2. Table of Contents
Introduction to Tommy
and the Brand
Quiz
Timeline
Is it Tommy?
Short Clip
Current Marketing
Situation
Financial Performance
Competitive Analysis
PADR
Brand Prism
Marketing Mix
Brand Problems
Recommendations
Sources
3. Tommy and the Inspiration Behind the
BrandInspired by rock stars and The Beatles coming to
America
At this time, fashion and style had adopted a new image
Started wearing bellbottom jeans which sparked an idea
Began a line of denim under his own designs
Moved to New York, met Mohan Murjani and
launched Tommy Hilfiger in 1985
The start of a “casual revolution”
The creation of “bright colors and buttons”
Tommy’s sportier jeanwear and casual preppiness
made a statement which led to the company’s mantra
“classic American cool.”
6. TIMELINE
1969
Tommy’s career
in fashion began
while he was in
high school.
Tommy opens his
first store, People’s
Place, in his
hometown of Elmira,
New York.
1985
Tommy Hilfiger
introduces his
first men’s
sportswear
collection.
Billboard ad in
Times Square.
7. 1992
The company goes
public.
1994
Snoop Dogg helps
popularize the brand by
sporting a Tommy shirt on
Saturday Night Live.
1996
The women’s clothing
line launches at 400
major department
stores throughout the
U.S.
1998
Tommy opens a store
in London
8. 1999
The brand creates an ad
campaign focused on
the “Year of Music,”
featuring sensations
Britney Spears, Jewel,
Lenny Kravitz, and The
Rolling Stones.
2000
The company’s
stock drops 75%.
2003
Tommy Hilfiger steps
down as CEO and is
the principal
designer of the
company .
2006
The company suffers
financially and decides to
go private. It is acquired
by Apax Partners for $1.6
billion.
9. 2010
PVH Corp.
acquires the
Tommy Hilfiger
Group.
2014
Gary Sheinbaum
and Daniel Grieder
are appointed as the
new CEOs of Tommy
Hilfiger.
2016
The company
announces Gigi Hadid
as the Global brand
ambassador.
18. Lower-income consumers
Senior citizens
Brand Prism
What
For
Whom
When
Against Whom
Tommy Hilfiger
Classic American style
“Preppy with a twist”
Clothing, accessories, footwear,
eyewear, fragrances, home goods
Men, women
Children
Middle to upper class
18-40 years of age
Every day
Work
Special occasion
19. Marketing Mix
Product: Hilfiger and Hilfiger Denim
Tommy Hilfiger brand: sportswear for men and women,
eyewear, men’s tailored clothing, women’s dress
apparel, children’s apparel, handbags, perfume, home
goods
Hilfiger Collection: upscale womens attire
Hilfiger Denim: Casual apparel with a focus on premium
jeans for men and women, footwear, bags, accessories,
eyewear, and fragrance
Price: Tommy Line: avg. $125, Hilfiger Collection: avg.
$300, Denim Line: avg. $80
Place: 1,475 global stores, outlets, and specialty stores
Promotion: T.V. commercials, billboards, fashion shows
and social media initiatives
22. Tribal Hijacking and Chasing
Trends1992 – Rapper Grand Puba calls Tommy
Hilfiger “top gear.”
Tommy embraces the hip-hop
community’s love of his clothing.
1994 – Snoop Dogg wears a Tommy rugby
shirt on Saturday Night Live.
1996 – Tommy Jeans launches, as well as
a women’s line inspired by Aaliyah.
2000s – Rappers begin to abandon
Tommy for similar brands launched by
fellow artists.
23. Bad Press and Lack of Inclusion
In 1996 a chain email stating that Tommy Hilfiger
had appeared on Oprah and made racist remarks
began circulating.
“I wish those people would not buy my clothes -
they were made for upper-class whites.”
In 2007 Hilfiger appeared on Oprah, where it was
confirmed that he had never appeared on the show
before.
In 2016 sensationalist headlines proclaimed that
Tommy said that Gigi Hadid was too fat to walk in his
show.
