Problem / Opportunity
SLF had a broad line of youth collections in several style categories but they were a hodgepodge of collections without a unifying theme. As a result, they were not perceived by retailers as being in the "Youth Business" and the salesmen did not believe in or support the program. In catalogs and at retail all of the products looked alike, and there were a number of worthy competitors that were known for their youth prowess.
SLF needed a platform to establish credibility and build upon. They needed to communicate that it was part of the SLF brand and benefit from that heritage, yet stand for youth. Further it needed to gain distribution and awareness among a highly targeted audience without spending much money.
Barriers to Overcome
- Nothing to differentiate collections at retail.
- Not perceived by retailers to be in the “Youth Business.”
- Salesmen do not believe in or support it.
- Core strength is container direct. But youth is warehouse driven.
- Plenty of competition.
Solution
- Position SLF as the best resource for the mid-price youth market. Capitalize on a clear pricing advantage of beds at $299 in every collection.
- Develop a credible and memorable story that differentiated SLF and reinforced the SLF brand positioning. The drivers of the purchase process in the youth category are: safety, reliability, trust and value.
- Get salesmen excited and give them a “program” to sell.
- Develop retail incentive programs to get floor placements: B3G1F, Dating, Discounts.
- Develop POS to attract attention and move product at retail.
- Re-create SLY catalog sheets with Sammy theme. Invest in good photography for Safari. Use these photographic assets to build credibility in breadth and commitment to line.
- Build a Sammy Facebook page with collections. Develop a promotion which encouraged viewers to post images of their children with their dogs.
- Send each target retail buyer and press contact a Sammy themed premium at regular intervals. Premiums included Frisbees, note card holders, bone shaped mints.
- Have salesmen place hang tags and mirror clings on all floor displays.
Results
- Within a year of launch, Sammy had 9 collections in its Sammy portfolio.
- Placements and sales volume more than tripled.
- The Facebook page has ~500 likes and more than 300 of these posted images on the site.
- SLF is now known and respected in the industry as a reliable provider of Youth furniture and has a beach head for building a significant brand.
Sammy Case Study
