VS for Men

By: Ryan Mascolo

Professor Kraemer
Marketing 311
October 31, 2013







The mens underwear market has tremendous growth potential more so than
the lingerie market in the U.S.;
Since the recession, the US mens underwear market has seen tremendous growth in
terms of sales value as consumers garnered more disposable income due to the
strengthening economy. In 2012, the industry made 4.4 billion, a 2.2% increase from
2011 and a 7.4% increase from 2009 when the industry was at its low.
1
This increase in
sales value, though, is predicted to flat-line while sales volume increase as retailers
decrease prices in attempts to consolidate market share and the price of cotton increases.
In research by Passport, it is estimated that by 2017 sales volume will increase by 9.1%,
while sales value will increase by 1.5%.
2

The lingerie market has a similar forecast as the mens underwear market in the US.
The sales value for womens underwear is predicted to increase by .1% by 2017, and the
sales volume is predicted to increase 9.8%.
3
Both markets experienced a boom in sales
value post recession due to increased disposable income and consumers making small
luxurious personal purchases, but are predicted to see flat-line sales value and an increase
in sales volume as prices decrease due to competition and increases in cotton prices.
Even though the mens underwear market does not have a larger growth potential
than the lingerie market, trends within the mens underwear market have a higher growth
potential than the overall market. With more disposable income, there has been increased
purchasing of premium stylized brands as consumers seek out small personal luxury
items instead of bigger purchases.
4
Premium mens underwear with colorful fabrics and
additional performance aspects have become popular as male consumers are beginning to

1
Euromonitor International. (2013) Underwear, Nightwear and Swimwear in the US. Aug 2013. [online] [Accessed on
14
th
October 2013] http://portal.euromonitor.com
2
Ibid
3
Ibid
4
Ibid
see underwear as a lifestyle necessity instead of a necessary commodity. The NPD group
reports, In the past year, mens undergarments have been increasingly bought in
specialty stores by 29%.
5
This change in the market has tremendous growth potential as
consumers follow the new trend.
(2) mens underwear market is currently dominated by traditional suppliers;
Traditional suppliers take up a considerable portion of the mens underwear market
share. In the underwear, nightwear and swimwear market, Hanes has 9.2% of the market
share and Fruit of the Loom 7.8%.
6
These suppliers dominate the generic underwear
market that caters to the average consumer who sees underwear as a discretionary
purchase based on necessity rather than fashion. They do not have a handle on the
growing trends as consumers move away from traditional venues to purchase underwear,
increase their demand for more stylish premium products, and their demographics shift.
Traditional suppliers like Hanes and Fruit of the Loom make basic low price product
the typical mens underwear consumer looks for, but the changing trends in the market
show consumers looking for premium products with more vibrant designs and enhance
comforatability features. Brands like Hanes offer dull neutral colors like black and white
that are sold in bulk package of two to five pairs. In recent years, whites share of the
market dipped below 50 percent.
7
This reflects an increase in demand for mens
underwear with varying colors and designs. Consumers are looking to upgrade their
underwear due to their increased disposable income, and this leads way for brands to
offer new premium products that adhere to consumer demand.

5
NPD Group. Shopping Activity. The NPD Group Reports Mens Fashion Goes More Casual. The NPD Group
Reports Men's Fashion Goes More Casual NPD.com.
6
Euromonitor International, 2013.
7
Colman, David. "But What If You Get Hit By a Taxi?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2007.
The high market share of traditional suppliers comes from their dominance over the
supercenters, discount stores, and warehouse clubs market the average shopper frequents.
Wal-Mart, Target, and Kohls accounted for 28%, 18%, and 6% of Hanesbrands 2012
sales,
8
and similarly with Fruit of the Loom as Wal-Mart accounted for 30% of their sales
in 2011.
9
Traditional suppliers high brand recognition and competitively low prices
allows them to corner these markets where consumers seek generic low price products.
Their command over this market enables the leading market share as the majority of
consumers purchase mens underwear at these locations. In a survey conducted by
Mintel, 70% of surveyors said they bought underwear at supercenters, discount, and
warehouse clubs in the last 12 months.
10
But as the economy has strengthened and
consumers garnered more disposable income, they increased their purchases of mens
underwear at specialty stores by 29% in the last year due to their selection of premium
products.
11
These traditional suppliers do not have a strong presence at other outlets
because they do not sell premium products making it capable for other brands to take
over a larger share of the market.
In the mens underwear market, women purchase large shares of the mens
underwear, but the market is seeing more men buy their own products. Women make up
a large share of the markets purchases because they often shop for their husbands,
partners, or children, but as male consumers take more interest in their personal apparel
there will be a change in consumer behavior. The discount stores, wholesalers, and super

