Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

Public Relations:

 

J crew spends $6.7 million to advertise their products it is double the year over 2011. However, there are no TV J crew commercials and they do not use celebrities for their advertisements. The company advertises its brands primarily in fashion and lifestyle publications such as VOGUE. Also, their own paper catalog it stars in 1983 today still sent out 40 million copies. Nowadays, they shift focus on online store which is new type of catalog instead of paper one. Sometimes the pictures in the catalog make peoples' topics there is a picture in their catalog that a boy with pink toes polished and it was broadcasted on TV about gender identity. They made it on purpose because they want people talk about it and see the picture in their catalog. They believe that the catalog and online store reinforce their image of the brand and drive sales.





In addition, fortunately, the first lady, Michelle Obama wears J crew clothing when she is in public and private. J crew does not this happen on purpose but it is a huge advertisement and chance to be known to the people all over the world. why not J crew does not take this huge advantage? She was in VOGUE with J crew clothes which J crew advertises in the magazine. 

 

 

 

Sales Promotion:

Each J crew retail stores have some space to put clothes, shoes and accessories  that are on sales usually 20%-30% off from the original price. J crew product is not cheap so the sales products are affordable. Also, online store there is a sales page that we can buy them anytime and anywhere.

Marketing Channels and Retailing

  J crew has direct marketing channel which they sell their products for their customers directly.

For example, women cashmere  sweater

 They design, chose materials, chose colors and quantities etc. They sell them for their customers in stores which is customer visit J crew store and out store which is catalog, online shopping.

J crew retailing have two major ways to business one is in-store retailing other one is out-store retailing.

Out-store retailing system now become bigger each year because out-store their web site is well developed it is simple step to purchase their products.

In the result annual sales  increased. In 2006 the sales was 19% of the total sales and next year it increased by 4.3%. Also, J crew.com was logged over 71 million visits it was increased by 11% compared it in 2005.

In additional, In-store retailing also increase they divide gender women and men. I visited both J crew and Men’s J crew. They are decorated very differently. For man's store is more classic, manly and less colorful than women's store. Women's store is more colorful, feminine and more bright.

Consumer Decision Making

What make customers to purchase J crew product? Since Jcrew`s products are always good qualities that is the customers expect from J crew. For example, there are many store that we can purchase a sweater for cheap price but it will not able to wear long time because when it is washed most of the times the fabric gets shrink or expands. However, J crew focus on create their products good quality sometimes they have to change desigh, fabric materials to make their price competitive but they always make sure the qualities are good enough to make their customer happy and have confidence their products.

 

Also, Jcrew create new design each year. They do not use design from last year. Therefore, the customer enjoy different new design and make the customers purchase their products each year. In addittion, J crew has special service called personal stylist which helps customer to built style and how to coordinate clothes personally. It is able to show the image of the product and help the customer to coordinate clothes. If the customers can image of the product how to wear it they tend to purchase the product.

 

 

J crew has a well developed online shopping system. They ship their products internationally 100 different places in the world. American apparel companies are very popular around the world such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret. However many conpanies do not ship so many different palce. Many costomer who are not able to came to America they can not get their product. Nevertheless, customers can order their product around the worldend to purchase the product.

Developing a Global Vision

Now, J crew is known as an American fashion retailer. However, it will expand globally now online shopping called e-commerce they ship the customer’s order more than 100 different locations all over the world. J Crew will be offering its international customers (outside of North America) an introductory offer including free shipping and returns as well as duty-free shopping for a limited time. If J crew is able to ship their product for free to their customers. The customers tend to buy more J crew product without worry about shipping free because international shipping free is very expensive.

 The next phase in the company’s expansion plans will include opening specialty stores in select markets in Europe and Asia over the next several years.

Especially, J crew will open soon a store in Hong Kong for huge marketing opportunities. (28 million tourists visit Hong Kong each year from mainland China). And later J crew plans to open their store mainland in China Beijing and Shanghai.

“We are on a mission to provide customers around the world with the best-of-the-best – we have created an experience that is equally as rich online as in store and are excited to introduce J Crew to new customers worldwide,” states Millard Drexler, Chairman