Cordwainers: Footwear Design and Development Essay Example
Cordwainers: Footwear Design and Development Essay Example

Cordwainers: Footwear Design and Development Essay Example

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  • Pages: 10 (2534 words)
  • Published: October 3, 2016
  • Type: Paper
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1. Introduction: This proposal outlines the research needed for Tommy Hilfiger's industry brief, a lifestyle brand valued in billions of dollars. With its Classic American Cool style and a distinctive take on preppy fashion, Tommy Hilfiger specifically highlights its footwear department in this proposal. The main objective is to conduct market research by facilitating communication between consumers, customers, the public, and marketers through information. This information helps identify opportunities and challenges that can inform marketing strategies, assess marketing effectiveness, and enhance comprehension of the marketing process (source: marketingpower.com, 2004).

1.1 The brief

The Hilfiger’s have decided to take inspiration from the “American Riviera of Santa Barbara” for the design and development of a range for the Spring Summer 2014 season. The brief requires extensive research to cr

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itically inform the design, keeping in mind innovation in design and construction as well as maintaining wearability. This will help achieve the buy now wear now effect that is required in the fast-moving fashion world. A full understanding of Tommy’s preppy look and current and emerging techniques in the footwear industry and consumer market is crucial for this project. Undertaking both primary and secondary research is essential to meet these requirements and deliver the range into stores by early spring.

The Company

Tommy Hilfiger, established in 1985, is a highly successful lifestyle brand valued at billions of dollars. It embodies the concept of Classic American Cool and provides a unique interpretation of preppy fashion that is constantly evolving. Renowned for its exceptional style, quality, and value, Tommy Hilfiger is a major player in the lifestyle industry, catering to diverse customers worldwide.

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justify">Its extensive range of products includes clothing for women, men, and children as well as sportswear, denim, accessories, and lifestyle goods. With a strong global brand presence (http://www.global.tommy.com), Tommy Hilfiger has an extensive distribution network spanning over 90 countries. Its products are available at leading department stores and standalone stores across North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.

In addition to physical stores,the brand also offers online shopping through its website so visitors can access the latest collections.

3. Research Methods
This section will discuss and employ a range of research methods, both primary and secondary. Primary research involves conducting personal investigations using mediums such as photographs, videos, or films (Brandenburg, 2010). Conversely, secondary sources often reference or analyze primary research while also presenting their own perspectives, like history textbooks or biographies. Personal observations and experiences are typically the foundation of primary research alongside various other forms. Examples include interviews (providing firsthand knowledge), surveys (involving larger groups but with limited information), observations (offering specific insights about people or events), and analysis (useful in identifying trends or patterns).

When conducting secondary research, it is crucial to employ critical thinking and reasoning skills due to the ease of publishing information online. Simple approaches such as searching in libraries and on the internet are commonly used (Dawson, 2010).

Dr Catherine Dawson's Practical Guide on Research Methods (2010) states that qualitative and quantitative research methods are commonly used alongside other approaches. Qualitative research involves gathering detailed opinions from participants through interviews or focus groups, exploring attitudes, behavior, and experiences. Ethnography research is an example of qualitative research suitable for this report, as

it describes and interprets cultural behavior. On the other hand, quantitative research aims to collect numerical data that can be generalized across different groups. Researchers who choose quantitative research seek objective answers by collecting data in the form of numbers and statistics. Although this report primarily relies on qualitative data, it will also incorporate quantitative data because the global company being researched heavily depends on this type of information.

The Company is discussed in section 3.1.

In this section, we will emphasize the significance of utilizing primary and secondary sources to effectively summarize Tommy Hilfiger and their footwear department. Our goal is to offer specific guidance on conducting research that will enable us to comprehend the workings of this contemporary affordable luxury preppy company, as well as discover new pathways for successful outcomes in footwear. It is also crucial to take branding into consideration.

3.1.1 Primary Sources are important.

In order to fully understand the effectiveness of the company's operations, it is crucial to familiarize oneself with their principles and values. There are various primary sources available for uncovering important information about the brand's identity. One approach is to conduct an unstructured interview with members of Tommy Hilfiger's design team, who are currently visiting the University to discuss and assess progress in the field of design. An unstructured interview allows participants to freely express their thoughts without much guidance from the researcher (Dawson, 2010). This method is ideal for gaining insights into their personal perspectives on their employer and provides valuable information regarding their preferences and expectations for the project. It is important to pay close attention during these interviews,

taking note of all relevant details and skillfully steering the conversation towards areas of interest.

