How does Joe Keep it Fresh?
After having read an article about Joe Fresh’s marketing director, Susan Krashinsky, and the store’s original marketing strategies, it occurred to me that there are aspects of the company that are similar to those of the companies Zappos and Zara, which we discussed in the class regarding marketing and operations and in another class regarding people, cultures and teams.
Susan Krashinsky truly believes, like Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh, that the success of a company lies in the workers’ passion for their job and their willingness to be a part of a brand or company that they find inspiring. While Joe Fresh doesn’t require the same vigorous interview process as that of Zappos, its marketing director does believe in the impact of a positive environment, and this has undoubtedly been a source of both companies’ successes.
Joe Fresh is also undergoing development similar to that of the popular European clothing store Zara. Like Zara, Joe Fresh has begun to expand globally, namely to the United States, where it has opened pop-up stores in order to further delve into the minds and preferences of consumers. Susan notes that, “it’s all about how it’s received by the customer”, stressing the importance of getting consumers to “interact” with the brand. Joe Fresh’s pop-up approach closely resembles Zara’s fast-fashion approach, where they have a quick inventory turnover and keep track of consumers’ product preferences in order to keep customers hooked and loyal to the store.
The links between Joe Fresh’s and Zappos’ cultural organization and the links between Joe Fresh’s and Zara’s operations and marketing are evidently a sign of success… and that’s how Joe’s keeping it fresh.
Sources:
http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/Fresh+makes+major+push+with+Penney+partnership/6987230/story.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/how-joe-keeps-it-fresh/article4621873/
http://coolspotters.com/brands/zara
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/target-arrival-could-slow-joe-fresh-momentum-even-20110119-090044-896.html
http://www.dragonflyeffect.com/blog/dragonfly-in-action/case-studies/zappos/