SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
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Aligns itself with the right celebrities to appeal to the Bape consumers.
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Working with the right brands, making for successful, high-profile collaborations.
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A good balance of professional shot images vs. reposts of bloggers/celebrity’s own images on social media.
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Hold a good reputation among the public for unique designs that are of high quality.
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Retaining exclusivity.
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Concession layout and staff.
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Good presence on streetwear websites.
Weaknesses:
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Social media is written in Japanese.
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Neglecting UK customers.
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No official UK/European website.
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Solo campaigns aren’t as strong and don’t gain as much buzz as collaborations do.
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Not very interactive with consumers.
Opportunities:
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Turn celebrity PR into marketing by using celebrities in campaigns.
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Stronger visual content, pushing the boundaries of technology with an invocative, visual way to promote the brand.
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Host an event which fuses both Bape the brand and the musical influences behind Bape, such as a new range launch event with musical guests.
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Make Bape more open to countries, such as the UK, via livestreaming and augmented marketing.
Threats:
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Supreme constantly releasing successful, sell-out, high-profile collaborations, that grab attention from the press, social media, and creates a strong buzz around the brand.
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Being overtaken by fresh competitors, such as Off-White, due to Bape’s dated methods and not pushing promotion to the level that it has potential to reach.
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Losing consumers to competitors through lack of interactive content and a weaker sense of community.