8
Hoover's Inc (2013) Hanesbrand Inc. Overview. Retrieved October 17, 2013 from Hoover's Company
Records Database.
9
Hoover's Inc. (2013) Fruit of the Loom Inc. Overview. Retrieved October 17, 2013 from Hoovers Company Records
Database.
10
Mintel. (2008). Mens Underwear US December 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2013 from Mintel Reports
database.
11
NPD Group. Shopping Activity.
centers are one-stop destinations for clothing and groceries where women are more likely
to be buy mens underwear for their sons or husbands. 78% of females while 64% of
males reported buying underwear at these locations.
12
These stores carry the traditional
suppliers product, but as men purchase their own underwear there will be less spent on
traditional suppliers. As Mr. Cohen, the chief analyst at NPD, says, Because underwear
is one of the few forms of mens wear that women buy more of (for men) than men do
the trend would likely continue as the boyfriends and husbands start to replacement-shop
for themselves.
13
The NPD group reports that 65% of mens apparel was bought by men
in 2012,
14
and there is room for this to grow. As it does the market will see male
consumers seeking over outlets to purchase from.
(3) New entrants (e.g., http://store.diesel.com) will grab this market if Victorias
Secret does not act quickly.
Over the past decade, new entrants have sprung up in the mens underwear market
through new brands or line extensions as the demand for premium mens underwear rose.
As Kathy Colburn from WWD states, A number of up-and-coming underwear brands
have their sights set on pushing out the big-name players in one specific area: the
premium-price tier.
15
This increase in competition has lead to a segmented market with
no brands taking a significant market share, but it is recommended that VS enter the
market before brands do gain more prominence. The segmentation in the mens
underwear market is due to the increase in distribution channels, changes in mens
underwear advertising, and a larger variety of brands.

12
Mintel, 2008.
13
Colman, 2007.
14
NPD Group. Shopping Activity.
15
Monget, Karyn."New Brands Shake Up The Underwear Market." WWD: Women's Wear Daily 204.87 (2012).
The mens underwear market has seen an increase in distribution channels along with
an increase in selection. Recent trends have shown more consumers are shopping for
underwear on the Internet and department stores are carrying more brands in their stores.
Traditionally, men see underwear as discretionary. So as consumers do not feel
comfortable buying novelty underwear at the store, they are making their purchases
through retail portals. These online retail portals like InternationalJock.com and
freshpair.com offer a large selection of underwear making it difficult for brands to stand
out. The Internet also lowers the barrier to entry for brands with click-only business
models. Flint and Tinder, a new entrant in the market, started through a Kickstarter
campaign raising nearly $300,000 in funding greatly exceeding their $30,000 goal, by
offering consumers a luxury underwear product that was made in America. Not only is
there more competition over the Internet, but also department stores are putting more
brands in stock. Saks has doubled the brands of underwear it carries.
16
The increase
demand for premium underwear has lead to not just an increase in competition but also
an increase and widening of distribution channels.
An increase in consumer desire to see their products advertised by relatable models
instead of the hulky and chiseled male models from popular brands like Calvin Klein lead
to a break down of the established premium brand market. New entrants gained traction
by creating brand images more relatable to the consumer, as the average consumer
entering the market felt uncomfortable and intimidated by the advertising. To me, the
man on the Calvin Klein package is the man I am not, and the man I cannot be, said Mr.
Charney of American Apparel. You know, nerdy is in.
17
Even brands known for their

16
Coleman, 2007.
17
Ibid
hyper masculine models and sexually charged ads are taking a step back to cater to the
expanding market of average male consumers looking for premium products. 2(x)ist is
stepping back with their hyper masculine ads with new promotions featuring Cedar Lake
Contemporary Ballet performers. We are going for something a little more statuesque,
and a little less steroid-y. said a designer of 2(x)ist.
With the increase in competition in the industry, we see brands focusing on a specific
target market as they put more personality into their brands. Gregory Sovell, the founder
of 2(x)ist, said, I think a lot of these brands have segregated themselves a bit, and the
models they pick are indicative of their targeted demographic.
18
There is now a variety
of brand images within the premium market, as the advertisements focus on the average
male through more relatable models, showcase their product being made in the USA,
offer far out designs and styles of underwear, make premium quality underwear in
traditional styles and colors, and those still with the overly hulky male models. With all
these different brand images, companies are targeting consumers with different
personalities leading to more variety and a segmented market.
1. Is the mens underwear line a way to sell more products to VSs existing
customer base (overwhelmingly female) and/or is it focused on attracting new
customers [either male or female or both] to Victorias Secret?
The main focus of Victorias Secret line extension will be to sell mens underwear to
their existing consumer base. Primarily, this customer base consists of women between
the ages of 18 to 54 with highest probability to buy Victoria Secrets amongst its younger
customers and decreases with age. According to a NHCS survey, females between the
ages 18-24 have an index of 330 for buying apparel at Victoria Secrets in the past 12
months, females between the ages of 25-34 an index of 294, females between the ages of

