2
LUCY DUNKLEY STUDENT ID: 26003263
3
CONTENT executive summary chosen brand
6 7
brand identity brand consumers brand posiioning communications mix bibliography
8 10 12 14 22
4
NTS
5
E V I T U C E EX Y R A M M U S This report analyses the Dr.Martens brand, whilst focusing on the importance of it’s heritage and evolution. Primarily focusing on the brand Identity, it examines the way in which the company has transcended from a working man’s boot, to the counter-culture icon Dr.Martens have
become today. The brand’s consumers are also analysed, from the original Skinheads and Punks, to today’s mainstream consumers. The brand positioning in both the past and current market is further discussed, with the importance of the company’s communications mix highlighting the necessity for high-
6
end collaborations influencing the brand’s position within the current market. Social Media plays a vital role in the promotion of the brand, whilst removing the brand from niché subculture tribes and broadcasting it straight into the mainstream.
CHOSEN BRAND
This report focuses on the footwear brand Dr.Martens. Known for its alternative style and client base, Dr.Martens holds an impressive 90 flagship stores worldwide. Despite its UK heritage, 64 of the 90 stores are situated outside of the British Isles. The Dr.Martens story started out in Seeshaupt (a small village situated in Southern Germany) where a young Dr.Klaus Maertens conjured up the idea of a sole of airfilled material. By 1947, Maertens had collaborated with an old friend, Dr.Funck, in producing the bouncing soles. However, it was not until 1960 when the first pair of Dr.Martens boots rolled off the production line in Cobb’s Lane, Wollaston, after the Northamptonshire based Griggs family company acquired the exclusive license. Dr.Martens have remained a cult classic in today’s society due to their contemporary collaborations with the likes of Comme de Garcon, Stussy, Liberty and Paul Smith; ensuring the brand stays current within their youth subculture target market.
7
BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND ID BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID BRAND ID BRAND IDENTITY BRAND ID 8
According to Chris Fill, “brands are a composite of two main logics: the first is an identity that managers wish to portray, while the second is images, construed by audiences, of the same identities they perceive” (Fill,
p.327, 2013). With their infamous slogan ‘Stand For Something’ the Dr.Martens brand has always encouraged individuality and the rebellion against conformity. The brand quickly escalated from a working man’s boot to
the rebel’s icon it is today. Starting with ‘Hard Mods’, who were
influenced by socialist MP Tony Benn, they “were vocally proud of their working-class roots and consequently emphasised their everyday workwear” (Roach, p.20, 2015), this ethos emphasises the ‘Stand for Something’ identity and attitude the brand managers wish to emulate today. The Dr.Martens brand name began with Bill Griggs anglicising it from the German “Maertens”; according to Susan Dilon the naming strategy of a company depends on whether the brand is a product of the designer or not (Dilon, p.86, 2011). Therefore, Griggs chose to keep the original “AirWair” designer’s brand name, however, it was anglicised in order for the brand to be easily relatable to the English customer and supplier base. Within their branding, Dr.Martens use three contrasting colours: black, white and yellow. The use of the simple three colourway has enabled the trio to become iconic to the brand and easily recognisable to the consumer. According to Chris Fill, one way for customers to place a level of trust in a brand is through the use of “labels and logos to represent a brand’s values, associations,
9
and source” (Fill, p.340, 2013). Dr.Martens use brown card shaped into an envelope/ package as price tags for their products. This may be to emphasise the vintage and longstanding heritage of the brand, whilst string mirroring shoe laces- is used to attach the price tags. Another reason the labels are shaped this way may be to represent traditional wage packets of the working class when the boots were first produced - representing both the brand and consumer’s longstanding values.
BRAND CONSUMERS
Skinhead, N.Knight
Skinhead, N.Knight
10
During the mid-tolate 60’s the most identifiable Dr.Martens brand consumers were Skinheads due to the increase in violence after England’s World Cup triumph in 1966. “...boots with concealed steel toecaps were often purposely worn to expose the metal…steel caps rated as offensive weapons, especially at matches” (Knight, p.44, 1982); this caused an increase in sales of non-steel toe-capped boots. Skinhead, N.Knight
After the formation of the Sex Pistols in 1975, Punks were another tribe to be identified with Dr.Martens. Viv Albertine of the female punk-rock band ‘The Slits’ changed the course of Dr.Martens’ brand consumers history as she was one of the first iconic women to integrate feminine dresses with the previously androcentric Dr.Martens boots. This enabled women to express their femininity whilst representing their music taste and sub-culture ethos. In support of this, Belk (1988) suggested that brands offer a form of self expression, whether this be in terms of a ‘desired self’, an ‘ideal self’ or an ‘ought self’ - providing a means for individuals to indicate to others their preferred personality (Fill, p.338, 2013).
