It will be no surprise to many that
Abercrombie & Fitch falls under The Brand Avenger’s almighty, all seeing
gaze this week. It has taken some time but quite recently a couple of skeletons
have fallen out of its CEO’s cupboard.
The fact that Mike Jeffries originally made
these comments several years ago only for them to now resurface AND ignite
backlash demonstrates two things.
Firstly it clearly outlines the power of
social media in giving the general public a voice, which in turn can contribute
to a swell in strong feelings of resentment towards brands. In the case of
A&F the insensitive comments have only now begun to hurt the clothing
retailer even though the initial messages was communicated years previous. The below video has received 7.5 million views
since it was released by Greg Karber on May 13th 2013. This video
presented on YouTube has quickly become a thorn in the paw of the clothing
giant.
Secondly, it is clear that this viral
campaign has galvanized public opinion and led to negative criticism of the
brand. This should prove a valuable
lesson to all CEO’s around the world; when it comes to controversial matters or
contentious issues it is probably best to keep your mouth shut. We can
understand why Jeffries should care that his remarks have resurfaced when we
look at the noticeable impact it has had on A&F’s brand perception. The
below link provides access to A&F’s most recent brandindex scoring.
Robin Lewis article on A&F’s marketing
strategy, the consequent viral campaigns that have supported these views and
the increase in negative perception of the A&F brand couldn’t have come at
a worse time for the brand. The spotlight coincided as if by magic with the
release of first quarter results that were less than flattering for stockholder
when trying on for size. And unfortunately for Jeffries or A&F investors the
results don’t come with a receipt to return within 30 days; A&F is stuck
with the uncool image for at least a couple of months while H&M and American
Eagle hang out with the cool kids in the 18-34 demographic.
Does the recent backlash highlight a
significant change in the attitude of the key 18-34 demographic? Quite
possibly. We have access today to more nuggets of insight and information than
ever before and it is not unusual to conclude that all consumers are becoming
more immune to transparent marketing strategy. In an excellent article von der
Heydt wonders if A&F’s problems can only be restricted to Jeffries comments
or other factors such as poor inventory decisions that boarder on lazy in the
ever changing world of fashion retail.
What is clear is that the upper echelons of
A&F have some work to do. Despite looking to address concerns on its social
media channels it is perhaps the comments from A&F’s own Facebook followers
which say more than the half baked statement Jeffries released.
Back in the days when The Brand Avenger was
still in super absorbent nappies (super absorbent for a super hero) my mother
use to tell ‘if you haven’t got anything to say don’t say anything at all’.
Whereas I cannot abide a blatant censoring of personal opinion I am also
reminded that ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ (another superhero
can take the credit for that saying). On controversial matters that can lead to
negative opinion such as the exclusive school cliques, bullying and the rising
obesity epidemic Jeffries should have kept his mouth shut. As one of the most important brand
ambassadors A&F has it is important that he is seen as respectful member of
society, aware of the power of his opinion and the impact it can have on
brands. His comments may have been made
7 years ago but the Internet will take no prisoners when it comes to vilifying
those who should know better.
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