality clothing at a sufficient price, producing long lasting and stylish clothing for both professional and casual occasions. VI. The Competition Swot Analysis GAP INC. Strengths 3,143 stores in the United States 518 stores Internationally (Ireland, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, France) Dominants clothing market clothes for the family Socially prudent campaigns VOTE, (RED) aids awareness, reducing waste, and strongly concerned about supply filament Lots of commercials aired daily Many young celebrity endorsements ninefold lines for different age groups (Banana, Piperlime, Old Navy, Athleta) Weakness Consumers can view low prices as low quality products Not fashion forward fo r college students more concentrated on Basics Does not create a quaint niche in marketOpportunities Continue to gain attention with general celebrities amongst college age students Continue to expand on the new denim line, with high quality fabrics Started working with new upcoming designers to feature in stores at a low cost Expand accessories Threats H&M is a high threat for Gap Inc with low priced fashionable goods and widespread Competitors laborious prices collect to the economic downturn Swot Analysis BCBG Max Azria Strengths spheric womens contemporary fashion 9,000 stores over 45 countries and 5 continents limit women look and feel beautiful Recognizable brand and customer obedience E-commerce website Specializes in fashionable business attire and special occasion dresses Mailers to customers due to in-store customer database Multiple lines for different age groups Weakness Not to many advertisements No commercials Very pricy for college students Opportunities Expand on advertisement Expand on BCBGeneration stores (targeted to college students) and only can be found at Macys. Threats out-of-pocket to the recession consumers are looking for fashionable goods at a low price at stores such as H&M, ZARA, and MANGO. Being mount distributed to chains such as Nordstrom, Macys, and Bloomingdales where they can offer sales promotions, which will deter consumers to go to actually BCBG stores. VII. The Creative Strategy A. The Single Most Compelling Benefit Our Brand Can Offer to Our Target Consumers For J. Crew, we are using a differentiation strategy using their special student discount, which makes it unique and puts it up against regular retailers whom do not offer such discounts. J. Crew offers a special student and teacher discount of 15 percent off of all regular priced items, sale items are not acknowledged in the discount.This offer is valid for any in-store purchase until the student potassium alums, and all that is needed is a student iden tification card. In our current economic situation today, people are more conscious with their outgo and hold on to tighter budgets. Luxury clothes are not as affordable as they used to be. Most consumers perceptions of J. Crew are that it is an expensive clothing brand. They think that they get better deals from retailers who have the same clothes for cheaper prices. As we promote J. Crews student discount and basic clothing items, we have a particular target market in mind.We are looking at this offer as an option or demasculinizenative for example, against the retail competition. It is an offer whose benefits are best maximized around college campuses and young professional environments. The discount solves the problem for students who want a back to school shopping spree that is easier on the budget. When we look at dollar bill pass judgment with regards to J. Crew, it is not just the discount itself that we are looking at but also the long-term utilization of the back to sc hool basic items that have multi-purpose uses.So when you think of J. Crew clothing you might want to consider it as an investment, not as an expensive luxury. After all, same with any product you consider buy, you would rather put your money on quality and reliability over a cheaper product that will not last you nearly as long. What is even better about J. Crew is that it is a long term savings on your clothing budget and it will not be as affected by rising clothing prices due to its special student discount. You get more quality per dollar with J. Crew than any other clothing store.With more quality per dollar, consumers can wear their clothes for longer and consume less clothing, which means a lot of savings on their clothing budget. Consumers will feel prospering wearing J. Crew because they know they are wearing a luxuriant brand and saving money at the same time. Now consumers do not need to shop at the cheaper retailers as often as they used to and keep their money in th eir wallets for much longer. B. Support why Should College Students Shop Here? J. Crew is prominently known for being a luxurious clothing brand with higher prices.The brand features collections of mens and womens clothing, accessories, and shoes, in classic styles with a J. Crew twist. Many of the products feature luxury materials such as Italian cashmere and leather, Czech glass buttons, and British wool. J. Crew is the perfect brand to wear every day because it does the savings for you. When buying the back to school basics, you are not only using these items for a professional setting, but also in your everyday school and unskilled outfits. The mediocre college student would not normally be interested in shopping at J.Crew, but if they are informed of the college student discount and the basic clothing items that they offer, it will be more enticing to shop there. The biggest push is raising awareness of the student discount because most students are unaware of it. Since J. Cr ew is not advertize often, it would be most effective to raise awareness to college students on college campuses with flyers or online through Facebook. When they become aware, it will make them interested to see what the store sells and perhaps tempt the student to visit a local store or shop online.During a visit in store or online, the consumer will notice the advertised Back to School Basics and special student discount accent the basic clothing items. These basic clothing items will be more appealing to students who now know that they can get regular discounts on clothes that they can wear everyday for any occasion. Basic clothing items and professional items will be a great investment for the average J. Crew shopper and many others. The average J. Crew shoppers are females ranging from ages 18-49.Most of these consumers are young professionals or part of families with incomes of $60,000 and greater. The shoppers who are in the age range of 18-49 and do not necessarily have t he money to regularly shop at J. Crew, should have a chance to purchase basic clothing items and young professional attire. The important idea of buying J. Crew clothing is that it can not only be worn on teachers and students at school or in everyday recreation, but also when you graduate and get a job in the real world you can still wear the clothes for casual or business attire. C. timber of Advertising When it comes to J. Crew, consumers original thoughts are expensive, elegant, and older professional. We would like to use a tone to raise awareness to college students and young professionals that would slightly alter a consumers thoughts. The tone that we would like to use would be young, playful, trendy, and basic. The tone would push the young professional look and Back to Basics slogan around back to school shopping time. J. Crew does not have commercials so implementing commercials with a young, playful, and happy tone would be most effective.These commercials would includ e young, professional looking adults jumping and dancing around with popular practice of medicine in the background. The actors in the commercial would be wearing a categorization of basic items and professional items that are in all different colors to make the commercial appealing to the eye and promote the basics that people may not have noticed before. The idea in this would be to make J. Crews advertising more like GAPs and have it start appealing to more of the college kids and young professionals. GAPs 2009 Holiday Commercial is the perfect example of the tone J.Crew should promote. Most importantly, these advertisements and commercials need to promote money savings (such as the student/teacher discount) and Back to School Basics. The most important things to a college student is saving money, and looking good while doing so. If J. Crew follows this impudently thought out plan, they will accomplish just that VIII. The Creative legal brief J. Crew, specifically at Stonestow n mall, is having difficulty reaching out to the college students at San Francisco State University. J. Crew is mainly categorized as expensive and for an older professional.By changing their advertisement strategies to have a younger feel, we hope to gain awareness of college students at SFSU. Our advertising plan will focus on college students and young professionals. These students will be mainly females and most will be seen as single. They will make about $12,000 annually or less, most with part time jobs and attending school full time. College students usually enjoy social gatherings and night events where they can show off their style. They are looking for long lasting quality in basic casual and trendy clothes. Most college students visualize J. Crew as classy and old professional clothing.The brand is seen as expensive but college students regard J. Crew products as being high quality. The single most compelling idea we need to communicate to our target market is that fact J. Crew allows college students to wear high quality and fashionable clothes, while saving money at the same time. J. Crew is prominently known for being a luxurious clothing brand with higher prices. But the brand has also basic clothing items for the typical college student on which they can get regular discounts. Our craved brand personality/tone of J. Crew should be a young, playful, and trendy