BUMKT5902 Marketing Management: Bec + Bridge Situation Analysis Report

This report presents a comprehensive situational analysis of Bec + Bridge, an Australian fashion label. It begins with an introduction and background of the company, followed by an in-depth environmental marketing analysis using the PESTEL framework, examining political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors impacting the brand. A detailed SWOT analysis is then conducted to identify the brand's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Based on these analyses, the report recommends specific marketing strategies for Bec + Bridge over the next five years, focusing on consumer loyalty, digital marketing improvements, and sustainability initiatives. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and recommendations, emphasizing the importance of adapting to changing consumer preferences, economic uncertainties, and global trends to ensure the brand's continued success. References are also provided.

Marketing Management

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Bec + Bridge is Australian fashion brand established in 2004 and its environmental and
internal analysis is conducted to determine its position in the Australian fashion industry.
PESTEL and SOWT analysis are done to identify its factor affecting Bec + Bridge’s operations
and strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. All this have provided a base to recommend
futuristic marketing strategies to Bec + Bridge. Environmental, social and technological factors
mostly affect the business and consumer choice for the brand. Rather, legal, political and
environmental factor affects the operations. The brand has opportunity to expand business in
Asian nation and increase partnership but is under risk due to international recession, trade war
and political shifts. It is recommended to form marketing strategies to increase consumer loyalty
amidst recession through rewards, incentives and bonuses. It is also suggested to change its
digital marketing approach in future.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1
2.0 BACKGROUND TO THE COMPANY...................................................................................1
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETING ANALYSIS...................................................................1
4.0 SWOT SUMMARY..................................................................................................................3
5.0 RECOMMENDED MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR NEXT 5 YEARS............................4
6.0 CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The report is prepared on situational analysis of Bec + Bridge, a Australia based fashion
label founded in 2004. In the report the brand will be investigated for its environment along with
marketing it operates in. SWOT analysis will also be conducted in order to present marketing
strategies to the organisation for next 5 years, after detecting its threat, challenges and
opportunities and how to respond to the same.
2.0 BACKGROUND TO THE COMPANY
Bec + Bridge was founded by two friends Backy Copper and Bridget Yorston in 2004.
The brand maintains its core where it is ensures maintain a relevance to all its consumers in
designing and have extended its operations to Europe, New Zealand and Japan (Bec + Bridge,
2020). Bec +Bridge is dedicated to women clothing only and is an epitome of cool, modern and
confident wearer. Over 15 years the brand has established its mark in international market. The
brand has work with prestigious international partners like Farfetch, Juisa, Shopbob and others.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETING ANALYSIS
Political factor:
Political factor brings highest uncertainty to fashion industry due to geopolitical
instability, political tension, terrorism, trade deals and current global trade dispute. All these
increases pervasive sense on uncertainty in fashion industry and Bec + Bridge can also get
affected by these factors. Bec + Bridge is fashion label and government encourages this type of
companies to buy local fabric so that taxes to importing countries shall be paid less.
Economical factor:
Bec + Bridge deals with global partners and requires to pay import and export duties.
Taxes imposed on fashion industry are higher than other industries in Australia (Loureiro et al.
2018). International exchange rate volatility is a crucial element affecting Bec + Bridge the most.
The economic fluctuation worldwide has a direct impact on its sales and profits.
Social factor:
Fashion industry is one sector where trends changes frequently with each season. Bec +
Bridge deal in women apparel only and female fashion preferences changes very fast (Varley
et.al., 2018). Therefore, Bec + Bridge is most likely to get affected by worldwide changes in
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fashion trends, shift in taste, preferences and choice of consumers. This factor is crucial for
growth of the brand and targeting the millennial generation is necessary by providing great
quality product by low prices.
Technological factor:
Major technological development in fashion industry has happened in 21st century.
