3) Brand Research: Dr Martens

Dr. Martens BRAND RESEARCH

Olivia walker

Dr. Martens succeed because they are a brand that are unique in style, functional and have a good reputation for creating durable product. They are a leading shoe manufacturer, and due to their distinctive style and loyal following it is difficult to determine who their immediate competitors are.

MARKET RESEARCH W

21%

OF WOMEN BOUGHT FLAT BOOTS IN 2018 W

50%

OF SPENDING ON FOOTWEAR IN 2018 WAS ACCOUNTED FOR BY THE SALES OF WOMEN’S SHOES.

THE PROPORTION OF CONSUMER SPENDING ON FOOTWEAR TAKING PLACE ONLINE HAS RISEN TO

21.5%

NO. 1 GOOD QUALITY FOOTWEAR CAME TOP OF THE LIST WHEN IT COMES TO WHY PEOPLE WOULD CHOOSE ONE RETAILER FOR FOOTWEAR OVER ANOTHER.

Koi Footwear are a smaller brand (they currently sit at 204k Instagram followers in comparison to Dr. Martens 2.6 million) however can be considered a competitor.

They design footwear that is also alternative in style, some product sharing resemblance to Dr. Martens however are significantly more affordable.

They are also PETA approved and 100% vegan as shown in the logo, which is a large and growing market. Dr. Martens are limited in vegan product due to their manufacture being involving leather typically.

I have witnessed this brand grow in coverage and popularity in the past year or so.

Timberland are a competitor as they both specialise in boots and are popular as a fashionable product as well as a functional, durable product.

They sit at a similar price point to Dr. Martens.

Working in a shoe shop, I can say that Timberland alongside Dr. Martens and Ugg are the best sellers during the Autumn/Winter period.

From personal experience, Timberland’s tend to be a stronger seller in Men’s, men often opting for Timberland’s over Dr. Martens for a work boot.

Social media: DR MARTENS

Social media: DR MARTENS Across the brands I will be focusing on Instagram as a social media platform as it is most frequently used by consumers.

FREQUENCY: Post very consistently, daily.

ENGAGEMENT: They engage with consumers directly through reposting their images as well as sharing their work.

BRANDing: They have given an insight into the lifestyle of Dr. Martens through showcasing music, DIY and stories.

The grid is true to them but they be more consistent in colour & branding to enhance this.

PLATFORM USAGE: They post a mixture of video content and imagery which is successful in keeping the feed interesting and mixed.

They have also made use of IGTV. They have strong use of the stories feature.

Website: DR MARTENS NAVIGATION: The navigation bar is divided into clear categories and within in this many more specific options making it easy to find products. There is also a search tool and filters.

The website runs efficiently and is in depth including a lot of information as well as selling product. They have made it user friendly in that you can see product clearly, can read information etc.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION: They show product from a variety of different angles however don't show models wearing them which may be beneficial for customers.

ONLINE AESTHETIC: The online aesthetic aligns with their branding, with strong use of colour especially. They have succeeded in making their brand recognisable.

Social media: KOI FOOTWEAR

Social media: KOI FOOTWEAR BRANDing: FREQUENCY: Post very consistently, daily, if not multiple times daily.

ENGAGEMENT: Mixture of content that promotes product and witty content e.g. memes to engage with target demographic.

They have given an insight to their tone of voice, consumer but could still do more to work on the branding. If you took away the handle and product images, I’m not certain I would know it’s their social media.

PLATFORM USAGE: Make use of imagery and video content, as well as IGTV. They make good use of stories and highlights, including behind the scenes, new product and fun additions such as wallpapers.

Website: KOI FOOTWEAR

NAVIGATION: The website runs efficiently and is clear to use. Their navigation bar allows a customer to refine their browsing easily. They have the option to refine by size but only on some menus so they could work on consistency here. You can filter product and search.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION: Each product has several images to showcase them and much of the product is shown on a model when you hover over the image. You can get a good indication of product based off the images.

ONLINE AESTHETIC: They have began to represent their brands fun and unique nature and catered to their young consumer shown by the use of emojis.

However, I think they could go further with this. They don’t have obvious brand colours or logo which would make a big difference in making the brand more established and recognisable.

Social media: TIMBERLAND

Social media: TIMBERLAND BRANDing: FREQUENCY: Post very consistently, daily.

ENGAGEMENT: They have a highlights named 'Fan Faves' to showcase consumers' own imagery of product. They use the platform professionally to educate, sell and showcase campaigns so don't rely too much on engagement in the form of back-and-forth between consumer and brand.

They have successfully portrayed the brand identity graphically with strong use of colour. They have focused on the brand’s focus on nature and have used this to promote themselves.

PLATFORM USAGE: Make use of a lot of video content and IGTV which is effective in engaging with a consumer. They have many stories and highlights. They have also made use of the shop feature enabling users to buy through Instagram.

This is unique to Timberland in comparison to the other two brands I have researched and is a clever way to make full use of the platform.

Website: TIMBERLAND

NAVIGATION: The website is very clear and easy to navigate, again with strong use of a navigation bar.

When browsing certain sectors they have many options to filter down results making it easy to find product. They also have a search bar. The website holds a lot of information yet doesn't feel overwhelming.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION: They show product from a variety of different angles however don't show models wearing them which may be beneficial for customers.

The individual product pages feel busier than the rest of the website.

ONLINE AESTHETIC: Branding is clear graphically through use of colour and fonts. I personally have always been a bit confused about Timberland’s branding especially as they have had shift in recent years. I’m not sure who their consumer is based off the website.

CUSTOMER PROFILE Dr. Martens are a globally recognisable brand with a diverse target audience ranging from ages 16-50. There is unity between the wide demographic in that they share the want to seek their own individual style through self-expression.

URBAN SELF-EXPRESSIVE

BRITISH

ARTISTIC

ALTERNATIVE

FESTIVAL-GOER

PROUD EDUCATED

WORKING CLASS

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS - Globally recognisable.

- Heritage and authenticity.

- Have moved into mainstream fashion without losing heritage.

- Still some manufacture in the UK (reinforcing ‘British’ appeal) - Positive reputation for manufacturing durable product.

- Loyal consumer.

OPPORTUNITIES - Expansion of product ranges outside footwearparticularly apparel could work well with their aesthetic.

- Development of online customer service such as live online ‘chat’ for queries.

- Further expansion of ranges such as vegan, ‘lite’ range and potentially narrow/wide fit (I find Dr. Martens wide on me personally).

- Market to Chinese market as manufacture now takes place here and would be quite a unique brand to push to this market.

WEAKNESSES - Controversy as the brand relies heavily on the ‘Made In Britain’ appeal however the majority of manufacture no longer takes place in Britain, they have shut several factories.

- Many consumers believe the quality of product has fallen.

- The brand is no longer owned by the original family.

- Product known to typically need time to be worn in, initially not comfortable for many.

THREATS

- New competitors entering the market such as Koi footwear.

- Future threat of all production leaving the U.K. and affecting the authenticity of the brand.

- Impact of Brexit affecting trade.

- Economic uncertainty due to current climate (Covid-19) may make many less willing to pay £100+ for shoes, opting for a cheaper alternative.