By Lindsay Vrckovnik
Brand Analysis and marketing plan:
Internal Situation Analysis: True Religion is an iconic Denim brand that was hugely popular in the early 2000’s. They were famous and recognized for their unique 5 thread, 2 stitch per inch top stitching featured on most, if not all of their denim. They were also known for gaudy back pocket details such as rhinestones and sequins. They pride themselves on quality and craftsmanship, as well as the fact that their sticking and back pocket logo did make them one of a kind.
Internal Analysis - Brand Identity
In the early 2000’s, True Religion was the go to denim brand in pop culture and music culture, which trickled down into the mainstream trends. Perhaps it was the easily identifiable brand that made it so popular, the bold stitching letting everyone who sees the wearer know that they can afford luxury denim. Heavily branded outfits were very trendy in this era. The brand claims that “Fearless style leaders” are the kinds of consumers that wear their clothes. In the early 2000’s and even now, True Religion was very popular in Hip Hop Culture, and the brand is mentioned in many rap songs. Although a denim brand first, their also deemed ‘clubwear’, therefore reaching to a younger demographic who has money and goes out frequently. In contrast, a denim company competitor like Levi’s creates more simple and timeless styles that are catered to all ages.
Marketing Mix ❖
Product: Mainly denim pants, but also offer tees and tanks, jacket, shoes, and fragrances.!
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Place: Had many brick & mortar stores before their close call with bankruptcy in 2011, but now rely mainly on department store and online sales.!
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Price: Used to reach above the $300 mark, but afte the recession and designer denim recline, now range between $100-$300. They also offer a “Denim below $50” & “Denim below $100” section on their online store.!
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Promotion: They have been relatively quiet since their 2011 crash, however recently have been making a come back through collaborating with supermodel Bella Hadid & throwing influencer-filled events in La & Ny celebrating their ‘comeback’. These events receive a lot of social media coverage from bloggers and celebrities. Their main source of advertising now is online, through these internet personalities sharing their ‘brand revamp’.
Positioning True Religion positions itself above competitors by firstly offering exceptional fit, with their website not only categorizing denim by fit style, but offering a “true fit: system, which allows you to enter your exact height and measurements, and even enter what other brand of jeans tend to fit you the best, and then determine the best size for you. This is definitely a selling point for many people, especially when shopping online, which can make many cutovers nervous when it comes to choosing the right size. Most competitors only offer a ‘size guide’ that is typically only telling you what you probably already know, and isn’t as thorough and accurate in finding the right fit. Their second distinguishing factor over other brands which I already mentioned is their unique stitching that no other denim has, which essentially makes them instantly recognizable as a designer jean, which many people like to flaunt. Many other jeans on the market, no matter the price tag, are indistinguishable from one another.
target consumer As mentioned earlier, because their denim designs tend to be very recognizable in terms of branding and distinguishing themselves, in the beginning of the decade True Religion was a power symbol garment for young people in the nightlife and music industry, therefore trickled down to the masses in the same age group (20-30 isn.) Their pieces weren’t very everyday/business friendly, so the denim was more of a statement piece younger people wore out on the town. Nowadays, TR makes more wearable and simple denim like their competitors, without the loud stitching and pocket details, so it has potential to be appropriate for more settings and therefore a wider range of people. However, I believe one of their biggest issues in selling is that even in their new product, they seem to be sticking to the outdated silhouettes of low rise waists and skinny legs.
Customer Demographics Age: 16-30! Gender: men and women! Geographical Location: Born in California, the brand was most popular in America in the early days. It was an essential to the all american closet. By 2009, the brand was stocked in over 900 stores in 50 countries and 6 continents. Because their main product is jeans, which don’t quite have a climate restriction, they can be worn almost anywhere in the world. ! Occupation: young adults- students, entry level jobs/ non salary jobs such as retail, restaurants and creative jobs where casual attire is accepted. People with more strict/mature dress codes may still shop for their down time outfits, but will not stock their closets like younger, less tied down individuals.! Hobbies: Jeans of True’s style are typically worn on a night out, because they flatter the figure and are more comfortable than restricting skirts/dresses/ nightwear, however less comfortable than looser fitting styles for daytime wear. They show off the figure and and make the wearer feel confident, perfect for hitting the town.True Religions customer has an active social life.
The Designer Jean Decline According to a New York Times article by Eric Wilson written in 2009, during the recession, it was noted that -“early in the decade designer jeans became “premium” jeans — as in, you had to pay a premium to wear them: $340 for Acne jeans, $350 for Ksubi jeans, $359 for True Religion jeans, $395 for Notify jeans, $580 for Dior jeans and so on.
