Relevancy and Importance of Positioning and Repositioning for Marketers in the Fashion Industry

This report discusses the relevancy and importance of positioning and repositioning for marketers in the fashion industry. It explores the challenges faced by organizations like Burberry and the methods they can use to achieve repositioning.

MINTEL Fashion
Accessories Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1. Relevancy and importance of positioning and repositioning for marketers............................1
2. How positioning of brand will change results of this process.................................................2
Source : Positioning map. 2018...................................................................................................3
3. Two methods which brands such as Burberry may use to achieve repositioning...................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCE...................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Fashion is consider as popular aesthetic expression in fixed period of time which deals in
variety of products and services like clothing, footwear, lifestyle, make up, accessories, hairstyle
and body proportions which attracts people and encourage them to buy it (Blasi, Brigato and
Sedita, 2020). In general, this is important for people as well organisation because it reflects
every culture in the world. This is the way that crates different social group and be differentiated
according to status. This report is about MINTEL Fashion Accessories report UK. This is fashion
industry that provides different types of products and services to attracts customers and sale them
effectively. The main aim of this report is to understand about fashion and how people are
reacting towards new fashion. This report consider relevance and importance of positioning and
repositioning for marketers, positioning map that change as result of this process and uses of two
appropriate methods to achieve repositioning.
1. Relevancy and importance of positioning and repositioning for marketers
Marketers are those person who research the market and get people needs according to
new trend and culture which helps to produce that kind of products and services. In changing
environment needs and wants of people are changing day by day which is important to develop
that kind of products which helps to run a business successfully (Ayertey and Ozuem, 2018). The
main object of marketers is to understand needs, introduce products by using different sources
which attracts them and increase the organisational profitability. In context to MINTEL Fashion
Accessories report many challenges faced by organisation and get success. Many luxury brands
have posted strong results in 2016 that shows Q1 2017 boosted by increasing in tourism to UK
due to weak Sterling. At that time Burberry organisation in UK saw as double digit sales growth
for 6 month up to 2017. Marketers in that organisation considered as relevant and important
person who helped to maintain a good position of business industry by selling the number of
products (Blasi, Brigato and Sedita, 2020). The relevancy and positioning and repositioning for
marketers in context to Burberry is defined as:
Understanding customer needs – This is important for marketers to get a clear
understanding of customer needs in order to maintain the position and reposition in market. This
starts with identifying specific, niche market segment to target which helps to attracts customers
and sale the products. Such as marketers of Burberry organisation understand the needs of
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Burberry people according to new fashion and introduce products accordingly (Relevancy and
importance of positioning for marketers, 2020). For instance, marketers of Burberry understand
that customers are engaging in luxury purchasing which helps to maintain brand positioning by
representing 37% of total group revenue with sale increasing by 10% in 2017.
Weigh competitive pressure – This is also important for marketers which states they
must weigh competitive pressure by considering the positioning elements through marketing
plans (Emmen Quirós, 2019). In context to Burberry, marketers analysis that people are
demanding luxury item or brand in Leather bags and other item which is creating competition.
By considering this competitive pressure better quality and luxury branded accessories and bags
provided by such organisation which helps to increase growth and sale by 16% in 2017 (Ozkan,
2018).
Targetting Communication channel – Positioning and repositioning helps marketers of
Burberry to state that how their offering is different from others which is choose by customers.
Marketers communicate with target audience and choose communication channel to deliver
information effectively which helps to maintain product position and reposition effectively
(London, 2018).
Position and reposition is highly important for marketers because it increase the position
of a product in the eyesight of customers by implementing strategies. Positioning process is used
by marketers to determine how to best communicate their products quality in order to reach near
by targeted customers. Positioning helps marketers to influence customers by showing the
position of their brand in market that encourages customers to buy the products. Repositioning is
also important for marketers as this help to capture the high market share and gain competitive
advantages. For instance, Burberry has low position in market due to which competitor are
selling its products and services in wider range. In this, marketers are playing an essential role
who make plans to upgrade the brand position by introducing new product and services in
fashion industry that would help to create a reposition in market. With the help of this, marketers
enhance their skills and influence people to buy services that processes to take competitive
advantages (Ozkan, 2018).
