Brand Audit

Vans
MDIA 5030

B R A N D C U LT U R E M A LY N I M A S A M
Z5190455
Research Purpose

Despite being famous among the footwear brand, Vans continues to grow; yet the brand
performance this year appears to face a problem when there is declined in the sale. The impact
contributes to the reason that the brand could not climb to the top of the sneaker business. The
purpose of this report is analyzing the brand position in the marketplace and the brand
knowledge that measure from consumer’s beliefs and association. Following this, the research
found that the marketing communication plays a central role indicating brand’s position and
the attributes of the brand itself reflect the customer behavior on Vans. The result shows that
the unique selling position on particular group limit the brand scope and lead to customer’s
low association with the brand.
Vans Story
Founded by the Vans brother in 1966, Vans has captured the
heart of California skateboarder during the 1970s and become the
global brand that represents this action sport.

Promise “Designed for the creative pursuit of being you.”

The slogan “Off the Wall.”

The lines are delicate to the story of many action sports legends,
artists, and musicians who shared a part in shaping the brand.
Vans Essence
 Research Methodology

Desk Research Brand Website, Social media and online article

••Observe the brand identity, image, marketing strategy to understand the whole element of the brand set in the market.
••Study the comparative analysis of the brand position in the current market with its competitor.
••Two selected top brands are compared with Vans through online platforms (Instagram) as a digital place is currently a great
place to observe new trends and popularity rank.
•• Measurement of the number of followers to depict the brand reputation and analyze the content to the brand essence.

Qualitative Research In-depth interview and focus group

••The focus group divides into two: Vans’s users and Non-Vans’s user
•• 2 interviewees participate in the research, focus groups comprise of 10 attendees ( 5 of each group )
••Emphasize on the customer attitude and knowledge toward the brand
••Measure on the brand awareness and the brand image toward non-consumer group
Research Intelligence

Vans Market and Strategy

Target Younger
consumer

Identify in Sport, Position in action

art, music and sport surf,
street culture skateboard, BMX

Sponsor and
Hosting Event
collaborate with
and contest
athlete
Research Intelligence

NUMBER OF POST
Brand Popularity (Instagram)
Nike Adidas Vans
120

Nike 100
15% (762) 95.6
80

MILLIONS
Adidas 60
15% ( 753)
40

Vans 20 24.8
70% (3616) 17.9
0
Vans Adidas Nike
Followers
 Research Intelligence

Adidas Content
Brand as a person
Brand Feature
lifestyle
Nike Content Vans Content
Brand as a person Brand as a function
Story telling in the first person Brand described as
Inspiration a product
Availability of the
product
Research Intelligence

1. Most popular brand: Nike and Adidas due to

The brand image resonates to people life

1. Vans stand in the average place among sneaker industry due to

Brand serves as a function for a particular group
The disconnection of the brand meaning and people life
 Research Intelligence: Vans User
Consumer Attitude

o Participants have positive attitude: classic design, casual style, comfort, fit to everyday outfit.

o Negative attitude : Vans personality fit to high school student, less variety of different sports shoe category

o Shift away from the older group consumer “I used Vans only during my college
year since my friend recommend that
Consumer Knowledge it look cool for young people but I
stopped using them because there is
o Respondents are aware of the brand’s heritage from the skateboarding culture. no new style fit to my age” said by
one interviewee.
o Users associated with Vans in term of street culture style rather than the action sport

o Weak in the emotional connection to the brand, brand loyalty is absence when users grow older

Concluded Remark: Vans position strongly to the root of skate sport. Vans consumer like the brand for its style,
but there is a usage expiration in term of product targeting approach to the certain group age.
Interview and Focus Group
Non-Vans User

“I found Vans only belong to those in the skate community, I do not find myself familiar with this
sport and they should have created a pair of shoe that can go for a run too” said by one
respondent.