18
Wilson, Eric. "Less Ab, More Flab." The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 May 2013.
35-44 an index of 201, and females between the ages 45-54 have an index of 166.
19

While, females above the age of 64 and males of any age range have a low probability of
purchasing at Victoria secret.
Even though this demographic is overwhelmingly female, research has shown large
percentages of women buying mens underwear for their spouses, partners, or children. In
a survey by Mintel, 60% of women reported purchasing mens underwear in the past 12
months.
20
Though statistics show a larger portion of men buying mens underwear in the
past 12 months, they are not apart of the current VS consumer base, and Victorias
Secrets hyper feminine brand image will be difficult for male consumers to embrace at
first. As female consumers buy Victoria Secrets underwear for their husbands or
partners, over time we expect brand attitudes to change as men use the product and feel
more comfortable with the brand. When this happens, men will be targeted along with
women to purchase underwear.

2. Is it true that men consider underwear purchases discretionary while women
consider underwear purchases a life style necessity?
Research has shown male consumers to consider underwear purchases as
discretionary, while women consider purchases a life style necessity. In Mintels Mens
Underwear Report, they found for the average male underwear purchasing may be a
slightly uncomfortable experience for this group, as many do this alone.
21
The male
consumer being uncomfortable with the overtly sexual and highly sculpted male models
used on the packaging and promotion affects this behavior. With new advertising

19
Simmons Market Research Bureau. (2013).Simmons OneView: 2011 data.
20
Mintel, 2008.
21
Mintel, 2008.
strategies having relatable men on the packaging, more men are shopping for underwear,
as they feel more comfortable with the products branding.
Women on the other hand do not see underwear purchases as being discretionary as
shown with the prominence of lingerie stores such as VS and its high market share. Over
the past decade, the lingerie market has seen increased revenue with the onset of product
innovations including laser-cut seamless bras and molded t-shirt bras, and fashionable
lingerie as women have begun to see lingerie as a part of fashion rather than as just a
necessity.
22
In the recent years, men are changing their view of underwear increasingly
recognizing it as a life-style necessity as the mens underwear market sees similar
product changes as the lingerie market; increase in product innovations, more premium
brands, and more fashionable underwear designs.
These insights will impact our promotional campaign to help cater our line
extension to our consumers behaviors. Advertising mens underwear with male models
the consumer can relate to will to ease comfortability with the brand. Also focusing on
online portals to sell to male consumers would work similarly as they can purchase items
discreetly online. With women viewing underwear as a life style and being a frequent
purchasers of mens underwear, VS line extension of vibrant and stylish mens
underwear can be marketed to them because of their prerequisite of viewing womens
underwear as a fashion choice.
3. What is the principal target market (with specific demographics) for the
initial product roll out (i.e., the first 24 months)?
The top three potential target markets for the initial rollout of VS line extension into
mens underwear is metrosexual men between the ages of 18-35, average male

22
IBISWorld. (October 2013) Lingerie, Swimwear &Bridal Stores in the US. Retrieved October 12,2013 from IBIS
Industry Market Research database.
consumers between the ages of 18-35, and current VS consumer between the ages of 18-
45 that purchase underwear for their husbands or partners.
Metrosexual men between the ages of 18-35
Metrosexual men have been ahead of the trend seeing mens underwear as a life style
necessity and a fashion purchase before other male consumers. This target market
purchases premium mens underwear, and during the 18 to 35 age range male consumers
purchase the most underwear. Jaya Narin reports, Men's underpants buying activity
reaches a peak at the age of 23, but declines gradually until the age of 33 when it falls to
zero - because many men are in a stable relationship.
23
With a highly feminine brand
like Victoria Secret, this target market will not be turned away from the brand to the
extent the average male consumer would. These men are more comfortable with
displaying femininity in the clothes they wear.
The problem with this demographic, though, is that they are highly sought after
consumer by competition in the field. This audience was the first to see underwear as a
fashion choice, so over the years they have become loyal to other brands. Also making
this demographic our target market restricts potential market share because we are
focusing on a small margin of consumers. Lastly, this audience is not a current consumer
and will be expensive to market to due to the cost to acquire new consumers.
New male consumers that are looking to purchase premium mens underwear
The younger male consumers, 18-35, are beginning to purchase more premium
underwear as they garner disposable income. This trend has been increasing over the
years as fashionable premium underwear changed from a product for metrosexuals to the

