Eileen Fisher Case Study: Brand Repositioning Strategy and Analysis

This case study analyzes the Eileen Fisher brand, its positioning, and the strategic initiative to reposition the brand. It examines the core brand associations, meaning narratives, and how these are embodied in the products, stores, employees, and marketing efforts. The assignment assesses Eileen Fisher's brand equity, considering its evolution over time, and explores the challenges posed by an aging customer base. It then delves into the potential of repositioning the brand to target emerging and nascent market segments, discussing the pros and cons of such a move. The analysis also considers how Eileen Fisher should reposition its brand, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of proposed brand actions for each market segment. Overall, the case study provides insights into brand strategy, market analysis, and the importance of adapting to changing consumer demographics to ensure long-term sustainability.

Running head: BRAND POSITIONING
Brand Positioning
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Notes:

1BRAND POSITIONING
Associations and meaning narratives associated with the brand, Eileen
Fisher and the embodiment of its products, stores, employees and
marketing.
Eileen Fisher an American clothing designer had a vision to contribute the wellbeing
of women of the society with her contributions and expertise. Eileen Fisher, the clothing
brand was established in 1984 after the name of the founder of the company. The brand was
targeted towards women and the product were assorted from high quality material. The
company celebrated its twenty-fifth-year anniversary in 2009. An issue was identified that
had the potential to lead the brand to extinction. The issue was that the customers of the brand
were deemed to be aging with the brand. People had developed a perception about the brand
that the products of the brand were only meant for the aging women of the United States. It
was observed that the younger sects of the female population of the country hardly
contributed to the turnover of the company. Thus, a brand repositioning program was
undertaken by the company with the motive of transforming the image of the brand in the
community.
The company was founded Eileen Fisher in 1984 and the company was named after
the latter. The founder was an established designer in the fashion industry and she derived
ideas and inspiration about creation of the brand from her own wardrobe. The founder
realised that women’s fashion was one of the most popular industries in the country. The
main motive behind the creation of the brand was to devise fashionable products of the
aforementioned sector of the female population. The owner being a woman could relate to the
needs of the women of the society. Thus, the company prioritised the feeling that the
consumers would associate with the product. Hence, the mission of the brand was to provide
a sense of simplicity, sensuality, beauty, timelessness and functionality in the products that

2BRAND POSITIONING
were offered by the company. The products that are devised by the company that is inspired
through creativity, confidence and connection within the women of the community. The
company has had a loyal base of customers who have been associated with the company from
their initial days till present. The targeted demographics of the company have responded well
to the initiatives of the company.
The loyal customer of a company is considered to be one of the most important
contributors to the sustainability of a company. Hence, it is the aim of the companies to
maximise the satisfaction levels of the customers. It has been analysed that companies who
have been able to cater to the needs of the customers have been able to gain profitability and
acceptance from the consumer community. Accordingly, Eileen Fisher have been able to
create the associations in their company as a result of which they have been on the receiving
end of customer loyalty and satisfaction. The nature of operations of the stores, the level of
engagement of the employees, the value proposition that the product offers to the consumers
and the marketing tactic that have been adopted by the company determine the effectiveness
of the consumer orientation of a company.
Before formulation of the ultimate products for the company, the founder and a key
mind in the creation of the product offered by the company, found out that most of the
fashionable apparel that were targeted towards the women of the country were unrealistic.
Most of the apparel were targeted towards the women with hourglass shaped. This, left the
plus sized portion of the female population in vacuum. Thus, the idea behind the creation of
the products was based on the needs and requirements of the aforementioned community. The
products that were created by the community were sourced from high quality fibre and were
crafted by utilising the expertise of experienced professionals. The clothes were much more
breathable than the types of clothes that are found on fashion magazines. Hence, the products

3BRAND POSITIONING
that were offered by the company were suitable for the plus-sized and the aging sector of the
female population of the country.
Unlike most of the fashion brands that operated in the industry, Eileen Fisher did not
participate in fashion expos. Even though the company was considered as a product for the
niche of the country, they did not carry out the latter. Visiting public events can increase the
visibility of a brand, however the same was not carried out by the company as they identified
that their products were targeted towards the plus sixed women of the community. The line of
products that were offered by the company were available for the purchase from the exclusive
stores of the products. It implied that the products that were offered by the company could
only be available to the customers. It was further used by the company to elevate the niche
sector of image of the company. The employees of a company are one of the most important
stakeholders of a company, the same was realised by the company. The human resource
policies within the organisation ensured that the employees of the company had effective
working environments. The well-being and prosperity of the employees are valued by the
company who ensured that the needs and motivation of the employees were satisfied. The
achievement of the latter state results in committed employees. Employee engagement is
valued by companies as is helps in the ensuring commitment of the employees and
contributes to their confidence (Cohen 2017). Furthermore, while hiring and selecting the
employees, it was ensured that the individuals shared passion for fashion and apparel. The
aim of the company is to provide favourable experiences to the customers, thus assessing the
needs of the customers is crucial. Hence, the employees had to have necessary ideas about the
services and the products that they dealt in in order to give the highest levels of services to
the customers. The company have been able to recognise the employees of the organisation
as the mediums through which their goals are communicate to the customers. The employees
of the company are one of the most important stakeholders of the company.

