Comparative Brand Analysis of 2 leading South African fashion retailers with completely different target audiences.

1. By Cath, Nat, Zee,
Emma
May 2013

2. Brief Background: Mr.
Price
• Mr Price was started by Stuart Cohen and Laurie Chiappini , who
both have extensive experience in the retail and fashion industry.
• They were both part of the management team for Ackermans and
helped breathe life into the brand in 1979.
• In 1986, the first Mr Price factory shop .By 1995, Mr Price had
established 237 stores
• Mr Price has a wide range of clothing that caters for men, women,
children and they also have a great selection of maternity and
career-wear, as well as underwear and accessories.
• Mr Price recently underwent a rebranding, by collaborating with
European visual merchandisers Dalziel and Pow to bring a fresh,
up-to-date feel to the Mr Price stores

3. Brief Background: Pep
• Pep is a successful multinational brand, which is based in
and operates out of 11 countries.
• In 1965, the first Pep store was opened in the Northern
Cape.
• Variety of products; clothing and footwear for men, women
and children, home-ware, beauty, cellular and airtime
products.
• Helpful services such as cash-backs, loans, funeral policies
and electricity tokens.

4. Perceptual Map

5. • Dictates who their target audience and
target market will be
• Various Approaches to Positioning;
benefits, quality, price etc.
• Helps carve out market share and place in
consumer’s mind
Importance of
Positioning

6. Positioning
PEP
Low prices for your
family’s needs
Reliable, family
oriented
faciliatate or enable
low- income
consumer access to
certain services i.e.
insurance and
telecommunications
Top-Of-Mind (family
Mr Price
Fashionable trends at
low prices
Repositioned
Low Price strategy
Relevant
Top-Of-Mind
(affordable trend-
setters, fashion)
Youthful brand

7. How each brand
communicates
Creative concepts:
PEP
Simple
Message Appeal: Feel
good, cognitive; Pre-
emptive and generic
Message design:
colors,
Taken out negative
stigma with low income
Identifiable selling point
Mr Price
Message Appeal: Feel
good and sex
News Announcement
Platform
Pre- emptive; trend
setter
Early adopter of
international trends
at low prices

9. Brand resonance
Both brands do resonate with the consumer, because:
• Message designs exhibited by both brands follow all the basic
principles for successful communications with the target
market and audience
Mr Price:
• Exudes a personality that is fun, trendy and accessible
• Message appeal is one of feel good, cognition of latest trends at
a low cost with a veneer of sex appeal.
• Communication strategy fits well with contact points that are
most utilised or seen by their target audience
Pep:
• Blue and yellow give a sense of health; stability and
reliability, which is congruent with their brand promise and
helps attract their target audience who consist of decision
makers in low income homes.
• Pep has managed to erase the stigma of indignity that is
attached to poverty or low- income households