23
Narain, Jaya. "Buy My Own Pants? No, I Leave That to My Wife." Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd, 11 Nov.
2009. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
average consumer. With the trend entering the mainstream market, this type of consumer
is increasing as men purchase more of their own clothes. These male consumers differ
from the other male demographic because these male consumers are uncomfortable with
the overly sexual advertisements typical in mens underwear, and they want more
relatable average people modeling the products they want, and brands are complying to
these wishes.
This target market is not current VS consumers and will not want to purchases brands
with hyper feminine names like Victorias Secret. They look for more rustic and
masculine sounding names. Also there are multiple mens underwear brands targeting
this demographic, so breaking through the clutter to reach them will be difficult on top of
the aversion to the brand name. These would be new customers and more money will be
spent to get new customers than to target existing consumers.
Females between the ages of 18-45 that shop at Victoria Secret and purchase mens
underwear for their spouse or partner.
This demographic will be are primary target market. These consumers already
purchase mens underwear for their spouses, partners, or children. Though they do not
command the majority of the mens underwear market, they are more likely to purchase
mens underwear from Victoria Secrets than male consumers do to it hyper feminine
branding. Women consumers are more interested in buying male underwear with more
designs. When buying men underwear 69% of women surveyed said like to try new
colors of underwear while only 58% of men agreed to this.
24
This is a reflection of their
belief that underwear is a life-style necessity. Since they are already Victoria Secret
consumers, this audience can be cheaply and accurately marketed to. VS has a database

24
Mintel,2008.
full of consumer email and mailing addresses through their email and catalogue based
direct marketing campaign. Also, they already actively visits retail portal to purchase
apparel where they will see promotions for the new line extension.
The weakness with this demographic is the end user of the product, males, may not
feel comfortable wearing VS brand underwear, or the female consumer will not buy the
brand with the risk of emasculating their partner. Then women consumers are more likely
to purchase underwear at discount stores, wholesalers, and mass merchants for their
husbands or partners, though 31% said they bought mens underwear from department
stores such as Macys, Dillards, etc.
25

4. Why will your target market buy mens underwear from Victorias Secret
which is known for its feminine products?
Our target market will purchase mens underwear from Victoria Secret because they
lack an aversion to shopping in Victorias Secrets or its feminine image. Victorias
Secret already sells mens products like cologne, body wash, and aftershave lotion to
their female consumer base because female consumers buy these products for their
partners or spouses. Female consumers purchase these products because it is convenient,
they are loyal to the brand, and the product is stylized in a masculine way. Similarly,
female consumers will purchase their spouses or partners VS mens underwear for the
same reasons.
With the new extension, the female consumers will be able to purchase their spouses
or partners underwear at the same place they purchase underwear for themselves. This
offers convenience for online shoppers where they do not have to enter in credit card
information at another website.