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However during this 2009 recession: “The denim bubble has burst, and only a handful of such extravagantly priced jeans remain at the jeans bar — labels like PRPS and 45rpm, which, in tacit acknowledgment of the decline of the premium business, are now more often referred to as “artisanal” jeans. Meanwhile, the sweet spot for designer jeans has relocated to a neighborhood just below $200. The key price is now below $200.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/fashion/29JEANS.html?_r=1
Competitor: Jbrand jeans JBrand was founded only 3 years after True Religion, in 2005. They are famous for their well fitting denim, just at TR is. So why are they doing better as a competitor now? ! A quick glance at JBrand’s online store shows me that they have expanded vastly from just denim pants, and now offer very ‘current’ and ‘trendy’ styles that are in line with what their target demographic (which is essentially the same as True Religions) is on the hunt for. ! Aside from denim, they offer leather pants of various colors, printed denim, leather jackets, cropped trousers, jeans ranging from skinny white pants to super wide leg dark indigo. They are offering a variety that appeals to a much larger audience, that is also a modern woman who keeps up with the fast past cycle of fashion. Also, their Ecomm pictures bring their garments to life. They are full bodied photos captured in real life environments- the street, the bar, out in nature. Looking at True Religion’s Ecomm site, they have very bland photos of the jeans from the waist down, shot front in back against a white wall in a studio. Jbrands extra effort in their online store helps the customer picture what they will look like when they are wearing the jeans, and more importantly from a marketing standpoint - they are upselling their customer, because they are styling their denim with other pieces from their brand - which entices the customer to buy multiple pieces instead of just one.
Jbrand’s Online Store
True Religion’s Online Store
External Analysis Firstly, in today’s current market, online shopping dominants all other buying methods, and with True Religion’s main business happening during the mall culture of the early 2000’s, their online shop seems to be slightly behind, and stores don’t experience much foot traffic anymore. Secondly, True Religion’s website seems to exclusively feature outdated fits and washes of denim that were popular a decade ago but are very off trend now. While fashion trends always come full circle and I’m sure the Y2K trends will be all the rage soon enough, however currently, oversized, high waisted, and lighter wash trends reminiscent of the 70’s and 90’s are whats the trendiest and selling the most. A quick glance at high street stores and fast fashion destinations make it obvious that these looks are what younger demographics (True Religions target) are desiring, and TR is missing.
External Analysis To get a better idea of where True Religion is missing out in terms of being on trend, here is the denim report from WGSN for the current season:
Denim in Demand Today : Tattered, Inspired by the 80’s, asymmetrical, reworked, utilitarian
External Analysis Taking that information, and then examining True Religion, it seems the only trend they are sort of hitting is the distressed look.the prices are still decently high compared to many competitors. They're in the mid range, with garments ranging from $80-$300. However, , , their main product is jeans and with most of them priced around $180, they are not exactly enticing buyers. Sure, they are made well and surely last, but sadly people would rather spend that much on jeans that are more up to date, and if they are looking for simple, black skinny jeans, those can be found for much cheaper. Considering TR filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017, these combining factors are definitely hurting them.
Strengths ❖
Good quality denim - material and fit wise. Having such a long history, TR has access to the best materials and producers.They offer ‘true fit’ technology on their site which helps customers find the perfetc fit an deb confident with their choice.
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Relationships with very famous celebrities that have a ton of influence over their fans. For example If Bella Hadid is showing off Trues, many will follow.
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An iconic brand - again, this stems from their longevity and time spent in the industry, but True Religion is a globally known brand and that is a huge advantage they can use while revamping!
Weaknesses ❖
Seemingly unaware of or ignorant to current trends. Too proud of the brand that made them popular years ago- seemingly unwilling to change their image.
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Because they already had a very close call with bankruptcy, this puts them in a very vulnerable state, and how they now choose how to represents them delves can make or break them.
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Too reliant on one product. Although they are a jean company and do offer a small selection of other garments, it is simply not up to par with the variety their competitors are offering.
Opportunities ❖
Denim is a huge trend, not only currently, but will continue to be for many more upcoming seasons according to WGSN.
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Online buying is at an all time high, and many people in their target age demographic do most of their shopping online.
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Denim never goes out of style,it is a staple that people will also be wanting, and with their strong relationships to manufactures, they always have access to great quality. ( Just amp it up with some new and refreshing designs!)
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The 2000’s trend is slowly coming back, so if they choose not to update their silhouettes, they could have potential with that era being popular again. (For ex. low rise jeans). However, this is most likely a fleeting fad and will not promise the brand longevity.
Threats â?–
With the (unfortunate) rise of fast fashion, people can obtain similar styles for incredibly low prices.
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Brands with a strong sustainable initiative are becoming more popular and overshadowing brands who do not. Transparency is appealing to the shopper, and brands who do not offer this fall behind.
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Over-saturation of online retailers make competition a lot more tough than it was in comparison to their heyday.
“After a careful review, we are taking an important step to reduce debt, reinvigorate True Religion’s iconic brand, and position the company for future growth and success” - John Ermatinger, Chief Ex.
