In 2009, during the debut of their brand name, Herschel Supply was already able to clearly identify their target market and find the people who they thought their bags would appeal to. The Vancouver based duo started their company off strong not only by having a clear understanding of what consumers wanted in a bag, but they were also able to revamp the bag into a more modernized, yet nostalgic, design. They aligned their new product with brands that would fit their target segment like Stussy and New Balance, allowing their target consumers to have easy access to Herschel’s seemingly complementary product.
Positioning has played an enormous role in making Herschel Supply the company it is today. Finding the right people to market to, at the right time, at the right place, and at the right price has really allowed Herschel to become the world renown brand it is in the current market. Nevertheless, with all that being said, Herschel Supply does not participate in any mass marketing of any sort. In a sense, they prefer to let the consumers discover the brand instead of showing the brand to people themselves through mass advertising. The only types of advertising they participate in are seasonal advertisements in specific magazines in different countries, and mobile advertising such has having their own account on popular media sharing app, Instagram. When consumers discover such an ‘organic’ brand such as Herschel, they feel a sense of discovery, thinking that they’ve found something that is actually really ‘cool’ to them.
Today, Herschel can be found in many parts of the world and has established a strong brand identity amongst it’s users. With their ‘organic’ business model, Herschel looks to continue their success changing the face of bags in the 21st century.
