MESSAGE
In 1994, when we first began working with the company, Levi Strauss outsold Wrangler by a nearly 2 to 1 margin. Our job was to communicate that
Wrangler was more than a western denim company and that it designed All-American products for men, women and children that were fashionable,
functional and affordable.
VALUE PROPOSITION
FWV developed segmented marketing strategies designed to educate consumers about the different products available at diverse price points in a variety of distribution channels, most notably in the emerging mass channel, where previously consumer apparel choices had been priced low but were also of low quality. Taking the Wrangler brand into the mass channel helped shatter that perception and change consumer misgivings about buying clothing at mass.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
In an average year, every man, woman and child in the U.S. is exposed to the Wrangler brand proposition via FWV's public relations efforts. We generate hundreds of millions of earned media impressions each year in every conceivable media outlet on behalf of the company and its brands, and support lifestyle focused special events and sponsorships that range from rodeo to country music to NASCAR to the National Football League, and nearly everything in between. We have arranged for Wrangler endorses Nolan Ryan and Ty Murray to arrive on horseback carrying the football and coin to be used at kick-off of Super Bowl XXX; we've used Dale Earnhardt Jr. to offer media ‘test drives' in support of new denim brands and washes; and we've woven brand mentions into songs by such noted country artists as George Strait and Garth Brooks. We've created social marketing initiatives that have aligned the Wrangler brand with causes ranging from promoting children's literacy to stocking underprivileged schools with necessary school supplies so that teachers can teach students properly, to supporting targeted environmental issues. In short, FWV has been involved in supporting almost everything the company has done over the past 11 years.
RESULTS
Wrangler is now the #1 selling jeans brand in North America by a wide margin and will likely eclipse Levi Strauss in the near future as the top selling brand worldwide. While the U.S. market share for Levis and many other oldline denim brands has declined steadily over the past decade, Wrangler, a nearly 60-year-old brand, continues to see sales and brand affinity increases year over year, largely due to the fact the company and FWV know the Wrangler consumer and how best to reach them with our core messages.