3.1.2 Secondary Sources

To further investigate the company, a variety of secondary resources can be utilized. The first logical step is to visit the company’s website: http://global.tommy.com, as it is considered a trustworthy source. The website contains a wealth of information that should be documented about the company. The company's overview provides valuable insights into their self-perception and their rich history showcases their growth into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Additionally, the website showcases all the different divisions that Tommy Hilfiger offers including apparel, sportswear, denim, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings.

Another significant resource is Tommy Hilfiger's partner, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation: http://www.pvh.com/. This website provides additional information that can be included to offer a broader range of data for assessment purposes. It includes a narrative, news updates, business overview, store count and distribution information about the company.

It is important to note that when using sources not directly affiliated with Tommy Hilfiger's website critical evaluation of reliability must be employed. Therefore clear strategies should be implemented to ensure quality,relevance and reliability of these sources (Hewson et al., 2003).

The Consumer comprises 4.2.

The customer is crucial to any organization and determines its success. It is important to study customers in depth as their needs go beyond just the company's product. They must feel valued and that their opinions matter. All aspects of their life including age, occupation, lifestyle, preferences, income, and style should be carefully considered. These details are important for building customer loyalty, satisfaction, and predicting future behavior (Easey, 2009). Various methods such as market segmentation, shop reports, and lifestyle

classifications can be used to research these needs.

4.3.1 Primary Sources In order to develop a final product, comprehending the consumer is crucial. Market segmentation is a fundamental aspect that every company needs to consider. According to Smith (1956:4) in his journal "Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies," market segmentation entails perceiving a diverse market as smaller homogeneous markets that have varying preferences for different products among significant market segments. This statement underscores the advantages of understanding consumer preferences and emphasizes that decisions should be guided by the market rather than the product (Wedel, 2003).

To gain a deeper understanding of customers, qualitative research methods such as Ethnography can be utilized. According to Dawson (2007: 19), ethnography focuses on describing and interpreting cultural behavior. This involves conducting participant observation at one of the main stores, taking notes, conducting interviews, analyzing data, reflecting on findings, and writing reports.
As Bell (2010) explains, ethnographers follow a step-by-step guide outlined by Fetterman (2010) to identify significant themes, problems, or gaps within the company. It is important to note that during interviews, some individuals may provide more valuable information than others. However, it is crucial not to disregard any interviews but instead compare and validate them in order to build a knowledge base. Ultimately, the collected data should be compared to determine if it supports or invalidates the project.

The company's main focus is on a particular group, using ethnography research to gain a deeper understanding of their distinct needs and preferences (Easey, 2009).

Secondary sources in 4.3.2 are mentioned.

To comprehend the appeal of Tommy Hilfiger's All American cool Preppy style to

customers, it is essential to take into account various lifestyle classifications. This can be accomplished by utilizing online forums like http://www.letsbepreppy.com/ or http://forum.purseblog.com/a-study-on-the-preppy-lifestyle.html. These platforms offer valuable insights into individuals' perceptions and experiences regarding the preppy lifestyle. Moreover, books such as Lisa Birnbach's The Preppy Handbook (1980) provide further information about this particular way of life. By conducting online research, one can uncover that lifestyle patterns expose behavioral distinctions among consumers that may not be apparent in demographic data. This type of analysis supplies more comprehensive and insightful profiles of consumers' thoughts and actions compared to alternative approaches (http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/, 2010).

The information from Mintel and Verdict can offer insights into consumer demands and trends. Mintel's report, Footwear-UK- July 2012, examines various aspects of consumer behavior such as purchasing frequency, motivations, and factors that drive increased sales. Similarly, Verdict's reports, How Britain Shops for Footwear 2012-Verdict Market Report and Footwear Retailing in the UK- Verdict Market Report, provide additional data that can be valuable.

The Market (4.3)

The significance of market positioning research in the footwear industry is underscored by Tommy Hilfiger's background. This section will explore how the company's 'buy now wear now' strategy impacts product quality, as well as why these companies manage to succeed and sell well even during challenging economic times.

The market research for Tommy Hilfiger will start by analyzing potential competitors. This analysis will involve assessing selling points, pricing, and market strategies to identify any areas of weakness that need improvement, such as production, materials, or trend prediction. To gather relevant data, the annual brand reports of PHV (the company who acquired Tommy Hilfiger) can

be utilized since they offer accurate and up-to-date information on Tommy Hilfiger's market position.