4BRAND POSITIONING
The marketing techniques that were adopted by the company were different than that
was adopted by the competitors of the company. Advertising is a traditional form of
marketing through which the consumers are communicated about the intentions and the value
proposition of the company. The same was used by the company. However, it can be said that
their approach was different. Traditionally fashion brands showcase women which hour glass
shaped figures. In the advertising campaigns of the company have been targeting “Real”
women that is the women who have bodies that are considered to be different than the
traditional models who are in the advertisements. Even, though it has been witnessed that
persuasive communication with the customers is the best way to promote the sales of a
particular brand or community, the company have not employed the same in use as they aim
to provide legible services to the customers. Thus, the marketing tactics of the company are
created in order to create favourable relations with the customers through which they can
communicate the aim and mission of the company clearly and directly with no persuasion
involved in their operations.
The brand equity of Eileen Fisher and the justification of nature of
operations of the brand in the future
Eileen Fisher have been positioned in the market that offers products to the market
based on their diverse needs. The aim of the company is to provide value for the segment that
they are targeting. For 25 years the target customers of the company were middle aged to
older women of the population, thus their products were devised accordingly. The products
that re offered by the company are loosely fitted and do not have aggressive colour schemes.
This does not necessarily imply that the products that are offered by the company are out of
fashion. The company was perceived in the community as a company who supply products in
the market that are aimed at providing utility to the middle to old aged women in the society.
It was found that majority of the customers of the company were over the age of fifty. Thus,

5BRAND POSITIONING
the company was perceived to be aging. From external analysis, it was found out that
expenditure of women of the target demographic of the company have been on a downward
verge. On the other hand, the expenditure of the younger women was rising. Thus, it was
determined that the company were losing out on the opportunity to capitalise on the younger
sections of the population. Thus, the company devised the aim to reposition the brand in the
community, as a result of which they would be able to expand their target market. Carrying
out the latter would ensure the sustainability of the company in the long run.
The aim of the company is to provide value to the customers. However, they have
identified a hindrance in their operations in the form of the brand equity and the perception of
the customer community. The current equity of the brand has been identified in the above
section. The brand equity that was identified in the above section can lead to threats to the
sustainability of the company in the long run. Thus, the company have formulated a strategy
to change the equity that is associated with their brand. The main aim of the company is to
communicate their vision to the customer community in terms of value that the company
aims to provide to the customers. In order to sustain the value of the company the company
must soon devise strategies that will help them in terms of avoiding opportunity loss. The
younger demographics of the female population of the country are increasing their
expenditure related to the purchase of fashion apparel. The following strategies have been
devised by the company in order to reposition themselves in the market;
1. To target the niche market and established women of the community that will help the
brand in their initiatives of penetration in the market.
2. To effectively market the products which would be aimed at the emerging section of
women population of the country.

6BRAND POSITIONING
3. To reduce the price tags that are associated to the products. The achievement of the
latter would be viable in helping the company achieve its aim of targeting the nascent
women demographic.
The latter three sections have been identified in order to justify the long-term
sustainability initiatives of the company. If the company is able to ensure that they target the
established women, they will help by contributing to the needs of revenue generation of the
company, the emerging and nascent would be subject to the new line of clothing that have
been developed for the same. The brand equity of the company has been favourably sustained
over the years. However, the need of change has been rightfully identified which implies that
the brand equity would rise in the future.
Eileen Fisher was a brand that was established after the name of the founder. The
products that are devised by the company are aimed towards the plus sized women of the
community. It was identified that even if fashion industry was highly popular among the
women of the United States, there were lack of products that were devised for middle aged to
elderly women. The aim of the company is to create value for the consumer of the apparel
that are offered by the company. It was identified that the customer base of the company was
aging. Furthermore, the rise in expenditure of the younger population was analysed as a loss
of opportunity to the company. Hence, a brand positioning strategy was undertaken by the
company. In conclusion, it can be said that repositioning of the company can be justified by
the targeting the nascent women of the society as contributing to the same would help in
justifying the initiatives of the company in the long run.