Globalisation, information technology, internet and increased use of mobile devise for shopping
effects sales, marketing and consumer preferences (Sakhamur & Sherman, 2019). Consumer
researches everything online and then makes choice for purchasing apparel. Millennial
generation likes to shop online with personalised experience regarding shopping and consumer
services. Ecommerce and overseas expansion have passively increases sales and profit of Bec +
Bridge.
Legal factor:
Legal regulations and challenges bound fashion industry. Being in fashion industry Bec +
Bridge is large employer of labourer and there is direct implications of labour and industrial
laws. Environmental laws, animal protection laws needed to be complied with to avoid
litigations (Sikora, 2018). Bec + Bridge deals with overseas partners and international trade laws
are also required to be abided with. Apart from this, ethical practices and sustainability practise
also have high impact on operations of Bec + Bridge.
Environmental factor:
Environment and sustainability are important factors affecting fashion industry. Bec +
Bridge gets affected by its carbon footprint and efforts made to become environmental friendly.
Investment in environmental friendly raw material, packaging and operation; transformation in
product design and manufacturing process has high impact on its brand image, consumer
retention and profits (Gürel & Tat, 2017). Sustainability practices of fashion brand have high
influence on consumer buying decision, so sustainability goals have key importance in
maximization of profitability and minimisation of carbon footprint.
Summary:
From the analysis it can be seen that all environmental factors have direct impact on
operations of Bec + Bridge. Out of them environmental, technological and social factors are most
likely to affect choice and preferences of the consumers. Marketing is done by Bec + Bridge in
such a manner where it highlights all abidance with latest fashion trends and choices, effective
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use of digital and online platform is done to attract and retain mass of consumers. Also,
marketing strategies are made to cope with political uncertainties and retain customer loyalty in
the brand. Legal abidance and sustainable practices by Bec + Bridge has been made one of the
critical factor of marketing campaign. Economic changes and fluctuation in international
currency are incorporate in marketing in such a way that consumer understand that how brand is
dealing with such changes and making effort to give them the best purchasing experiences.
4.0 SWOT SUMMARY
Strengths:
Bec + Bridge provide personalised services to costumer especially for weddings. It has its
operations in leading fashion countries Europe nations, Japan and New Zealand and others.
Provide facility of currency exchange on its website (Paramadita et al. 2019). Deals in all women
clothing line and provide personalised services. Brand has strong marketing on all digital
platforms like Facebook, Instagram and others. Extent support to One girl, a non-profit
organisation in Sierra, Leone and Uganda.
Weaknesses:
Brand provides apparel product and services only to women around the world. It has
limited overseas expansion and do not have partnership with Asian and fashion brands (Kim et
al. 2017). It has a narrow audience and marketing is limited to few social networking sites only
and have lesser focus on rewarding and bonus to consumers.
Opportunities:
Bec + Bridge can expand its operations in Asian countries and get into partnership with
top fashion brands of those nations (Amatulli et.al., 2016). It can follow Omni channel (both
online and offline) marketing strategies for its product and services. Increase consumer loyalty
through bonuses, rewards, discount code and gamification.
Threats:
Bec + Bridge have a threat increased completion and rival are has a large consumer mass
providing product and service to all gender and age groups (Nuraini & Purwanegara, 2020).
Increased political instability and global trade war and falling world economy are likely to affect
the international exchange rates and it can curb the consumer base of the brand.
Summary:
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SWOT analysis have evaluate the strengths of Bec + Bridge as providing personalised
services to consumer and have a single focus customer orientation. In the current global
recession, political instability and trade war have increased threat on the brand over tis
international partnership, business and consumer retention. Profits can fall due to increase in
duty and taxes. Bec + Bridge have also opportunities to expand its business in those Asian
countries which have large population and internationally known fashion brands to extent its
global partnership. The treat of tough completion is high and risk of losing consumer because of
limited social media marketing is also increasing.
