Hollister Case Study
Hollister Case Study
Sex Appeal, Surf Culture and Seduction: Exploring the Hollister Experience
Introduction
Hollister Co. (HCO), which is part of the Abercrombie & Fitch group, has established itself as the quintessential American clothing brand, associated with surfing culture and beautiful teenagers. The brand offers laid back, Southern California (SoCal) surfer style clothing in the teen retail sector, and currently achieves international sales in excess of $1.5 billion annually. Since 2008 the parent company has progressively pushed the brand globally, and there has been rapid expansion, particularly in the UK (Ward, 2008). (www.hollisterco.com)
Hollister is a great example of the power of experiential branding and sensory marketing, and it is also offers many insights into retail staging. Building on the early insights of Holbrook and Hirschman on experiential consumption (1981; 1982), branding increasingly relies on symbolic associations and lifestyle impressions (see, for example, Holt, 2004; Sherry, 1998; Gobe, 2010). Above all, brands now strive to build satisfying experiences that mirror human relationships (Fournier, 1998; Miller, 2006). This involves creating excitement, connectedness and community (Sheane, 2012), and giving brands energy, visibility and meaning to their target market (Aaker, 1996). In the context of Hollister, an additional focus is on group membership, peer group acceptance and sexual attractiveness, all of which are identified as key issues for young consumers (Harwood, 1999).
Much has been written about servicescapes and their importance for creating memorable consumer experiences. There has also been a recognition of the value of ‘themed flagship brand stores’ (Kozinets et al 2002), which provide a memorable and engaging brand encounter, and which use tangible and intangible elements to create stimulating brand experiences (see, for example, Mehrabian and Russell, 1974; Bitner, 1992; Kozinets, Sherry, DeBerry-Spence
Sex Appeal, Surf Culture and Seduction: Exploring the Hollister Experience
Introduction
Hollister Co. (HCO), which is part of the Abercrombie & Fitch group, has established itself as the quintessential American clothing brand, associated with surfing culture and beautiful teenagers. The brand offers laid back, Southern California (SoCal) surfer style clothing in the teen retail sector, and currently achieves international sales in excess of $1.5 billion annually. Since 2008 the parent company has progressively pushed the brand globally, and there has been rapid expansion, particularly in the UK (Ward, 2008). (www.hollisterco.com)
Hollister is a great example of the power of experiential branding and sensory marketing, and it is also offers many insights into retail staging. Building on the early insights of Holbrook and Hirschman on experiential consumption (1981; 1982), branding increasingly relies on symbolic associations and lifestyle impressions (see, for example, Holt, 2004; Sherry, 1998; Gobe, 2010). Above all, brands now strive to build satisfying experiences that mirror human relationships (Fournier, 1998; Miller, 2006). This involves creating excitement, connectedness and community (Sheane, 2012), and giving brands energy, visibility and meaning to their target market (Aaker, 1996). In the context of Hollister, an additional focus is on group membership, peer group acceptance and sexual attractiveness, all of which are identified as key issues for young consumers (Harwood, 1999).
Much has been written about servicescapes and their importance for creating memorable consumer experiences. There has also been a recognition of the value of ‘themed flagship brand stores’ (Kozinets et al 2002), which provide a memorable and engaging brand encounter, and which use tangible and intangible elements to create stimulating brand experiences (see, for example, Mehrabian and Russell, 1974; Bitner, 1992; Kozinets, Sherry, DeBerry-Spence
References: Aaker, D. (1996) Building Strong Brands, New York: Free Press. Dahl, D. W., Sengupta, J. & Vohs, K. D. (2009), ‘Sex in Advertising: Gender Differences and the Role of Relationship Commitment’, Journal of Consumer Research, 36, 215-231. Festinger. L. (1954), ‘A Theory of Social Comparison Processes’, Human Relations, 7 (2), 117-140. Fournier, S. (1998) ‘Consumers and their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research’, Journal of Consumer Research, 24, 343-373. Gilboa, S. & Rafaeli, A. (2003) Store Environment, Emotions and Approach Behaviour: Applying Environmental Aesthetic to Retail, International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 13 (2), 195-211. Gobe, M. (2010), Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People, Updated and Revised Edition, New York: Allworth Press. Gould, S. J. (1995) ‘Researcher Introspection as a Method in Consumer Research: Applications, Issues and Implications, Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 719-722. Harwood, J. (1999)’ Age Identification, Social Identity, Gratifications, and Television Viewing’, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media,4, (1), 123-124. Hirschman, E Holbrook, M. B. (1986) ‘I’m Hip: An Autobiographical Account of Some Musical Consumption Experiences’, In: Advances in Consumer Research, 13, Provo, UT: Association of Consumer Research, 614-618. Holbrook, M. B. & Hirschman, E. C. (1982) The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer, Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun, Journal of Consumer Research, 9, 132-140. Holt, D. B. (2004) How Brands Become Icons, United States of America: Harvard Business School Press. Hulten, B. Broweus, N. and Van Dijk, M. (2009), Sensory Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Kearney, T., Kennedy, A. & Coughlan, J. (2007) Servicescapes: A Review of Contemporary Empirical Research, Sixteenth Annual Frontiers in Services Conference, San Francisco, CA., 1-58. Kozinets, R., Sherry, J. F., DeBerry-Spence, B., Duhachek, A., Nuttavuthisit, K. & Storm, D. (2002) Themed Flagship Brand Stores in the New Millennium: Theory, Practice, Prospects., Journal of Retailing, 78, (1), 17-29. Mehrabrain, A. & Russell, J. A. (1974) An Approach to Environmental Psychology, England: MIT Press. Schroeder, J. E. & Salzer-Morling, M. (2006) Brand Culture, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Sheane, S. D. (2012) ‘Putting on a Good Face: An examination of the emotional and aesthetic roots of presentational labour’, Economic and Industrial Democracy, 33, (1), 145-158. Sherry, J. F. (1998) Servicescapes: the Concept of Place in Contemporary Markets, Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Business Books. Ward, S. (2008) Hunks, Babes and Hot Profits, Barron’s, 88, (8), 20-21, [Online], Available from: http:// www.proquest.com, (Accessed 14.04.2012. (Adapted from an European Association for Consumer Research Conference Paper of the same name, by Lorna Stevens and Joanne Mullen, Presented in July 2013) Lorna Stevens, 14 November 2013