People associate Uniqlo with quality, affordability, and fashion. This reflects how much Uniqlo has become successful in recent years. It is a big name in the global fast fashion retail market, just like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21.
Despite a lot of competition, Uniqlo Japan has still grown at an astounding pace in the industry. But the question arises: How did it manage to quickly capture the major shares of the competitive fast fashion retail market? Let’s proceed and gather some knowledge about the key factors behind the company’s success.
Brand Strategy of Uniqlo Japan
Uniqlo - a Japanese company which encourages people globally to dress casually is the brand message that signifies its vision. One of the best corporate strategies that have worked well for Uniqlo Japan is to “ignore fashion,” which is entirely different from its competitive companies.
The philosophical strategy of the company – “Made of All,” suggests that its clothing is perfect for every ethnicity, gender, age, and any other way in which people are defined.
The style of its clothing is contrary to “Uniqlo”, the name of the brand. It has basic, essential and universal clothes that one can blend in with their style. The brand offers an exclusive and functional apparel made out of intramural fabric.
Uniqlo Japan provides an excellent shopping experience to their customers with excellent employee culture, impeccably managed stores, and in-store digitalization with video tutorials to define product features in detail.
Now let’s have a look at the successful key brand management strategies of Uniqlo Japan:
● Uniqlo successfully sticks to its promises by including high quality, universal, or simple casual wear in its list at an affordable price.
● Uniqlo isn’t considered a fashion company; instead, it is a company that goes by technology. Unlike the competitors, it produces styles and patterns for practical urban uses.
● The production people never compromise with the quality of the clothes, which makes them one of the most outstanding clothing brands of all time.
● They address their customer’s concerns and keep a separate team to overcome that problem. In short, the product and the marketing team work together closely to strategize and execute any new policy.
● One of the most important strategies that Uniqlo Japan has adopted is maintaining the quality of its innovative fabric. One of Uniqlo’s signature innovations is HeatTech, a fabric (turns moisture into heat and has air pockets in the fabric to retain that heat) developed in conjunction with Toray Industries.
● The company puts a lot of stress on its staff training – the company takes about three months to train their staff which is way more than general norms. It is another company strategy – with good customer and staff interaction, people tend to revisit the store. It, in turn, increases sales.
Before the digital era, Uniqlo Japan relied on traditional marketing strategies, including flyers, TV commercials, etc. However, it currently uses many other communication methods to develop its name in the industry. These strategies include a unique environment within the store, celebrity brand ambassadors, conceptualized digital marketing, and collaboration with designers or brand campaigns.
How does it create an exquisite in-store environment?
It is one of the main communicative strategies of Uniqlo Japan. It achieves the benefits of this strategy by creating bright lights, wide aisles, beautifully bright displays, neatly stacked shelves, etc. to create a comforting and welcoming vibe for the customers. Every store has installed digital screens to explain the practical benefit of the fabrics and apparel.
How do brand ambassadors assist Uniqlo with effective marketing?
Like any other brand, Uniqlo Japan also collaborates with celebrities for endorsem*nts in order to extend brand image and brand reach. The use of brand ambassadors helps in overcoming adversity only when one uses a powerful character to portray their brand. Here is a list of the powerful characters who are currently the Global Ambassadors of Uniqlo Japan:
1. Ayumu Hirano - A Japanese international snowboarder
2. Roger Federer - A Swiss professional tennis champion
3. Kei Nishikori - A Japanese global tennis medallist
4. Shingo Kunieda - A Japanese international tennis champion on wheels
5. Gordon Reid - A Scottish international wheelchair tennis champion
6. Adam Scott - An Australian world-class pro golfer
How brand collaboration with designers helps it to grow in the international market?
The brand collaboration strategy of Uniqlo Japan highlights brand promise – “every individual’s unique individual style.” The brand collaborates with designers to create unique styles. However, Uniqlo gained quick access into the market where it has weak brand awareness by collaborating with the global designers.
How do global brand campaigns assist the company in its growth?
The brand campaigns present the brand’s mission and the Japanese heritage that differentiates it from its competitors. It also helps in harmonizing the brand image internationally.
Uniqlo uses the information collected through the campaigns started on its website and mobile app to analyze customer data and provide what best suits their individual needs.
Digital Marketing Strategy
Brand owners understand the importance of digital marketing in building its name worldwide. The current viral marketing strategy #UTPlayYourWorld is designed to build brand awareness internationally. It features a short TikTok video that encourages the customers to try new outfits through videos that are always streaming on the monitors in-store.
What Is The Brand Architecture Of Uniqlo Japan?
Uniqlo Japan caters apparel into three main segments – Men, Women, and Kids or Babies. However, the brand collection has been segregated into 5 sub categories divided by style. Let’s have a look at these subcategories of Uniqlo:
· Uniqlo’s Outerwear Collection
It comprises coats and jackets in plenty of materials and designs that suit the requirements of both men and women. It has a huge collection of these outfits which one can decide according to diverse weather conditions and festive or formal events.
· Uniqlo’s Top wears Collection.
This category of clothing involves efficient and very comfortable dresses, graphic t-shirts, shirts, t-shirts, and blouses, which are made from various materials. Pullovers, jumpers and cardigans also fall under this section of clothing.
· Uniqlo’s Bottom wears Collection.
The Bottom wear collection of Uniqlo includes a diversity of shorts and skirts for women. Other than that, it offers a wide range of smart pants, jeans, lounge bottoms, ankle pants, and shorts for both men and women. The brand also offers alteration services.
· Uniqlo’s Innerwear Collection
Uniqlo Japan offers a comfortable designer range of inner wear for men and women. The comfort of the people is the primary concern of the brand. You can find bra tops, shapewear, shorts, inner tops, underwear, bras, and socks for women. On the other hand, you can find inner tops, socks, trunks, briefs, boxers, and other legwear for men.
· Uniqlo’s Homewear and Accessories Collection
The brand offers a wide range of clothing in this category for both men and women. Some of these items include loungewear (lounge pants, pajamas, room shoes, and nightwear), shoes such as flats, sneakers and heels; and other items such as gloves, hats, belts, caps, towels, bags, sunglasses, scares, bedsheets and AIRISM face covering mask.
Uniqlo Japan is all about the philosophy of simplicity and essentiality, which is correctly reflected through its brand marketing and communication strategy. It is quite impressive how the brand has transformed it from a men’s tailoring shop to one of the best global fast-selling retail brands. One of the critical secrets behind its growth is its ability to fulfil its promises.
Undoubtedly, Uniqlo Japan is on the right path to global success. We at Fashinza help fashion brands and independent designers connect with the most brilliant apparel manufacturers. Whatever your requirements, we’ll help you find a manufacturer that fits in perfectly. Besides, our complete ownership of the process from delivery to design will allow you to rest assured.
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