25
NPD Group. Shopping Activity.
Female consumers already see underwear as a fashion or lifestyle decision, so they
are inclined to see mens underwear in a similar light. 69% of women said they like to
try new colors of underwear when purchasing mens underwear, so the Victoria Secret
line will entice the women consumer to purchase their brand with an array of options to
pick from. The line extension will market to women similarly to how Victoria Secret
markets their womens underwear; by offering a wide-ranging amount of designs and
styles and then have special prices for when consumers buy in bulk. This is opposite from
mens underwear brands that sell bulk underwear in pre-determined packaging. Allowing
the consumer decide on the pairs to buy makes for an elongated purchase experience,
interacting with the products, instead of a quick grab and go decision.
The biggest issue against the target market not buying VS mens underwear is the
possibility their husband or partner to not wear it due to its feminine brand. So in order to
counterbalance this, the underwear will have bold black masculine VS on the elastic
waistband, and will offer masculine or gender-neutral designs. Without the cursive pink
Victorias Secret logo men will not have apprehension to wear the underwear.
5. What is the current competitive market for mens underwear? What firms
will be our primary competitors upon entry?
The mens underwear market consists of different tiers of products based on luxury.
The low priced brand found at mass merchandisers have the highest market share, Hanes
with 9.2% and Fruit of the Loom with 7.2% of the underwear, nightwear, and swimsuit
market share. Jockey slightly more expensive than these two brands is behind Fruit of the
Loom with the third highest market share of 4.3%. Premium brands do not have any
noticeable stake in this market share besides Calvin Klein with 1.8%.
The premium brands that can be broken up into different segments ranging from high
brow brands like Hanro or Zimmerli or medium to lower luxury brands like 2(x)ist and
Calvin Klein. The medium to lower luxury brands segment has seen the most increase in
popularity. Karyn Monget of WWD, a weekly magazine about the fashion industry,
states, There is a growing demand for premium underwear that addresses the middle
ground of luxury, bridging the gap between a basic commodity and a high-end designer
label.
26
Along with the growing demand there has been an increase in companies trying
to take advantage of this middle ground market as new brands entering the marketplace
and existing brands make line extensions.
Our primary competitors are the brands in the middle to lower class of premium
mens underwear. This include brands like 2(x)ist, Calvin Klein, Polo, Marc Jacobs,
Diesel, Marc Weldon, Tommy John, Naked, Frank Dandy Superwear, Ginch Gonch,
Dsquared, Emporio Armani, and American Apparel. These are our competitors in the
middle to lower class of premium mens underwear market, but with our primary target
market, women, low cost suppliers like Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and Jockey are
secondary competitors, for Hanes and Fruit of the Loom dominate the wholesalers,
discount stores, and mass merchants market female consumers most often purchase
mens underwear.
6. What will be the competitive advantages of Victorias Secret in this new
market?
Victorias Secret competitive advantage in the medium to low premium mens
underwear market is their target market, for it varies from their primary competitors,
holds VS with high brand value, and is inclined to see underwear as a lifestyle choice.

26
Monget, 2012.
Our marketing strategy takes the new trends in mens underwear market and target it
to traditional consumers of mens underwear, women. The premium mens underwear
category has turned into a highly competitive market, but the brands in the market target
the 18-35 male demographic. Female consumers are not targeted for mens premium
underwear. By making the target market women, Victoria Secrets male underwear
marketing strategy has a different angle than competitors.
With the target market being VSs current consumers, the brand already retains
high value amongst this audience. For 2013, Interbrand ranked Victoria Secret as the 16
th

best retail brand in America.
27
Along with the high brand value, a majority of women go
to Victorias Secret to purchase their underwear, for they have such a high market share.
IBISWorld puts Victoria Secret with 47.8% of the lingerie, swimwear and bridal store
market share.
28
This means VS has a large consumer base that actively goes to Victoria
Secret retail stores and portal, make purchases, and are easily reachable their website and
direct marketing strategy.
These women are also more inclined to see mens underwear as a lifestyle necessity
for their spouse or partner because it is their view about their own underwear. With
Victoria Secret offering a plethora of different types and colors of womens lingerie, their
current consumers buy themselves fashionable underwear, so why should not do the same
for their husbands and spouses. The marketing strategy for the mens line of underwear
aims to show women that they should think of mens underwear as a fashion style as
well.


27
"Interbrand - Best Retail Brands 2013 - Victoria's Secret." Interbrand.
28
IBISWorld, 2013.
7. How should our mens products be priced?
VS mens underwear will be lower than its competitors prices. For women, the
Victoria Secret brand has the strength and consumer base to offer products at the same
price as competitors, but this newly designed mens product does not have the current
market.
The mens product will compete in the medium to low-end premium product
segment, but will be priced lower than these brands and in accordance with current VS
products. Offering a similar product at a lower price will be the best way to gain market
share being a new product. Pricing the brand at to high of a discounted rate will make
consumers skeptical about the quality, but also we need to keep the pricing similar to the
current Victoria Secret underwear. Our target market could have an aversion against
buying their husbands or spouses more expensive underwear than theirs.
Currently, VS womens underwear is low priced, charging $10.50 to $14.50 for
individual pair and as low as $26 for an assortment of five, while mens mid to low end
premium products by brands such as 2(x)ist, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Marc Weldon, Flint
and Tinder range from mid $30s to low $20s for individual pairs and range in the mid to
high 30s for sets of 2-4. Usually to gain market share common price reduction would be
20% less than competitors, but to keep in line with the price VS womens underwear the
price will be reduced marginally more than 20%. So VS mens underwear will be offered
individually in the mid teens and in the high 20s and low thirties for bulk purchases.
These prices find a balance between the pricing of current womens VS underwear and
other premium brands.

