TRIGGER JEANS: JEANS THAT FIT

Founded in 1991 by Sait Akarliar, TRIGGER Jeans designs and sells a collection of denim and other apparel. TRIGGER apparel is sold in specialty stores, department stores, and chains in 50 countries, including the United States, Germany, Australia and Russia. The company was founded in 1991 by Sait Akarliar, TRIGGER Jeans designs and sells a full operates more than 280 retail stores in many major cities; of these, six are flagship stores, including those in New York, Vancouver, and Berlin. TRIGGER Apparel is available at more than 4000 points of sale worldwide. Global sales reached $ 300 million in 2012, and the company has been growing about 30 percent annually in recent years. TRIGGER had been manufacturing private label jeans since 1984 for brands such as Lee, Calvin Klein, Armani, and Tommy Hilfiger. Building on this experience, TRIGGER, quickly became a success in Turkey due to the high quality denim used and the fashionable designs. In 1994 the brand was introduced in Europe, and 1996 was an important year for the company, as a customs union agreement between Turkey and the European Union (EU) opened up a new era of increasing opportunities in EU countries. Although the customs agreement heated up the competition in Turkey, replacing Levi's. That same year, the company built the largest jeans production facility in Europe in Istanbul. In 1996, TRIGGER entered the North American market, and not in a way one would expect from an apparel manufacturer from a developing country. TRIGGER was sold in high-end retailers such as Bloomingdales and Nordstorm, targeting fashion-conscious buyers. It was a challenging move; after all, jeans are as much a part of American life as Coca-Cola. Sait Akarliar, being a young Turk, knew that if TRIGGER succeeded in USA, other markets would be easier. Although TRIGGER apparel carried a higher price than the mainstream brands, quality and price attracted teenagers and college students. The brand gained huge visibility as the choice of Chelsea Clinton, Cher, and some MTV hosts. The company opened its flagship store in New York City in Union Square, near New York University.

In 2001, TRIGGER took on a move that was a first in the industry: it transferred the menu concept to fashion. Customers could order outfit combinations from menus hanging behind the checkout counters. Customers could purchase already-paired jeans, shirt, and shoes, for instance, and salespeople actually were dressed similar to service providers in a fast food restaurant. The company has not disclosed what percentage of sales comes from menu-item sales, but the practice is still used in Turkey. TRIGGER Jeans has become one of the most well-known jeans brand globally, as foretold by its 1999 campaign motto "we've gone too far". In 2006, the style and design edition of Time magazine reported TRIGGER as one of the 'best 16 global jeans brand". Based on the number of likes in social media sites, it ranks number 8 in global jeans brands. Celebrities known to like TRIGGER include Avril Lavigne, Kate Winslet, Lady Gaga Etc. Keeping up the Brand Image From the beginning, TRIGGER Jeans heavily emphasized the 'fit' as in the slogan 'TRIGGER fits' .Its jeans were designed to be comfortable and size availability for different styles was important. The state-of-the art plant in Istanbul was designed to have flexibility in production, as flexibility helps to cater to the different tastes and physical characteristics of customers dispersed in many countries. TRIGGER jeans are not just comfortable, but also fashionable; TRIGGER is a brand for fashion-conscious young people. In addition to styling and denim quality, many designer labels can be identified by a worn-in appearance. This special style requires additional processing and handling, which can actually cost more than the fabric itself. TRIGGER has been successful in keeping its prices on the lower side of the designer jean price continuum, so that the price quality combination is attractive for target buyers. For example TRIGGER's Molly , a popular design for women, is priced at about the twice the cost of a pair of Levi's 501 jeans. The brand is built around the jeans culture and young customers, and it emphasizes a Mediterranean feeling in fashion. The company considers the brand as exotic and inspirational, contemporary and accessible. Building on the Mediterranean feel, in 2005 TRIGGER Started to feature evil eye beads on its products. These are eye-shaped amulets of dark blue with a blue eye at the center, which are believed to protect against 'evil eye' such charms are a popular souvenir in Greece and Turkey. In 2007 , the Anatolian Yemeni (a headscarf of loose cotton) was featured in the collection globally. The Mediterranean feel is also reflected in the design of some stores, such as the flagship store in New York.

`TRIGGER Fits' is understood not just as fitting the bodies of customers, but their lifestyles as well. This necessitates following the ever-changing youth culture. It is a constant challenge to remain fresh in the eyes of the target market. The company employs a very young, multicultural design team. This helps the company not age with its customers, and keep up with the global pop culture. In addition to the in-house design teams in Turkey, the US, Canada, Australia and Italy, the company collaborates with designers and consultants from different parts of the world. To name a few Adriano Goldshmied (considered as world's best jeans designer by many experts), Venucia de Russi and Rifat Ozbek etc. Preparing a collection for a jeans brand was a first for Rifat Ozbek, whose clientele list includes Madonna, Diana rose and the late Princess Diana. TRIGGER tries a similar approach in its advertising campaigns. Olivero Toscani and Emir Kusturica took part in a recent ad campaign; Toscani is an Italian photographer known for the Benetton campaigns of the 1980s and 1990s, and Kusturica is Serbian filmmaker, a two time winner of the Palme D'Or award of the Cannes film festival. TRIGGER also features features celebrities carefully chosen for different markets. For instance, Kivanc Tatlitug, a Turkish model-actor, is featured in Middle east, where Turkish soap operas are extremely popular. Other faces of TRIGGER include Francisco Lachowski and Adriana Lima; is featured on a global scale for the fall/winter campaign of 2012. Top management considers travel as very important identifying new trends worldwide. Ersin Akarliar, son of the founder and manager in the company, once said he spend about two third of his time on the road, chasing new ideas across the globe. A visit by Ersin's sister Elif to Rio lead to the introduction of a Latin line to the brand's collection.

TRIGGER jeans is an active company in public relations and contributions to the society. For example, some stores are developed into more than a shopping place. The NYC flagship store has a gallery for up-and coming artists, and exhibit short films by filmmakers twice a month. The company issues the TRIGGEROLOGY magazine, and sponsors the TRIGGER Cup collegiate basketball championship in Turkey. When the company introduced its organic cotton jeans line in 2006, only a few companies had gone before it.

What is ahead?

Having established operations in many markets, TRIGGER is trying to keep a balance between strengthening its position in certain markets and further expansion. The company expects a 30 percent annual increase in upcoming years, and hopes to hit the $ 500 million mark by 2022.The priority in terms of the collection is to further expand the women's line ,which is becoming more colorful.

Question:

1. Brief the case & develop SWOT Matrix.

2. How would you define the company's target market? What is the current positioning strategy? Briefly Explain TRIGGER's 4P's.

3. What are customers of TRIGGER actually buying? How do you evaluate the 'Menu' approach?

4. What recommendations would you make to help TRIGGER keep up the brand image and enhance the connection to the target market? (10 Marks)