Marketing Plan objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Social Media Plan Stocking at ‘hip’ and popular stores that sell many brands Refreshing their designs Updating their E-commerce store Create a clear sustainability motive
1. Social Media Plan
Because their target demographic is on social media day and night especially Instagram- it is extremely essential to have a strong and effective page. Although they have the followers on Instagram, 438,000 to be exact, they have atrocious engagement. they average 3 to 5 thousand likes per photo, meaning about only ONE PERCENT of their followers are ‘liking’ their content! If were going to get serious and technical about Instagram, which is important whether brands want to or not, you should be aiming to be reaching 6% or higher. 3-6% is considered good engagement while anything higher than 6% is considered very good.
Their Feed Now:
The Issues with their Instagram? ❖
Firstly, the feed is inconsistent and all over the place. Choosing one aesthetic by sticking to one filter, creative style, layout, and color scheme in your photos will make it more pleasing to look at and will have viewers wanting to engage more.!
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They choose subpar images. While this isn't always true, they do have a good amount of pictures that are of poor quality, mirror selfies, or just badly composed. Hiring a PR or photographer can easily solve this problem. Most competing brands nowadays have people employed specifically for curating their Social platforms.! ❖
They don’t engage with the community. Scrolling through their comments, I don’t see them ever replying to comments or liking them. Again, when I look at younger brands I often see them answering every single question and compliment left on their photos. This makes the customer feel closer to the brand, and establishes customer loyalty. Again, this could easily be solved by having an educated Social Media employee, which exist in excess these days.
examples of competitors with successful Instagram Profiles: Jbrand
As seen in these examples, J-brand only uses very high quality images, keeps their style and color palette very consistent and cohesive, as well as relevant to what they are currently pushing to sell. Each Instagram Picture is almost like a editorial in itself, which is how every brand, especially struggling ones like TR, should approach the platform. Therefore, one of my first steps in this marketing plan would be hiring a social media employee, and to go even farther, a photographer to frequently shoot content with professional equiptment.
#2 - Stocking in Relevant Retail Stores Currently, True Religion has zero brick and mortar stores in Manhattan, and all of their locations nearby seem to be in Outlet malls in Jersey and Queens. I’m not sure if any stores are stocking them here, as they don’t have stockers listed on their site. However, I believe in order to get more people paying attention to their garments, as well as make more sales, they should aim to get into popular stores such as Opening Ceremony, Dover Street Market, Barney’s, Nordstoms, etc.- places people enjoy shopping when they are offline. ( New York specific). Although their current product would most likely not be welcome in these retailers, I think with the full implementation of this marketing plan, they could fit in perfectly. Stores that young people willing to spend money, such as Opening Ceremony, stocks hundreds of designers and brands, and has something for everyone. They also have a large foot traffic of ‘window shoppers’, and many small brands blow up simply by being shown in the store, therefore it is also an effective advertising strategy for their comeback.
#3- Refreshing their Denim
Perhaps the most obvious change that has to be made is introducing new and modern styles that are in high demand. Once this is done and people become aware of it, this is when True can be considered for the retailers mentioned in the previous slide. People seem to love a successful revamp , like Juicy, Fila, Sketchers, and Fiorucci have done recently. However, in order for it to be effective, the brand must match what people want.
Examples of current denim trends, a direction True Religion should consider to be desired.
#4 Updating their Online Store As I mentioned in my analysis previously, having a well thought out E-commerce store that looks lively and exciting will encourage the browser to not only buy something, but also to upwell and as well have them return to the site. For instance. Having a fully styled outfit and having a ‘styled with’ suggestion box will draw customers to browse other garments. Also, having more believable and organic images rather than studio-shot front and back shots will demonstrate to the customer how the garment looks in the real world, and also how it moves with the body , which is really important when not being able to see the garment in a physical store.
Example of successful Ecomm:
#5: Having a Sustainability motive they stand by. ❖
It’s pretty well known that producing denim is a pretty harmful and wasteful process, and with so many brands doing their part nowadays to be as eco-friendly as possible, it’s very damaging to a brand to remain ignorant to these changes and concerns in the industry. Ignorance is not always bliss, True Religion!
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Having a “What we believe in” or something along those lines subheading on their website where they are transparent about their production and distribution process will not only improve their brand image, but also customer loyalty, and position them above competitors who do not do so, therefore winning over new customers.
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Perhaps they offer reusable packaging, or a recycling incentive program where customers can donate their old jeans in exchange for a discount. Creating a cycle that challenges the status quo will not only get people talking, but it will make people feel good about buying from a conscious brand. This would ultimately be the cherry on top of their brand revamp, because it positions them as a brand who is capable of making sales but also puts in the effort to go beyond consumerism and make that conscious effort to help change the industry
Examples of Brand Transparency
everlane
THANK YOU!