8. What product set do you propose for your initial entry?
Victoria Secrets mens underwear line is going to feature briefs, boxer briefs, and
boxers with ranging designs for each style. These are the three common forms of mens
underwear that mens underwear companies offer. Each different style is more popular
amongst different demographics. It was found that super-tight briefs are the most popular
purchase by men aged between 19 and 26, boxer shorts for those between 26 and 33, and
Y-fronts for the over-33s.
29

In addition to underwear, the Victoria Secret mens line will also offer undershirts
and swimwear to diversify its offerings. Companies rarely offer just underwear, they
usually offer undershirts as well for these two products are often bought in tandem. Then
swimwear will be offered because market is expected to increase in revenue as the
economy continues to recovery. Euromonitor predicts that swimwear will increase
revenue because with continued increases in discretionary income expected, more US
consumers will travel or otherwise take holidays and time off to relax, and swimming and
tanning are popular leisure activities.
30
The mens swimwear market is expected to
increase in volume by 7.9% from 2012/2017. Swimsuits, though, are a seasonal purchase,
so the line of swimsuits will come out with the spring/summer collections.
9. What will be the components of your proposed promotion mix?
Advertising
For the initial launch, the advertising for mens underwear will be online exclusively
since this is the only channel consumers can purchase the product. With online
advertising, we will be able to better target the consumer at a cheaper price, measure the
results, and reach more specific markets. The types of online advertising we will use are

29
Narain, 2009.
30
Euromonitor International.
banner ads, mobile, viral, social media, and search Our advertising will be heavy around
the time of the launch, but will decrease in quantity after.
Sales promotions
Sales promotions will used in the few week after the launch to drive sales and to
convert consumers of VS womens line into consumers of the mens line. To target the
current consumers of VS womens line, these sales promotions will be featured on VS
social media networks and emailed using their consumer database. In these channels, the
coupon will be downloadable to their smart phones making them convenient to use.
Coupons are being used to target loyal consumers that actively engage with the brand by
opening their emails and visiting their social media pages. If the promotion were a
storewide sale at its launch, it would cheapen the product in the consumers eyes.
Direct Marketing
Victoria Secret already has had an extensive direct marketing campaign since the start
of the company. Their catalogues have been a prominent feature in their promotion
campaign and will be utilized to market their new line extension. Also they have
extensive email lists of previous consumers, so email or spam will be used to spread the
word about the new line. These emails will include sales promotions to drive sales.
Publicity and PR
Publicity and PR will be a large focus on our promotion mix and will focus on
reinforcing the womens role of purchasing mens underwear, increase awareness, and
contain backlash over whether male consumers will wear the VS product.
Leading up to the release, VS will aim to get articles in female focused magazines,
websites, or blogs about women being the main purchasers of mens underwear by
pitching publications and providing statistics. These articles help reinforce this consumer
behavior as a cultural standard. Publications with a younger female demographic will be
targeted, as they are in an impressionable stage where their consumer behavior regarding
purchasing their boyfriends or husbands underwear is undetermined.
The release of VS new mens line will draw national curiosity as VS consumer base
is overwhelming female, the brand is a household name, and the brand name is hyper
feminine. This curiosity will translate to coverage by a wide range of national media
outlets including newspapers, womens magazines, and most likely late-night talk shows.
During this period, Victorias Secret needs to garner all the free press about the release
and aim to spin it in a positive light. Articles will question whether the male consumer
will wear the product, and VS will need to respond to these criticisms.
After the launch, the reporters will be pitched different stories with different topics
being discusses depending on the media outlets. For business papers, we will rationale
the line extension due to the growth in the mens premium underwear market and also the
trend in consumers looking for fashionable mens underwear. For women focused media
sites, we will pitch articles about the need for men to improved underwear drawer in
fashionable way.
Personal Selling
Personal Selling will not be utilized because the product is going to be sold online for
the initial launch, so there will not be any tangible sales people for the consumer to talk
to. Personal selling can be done online, but mens underwear is a low cost low effect
product. Consumer will not need a video link to discuss the product with a sales
representative.
10. How will you leverage the existing social network links that VS already has
in place for its existing business?
The social media networks will be leveraged to create buzz about the upcoming
product launch, offer promotions and deals on the new line, and engage consumers to
post content and feedback. With current Victorias Secret consumers following on social
media sites, this channel will be a cheap and targeted method to reach our market. On
Facebook they have 23 million likes. On Twitter, they have 2.8 million followers. Then
on Instagram, Victorias Secret has 2.6 million followers making them the 3
rd
most
followed brand on Instagram.
31

