Branding the man: why men are the next frontier in fashion retail

When the news broke last week that Club Monaco had decided to hop on the Manwagon and create a “dynamic shopping experience for guys,” well, many of us just had to roll our eyes just a bit.

You might have caught our recent post (click here) about how San Francisco has been leading the way in terms of men’s boutiques. And of course J. Crew went whole hog on the concept of partnering with heritage brands like Filson, Globe Trotter, Red Wing, and just about anyone else they could dig up to make them seem more, you know: masculine.

It’s true, Club Monaco’s black-and-white aesthetic has worn thin and the Ralph Lauren Corp.-owned company has been a bit stubborn about change. With 35 stores in the U.S. and 24 in Canada, it was only a matter of time before they were going to join in the fray.

So they’ve enlisted the help of Michael Williams, the earnest blogger who’s A Continuous Lean has become something of a bible for those who worship at the shrine of heritage brands and Made in America. “We took inspiration from classic men’s specialty stores – ones that our fathers and grandfathers shopped in,” said Williams in WWD.

Oh, if I had a dollar for every time someone has said this in the past couple of years. I even got sick of myself saying it when I was on my book tour for Branding the Man.

It’s clear that when every last heritage brand has been trumpeted and yet another store is kitting themselves out in reclaimed wood and “old school” materials, the question will remain: what next, boys?

I believe that the awakening of men to the power of fashion – no matter how utilitarian or quietly “authentic” — will hopefully be the gateway towards a broader definition of the conventional men’s retail market as whole and in turn, the men’s retail experience. Now more than ever, men are exploring their own identities and sharpening the American definition of masculinity with potentially exciting new ways of expressing themselves.

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In these peak days of summer, many earnest young people are not taking jobs in a local mall or restaurant, but as an on-the-street canvasser.

On a recent weekday we found canvassers for Planned Parenthood the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Red Cross each commandeering their own section of San Francisco’s bustling Market Street. On another day, Greenpeace trolled an intersection of Mission and Second. With each, the technique is generally the same: positioned in the middle of the sidewalk in a brightly colored, branded t-shirt, the canvasser targets you and then waves boldly, with a nice big, country-style wave.

Then comes the open-ended question? “Hello! Do you support gay marriage?” or “Do you want to protect our environment?”

Many pedestrians dodge them. Some answer imaginary cellphone calls. Then there are those who, perhaps out of sympathy, stop and let the canvasser recite their plea.

But even those who profess to privately support some of these causes find the strategy disturbing or downright irritating. “I support all of these organizations off the grid,” says Catherine, an artist and mother from Marin. “[But] anticipating being accosted on the street makes me hurry on by, or lie about which constituency I vote with.”

But one has to wonder, is this really the best use of a non-profit organization’s precious marketing dollars? How is this any different from a panhandler or an untalented busker banging a plastic bucket and calling it music? Does a “cause” make their use of the public sidewalks acceptable and how does this impact the retailers whose most valuable real estate is their front door and windows?

We had a casual conversation with one Planned Parenthood canvasser (we’ll call her Carla) who said canvassing is just one of the organization’s strategy for bringing awareness, but that San Francisco’s Planned Parenthood chapter is wholly devoted to canvassing. “The average American spends about 5 minutes a day on politics, so if you’re out there on the street it actually gives you the chance to talk to someone you don’t normally get to talk to.”

On a good day, Carla puts in a four-hour shift and of the hundreds she confronts is able to roughly 30 people to hear her out. She didn’t disclose how many of those 30 people actually make a donation or fill out a form.

Planned Parenthood puts heavy emphasis on repeated trainings in order to prepare canvassers for the broad range of questions they’ll receive. “We have trainings for how you’re supposed to talk to people,” says Carla. “So we’re not sending people out there who are saying things they’re not supposed to say. We have a very consistent training schedule.”

As for the merchants, they don’t really have a say, although some have complained. The general rule is that canvassers must stay fifteen feet from the merchant’s front door.

When Carla discovered that she would be quoted for this blog, she became terrified and immediately alerted her street partner. We tried to photograph them but they covered their faces and ran. Strange behavior when you consider that they are representing a perfectly respectable, public organization — so why be embarrassed or afraid?

We contacted Planned Parenthood as well as to the Red Cross and ACLU, but were unable to get a response from officials there.

 

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Aerie, a new brand of primarily women’s intimates under the American Eagle umbrella, is banking on Pose, a social shopping app that encourages consumers to post images of themselves on facebook, twitter, and other social media sites as they shop for clothes and try new looks.

The app only launched this month and recently announced it had successfully raised $1.6 Million thanks to True Ventures, GRP, Founder Collective, and a select group of angel investors. The app is currently operating in beta.

 

“Pose is unique thanks to its emphasis on discovery,” says Alisa Gould-Simon, Pose’s director of marketing and communications. “And the ‘poser’ feed as well as the popular feeds allow users to very easily discover scores of inspiring styles from around the world.”

 

Aerie’s partnership with Pose includes a contest on Facebook where winners will receive $150 in product and the chance to be on a Times Square billboard, presumably not in their bra and panties.

Other apps like Foodspotting, allows users to discover new foods and dishes, or Go Try It On, which gathers opinions on what you’re wearing before you step out the door. Both are looking to expand boost their presence.

Women, of course, are generally much more attuned to shopping in groups and sharing their purchases with their friends. Can an application like Pose pull in the male consumer? Probably not right away, but I do believe there is potential with the Generation Y audience. Already we are seeing teenage men shopping in groups — something we previously only saw with women.

Pose’s most serious competition, however, will mostly come from Shopkick, which launched last year and has the backing of investors from Linkedin, facebook, and Zynga. Shopkick also uses its own proprietary location technology to identify a users location and then offers them “exclusive” deals and discounts simply for being in a retailer’s store.

 

Gould-Simon says Pose’s high-design and reach is one of the reasons it can potentially become a go-to marketing tool for retailers. “Most brands and retailers are aware of the fact that they need mobile, “ she explained, speaking to us from Pose’s offices in Santa Monica, California. “However, very few can dedicate the necessary resources and time into developing a dynamic mobile platform. Instead creating a brand or retailer-specific profile within Pose and leveraging Pose’s API is a way for brands and retailers to utilize mobile technology… that is customizable and personal.”

Keep in mind that men still make up the lion’s share of mobile app users: certainly a pause for consideration in whether an app like Pose could gain a male audience. A Harris Poll estimates that 69% of smartphones owners have downloaded an app (as of October 2010).  74% were men, while women accounted for 62% of the app buyers.

So for you retailers out there, take note, and keep in mind that as technology support systems and programs evolve, retailers will more easily and cost-effectively be able to  make such an app a key part of their marketing tool kit. For now, smart retailers are fast-tracking social mobility applications like Pose and Shopkick — and probably not a moment too soon.

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