24. Other Issues
Going from private to public
Going public led to over supplying the demand
Went private again in 2006, selling the company to Apex and then to PVH Corp in 2010
Led to unconventional restructuring changes such as: raised prices, smaller clothing, alienating
customers and cutting off stores
International success despite being an “all-American“ brand
Growth from the past years has been credited towards Int’al sales
North America sales (-10%) and revenue (-5%)
International sales (+8%) and revenue (+11%)
Factory fire in Bangladesh
2012 fire led to the death of 29 workers
Afterwards the company committed to $1 million to improve safety standards
25. Recommendations
More ambassadors
More diversity, less risk of
associating brand with just one
person
Recommended ambassadors: Drake
and Jourdan Dunn
Stick to USP: “classic American
cool” brand.
Choose a one-word equity.
Don’t chase trends and scale back
on overbranding..
Instagram: 30.5m followers
Twitter: 34.3m followers
Instagram: 1.9m followers
Twitter: 277k followers
26. Sources
Bells, S. (2016, May 27). PVH’s Tommy Hilfiger Gets Boost from Strong International Sales. Retrieved December 07, 2016, from
http://marketrealist.com/2016/05/pvhs-tommy-hilfiger-gets-boost-strong-international-sales/
Bielfuss, Lisa. (2016, August 18). Perry Ellis to Close 15 Stores, as Retailer Posts Wider Loss. Retrieved December 3, 2016, from
http://www.wsj.com/articles/perry-ellis-to-close-15-stores-as-posts-wider-loss-1471523673
Fisher, L. A. (2016, October 26). Gigi Hadid & Tommy Hilfiger's Design Collaboration Will Continue for Spring 2017. Retrieved December 07, 2016, from
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/news/a18411/gigi-hadid-tommy-hilfiger-spring-2017/
Fitzpatrick, Hayley. "One of the Top '90s Brands Recovered from a Horrible Crash, and Sales Are Soaring." Business Insider. N.p., 16 June 2015. Web. 07
Dec. 2016.
Gerstein, J. (2016, November 2). Tommy Hilfiger Said Gigi Hadid Wasn’t Thin Enough To Walk In His Fashion Show. Retrieved November 3, 2016, from
https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/gigi-hadid-was-too-fat-to-walk-in-a-tommy-hilfiger-show-said?utm_term=.fcdG3E1aO#.kkApZka3r
Johnston, R. (2015, September 25). How a billboard transformed Tommy Hilfiger. Retrieved December 1, 2016, from http://www.gq-
magazine.co.uk/article/tommy-hilfiger-success-billboard
Long, H. (2016, February 26). Michael Kors' Secret to Success. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/investing/michael-
kors-stock-comeback/
Mau, D. (2012, March 21). Tommy Hilfiger Admits to Still Using Unsafe Factories, Commits $1 million to Improving Safety Standards. Retrieved December
07, 2016, from http://fashionista.com/2012/03/tommy-hilfiger-admits-to-still-using-unsafe-factories-commits-1-million-to-improving-safety-standards
O'Connor, Clare. "Turnaround Tommy: How Hilfiger's Once-Dead Brand Had Its Biggest Year Ever." Forbes. N.p., 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
PVH Corp. (2016). Retrieved November 15, 2016, from https://www.pvh.com/
Sanchez, K. (2016, August 22). Top Gear: The Oral History of Hip-Hop's Love Affair With Solari. Feb 2, 2015 2:03 Pm EST, Santiago. "Tommy Hilfiger-the
Proven Lifestyle Brand." Tommy Hilfiger-the Proven Lifestyle Brand - Market Realist. N.p., 2 Feb. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
Suddath, Claire. "Tommy Hilfger Q&A: The Rise and Fall and Rise of a Man and His Brand." Bloomberg.com. N.p., 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
Tommy Hilfiger. Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://www.complex.com/style/2016/08/tommy-hilfiger-hiphop-oral-history
"Tommy Hilfiger Global | MANAGEMENT." Tommy Hilfiger Global. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
TOMMYxGIGI Youtube ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccLMtBM_0ZY
