Management Summary

MAnagement MAnagement Summary Summary

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The purpose of this research paper is to understand to what extent our chosen brand America Today has remained true to its mission statement and core values. Research has been conducted throughout different channels such as brand and collection analysis, interviews and internet research. America today started in 1989 with a store in Amsterdam in which customers could find American brands such as Levi’s, Wrangler and Converse that were either difficult to find or very expensive due to customs fees. Later on, to diversify their USP’s, they added their own clothing line, still inspired by the American lifestyle and culture. The brand’s mission is to bring confidence and make its customers feel empowered through their clothing. According to their website, the brand’s vision is a place where fun and quality join forces. Additionally, they value being independent while still being connected to one another, seeking a community feeling.

The latest collection, Fall Winter 2020, is composed of 81% with products of America’s Today own line, while the remaining 19% is other brands such as Levi’s, Wrangler and Calvin Klein. As mentioned by their own employees, the collection does not get released all at once, but rather staggered. For instance, when the collection dropped, they mostly released autumnal garments such as joggers, shirts and sweaters. As winter approaches, they proceed to release heavier garments such as winter jackets. On the other hand, the most selling garments are released together at the beginning in order to be instantly available to customers.

The collection is composed of a wide variety of materials. Due to their American heritage there is a focus on denims, sweatshirt materials and flannels. Even considering the darker nature of the season, America Today still decided to keep a very colour diverse collection, with the addition of bright colors as well. Additionally, they opted for very clean design with little use of their logo and just some prints.

After conducting interviews and investigating their social media platforms it was easy to underline a customer segment. Their main focus is to bring the American college lifestyle to Europe and therefore their target group are mostly students, ranging from the ages 5 until 30 with a main target group of students aged 14-21. America Today targets teenagers / university students, with the recent addition of a kids line. Their ideal target group are sporty students looking for staple comfortable clothes that still make them stand out. As visible on their social media platforms, they focus on a young audience that have interests in sports, community and an open minded approach to life.

It is clear that America Today is losing its unique selling point. This is due to the current accessibility of American brands that doesn’t give them any competitive advantage anymore, and the lack of recognisability of their collection. Subsequently, with the saturation of the market with numerous brands that offer basic and comfortable garments, the brand doesn’t seem to have a strategy that could diversify them from others.

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