Page 29 - BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2014

Section 03 | The Categories
Consumer and Retail | Apparel

Apparel

Consumers invest in fashion

plus function as they create

repertoires of brands

Apparel converges with technology

Apparel led all categories in growth of The fast growing markets led the way in

overall brand value, with an increase of the use of ecommerce and social media,
29 percent in the BrandZM Top 100 Most however, while in developed markets,
Valuable Global Brands 2014, following sites like Tumblr enabled consumers to
a 21 percent improvement a year ago.
share information and feel informed.
Indicative of the growing inluence of

Consumers eagerly purchased apparel, apps in the apparel category, an app
but they sought value, investing in brands called Tapestry provided a virtual bulletin
that offered style with durability plus board, similar to Pinterest, along with an
function. Mid-priced brands informed by option to purchase.
high-end fashion prospered.
A UK-based app, called ShufleHub,

Less concerned about projecting
emphasized the emotional aspect of
an image with logos, consumers shopping, enabling online shoppers
focused instead on how brands could to browse across stores and brands to
make them feel more conident and replicate the dreaming and exploring
discerning. Brands aimed to be part of aspect of shopping. These other trends

the repertoires of affordable options also impacted the category:
consumers purchased for various
occasions.
Loyalty As ecommerce drove an
exponential expansion of choice,
Post-recession smart consumers brands needed to work harder at

matched wits with brands over pricing. cultivating loyalty. But a good brand
Rather than purchase at the beginning experience could make the difference.
of the season, consumers waited to buy
on sale. Merchants launched sales earlier Localization Technology enabled Top 10 Apparel
and deepened discounts as time passed, brands to tailor their communications
adjusting prices rationally, to encourage for diverse audiences and geographic
Brand
Brand Value
purchasing while protecting margins.
locations.
Value Brand
% Change
The slower pace of economic expansion Wearables Technology and apparel 2014 $M Contribution 2014 vs 2013
in fast growing markets impacted the continued to converge, and brands
apparel category, particularly in China. met consumer needs for clothes that 1
Nike
24,579
4
55%
29%
Slower growth, combined with increasing suited their healthy and active lives. With a brand value rise of 47 percent, 2 Zara 23,140 3 15%
international competition, rising labor Google announced an operating Adidas enjoyed the momentum gained
and raw material costs and excess system called Android Wear to drive from its sponsorship of the London
3
H&M
15,557
2
22%
inventory, formed a perfect storm that innovation in wearables.
2012 Olympic Games and introduced 4 Uniqlo 7,303 2
58%
hurt business results and brand values.
products related to its sponsorship of
5
Adidas
7,192
4
47%
Apparel brands with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The
technology rise in value
brand introduced a new shoe cushioning 6 Ralph Lauren
6,323 4
13%
innovation it calls Boost technology.
7
Next
5,716
3
39%
Nike’s brand value increased 55 percent. Uniqlo also integrated apparel and
8 Hugo Boss
4,526 4
28%
With the tagline “Find your greatness,” technology, with fabrics engineered to
Nike used social media to inspire a keep heat in (Heattech) or let air out 9
Lululemon
3,258
4
-13%
culture of activity and achievement.
(AIRism). On the promise of delivering Deinition
Tommy Hiliger
The brand has succeeded in building apparel staples that are fashionable, 10 2,004 3
New
communities of consumer and brand functional and affordable, the Japanese The apparel category is
advocates around this larger purpose. brand has built a global presence, with comprised of mass-market Source: Valuations include data from BrandZM and Bloomberg.
Brand contribution measures the inluence of brand alone on earnings on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 highest.

Nike reined its FuelBand. The bracelet, around 1,300 stores in Asia, North men’s and women’s fashion and
which measures calories burned, America and Europe. Uniqlo rose 58 sportswear brands, but excludes
pioneered the intersection of apparel, percent in brand value.
brands viewed by consumers as
technology and community.
luxury.

56 BrandZM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2014
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