Sound like an irate neighbor yelling over to the house party next door? Nope. Just Abercrombie & Fitch’s new leadership making a few changes.
As anyone who has walked into an A&F store knows it can overload your senses. Nightclub level music, wafting cologne, and of course nothing but attractive young staffers as far as the eye can see. For some can be overwhelming enough to warrant a nap upon returning home from the mall!
But all of that is changing, now that long-time CEO Michael Jeffries has left the company, and a strategy shift has been implemented to combat declining sales; according to a recent article on CNNMoney.com, a reported 10% drop in U.S. sales in 2014 alone.
The same article outlines some of the new initiatives coming to A&F stores, such as more diversity among staff members and a calmer setting for shoppers. As for store openings and on-site events, which traditionally featured shirtless male models, a new shirts-on policy will tone down what the company now acknowledges has been sexualized marketing. Really…
While these changes represent a large shift in thinking for A&F, they are part of a greater movement within the advertising industry to redefine beauty in an effort to better connect with target customers. The Dove Real Beauty campaign, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2014, continues to use real women rather than models and documentary style shorts rather than airbrushed magazine spreads. On a grass roots level, social media campaigns started by teens have challenged the overuse of Photoshop in advertising and touted the messages of diversity and self-acceptance.
Some say Abercrombie is late to the game on this one, but company executives are banking on the shift in attitude bringing about a change to the bottom line this year. Only time will tell, and there is still plenty of 2015 left, including the ever coveted fourth quarter holiday season.
When it comes to successfully promoting your business, it’s important to pay attention to any social and societal realignments. We all need to continually ask ourselves:
- Does my brand’s messaging fit in with the needs of my target audience?
- Have my customers changed? If so, how? What is important to them now?
- How can I best stay relevant and engaged with those I want to bring through my actual or virtual doors?
If you think your business could better reflect the changing attitudes and morphing perceptions in society as a whole – and more importantly, among your target audience members – we’d love to talk to you. Together we can work out what you want your message to be, how it fits with social currents, and the best ways to meld the two. Give us a call at (203) 762-8833 so we can figure out your best PR look.
– BML
