Milton: When will you return to the throne?

Of course there are many questions about the United States of America, a leader can be thrown out of the competition by competitors of course there will be such a problem, but the key is: When will the United States to return to the throne? This question is not very good, from the financial figures, the United States has fallen behind the current boss a order of magnitude. If we aim at the first or second position of the men's market in the domestic sales, it is obviously difficult to achieve this goal, the United States must have four: the strategy, capital, products and competition.

Milton: When will you return to the throne?

Stone Chapter Strong

Hubei United States can be said to be the Chinese garment manufacturing industry brand pioneer. In that year, the national apparel enterprises are also obsessed with large wholesale channels, when the old aunt of the mall or the end of the main force, the United States has opened the first domestic clothing brand stores. At that time, China's fashionable women are still accustomed to bargaining for a nice dress and a small stall keeper, struggling with the wallet's thickness and the label price of a "branded costume" that looks beautiful in a big mall. After 20 years of time, the stores in various cities have already sprung up and become pervasive. What Amani, Zegna, Polo, Levis ... What are the firs, the Heilan, the good news birds, the home of the House of the United States, the Westchester, Anta ..., both Chinese and foreign brands in the "Establish brand image, establish brand awareness" brand banner under the guidance of their own stores can open how big, open to where to open to where, can be decorated more luxurious decoration more luxurious. Apply Feng movie "Big Shot" words, you do not open a large shop, you are embarrassed to say that they are clothing brand!!

Positioning and image has been swinging from the uncertainty and firmness of the strategic

It is true that, from the marketing logic, clothing needs the consumer experience, in order to build brand value and ultimately promote the purchase of the business, the size and number of stores, determines your brand awareness, but also determines your voice in the middle of the channel. Then look back and see the United States. When you walk on the streets of the Beijing-Shanghai area, where the domestic market is the trend vane, when you stand in a department store, a shopping mall, a commercial street, and look Siwang, you will suddenly find that the United States, you can not find the shop, perhaps 4 floor (men usually on the floor) in a small corner, Occasional flashes of stint flash.

Or do you think that the number of stores is not enough to explain the problem, perhaps the United States in other channels, excellent performance, so good, we are looking at the cornerstone of marketing: Consumer attitudes, in their minds, what is the image of the United States? How much is the first mention rate of the United States? How much brand awareness? To be sure, the United States in the young people under 35 years of age, visibility far below the similar brand status of the cedar, red beans, the good news birds, and even almost no awareness and awareness. To know that the current business attire, business casual wear the most core consumer group is 18-35 years old group.

Or you still think that the United States must not only this, the current market performance can only show that the United States clothing business still lack. Fortunately, we are a public company, and we can peek at the current state of the United States through public statements.

If you compare the United States and other similar brands, you can clearly see the difference between the United States:

Performance statistics of apparel listed companies (unit: million)

United States

Shanshan

Youngor

Nine Shepherd King

Seven wolves.

Tidings Bird

Sales

21,941.69

130,351.69

539,003.64

96,373.88

119,405.08

73,262.55

Gross profit

1,805.40

9,203.26

122,196.97

26,912.66

21,796.72

10,971.42

Clothing business Income

19,237.14

67,728.62

294,352.32

96,187.97

108,621.06

70,709.06

But if you say that "the status quo is not good", it is clearly not true. An annual sales of billions of dollars of companies, a company across clothing, hotels, futures and so on, a group of enterprises, a leader of the state as a loyal fan of the enterprise, a Hubei province and the Midwest Garment enterprises, the leading eldest brother, such an achievement is enough to be irksome, such a position enough to sleep without worry. Using a word to describe the beauty of today, perhaps "worse" may be a more appropriate evaluation. However, as a fashion brand of the wave of a leader, as the leader of the year, the United States is willing to be reconciled to such a corner of Hubei, settle to do the Japanese market orders 26% Iron rice, intoxicated in the Yi Dan, CK and so on international line brand "made in China" that China?

Obviously not, from a series of recent actions, the United States in the domestic market is absolutely not want to be in the local market is not a nameless, definitely not just want to earn a meager cost of the foundry. Signing Honglei, positioning the political men, finishing the national channels, ready to enter the terminal and so on action, the United States is still trying to create a domestic market, and its ideal is obviously hope to return to the 90 era in the Chinese clothing industry status.

Red Star Honglei Endorsement of the United States, it seems not how many consumers know?

Then we have to ask, when will the United States return to the throne?

To figure this out, I'm afraid we have to figure out what the problem is with us right now.

