In FTM 282: Intro to Textile Brand Management and Marketing, my professor gave us a semester long project- to create a collection from an established brand, targeted at a currently neglected target market. My group chose L.L. Bean, an established outdoors wear brand that currently mainly reaches ages 40+, and is neglecting millennials. Millennials are into hot athleisure brands- Fabletics, Lululemon, Athleta, and so many more online exclusive brands. Attached below is our full marketing strategy, but I’ve pulled out the highlights of the work that I did as well as our finished collection.
Our group chose to create a sub brand of L.L. Bean because there is a need for millennial targeted, lower priced, but still quality made athleisure. L.L. Bean is a solid company with a large consumer base, but is lacking in targeting millennials. They only carry a few products that have appealed to millennials. Because of this, we chose to create Venture by L.L. Bean to captivate millennials and to create a sub brand that is relevant to this demographic.
L.L. Bean focuses on high quality performance and outdoor gear, including their Barn Jacket, Bean Boots, and myriad of bags. Touting their excellent customer service and corporate responsibility, L.L. Bean is a popular family run brand that exercises fair treatment of workers, and fair treatment of the earth. L.L. Bean, while a well known company, has a limited target market and small social media presence. They also do not cater to in person shoppers well, as they only have a few brick and mortar stores.
Pricing Strategy
Venture Product | Price | Competitor Product | Price Explanation |
Frontier Legging | $69 | Polartec Power Stretch Tight $89 | We priced these leggings at $69, less than the competitor product from Athleta, but still a fair price for leggings that will show that they are quality leggings. |
In the Open Jacket | $69 | Baja UPF Jacket $98 | We priced this jacket at the same price as the leggings. Priced less than the competitor, we chose to keep the jacket the same price as the leggings to create prices that are similar across the board. |
Invigorate Shorts | $29 | Laser Run Short 4” $49 | We chose to price the shorts at $29 to make them an affordable option for millennial women wanting nicer athletic shorts. They are priced lower than the competitor product from Athleta. These shorts have mesh to keep them breathable and stylish. |
Restore Sports Bra | $39 | Fully Focused Bra $44 | This sports bra is priced at $39, lower than the competitor as well as being lower than the Fusion Tank, another item in this line that has a built in sports bra. |
Fusion Tank top | $49 | Essential Support Tank $54 | The Fusion Tank is a tank top with a built in sports bra. It is priced at $49, less than the competitor and more than the Restore sports bra, because there is the added tank top. |