Never alienate your core audience

Hunter Boot collapsed owing £112m

A few years ago was compelled enough to write to Hunter Boots Ltd about them ruining their brand and alienating their core (niche) market: Farmers.

They had decided to make the brand “trendy” and make cheaper versions of the product to appeal to a wider market. Farmers left in droves.

I fear Barbour may go the same way. Barbour have done what Giorgio Armani did and relabelled their cheaper products with sub-brands. While this helps, the core brand aficionados see through it and end up leaving.

This strategy often has initial highs meaning companies growth becomes unsustainable in the long term. They have huge sale upsurge, invest in more people, more office space and all the other expense that comes with growth which then tails off then drops.

The product becomes common. The trend setters look for the next niche and with the core customer-base gone the company ends up folding.

Of course they will blame pandemic, cost of living etc but these brands have been around for ages and weathered worse storms with their core market. Once that core market is gone they are done!

So how could they have done this differently? Audi drivers don’t stop buying Audis just because the group also make Skodas. If AUDI AG had called Škoda Auto Audis and sold them £20K+ cheaper with Audi badges on, their core buyer would likely stop buying them!

Skoda is such a well respected and brilliant brand in its own right aimed at a different audience. I have owned two Skodas (still do) and worked with the brand.