Multi-industry operation led to the loss of 20 years. Looking back on the development of the United States, we can clearly see that in the middle of the 90, the United States has been through a period of diversification of the road. Since 1995, the United States began to put a lot of money and energy to the textile and apparel in other areas, when the company from the main industry apparel to textiles, bio-pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, electronic technology, advertising film and television, real estate and futures brokers and other industries expand, including car rental and catering hotels, And the most popular industry--the football club. The highest peak has 55 subsidiaries, but the outcome is not very good, most of the subsidiaries in a long period of time is not profitable, leading to the group must rely on clothing business to support. In this way, for a long time, expansion-operating 55 subsidiaries-cutting subsidiaries, this series of actions has shifted the entire group's business focus to capital operations and many industries. Clothing business must have faded out of the group's high-level vision. And in those more than 10 years, China's apparel industry Yun Yu, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian three clothing enterprises by virtue of the continuous upgrading of the marketing model, has occupied the Chinese clothing market, especially the men's market most of the country (a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises are in the three or four-line city tenacious resistance), while the traditional Hubei, Shanghai's garment barons are already behind. It is the representative of the United States. From the point of view of historical materialism, the biggest problem in the marketing of the United States is the loss of the domestic sales of these 20 years, this 20 years lost not only the channel, not the market, not the marketing model, more important is the market's sense of smell, sensitivity and intuitive grasp of the competition.

The brand value is ambiguous and the ego means strong. Every consumer will ask a question when he buys something: "Is this something right for me?" "As the Bible says, God asks the question, and the world has a brand, and that convoluted gives the consumer a reason: it suits you, and nothing else suits you." So what is the brand of the United States? In the last two years, the United States has redefined a new category name: Renationalisation men, very good and powerful, at the same time gave me a reason: men are going to fight for the honor of war. The brand system has two of the biggest problems, its one Yue, the brand to convey the concept of ambiguity. The so-called commercial government, more like the past of the glorious history of the United States (to make clothes for leaders), but the "political" part of the market does not need to disseminate what information, more important is the public relations, "business" that part, exactly what level is the core of the United States? What is the feeling of life? What value does the United States bring to them? I don't know, I only hear I want to fight for honor (don't I know I need to fight for honor?) So what does my honor have to do with us? I don't know. And the Heilan House of the Chao men wardrobe brand image, as well as seven wolves today you want to show which side, the U.S. brand is too vague, we face the brand value of the United States, we will be lost without knowing what they are. Now in the apparel market, all clothing brands are beginning to close to the consumer life, their own brand grafting to the consumer's life details, the United States is still trying to tell me: "The United States is very good, fortunately ..., this attitude is to put themselves in the role of the expert to do marketing, rather than as a consumer friend to help me choose clothes." Experts are no problem, but not the leader of the experts, it is easy to be seen by consumers as false experts.

The channel system is weak and the terminal experience is too weak. As mentioned above, clothing is the experience of the economy, there is no good user experience, marketing is not done, even if the ads again dazzling again moving, terminal this last kilometer did not do enough article, so do not produce sales, but will drag the brand system. At present, almost all of China's Men's brand (please note that the brand, the other only a name, no connotation of no story, we can not convince ourselves to call them "brand") are in the shop, are in the heart of their store system. What about the store in the United States? From the number of stores, the current 234 stores or the absolute number of counters, not only can not be compared to more than 2000 Youngor, and the good news Bird's 900, the number is too small. From the distribution scope of the store, the United States in the commercial developed Beijing and Shanghai Sui only two stores, the other stores in the two or three-line cities, the brand's two fulcrum: business and political, it seems to be far away. From the store to join the system to see, has not seen the United States have a system of franchisee selection, construction, management, training system, poor have a strong technology, the United States can not be ordered by the limit. But at present in the chain management system, manufacturers not only to sell goods to franchisees, but also to help the franchisee to sell the goods again, there is no corresponding supporting policies and training system, how can dealers have confidence, how to do it? Therefore, in general, compared with competitors, the United States and the end of the channel and the terminal system how a "weak" word? Now its join still stay in the old Merchants recruit regional distributor stage. Lost 20, so that the US has lost the ability to sync with marketing trends.

The product is too exquisite is the biggest obstacle of the brand. After an in-depth analysis of the overall operation of the United States, we can find that the United States and all the export enterprises, there is one of the most lethal entry into the domestic market weakness: the product is too good. The United States of America's products perennial for the Iraqi potential Dan, CK and other brand OEM, making its main product excellence, raw materials, exquisite products, but also in the world famous. But when facing the domestic market, the product is too good but will become a disadvantage. And why? Because China's consumers are not foreign production, quality experts, they will not care about what technology, raw materials, quality, cutting, what they care about only two things: wearing the upper body good-looking and durable, the price is ultra-low. In short, the Chinese market is not the internal quality of excellence, but can be perceived quality, competition is not what cost-effective, but simple price. So what could be the end result of the exquisite elegance of the United States? May be the high price, may be perceived quality can not and competitors to open the gap, may be too much attention to the product itself, rather than consumer opinion of the product ... This series of problems is reflected in the market, performance of consumers in front of, only one result: not see the quality, see the high price, the consumer finally had to vote with their feet, to sell the goods, the result is: The United States in the eyes of the consumers and competitors than a better chance than a.

On the spread of a good hand holding a piece of bad war. In fact, the most painful thing is that the United States hold a good hand on the spread of the card, but did not put in use, played a rotten battle. Let's count the number of public relations and sponsorship activities that the United States has actually done:

• Costume sponsorship at the Barcelona Paralympic Games

• Sponsorship Fund for the United States Education Awards Foundation.