11
According to the Dr.Martens’ Sheffield branch store manager, the age range of consumers depends on the time of year; with University term times cementing a majority 18-25 year-old customer base. Out of this population, there is a heavy female consumer base, with apparently “at least” 60% of customers being females. Surprisingly, there is also a fairly high consumer base of older females approaching retirement age. This may be due to the launch of the ‘DM’s Lite’ collection as “Each pair of DM’s Lite come with a SoftWair memory foam insole…for ultimate all-day comfort” (Dr. Martens UK, 2016, 10th November). However, as the manager suggested, the older customer base may revisit and purchase from the store due to a sense of nostalgia, “As Arora and Stoner (2009: 273) indicate, ‘brand personality provides a form of identity for consumers that expresses symbolic meaning for themselves and for others’” (Fill, p.340, 2013), therefore shopping and purchasing Dr.Martens at a later age may remind the customer of their youth along with the heritage and ‘Stand for Something’ ethos of the brand.
BRAND POSITIONNG
Brand Positioning is defined as: a consumer’s perceptions of the place occupied by a company within a given market, measured across a range of criteria and compared with its rivals (Chandler and Munday, 2011). Whilst discussing Dr.Martens success in the 70s, Pete McKenna stated how “compared to any other boot on sale at the time, Dr.Martens were incomparable to their competition, due to their quality, comfort, style and durability” (Roach, p.43, 2015). In most people’s opinion, this statement still resonates today as Timberland who, (according to the London store manager) is Dr.Martens’ competitor, doesn’t have quite the same iconic sub-culture and music based heritage - despite both companies trying to diversify and delve deeper into the fashion industry today. Anthropologist Ted Polhemus has written many papers on the ‘Trickle down, Bubble up’ concept, suggesting that culture now bubbles up from street style to the upper class, influencing High Fashion (Roach, p.188189, 2015). In turn, Dr.Martens’ position in the ‘Trickle down, Bubble up’ relationship has led to collaborations with high-end fashion designers due to the brands established
12
position and influence on youth subculture. The addition of a jukebox to all Dr.Martens stores is a Unique Selling Point (USP) for the brand. It is important for the store to play suitable and apt music that represents the brand, whilst the inclusion of music to the store helps to create a relaxed and more social atmosphere - tying together the
influence of music on the company. Chris Fill suggests how “successful brands trigger associations in the minds of consumers … [enabling] consumers to construe an emotional connection with a particular brand” (Fill, p.338, 2013) any nostalgic background music may cause an older consumer to affiliate the brand and previous memories - something rival brands don’t offer.
Another USP for the Dr.Martens brand is their vegan line they have to offer, which their competitors do not. According to Fill, “Successful brands deliver consistently on their promises, by meeting or exceeding expectations, and in doing so reinforce the positioning and the credibility of the promise” (Fill, p.326, 2013), this may
13
be why Dr.Martens are consistently trying to meet vegan customer’s expectations and develop faux leather shoes in similar designs to the main collections.
COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX COMMUNICATIONS MIX\\ COMMUNICATIONS MIX 14
ADVERTISING ODD is a London based ‘integrated creative agency’ who are the creators of Dr.Martens #STANDFORSOMETHIING campaign for over the past four years. ODD explains how, “We were asked to build on the success of the #firstandforever campaign with a new global brand communications platform that would put the brand’s wearers at its heart, whilst driving engagement and growth
across all digital and social channels” (ODD, 2016). The campaign focuses on wearers who use the brand to express their own culture, identity and beliefs asking consumers: What do you stand for? The campaign launches with a film capturing Dr.Martens history as well as its “cross-generational and sub-cultural appeal” (ODD, 2016). Innovative 30 and 90 second films featuring moving
15
portraits of iconic Dr.Martens wearers were spread across the internet and “bespoke Facebook app” (ODD, 2016). The campaign was featured across print, experiential and digital advertising. Thankfully the advertising campaign was a success and contributed to the 30% sales increase by March 2014 - the brand’s most successful sales month in history.
PR Public Relations (PR), plays an important role in communicating and promoting the Dr.Martens brand. The PR team organised the collaboration of Dr.Martens and DIY magazine for the ‘Stand for Something’ tour. 2016 will be the fourth year of the #SFSTOUR, hosting the likes of Twin Atlantic, Young Guns and Eagles. According to Chris Fill, “many organisations are moving the balance of their communications mix.. towards…experimentalbased communications for example, sponsorship of events and festivals - to get closer to customers and drive associations that are of value” (Fill, p.328, 2013). The brand also uses celebrity endorsement to advertise their products. For example, Miley Cyrus’ “‘Wrecking
Ball’ presented arguably the most high profile use of cherry red Dr.Martens in recent pop culture history” (Roach, p.171, 2015). The brand may have used Cyrus due to her confidence in selfexpression and female empowerment, whilst the young pop-star targets the youth-culture target market. Other contemporary pop icons, such as Ellie Goulding, are often seen performing in Dr.Martens, further solidifying music’s impact on the brand. Collaborations with other designers and celebrities also appear successful for the Dr.Martens brand. In 2003 the brand collaborated with designers from Britain and all around the world, such as: Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Orla Kiely, to put their own stamp of individuality onto the classic silhouette of the
16
Dr.Martens boot. In order for these collaborations to be a success, it is of the upmost importance that Dr.Martens chooses to collaborate with designers who possess their own authenticity and distinct identity that matches the brand. Along with Comme de Garcons, Stussy and Liberty, one of the most popular collaborations has been with the model Agyness Deyn - who is a personally acclaimed avid Dr.Martens wearer. Deyn explains how within her collaboration she “wanted to bring a sense of playfulness and irreverence, and pitch it against the tough, impenetrable feeling of such a hardcore shoe” (Roach, p.193, 2015). This alternative attitude along with her popular model status may explain the success of her previous collections.
