Case Study Analysis: Customer-Centric Marketing
- Audrey Clarissa
- Oct 31, 2020
- 2 min read
I was looking for more knowledge to gain the other day and stumbled upon a case study. It was titled "How to Build a Customer-Centric Brand" by Business of Fashion. Just by reading the title, I thought that this would be great for me, who is currently working on developing a brand for my final degree project and my future career as a fashion marketer. So, I took the chance to read through it.
The case study started with how 2020 has shattered many renowned retailers. Most had filed for bankruptcy or experienced further difficulties that positioned them in a steeper decline, which might take years to end. The main factors for these situations were having too many stores and products and too many sales promotions.
However, Urban Outfitters experienced a positive outcome during the pandemic. It is noted that the brand generates earnings of $0.35 per share in the second quarter of 2020. It exceeds the expectation of analysts by $0.79.
Here's the point I learned from the case study:
Understanding the current situation and customer's needs and grasped to take action.
The company's bright achievement in the pandemic was due to the rise in online sales as malls, and other retail stores are forced to close by the government. The pandemic has also frustrated many individuals; many lost their jobs. Considering this fact, Urban Outfitters takes a risk in giving sales with a record-low markdown to attract the customers' attention and stay put in the industry.
A test-and-learn approach
This is a strategy that has been used by Urban Outfitters over the years. The strategy gives the company ideas of the customers' tastes, learn what works, and predicts the impact. The company will determine and turn them into their own entities. This will reduce a more significant risk in the future as it will be based on the proven analysis. The company gives customers what they crave by learning consumer sentiment.
Prioritized experiential retail
Urban Outfitters prioritized the experiential retail strategy. The company invests marketing in creating an immersive and shareable experience for the customers instead of online or traditional marketing to acquire customers' attention. It focuses on the marketing budget in launching new labels and trying out new store concepts. An example was Nuuly, a women's clothing rental subscription launched by the company in 2019. It is reported that the label reached a successful debut and earned $8 million in the first 12 months (Parisi, 2020).
Despite the fierce competition and the pandemic, Urban Outfitters maintain a successful path. The company manages to stand out with its distinctive take on responding to customer desires. As a future fashion marketer, this case study was giving cues to me in developing a customer-centric business in the future for long-term value. In this context, the ability to analyze trends and record online conversions is crucial in this industry.
Sherman, L. (2020). How to Build a Customer-Centric Brand — Download the Case Study. Retrieved 30 October 2020, from
Parisi, D. (2020). Things keep getting worse for fashion rental platforms – Glossy. Retrieved 30 October 2020, from
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