INDIANAPOLIS (March 5, 2010) ChaCha, the popular free service that has provided quick, accurate answers to hundreds of millions of questions, today released a study by Frost & Sullivan that analyzed millions of queries from the youth segment during a three month period to provide insights into the popularity, penetration and perception of different brands.
Among the Frost & Sullivan findings of interest to clothing marketers targeting teens and young adults: Jeans Girls are asking all the questions. Unlike many other industries, apparel – specifically jean brand – questions come from predominantly females. (83% female, 17% male). True Religion Jeans are the leading brand among 18-24 year olds (62% True Religion; 20% Lucky Brand; 11% 7 for all mankind; 7% Citizens for Humanity) 7 for all Mankind is gaining traction with 13-17 year olds although True Religion has highest awareness (55%) vs 22% Lucky Brand; 17% 7 for all mankind; 4% Citizens for Humanity; 2% Chip and Pepper.
Most of the teens and young adults want to buy or own True Religion jeans, but many can’t afford them or think they are too expensive. In fact, 62% don’t know where to shop for them – about half of those specifically asked if they could get them at Wal-Mart or Costco.
It appears that while awareness is high, Brand Affinity may be low because the jeans are priced out of their range and unattainable. Shoes Over 3,400 total questions were asked regarding the top four brands of shoes with Nike mentioned most often by 13-17 year olds: Nike –77%; Adidas –17%; Reebok –4% and New Balance –2%. Among older teens and young adults 18-24, Nike has even more awareness: Nike –78%; Adidas –16%; Reebok –4% and New Balance –2% Nike, the company, is extremely interesting to this demographic, and ChaCha users want to know as much as possible.
Some of the most popular questions were, “Who invented Nike?” and “What does Nike mean?” From a product perspective, the majority of the questions are about the Nike SB – or Skateboarding line. They wanted to know, “What is the coolest Nike SB?” and “How much are Raygun Nike SBs?” and “Where can I get a Nike SB Dunk?” Brand awareness is extremely high, and affinity is strong. Price does not appear to be an issue, although the “coolness” factor of a particular type of shoe, even within the Skateboarding line is paramount.
Interestingly, many of the questions regarding shoes came from the lifestyle and fashion categories where questions were asked regarding the shoes and dress of professional athletes, sports teams and celebrities. RETAIL CLOTHING Hollister had the highest number of questions –1,336 – making up 36% of all questions relating to retail clothing lines. Abercrombie & Fitch had the second highest total with 1,039 or 28.0%, and Urban Outfitters was third with 484 or 13.1%. Unlike shoes, young girls (under 18) asked most of the retail clothing questions.
Hollister had the highest number of questions, although the majority of the girls asked questions like, “What is Hollister?” It appears that many of the young girls have heard of the retailer, but they aren’t sure who they are or what they sell. On the other hand, affinity and product awareness is much higher for Abercrombie and Fitch and Urban Outfitters.
About 65% of the girls and boys ask where they can find a store and how much specific products cost. About 20% are asking the meaning behind the logo, the company and the founders. About 10% want to know why products cost what they do. Juicy Couture received fewer questions than the top three retailers, but most were related to specific products. Sample questions include, “How much is Juicy Couture perfume?” “What is the cheapest jewelry at Juicy Couture?” and “Do you wear Juicy Couture?”
This young audience appears to be very familiar with the brand and what they offer. Price is a concern, but not as much as other brands on the list. Billabong, Dickies, and Diesel brands, were primarily dominated by questions from male users ages 14 -19.