17
VOGUE: Photographed by Robert Fairer
SALES PROMOTION Chris Fill defines ‘Point of Sale’ as “the presentation and display of products in-store, in order to maximise impact, attention and ‘pick-up’ opportunities” (Fill, p.557, 2013). Dr.Martens does this effectively by maximising shelf space, aligning boots and shoes from the same collection next to one another, yet only displaying one shoe - decreasing space and maximising impact. Another point of sale example in the Dr.Martens store is the placement of accessories in front of the payment desk. This may be due to the drastically lower prices, in contrast to the other products for sale. Ultimately, customers are further inclined to make another purchase as £25 for a scarf seems moderately cheap when committing to spend £100+ on footwear. As well as offering seasonal sales on the previous season’s collection, Dr.Martens also offer a 10% instore student discount to their customers. The reason for this discount is certainly because their target market
and main consumers are students, therefore the chance of an enticing discount heightens the likelihood that a purchase will be made.
18
‘Direct Marketing’ is an “effective way of building relationships with customers over the long term… [through] personalised communications” (Fill, p.25, 2013). When registering for the first time on the Dr.Martens website, the customer is promised a ‘faster checkout’ for creating an account. After sufficient details have been filled out, the box agreeing to be sent “news about offers, events and competitions” is automatically ticked by the website. This enables direct marketing to take place, as the customer will be bombarded by promotional emails directly addressed to them - a form of Nigel Fairclough’s Synthetic Personalisation increasing the likelihood of the consumer making a purchase.
DIRECT MARKETING 19
20
#drmartenstyle #drm artenstyle #drmarte nstyle #drmartensty le #drmartenstyle #D rmartenstyle #drmar tenstyle #drmartenst yle #drmartenstyle # drmartenstyle #Drma rtenstyle #drmartens tyle #drmartenstyle #drmartenstyle #drm artenstyle #drmarte nstyle #drmartensty le #drmartenstyle
Instagram: @drmartensofficial
social media The Dr.Martens brand has a presence on all three main social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. With their hashtag ‘#drmartenstyle’ enabling customers to share their purchases and personal method of styling the brand, there is a chance to feature
across all social media channels. The rise of social media created a demographic change in the Dr.Martens’ client base, as well as the variation in which DMs were styled (Roach, p.202, 2015) - whilst allowing consumers to easily gain inspiration from those who may be
21
on the other-side of the world. Social media allows customers to voice their opinions easily whilst brands are instantly notified of their thoughts attributing the company with statistics on the most popular styles at the time.
bibliography References:
Chandler, D. and Munday, R. (2011), A Dictionary
of Media and Communication, Oxford University Press, (2016, 16th November), http://www. oxfordreference.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/view/10.1093/ acref/9780199568758.001.0001/acref-9780199568758-e-252 Dilon, S. (2011), The Fundamentals of Fashion Management, AVA Publishing Dr.Martens UK (2016, 10th November), DM’s LITE, http://www.drmartens.com/uk/dms-lite Fill, C. (2013) Marketing Communications: Brands, Experience and Participation, (6th Edition), Pearson Education Knight, N. (1982), Skinhead, Omnibus Press ODD London (2016, 15th November), Dr.Martens: Stand for Something, http://www.oddlondon.com/case-study/drmartens-stand-for-something/ Roach, M. (2015) Dr.Martens, A History of Rebellious Self-Expression, AirWair Ltd
Photographs: Front Cover logo: http://misfit-stream.weebly.com/ uploads/2/4/7/3/24736288/7783202_orig.jpg Brand Consumers (p.10-11): Skinhead photos from N. Knight, Skinhead Advertising (p.15): Photo taken from Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/122441683596986187/ PR (p.17): Photo taken from VOGUE, photographer Robert Fairer: http://www.vogue.com/868861/ stomping-ground-agyness-deyn-collaborates-withdr-martens/ Social Media (p.20): Photo taken from Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/416583034265539964/ (p.21): Photo taken from Instagram @drmartensoffical 21/11/16. 22
23