The Gap’s upscale clothing brand, Banana Republic, needed to stay on top of trends to succeed. To achieve this, they had to find a better way to connect with their trendsetting customers. Vision Critical worked with them to launch “Banana Republic Insiders” – an online panel of nearly 50,000 fashion-savvy members. Banana Republic gained a stronger sense of who their customers are and a tremendous resource to help guide the design of their clothing line and their in-store experiences.
In the fashion business, staying on top of trends is critical. Banana Republic needed help to ensure they would set fashion trends, rather than follow them. To make this happen, they would need a new way of connecting with their trendsetting customers all across the USA.
A community panel of fashion “insiders” who are always ready to discuss the latest in fashion trends. This custom online community panel includes almost 50,000 members across the United States. Vision Critical developed the recruitment plan, and now manages the community panel and creates new ways to maximize engagement. Community panel members participate in monthly surveys and receive sweepstake incentives and newsletters to keep them “on the inside” of Banana Republic’s fashion news.
Banana Republic now has a much stronger sense of who their customers are and how they express their personal style. The community panel has been a big factor in helping them stay on top, and ahead of, fashion trends. In one particular exercise, members were asked to photograph themselves in various outfits. The result allowed Banana Republic to peer into their customers’ closets. This has had a real impact on how the company designs both their clothes and their in-store experiences. “Our community panel is cost effective, category specific, and very proprietary. We’re able to use it for hypothesis generation and directional validation.”