Do not belong
“Off the Wall”
to the same
Brand Feature: people are
Brand Vans
Comfort, style, Vans Image confused about
Awareness community that
familiarity.
embed in sport,
the brand
art and music
meaning.

First brand is Target certain

mind : Nike Brand for Quality : hard group of
and Adidas action sport : material, skater, limit in
score the Nike uncomfortable other activity
most. (Running)
Vans Gap

Gap

Limit in age
Trend Quality Innovation
group

Hard material, The same style and

Less variety of the Unfamiliar in the Older people cannot
inconvenient, fit to design, similar with
product action sport reconnect with
athlete the other brand
Vans SWOT Analysis
Strength
Weakness

- Affordable price
- Less diversity of products
-Unique and creative design
- Limited to particular group
- A brand recognize through skate community

Vans
Threat
Opportunity

- Too many big competitors

- Expand the market easily
- Difficult to approach other types of consumers
- Chance in collaboration with athlete
Summary of Problem
The result of the research clearly illustrated that the problem of Vans is seen in targeting younger
consumers, the trend of sports culture, and Vans strategy misfit to the brand essence in the current
market.

Customer does not find the brand useful when they grow out of their young age.

Customers cannot connect their lifestyle to Vans action sports.

The brand marketing strategy focuses too hard on the action sport of skate, surf, and BMX riders.

“Off The Wall” limited the scope of the non-athlete group in which people do not resonate with
them in a personal tone. Failure to deliver the message to diversity group
Recommendation
Recommendation 1: Including the image of cool teenager in Vans transformation to different phase in life

The solution may face shortcoming but will benefit in the long run by expanding the brand to different age group, The
youthful culture should be encouraged to display in different age. Vans need to establish its image that convince people to
continue purchasing the product and being a brand loyalty. For instance, the brand identity of the youth culture should not
interpret in the surface level and need to eliminate the consumer age’s barrier. Raising the concept of “Young at heart”
encourage people to not limit their passion and age is not the problem in thriving for a new thing.

Recommendation 2: More than sponsoring athlete and hosting event, Vans should create more marketing campaign that
engage to ordinary life

Improve marketing strategy by resonate people life to the emotional or inspirational narrative in the campaign. The brand
recognition could achieve more impact that justify to the brand essence. People love to inspired by the brand successful,
effort, hard-working individual rather than sponsoring on athlete without the background story.
Recommendation
Recommendation 3: Expand the brand to the other sport

Create a brand that cover different type of sports. Since Vans focuses only action sport of skateboard, surf;
there is a limitation of consumer that play no interest in this category of sport. Vans need to look at the current
trend of sport and people lifestyle; for instance, engage to football athlete which associate many asset of people
lifestyle. For example, running activity that do not require to be a sport person

Recommendation 4: Changing the slogan

Simplify the brand slogan. The brand should modify its slogan “Off the Wall”, since its root inspired by skate
culture, the wall is misunderstand in the direct tone. Thus people feel that the meaning implies to the group of
skateboarder. However, Off the wall is an abstract context to express the meaning of the brand such as
authenticity, creative self-expression, individual style.
Conclusion
For almost four decade of the existence, Vans continue to strike into the top of footwear
market even though Vans is considered as one of the well-known brand, Vans still
cannot swipe from the problem that prevent the brand reaching more than its current
level. The problem of its marketing strategy employ on the action sport and the unique
selling position to the particular group require a solution that would resolve the brand
reputation
Reference
A BRIEF HISTORY OF VANS: “OFF THE WALL” SINCE ‘66. Retrieved 20 November 2019, from
https://www.vans.com/history.html#1966

Monica, P. (2019). Sales of Vans sneakers starting to cool off. CNN Business. Retrieved from
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/25/investing/vans-vf-corp-earnings/index.html

Vans. Retrieved 20 November 2019, from https://www.vfc.com/brands/vans

VF Corporation. (2019). THE KIND VF COMPANY WE WILL BE (p. 3). Retrieved from
http://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/NYSE_VFC_2019.pdf