2. How positioning of brand will change results of this process
Positioning process is used by Burberry organisation which helps to understand the
current position, identify direct competition, understand each competitor is positioning their
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brand, comparing with position and competitors, creating a value based position and test the
efficacy of brand which gives good results in competitive environment and maintain a good
brand position (Hilton and et. al., 2019). Burberry is using this process which helped to change
the results and increase organisational sale. Such organisation uses effective position process in
which it introduce designer and branded fashionable accessories which helped to increase the
sale by competing with Mulberry and other fashion industry. Therefore, position increases the
brand image and good results by facing competition in business environment (Connell and et. al.,
2019).
Positioning map in context to Burberry
Illustration 1: Positioning map, 2018
Source : Positioning map. 2018
From the above positioning map it has been analysed that Burberry has medium position
in fashion industry who set average prices and average quality of products. This opportunity is
taken by others organisation such as Maxmara Girl, Baby Dior and Armani Junior by offering
vintage style and graceful colours which attracts customers. In this situation marketers are
playing an essential role to reposition its brand and increase profitability. For this, managers will
use luxury raw material and distinct colours to attracts customers. They need to offer high quality
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of design and quality of its products that will help to maintain reposition in market. With the help
of this, managers will be able to compete with others and will capture high brand image
(Positioning map, 2018).
3. Two methods which brands such as Burberry may use to achieve repositioning
There are several methods which can be used by Burberry in order to achieve
repositioning such as:
Brand relaunch – Sometime this stage comes in life where organisation need to re-
worked and relaunched its brand in different manner. Burberry can use this method to achieve
the reposition in market. For this, marketers need to analysis the competitor position then
formulate plans in order to compete with them effectively by relaunching its brand that will help
to achieve repositioning (Stewart and Carey, 2020).
Brand rejuvenation – This is related with adding new value, qualities and beliefs to the
existing product in order to enhance overall appeal. It is mainly intended to refocus the
customers attention on an existing brand. Burberry can use this method in maintaining the
repositioning that helps in revival of brand and make a healthy and successfully brands
(Petrylaite and Hart, 2019).
Customer engagement – To achieve reposition Burberry's management need to involve
people with brand that make them happy, aware by communicating properly. This will help to
change the communication way and process to maintain high reposition (Le, 2019).
Change in marketing mix - This means Burberry need to change the marketing mix
such as product, price, place and promotional strategy in order to get position and reposition.
This strategy is more effective that will help to face the competitive and increase sale as per
changing needs of people (Dikaiou Siaga, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that fashion industry is changing day by day as which
also changes needs and wants of people. This is important for marketers to deal with changes and
introduce products and services accordingly which helps to increase sale of organisation. To
achieve the reposition business need to change the marketing mix and focus on customer
engagement which will help to go ahead by growing business activities. Position of brand also
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changes the results process where marketing understand needs and introduce new products which
helps to face competition effectively.
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REFERENCE
Books and Journal
Blasi, S., Brigato, L. and Sedita, S. R., 2020. Eco-friendliness and fashion perceptual attributes
of fashion brands: An analysis of consumers’ perceptions based on twitter data mining.
Journal of Cleaner Production. 244. p.118701.
London, G. C. U., 2018. MSc Fashion and Lifestyle Marketing.
Iqbal, F., 2019. A human fashion brand model to define critical symbiotic relationships for
celebrity fashion emulation(Doctoral dissertation, The University of Salford).
Ozkan, N., 2018. Impacts of Product Design Changes on Suppliers: A Case Study of the Fashion
Industry (Doctoral dissertation, University of Leicester).
Connell, C., and et. al., 2019. Customer engagement with websites: a transactional retail
perspective. European Journal of Marketing.
Stewart, A. and Carey, L., 2020. Luxury Perfume Brands and Millenial Consumers.
In Understanding Luxury Fashion (pp. 147-173). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Petrylaite, E. and Hart, D., 2019. Men’s consumer identities and their consumption norms in the
perceived, conceived and lived spaces of spas. Journal of Marketing Management, pp.1-
28.
Online
Relevancy and importance of positioning for marketers. 2020. Available through:
<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-product-positioning-marketing-plan-
24275.html>
Positioning map. 2018. Available through:
<https://culcweiz5.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/competitors-of-maxmara-girl-and-
maxmara-girl-in-line-with-the-brand-equity-identity-and-heritage-of-maxmara/>
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