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Since opening in 1994, the Supreme brand has expanded from a small downtown New York skate wear brand, into the world famous fashion brand that it is now. Keeping to its skateboarding roots, Supreme continues to focus on skate wear, but also collaborates with world famous brands, such as Nike, Timberland and The North Face, to create some of the most exclusive fashion collections. Their unique brand positioning and marketing campaigns are what makes them such a worldwide success. Supreme are changing the way skate brands are perceived.
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Product
Supreme have an exclusive range of products in each collection, all available in a range of different colours. This is where Supreme stands out from other brands, as they do not limit themselves to having one product design in one colour, they offer you a variety. This continues through into Supremes collaborations with world famous brands such as Nike, Vans, Timberland and The North Face. They use a variety of different colour ways for their exclusive merchandise. Supreme also offer a wide range of personalised accessories, from skateboarding accessories, to blankets and flasks, all depicting the signature Supreme box logo. In-store, Supreme also sell brands such as Vans, Thrasher and Nike, showing their support rather than competing. Although Supreme is a skate brand, they established themselves as a brand known for “quality, style and authenticity�, which is reflected in their merchandise. Their products are made to a high quality using premium fabrics with unique designs.
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Pricing
T-Shirts - £50-£80 Shirts - £100 Jumpers and Hoodies- £100 Outerwear - £200 - £250 Trousers and Jeans - £70 - £100 Hats - £40 Skateboard Decks - £45 Accessories - £20 - £200 Stickers – FREE WITH PURCHASE
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Place
Supreme’s London store combines a clean, minimalistic style that’s more common in high end fashion stores, with skateboards and urban artwork, such as pieces by Mark Gonzales. The clothes are kept downstairs so customers have to venture through the shop to find them. This further shows their exclusivity because it’s as if they’re being hidden away so passers-by cannot see. There are no window displays or mannequins, and there is very limited stock available as with most of their collections there is only a small amount manufactured. Supreme products are only sold in store or online, they have stayed boutique in size to keep their brand values. Supreme’s clean and minimalistic style is continued through onto its website. They use a very simplistic and monochromatic house style with red accents to highlight the Supreme box logo. Supreme’s website is their main source of marketing as they promote their up and coming collections and collaborations. As Supreme has no release date on their collections, you have to sign up to a mailing list. This is another clever way Supreme market’s themselves as by making the consumer do this, they can keep them updated with any news, straight to their mail box. Both in store and online, It is very obvious who Supreme’s target consumer is, as they are constantly playing hip-hop and rock music, showing skate videos and interviews with famous skateboarders. Supreme is aiming their products at a specific kind of man: someone who is interested in fashion, skateboarding and music. But although this is the case, Supreme’s customers range from young teenage boys, to female fashion bloggers. Supreme is not age or gender specific.
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Promotion
Supreme advertises their brand in a very unique way. Rather than having TV commercials or double page spreads in famous fashion magazines, Supreme uses guerrilla marketing to advertise the brand. Every year, Supreme uses a famous photographer (such as Terry Richardson) to take a series of photographs of a famous celebrity wearing the signature Supreme box logo t-shirt. This celebrity can be anyone from Kate Moss to Mike Tyson, or Kermit the Frog to Lady Gaga. This shows the wide range of support Supreme gets from celebrities and also shows that the brand can be worn by anyone. Once these photos are taken, they are printed out and plastered all over New York City, London and Japan. This kind of advertising (guerrilla marketing) is inexpensive and creative and shows the kind of brand Supreme is, as they think outside of the box and refuse to “sell out� with TV ads and department stores. Stickers are another way Supreme promotes their brand; giving them out free with online purchases so their consumer will plaster them all over their rooms, skateboards and cars.
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Customer Profile
Although Supreme is a menswear brand, their products can be worn by both genders and all ages. Something that all Supreme’s customers seem to have in common is a keen interest in fashion. People of all ages queue up for days outside Supreme stores to get at least one item from their newest collection. Another thing that Supreme is synonymous with is music. Rap and Hip-hop artists are Supreme’s biggest supporters. As Supreme started out as a skate wear brand, their main consumer is definitely skaters, and everything that they are synonymous with.
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Conclusion
Supreme are a very successful brand due to their unique way of marketing and promotion. Their brand values of exclusivity and quality is evident in their merchandise and is another factor in what makes them so popular. Their refusal to “sell-out� whilst still collaborating with world famous brands is a clever way for them to keep values but also expand their brand. Although Supreme started as a skate wear brand, it is evident in their minimalist style and quality of clothing that they have become more of a high end fashion brand. Supreme is one of the only skate brands that has merged different cultures together to create something extremely desirable.
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Bibliography
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