Fashion & Brand Promotion
Ashleigh Willer
FILA
FILA'S HISTORY
BRAND PROMOTION
WHAT DO THEY DO?
Fila originally started by making clothing for the people of the Italian Alps, now manufacturing sportswear for men, women, kids and athletes. Fila is seen as a value brand, this is partly by default as Fila are not seen as being as high quality, or confidence boosting, and do not have a strong reputation as their competitors. Fila are a low market brand and are not main stream.
Fila Company was founded in 1911 by the Fila brothers, with the first shop opening in 1911 in Biella a small town in Italy. The original Italian ownership Holding Di Partecipazioni sold the company to US hedge fund Cerberus Capital Management in 2003, after the company over-committed itself to expensive athletic endorsements, at a time when margins were under pressure. In January 2007, the global Fila brand was developed by Fila Korea, Ltd, from SBI, becoming South Korea’s largest sportswear company. Fila Korea currently holds the rights to the worldwide use of footwear and apparel brands of the parent firm. With a refreshed management team in the United States, Fila are poised for a comeback.
> Strengths - The brand is a very popular sports brand ambassador which has promoted their brand. The innovative use of mixing different components of cloth into making a different sportswear was very successful. Fila’s has a very effective brand image due to its motivational designs.
> Weaknesses - They have great competition from sports apparel brand globally meaning smaller market share. There is a lack of products in the women segment as compared to men’s. Distribution channels not as established as the global sports apparel leaders.
> Opportunity - Fila will be the first brand to inculcate a casual culture into a brand experience. There are lines of expanding into casual clothing and sports equipment.
> Threats - The new changing trends could replace the vintage 80 look followed by Fila. Switching cost is very low in this Industry, so regular innovation and adapting to changes in sports industry is essential.
Fila’s target market is between 18-35years old, and is for people who like the sporty look to their daily lifestyles, with their USP being innovative sportswear. Fila sell a range of lifestyle trainers for both men and women, with the prices ranging from as low as £20 to £60. Fila’s brand tone is wit and dignity “Dignity: Fila speak with dignity and class to an audience that embodies these same principles in their chose sport, Wit: Fila speak with charm and humour that any true sportsman utilizes habitually”. In terms of the brand promotion ‘above the line’ and ‘below the line’ Fila uses minimal advertisement strategies. Fila uses some social network sites, main one being Facebook with 17,374 likes, they mainly use tennis to advertise their products on their page. There is minimal advertisement on their footwear. They also have a website; there are not much outdoor promotions from Fila’s brand in the UK. This does have a great effect on the brand as they don’t really communicate their brand to their consumers very well, which is the reason for the lack of appreciation they get in high street fashion which also lowers the brand in term of market level.
S.W.O.T ANALYSIS
Fila began its sponsorship of tennis players in 1974, they are one of the most demanding brands in the tennis world, but in terms of a high street brand Fila have an unpromising position of low trust and low differentiation. Fila are not seen as a fashionable high in demand brand for lifestyle trainers and are losing their identity in the market.
The brand gain maximum promotional activity during the times of Wimbledon happening in June/July every year, because there sponsors.