Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Will Green Millennial men chose Wrangler over Levi's?


Monday was Earth Day.  I remember the first one in 1970.  Probably because I won the poster contest.  This year I couldn't help thinking about how much worse the environment has gotten since then.  Such a shame.

But as an environmentally conscious Baby Boomer I do my best to limit my impact by eating mostly veggies, living in a small space, not owning a car, and recycling regularly. 

I also wear Levi's jeans.  The real ones made from denim.  My latest pair came with a label inside that says:  "Care for our planet: wash less, wash cold, line dry, donate or recycle."  That sentiment really works for me.

Last year, when Levi's sales started to surge I asked my students to weigh in on the interesting sales techniques that the company was using to see which one might be of the most appeal to Millennials and Z's.  You can check out their thoughts here...


Which brings me to Wrangler.  Last fall VR Corp, Wrangler's parent company, was considering selling the brand.  But now they are going in a different direction and launching the upscale "Wrangler Rooted Collection."  At $100 a pop these jeans are priced higher than Wrangler typically is.  But the jeans - men's only - come in five styles - one each for Texas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  All are made from sustainably grown cotton traceable to a family farm. (Mahoney, 2019)

Interesting idea - part green - part tribal customization.  Great story.

But will it be enough?  My gut is telling me that Levi's is still a Boomer brand at heart and we will keep buying them until one of us is no more.  According to my students they have also come to see Levi's as "cool."

Will they feel the same way about Wrangler after they learn about the rooted collection?  How important is a story to your purchase decisions?  What about the premium price?  Is it too much for Millennials?  How much does personalization matter?  Is having five designs the type of personalization that matters?  Finally, does concentrating on only five markets make sense?


Mahoney, S. (2019, April 22)  With $100 Hyperlocal Jeans, Wrangler Brings Sustainability Home.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved April 23, 2019, from
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/334783/with-100-hyperlocal-jeans-wrangler-brings-sustai.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=113597&hashid=ybq2buULrntyGS6NfbELk0afrrI

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