In the months leading up to the launch, the existing VS social networks will be used
to create buzz about the new line. The buzz will first raise consumer curiosity and then
gradually reveal more information till the line releases. A month before the launch, VS
would post that they are coming out with a new line and it is nothing like anything they
have done before. From there, they would hint that the new line might be mens wear a
week later. Then in the week leading up to the launch, VS will periodically release photos
of the new line being modeled. This tactic will get the core consumer base of VS
intrigued about the new line, and will garner press attention.
During the first week of the line extensions initial launch, sales promotion will be
posted on social media sites as 36.9% of consumers follow brands on Facebook for the
special offers and discounts and 43.5% on Twitter.
32
These social network sales
promotions will be redeemable through smart phones for convenience. To spread the
reach of the special offers, the promoted post feature on Facebook and the promoted

31
Fox, Zoe. "The 10 Most-Followed Brands on Instagram." Mashable. 26 Oct. 2013.
32
O'Dell, Jolie. "Why Do People Follow Brands?" Mashable. 29 June 2011.

tweet feature on Twitter will be used. This tactic will drive sales and awareness of the
mens line.
Social media networks will also aid in crowdsourcing opinions from consumers. VS
wants consumers to talk about the launch to spread awareness, but also to measure
consumer opinion. During the first day of the launch, we will post about the new mens
line extension and ask female consumers for their opinions about the line. We will gauge
their responses, and then follow up again months later to test if consumer sentiment has
changed. Tweets and comments about the extension can be gleamed to measure
consumer response.
11. What will be your six principal online advertising formats and explain how
and why each will be used and why these formats are the most suitable for
your chosen principal target market
The main focus of the campaign will be to sell mens underwear over brand building,
so our advertising formats will reflect this need with email, website, banner ads, viral ads,
mobile, and social networking.
Email
In this campaign, using email is a smart bomb because it reaches only our target
market of women consumers that shop at VS. Victoria Secret consumers have already
given the company their email addresses through their online purchases or when asked at
the retail store. With the established list, email is a cheap form to reach the target market.
Some consumers do choose to opt-out or will have the email directed to their spam filter,
but the core VS brand loyal consumers will opt-in and will be reachable through this
channel.
In order to not push away consumers with advertisements to mens underwear they do
not intend to purchase, the focus of the emails will vary. For the launch and the first week
after, emails will include sales promotions and will focus solely on the male collection.
After this, the emails will feature males wearing the new line extension and female
models wearing the new womens style of underwear with typography to the side
informing consumers about the cost for buying in bulk for men and womens underwear.
If the consumer has not bought the male collection after this time, the emails focus will
go back to the womens section ads and periodically will feature the mens wear. If they
have bought the mens wear, they will continue receiving emails splitting focus between
the male and female lines.
Website
The Victoria Secret website http://www.victoriassecret.com/ will feature the new line
extension on their home page giving it the most prominent placement on their website for
month months after it launches. As seasons go in and out the new products and designs
will be feature on the website when they come out, but in a rotation. With the initial
launch, the extension will get the best placement for a longer time on the website, and the
subsequent addition of new style and lines the ad will get less prominence. The website
advertisement will feature womens underwear along with mens underwear in the
advertisement.
The website is only frequented by consumers that have bought VS apparel in the past
or are looking to purchase VS apparel, which is a principle characteristic of our target
market. These consumers have intent to purchase because they are visiting the store to get
more information about the products VS offers.
Banner Ads
Banner advertisements will be used to narrow in on the target demographic through
cookies. Cookies will be used for website tracking, so Internet users that visit Victorias
Secret website or mens underwear page will be marked. From there, they will be
targeted with banner ads as they surf the Internet. For first month after the line
extensions launch, visitors of the Victorias Secret home page and visitors of the mens
wear section will be targeted with Victorias Secret ads featuring the mens wear line.
This spreads awareness about the new line to VS consumer base. After consumers are
aware of the new line, the banner ads will only target those that visit the mens line
section. This strategy reframes from overloading the current consumer with ads for mens
underwear, so VS does not run the risk of turning away consumers and missing
opportunities to sell their womens wear.
During the first two weeks after the mens wear launch, all available ad space on a
few websites s with high female traffic between the ages 18-45 will feature VS mens
wear advertisements. These pages will be completely branded with the new line to
increase consumer awareness at the launch. Cookies will selectively choice users that
visited VS to be displayed the fully branded pages. Websites with high female traffic
between the age ranges of mid 20s to 30s are the websites of celebrity and entertainment
magazines like US Weekly along with fashion and dating advice magazines like
Cosmopolitan. The female index for US magazine website is 167 while the 25-35 index
is 148 and the 35-44 index is 137.
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These stats are similar for the websites of other
celebrity and entertainment magazines and fashion and dating magazines as well.
Social Media Advertising

