Surface Ripples

Youth vs Age

I was looking at the website of one of the UK’s well-known fashion houses and was interested to see the models they use – all young and trendy (and extremely fashionable in what they were wearing).  I then wondered why there were no older people on the site.

Our website and media presence as much as our clothes and ‘corporate culture’ reflect who we are.  The fashion house, in this case, seems to be aligning itself to a younger, more ethnically diverse market compared with the more staid and ‘traditional’ image they may have had in the past.  

The brand could be going through a ‘re-alignment’ process to attract a younger market.  It could also be addressing issues of discrimination, racism or any number of ‘-isms’ that may have been levelled at it.  Without this information, who can say?

The problem that I see though, is that younger people often don’t have the money to buy the clothing that this particular fashion house sells (prices for a coat range from GBP650.00-GBP5,500.00).  I would certainly baulk at paying that sort of money.  True, the quality is undoubted and I’m sure the coat would last for years, if treated properly.  But does it really offer value for money?

So what message is this fashion house sending?  Is it in keeping with what made them what they are today or are their sales slowing because market research shows there’s no youth appeal in their brand?  

What happens if the gamble doesn’t pay off and they have to re-brand again to focus on another market (one that has the necessary spending power due to its stage in life)?  Management will have asked themselves these questions and will be ready, I’m sure, with a plan to address them.   

As businesses, we constantly need to understand and focus on who our customer base are, whether our customers numbers are shrinking or growing in number, and whether we’re missing out on opportunities of which we may not be aware.  

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

Labels: Customer Care, Selling, Strategy

posted by William Martin @ 15:53