5.0 RECOMMENDED MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR NEXT 5 YEARS
From the above analysis it can be seen that consumer for the fashion brand Bec + Bridge
are vulnerable to fashion choice and faster change in trend (Jin & Cedrola, 2019). Also, the
brand might faces issues due to international trade dispute and falling economy. Also, it has
expansion opportunism along with increasing international trade partnerships. For next 5 years,
Bec +Bride is suggested to include following in its marketing strategies:
 Consumer loyalty and retention can be increased through introduction of incentive and
rewards schemes in its marketing campaign. This can be done through offering discount
cards, bonus and gasification.
 At present the brand is active on tow social networking sites that is Facebook and
Instagram (Biliba & Mishchenko, 2017). Bec + Bridge is require to revise its digital
marketing as it must ensure its presence on all social media platform to increase
interaction with millennial who are very active on social media.
 Under its marketing strategies it must include the measures taken by the brand for making
its product and services and environmental friendly and steps taken towards
sustainability. This is essential as millennial and consumers are very cautious about the
product they use and impact on the environment by the brands they wear.
 In coming years, the global economy will fall and this requires Bec + Bridge to revise its
marketing strategies and increase its consumer base and loyalty by focusing in their
preferences, global trends, remarks, suggestion and its must offer community assistance.
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6.0 CONCLUSION
In the report situational analysis of Bec + Bridge is done where PESTEL and SWOT
analysis is undertaken to identify environmental factors affecting its operation and treats and
opportunities of the business. Environmental, social and technological factors affect the business
the most in context of consumer preference and retention. Legal, political and environmental
directly effects operation of business but have lesser impact on consumers. Global fall in
economy, trade war and political instability bring uncertainty for this brand while it has
opportunity to expand the business in Asian and other nations. Bec + Bridge is recommended to
change its digital marketing strategies and expand the same. Also, to increase international as
well as domestic consumer loyalty introduce incentive and reward plans.
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REFERENCES
Amatulli, C., Mileti, A., Speciale, V., & Guido, G. (2016). The Relationship between Fast
Fashion and Luxury Brands: An Exploratory Study in the UK Market. In Global
marketing strategies for the promotion of luxury goods (pp. 244-265). IGI Global.
Bec + Bridge. (2020). [Online]. Available through <
https://www.becandbridge.com.au/pages/our-story >. [Accessed on 12th April 2020].
Biliba, A., & Mishchenko, N. (2017). Establishment of a Clothing Company in Finland Based on
a University Brand Case: LAMK Apparel Company.
Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: a theoretical review. Journal of International
Social Research, 10(51).
Jin, B., & Cedrola, E. (Eds.). (2019). Process Innovation in the Global Fashion Industry.
Palgrave Macmillan US.
Kim, H., Lee, Y., & Lee, J. (2017). An analysis of the characteristics of the Chinese
contemporary fashion market and the competitiveness of the Korean fashion brand. 복복복복복복, 25(2), 145-158.
Loureiro, S. M. C., Serra, J., & Guerreiro, J. (2018). Fashion brands communicating and
interacting in Instagram: a netnography approach. Fashion brands communicating and
interacting in Instagram: a netnography approach, 1352-1362.
Nuraini, S., & Purwanegara, M. S. (2020). Business Strategy for Longgar Outfit as a New
Fashion Brand. Tourism and Sustainable Development Review, 1(1), 14-24.
Paramadita, S., Sasongko, A., & Candra, S. (2019). Using PESTEL Framework to Analyze User-
Generated Content Usage on Social Media: The Case of Indonesian Tourism and
Travelling Business on Instagram. In The 1st Workshop on Multimedia Education,
Learning, Assessment and its Implementation in Game and Gamification in conjunction
with COMDEV 2018. European Alliance for Innovation (EAI).
Sakhamuri, T., & Sherman, H. (2019). Going “Green” at Mulberry: Managing Brand
Transitions. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 10(9).
Sikora, E. D. (2018). Analysis and evaluation of fashion luxury brands’ image based on Channel
and Kenzo examples (Doctoral dissertation, Katedra Procesów Zarządzania).
Varley, R., Roncha, A., Radclyffe-Thomas, N., & Gee, L. (2018). Fashion management: A
strategic approach. Macmillan International Higher Education.
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