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"Usmagazine.com Traffic and Demographic Statistics." Quantcast. Quantcast.
Leisure-oriented social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter will be targeted
by our advertisements. Facebook allow for scalability and direct reach to specific
consumers. Facebook users enter information in their profiles about themselves, their
interests, gender, relationship status, and where they live, and this allows marketers to
specify which market they are looking for. VS Facebook campaign can directly target
women in a relationship or married that like Victorias Secret and live in the United
States.
Viral
With the target market directly marketed to through other advertising format, VS will
use viral marketing because it drives sales. In order for this format to be successful, VS
will hire ad agency specializing in viral advertising like Mekanism. Using this method
will be expensive for a viral video costing at least $250,000, but it is cheap compared to
traditional advertising and it will better insure higher visibility.
Victoria Secret breaking into the mens underwear market is an inherently
newsworthy story, so a viral video will capitalize on consumer attention and will spark
more buzz. This tactic is will not be targeted to a specific market because the reach is
based on the consumers that share the ad, but it will help drive sales and increase
consumer awareness.
Mobile
Mobile advertising is the best way to target younger consumers. In the United States,
80% of consumers between the ages of 18-29 years have smartphones.
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The younger
demographic is most likely a VS consumer as females between the ages 18-24 have an
index of 330 for buying apparel at Victoria Secrets in the past 12 months and females

34
Brenner, Joanna. Pew Internet: Mobile. Rep. Pew Research Center, 18 Sept. 2013.
between the ages of 25-34 have an index of 294.
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The younger demographic is also
most likely to view underwear as a fashion style making mobile advertising a lucrative
investment. The mobile ads will be banner ads and will work similarly as banner ads.
They will target users that visited the VS site and women focused magazines websites or
app. This strategy will help to raise awareness and to drive consumers to the website.
12. Identify and define two outcome metrics and explain at least five
performance metrics?
The Outcome metrics of this campaign will focus on new online customer acquisition
cost and the average spend per online customer in a given period. Because the mens line
did not have any preexisting consumers, the new online customer acquisition cost is
important to figure out the cost of establishing a consumer base. This amount should be
low because the campaign targeted current VS womens wear consumers. The average
spend per online customer in a given period will informs us the amount of money each
new consumers spends. If the total gross revenue from the average spend per online
customer in a given period is higher than the cost for new consumers then the campaign
has been successful.
For the performance metrics, we are going to look into the effectiveness of the
campaign strategy and the suitability of our target market. Since our target market was
current VS consumers, the percentage of current customers that purchased the new line
will be an effective measurement of the success. From there, we will access the
effectiveness of the different advertisements formats. The most important performance
metrics are purchases since the promotional goal was to sell and not brand building. So
the conversion rate of emails, banner ads, viral ads, and mobile ads will be the best

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Simmons Market Research Bureau, 2011.
performance metrics. Along with the amount of consumers utilizing the sales promotion
coupon.
13. How do you intend (if at all) to leverage the brick and mortar stores that
Victorias Secret has all over the U.S.?
During the two-year initial launch, the brick and mortar stores will be leverage to help
with sales promotions and spread awareness about the male line. At the stores, sales
representatives will be present and will be able to determine if the female shopper is
married through her wedding ring or if there is a boyfriend present as she is shopping.
When these consumers are ringed up and purchase their merchandise the sales
representative can insert a sales coupon along with the receipt into the bag and inform the
consumer about the new mens line, the discount for Victoria Secret shoppers, and how
the product is fashionable. Also brochures featuring the males line should be apparent at
the check out counter.
14. Assuming a successful launch, after the initial 24-month launch period, what
changes do you expect in terms of target segments, product mix, additional
channels, and/or promotional campaign?
After a successful launch, the target market will move slightly from women to men, as
male consumers wear the product and feel more comfortable with the brand. Female
consumer will still be targeted but at a decreased level. As the target markets switch, the
product mix will change slightly to add nightwear and more designs for the underwear
collection. Nightwear will be added since it goes hand and hand with underwear, and no
other items will be put into the product mix. The brand does not have the comfortability
yet with male consumers to move into different apparel categories, so when targeting
male consumers the focus will be to build the brand instead of sales. Then as male
consumer become more comfortable with the brand, VS will look into adding different
types of apparel.
With the male consumers as a target market, the promotional campaign will focus
its efforts on acquiring new customers instead of targeting preexisting VS consumers to
purchase the line extension and brand building. New formats VS will use to acquire new
customers will be sponsorship, blog ads, and PR with a focus toward mens publications.