4.4.3 Primary Sources

To compare Tommy Hilfiger with his competitors, primary sources will be required. This entails visiting multiple stores, including Tommys’, and analyzing the store layout. The store layout plays a crucial role in affecting sales and shaping a company’s image. The study will primarily investigate how the layout influences the shopping atmosphere, customer behavior and response to their experience, as well as overall operational efficiency (Vrechopoulos, 2004:13).

The analysis of Tommy and its competitors' stores can uncover new strategic approaches to store layout that can lead to significant rewards, such as sales growth, increased customer loyalty, and ultimately higher turnover (Tlapana, 2009).

By participating in trend forecasting fairs such as Pure London and Lineapelle, individuals can engage in primary research to investigate emerging fashion trends. Pure London is the leading fashion buying destination in the UK, showcasing a wide variety of fashion trends. On the other hand, Lineapelle focuses on exhibiting leather and accessories, components, synthetics for various sectors like footwear, leather goods, garments, and furniture. These two fairs are renowned for their strong dedication to quality and innovative style, aiding in the development of more attractive products.

4.4.4 - Secondary Sources

PVH's research offers various methods to gather information about the company's market position. By examining their annual reports, one can gain insights into their long-term positioning and growth strategies. These reports also shed light on how the company incorporates new segments, such as golf apparel, to cater to different customer groups. Furthermore, the reports provide detailed information about specific departments' market share gains

and performance, as well as financial highlights ranging from revenues to net income. Other areas covered in the reports include design and seasonal routine, product sourcing, distribution, advertising, trademarks, competition, and environmental matters.

Mintel reports can assist in identifying the shifts in consumer purchasing habits on an annual basis. For a comprehensive analysis in this field, specific reports such as Footwear Retailing- UK- July 2012 (http://academic.mintel.com), along with previous years' editions, can be explored. These reports offer a wide range of market insights across various categories, encompassing consumer expenditure on footwear (frequency of purchases and factors influencing increased buying), economic and demographic context, as well as forecasting and market share information.

The reports will provide numerical data, general information about this market segment, and insights into the changing behaviors of consumers. By using resources like WGSN (http://www.wgsn.com), the leading global fashion forecaster, companies can gain the necessary knowledge to develop commercially successful products and services. This enables companies to predict future trends (up to two years in advance) and stay informed about new developments and changes in the fashion industry, such as color trends, shifts in consumer behavior, and advancements in textiles.

Both primary and secondary research will give a comprehensive understanding of the market for Fashion/Footwear/Tommy Hilfiger. It can also shed light on why the brief was assigned to a group of student designers, as they are seeking fresh creative outcomes and entrepreneurial skills to ensure the product development's feasibility. However, it is possible that some reports may not pertain directly to Tommy Hilfiger but to other footwear companies. This limitation necessitates further investigation into additional reports.

The fourth point

of concern is related to development issues.

To create the desired product, it is crucial to explore and assess different technological options. This involves examining fabrics, materials, construction techniques, trend prediction, new developments, and sources of inspiration. In-depth study and analysis of these areas are essential for the development process.

In order to create a successful project plan, begin by identifying and categorizing various types of development projects. Wheelwright and Clark (1992:4) discussed this subject in their paper titled "Creating Project Plans to Focus Product Development" and highlighted the important classifications to consider, which are the level of change in the product and the level of change in the manufacturing process. They emphasized that greater changes along either dimension will necessitate more resources.

Prior to commencing any commercial development, it is essential to conduct research and development. This involves generating fresh concepts, materials, and designs that will eventually be transformed into a novel product. Nevertheless, the company must always take into account cost and quality considerations. Throughout the design process, inspiration can be derived from a visit to Saint Barthelemy by utilizing photos taken during the trip. Additionally, online searches can be conducted to gather information about Tommy Hilfiger's specific requirements in the brief, with a particular focus on Santa Barbara and Old Spanish Colonial architecture. Valuable sources for this information include websites such as http://pinterest.com/.

Wheelwright and Clark (1992:5) suggest that reducing costs can be achieved by offering derivative products, such as cost-reduced versions of existing products or add-ons for an existing production process. Many companies adopt a similar strategy by utilizing the same last for multiple seasons while modifying

the designs. However, each season necessitates changes in materials and colors. In order to determine appropriate fabrics and materials for the Spring Summer 2014 season, it is essential to conduct research on WGSN trend forecast. Thorough examination of selected materials is also crucial to ensure their suitability for footwear use. Material costs need to be taken into account, particularly when producing specific designs, as cost consideration plays a vital role for companies like Tommy Hilfiger.

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