• The establishment of the Professional football Club of the United States.

L 98 support for clothing in flood area.

L Sponsor Calendar Baby selection.

L to be the only designated clothing brand in the intellectual transport.

L ...

It can be seen that the United States in the past spend a lot of money, and sponsored by a lot of influential projects, such as the Barcelona Paralympic Games, the Chinese delegation, the United States Education Foundation, the Chi-Yun and so on. If these activities are in the hands of companies in Beijing, Guangdong or Zhejiang, will become an endless social sensation and brand awareness, but all this to the hands of the United States, all the clouds are clear wind does not seem to have happened, and the United States is like a generous gentleman, do not care about their own money, Even the little ripples in the water were not stirred, and they did not care. But whether or not the United States of America care or not, I feel very unfortunate. Take the recent intellectual games activities, the intellectual games brings together the world's top and smartest people, the sponsorship of such activities can bring to the United States how much endorsement of the message Ah!! What wisdom, energetic, intelligent, tough, glove all can and the brand value of the United States linked, as long as the United States to do a little more publicity, more of their stores and intellectual sports will do some contact, how his brand can not get a big boost?

The problem is, of course, that a leader can be thrown out of order by a competitor. Of course there are such problems, but the key is: When will the United States return to the throne? This question is not very good, from the financial figures, the United States has fallen behind the current boss a order of magnitude. If we aim at the first or second position of the men's market in the domestic sales, it is obviously difficult to achieve this goal, the United States must have four: the strategy, capital, products and competition.

With the current financial situation of the United States, whether the direct acquisition of competitors or by a bloody way to defeat the competition, the United States to open at least 1500 stores, training franchisees and their marketing staff, put a few months of advertising ... These movements are for money, and in the pursuit of the status of the United States to invest in more than a few times the number of opponents, then where does the money come from?

The United States of America's export system to the domestic market. Natural to design 20-40 SKU Basic products, to design these products, first of all to understand the domestic market what is the status of products, which styles to sell what is not good to sell, the next to let the Japanese and Italian human body type of designers back to the Chinese tailored several products, Have to have a selling point there are different gimmicks, these products after the listing can win the hearts of consumers? This question is still an unknown, from now on, it seems that at least to design a product that is not the same as other people, the difficulty for the United States is not small.

At the same time, the United States in order to develop in the domestic market, the competition is indeed not the topic of the open. At present, what Shanshan, seven wolves and other enterprises, are in the fierce competition in the market out, to say that China's clothing market today's prosperity behind the body of the clothing business is not a sea of blood. So, after losing more than 20 years of time, how can you face the attacks of these wolves? This is probably the hardest thing for us.

Not to mention the more troublesome, lost 20 years, the domestic sales of talent where to find? Where are the dealers who are willing to go through the storm with us?

In fact, said so many difficulties, in the final analysis: This question is wrong to ask!!!

I am afraid that at present for the United States, only the death of the high-end men's clothing business attire this road? Kam-Kun has been committed to doing one thing: to help enterprises become market segments of the first brand. The key words are: subdivision. For the United States, the situation is exactly the same, the United States now to ask their own, not how to win the competition, but to define what they are, what kind of competitors they own. In other words, in the Chinese clothing market a red Sea situation, why must force themselves to jump, can't find a separate market, find another blue sea?

So let's redefine the question: how can we get back to the throne? The question implies a deeper question: What is a throne? Which market is the throne?

Before you answer this question, first look at what is the strongest in the United States? Among the various official and semi-official reports of the United States, the strongest of all is the deep understanding of Western men and women's attire. For "What is a good suit", the United States in the public, in a variety of areas in the issue of a lot of ideas, the United States now on the production and product concept is a lot of leading domestic competitors.

At the same time, we can also see that the domestic top suit market has a quantity of suppliers: On the one hand is the foreign clothing brand, they have the ancient history, has the top designers, has the overall quality control, has the globalization strategy, but neither Armani nor Versace, but is not designed for the Chinese, they collect the various data, The embodiment is not the Chinese demeanor. On the other hand is a variety of tailor-made tailor-made workshops, since it is custom-made, it is bound to be expensive, slow speed, limited production problems. So for the United States, China's top suit market, is the United States should be to strive for the "throne" it: China's top clothing brand.

Products, the United States has an advanced concept, has high-grade fabric source, has the highest level of quality control system, the product must be no problem. Marketing, the top brand needs the most is the story of the occupation of Japan's top market 26%, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the United States, is there a lack of stories? Potential customers, Mercedes-Benz BMW Ferrari in the Chinese market performance of a year and a year, LV, Gucci quickly become China's high income of the standard configuration, market potential still worry?

We really have to ask a question: Where is your throne, Milton?

(Shi Qiang is the founder of the Jin-kun culture Development Group, the State Council Development Research Center researcher, the Shanghai municipal Government brand expert member, Shanghai Modern Service Federation brand Special Committee Secretary General.) Welcome to Exchange, the public micro-letter: Kam-kun brand marketing; microblogging: @ Kam-kun brand marketing, @ Jin Kun stone strong; Email: shizhangqiang@sohu.com