Vans Case Study

Vans case study

1. The company advantage at this time is how unique their company was structured. They able to customized while selling durable cheap shoes. No other company specialized in alternative sports like they did. They also able to make their shoes about of their store, which it is also a factory. The other company does not have this feature within their store. Even though, their target market is limited, they are able to turn it around by differentiated themselves from the general shoes store. Plus, the inventory can be control and manufacture by order therefore it is not a problem for Vans as any other shoes company.
2. The nature of hostile brand is love it or leave it, which mean they don’t offer many products that can be pick and choose by customer. It is an irregular way to be use in marketing but it works if the product is popular enough and the brand has to know their customers. The two parties must able to commit to each other for this strategy to work.  Of course, the brand must achieve a cult-like customer, which mean the customer can achieve the satisfaction of being unique or unlike other. For example, Harley Davidson has done this and able to give their customer the feeling while riding their bike. Vans must understand that “less is more” concept. In the case, they started out with limited product that can be used by surfer but then expanding into BMX, skateboarding, snowboarding, supercross, motorcross, and waterboarding. eventually, they might lose this perk as a hostile branding company. in the other, limited supply also mean authentic to their original target segment of street sports

Vans should be focus on the original form of their company that offer limited item with personalize style. Therefore, they should stay within certain limited under their core sport umbrella.

Currently, Vans able to control their marketing mix at appropriate level. They are able to project their image as the brand for certain sport such as skateboarding or BMX. Additionally, their product is offer at cheap rate that most of people that participate in such sport are able to afford it. Of course, the down side is person that has no experience in these core sports category has little to no knowledge about Vans. Therefore, Vans should have sponsor event that can teach or introduce the sport to people that wanted to learn or share interest in these categories. It is not a hard concept and cheaper than sponsor a large professional event that they has been doing.