Abercrombie & Fitch have been under public scrutiny over last few months with their CEO, Mike Jeffries, claiming to solely market their clothing towards “cool, good-looking people.” But the inquiries haven’t stopped there as they recently announced a new line of anti-bulling T-shirt aimed at students. The article highlights that only problem is the T-shirts aren’t available in plus sizes – the very reason why the company was under so much scrutiny in the first place.

With consumers becoming more aware of the brands and the products that they are endorsing through their expenditure, the importance of a strong brand image is more important than ever. The CEO has claimed that “No young people should ever feel intimidated, especially at school, whether for the clothes they wear, or because someone perceives them as different.”

But is this message consistent with the actions that they have taken? No, claiming that the brand is inclusive is completely futile without the necessary actions to back it up. The brand implications from all the negativity has been devastating towards the company’s image and the company has to re-evaluate its marketing and values in order to ever be successful in the industry again.