Exclusive Interview With Zippo Global Marketing Director David Werfel: Clothing Design Needs To Improve Brand Identification.

< p > Zippo as a world-famous brand of lighters, with the development of diversified brand products, it has begun to plan a brand pformation of market segmentation.

From outdoor products to clothing products, Zippo product line expands while preserving the classics.

This is what brand global marketing director David Werfel said: brand soul needs to be extended in design.

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< p > < strong > the strategic layout market of "rural encircling the city" is < /strong > /p >

< p > reporter: many mature brands launch new categories or new series will first choose to develop the first tier cities. Why Zippo's clothing will concentrate on deep plowing two or three line cities at the beginning of the market? < /p >

< p > David VOF: the company thinks that setting up shop in the two or three tier city is also the process of brand market test. Dress is a brand new product line for Zippo, and it is not so familiar with the clothing industry, nor has its product pricing and consumer demand been accurately mastered.

The brand chooses the two or three line cities to do trial operation, hoping to understand the Chinese market situation. Once ready, it will consider opening shop in the first tier cities.

As we all know, the cost of opening two or three line cities is lower than that of the first tier cities. Zippo brand is more willing to put financial investment in product development rather than trial operation.

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< p > reporter: < a href= "//www.sjfzxm.com/" > brand < /a > what kind of data do you want to get in the two or three tier cities? After the successful two or three line city test, will it directly copy the mode and experience in the first tier cities? < /p >

< p > David VOF: the company's response to consumers and the market is not expected, because we only hope to get the real data.

18 months ago, Zippo's men's clothing opened shop in two or three cities in China. After a short period of time, it found out which products were loved by local consumers and which they did not like, including color, size and design. These are important information we obtained from two or three line city consumers.

Now our product sales are also good in the two or three tier cities, but this does not mean that we will copy all the two or three line cities in the first tier cities.

This problem is the same in the United States. In California and New York, consumers will have different preferences and knowledge about products. The company will find a more suitable market strategy in China through different market positioning.

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< p > < strong > Zippo rich product line planning subdivision < a href= "//www.sjfzxm.com/ > market < /a > /strong > /p >

< p > reporter: Zippo lets you know that because of the lighters, the Zippo dress participated in the Expo in 2012. Why did the brand increase the clothing and lifestyle categories? < /p >

David Werfel P: Zippo windbreak lighters are the most popular products in the world, but in fact, Zippo brands have different product strategies in different markets around the world. For example, in the Middle East or some Western European markets, men's fragrance products will be sold, even in Italy, too.

Zippo has made many investigations in the Chinese market, and thinks that clothing products have great market potential in China. Zippo participated in the Clothing Fair in 2012. It also hopes to take this opportunity to visit the Chinese apparel market and start the trial operation of this product line.

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P > reporter: increasing the business category is nothing more than a brand for a consumer group. What are the strategies for Zippo to pform the consumer? < /p >

< p > David Werfel: as a brand, the main task is always to meet the needs of loyal fans. Zippo lighters have been adhering to this concept.

The company will develop and design products according to the needs of consumers.

Fashion is changing very fast. How to grasp and cater to the fashion trends of consumers is always the task that the company needs to make unremitting efforts.

But because Zippo is a classic brand, at the beginning of the development of clothing products, we plan to integrate lighter elements into the design, taking into account both its fashion design sense and classic and functional design.

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< p > < strong > dress design needs to reflect < a href= > //www.sjfzxm.com/ > brand > /a > characteristics < /strong > /p >

< p > reporter: many consumers think that the use of Zippo lighters is a way of life. How can companies capture the hearts of consumers in clothing? < /p >

< p > David Werfel: Zippo clothing will also consider a unique brand logo when it is being developed. It is hoped that consumers will be recognized at the same time as wearing a Zippo lighter when wearing Zippo clothes.

We will extend our products to the rest of the world with products that we know well, and continue to brand culture with our products.

For example, the spring and summer clothing design in 2014 used a lot of elements of lighter products, including some of the classic Zippo lighters are printed on clothes, one can see that this is the product of Zippo.

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P: reporter: with the development of Chinese economy, a large number of brands are pouring into the Chinese market. What is the biggest difficulty for Zippo clothing to enter the market as a latecomer in the clothing market? < /p >

< p > David Werfel: the clothing industry is actually not late.

Fashion is always new, no matter when we join it, Zippo is only a new product in this field, and it also provides consumers with a new choice.

This is the advantage of Zippo's classic brand in the apparel industry rather than its difficulties.

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