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
