Indochino
Indochino are a one of BC’s hottest innovators. They started off as a university project in 2007 and have grown to become an established global brand in made-to-measure menswear. Indochino raised $13 million in a Series B round of funding in 2013 and currently have around 140,000 customers and 200 employees. More recently, they secured $42m investment (one of the largest single rounds of financing in Canadian e-commerce history) to significantly expanding the company’s online and physical retail presence through domestic and international channels. They are on track to open 150 stores and be a multi-billion company by 2020. The Indochino brand is one to watch.
Indochino Brand
Indochino partnered with Frank Strategy in 2012 to conduct consumer research, write a brand model, and conceive a creative strategy. They had experienced rapid growth over the prior 5 years and had never stopped to adjust their brand plan. They were hoping to understand how the Indochino brand could be developed and used as a business tool. They also wanted to understand what effect their existing brand was having on their customers, and how to maximize its’ potential.
On completion of the strategy project, we coached their key staff on brand management and helped them integrate the new plan into each department. Furthermore, Indochino retained our services in 3 critical areas, working together for over 3 years: Brand Development, Marketing Strategy, and Creative Strategy.
Chris Neary is one of the smartest marketing minds I have encountered in many years. He has a laser focus on strategy and is able to sort complex problems with simple solutions. Chris has a unique balance of of strategy and creativity enabling Frank to offer through the line marketing services. Over a 3 year period, Frank Strategy helped us define and develop our brand, and played a critical role in helping to establish INDOCHINO as a global leader in custom menswear.
BY PETER HOUSLEY, CMO INDOCHINO CUSTOM MENSWEAR
Brand Strategy
Working with Indochinos’ C-Suite (through our brand ambassador service), we were able to unlock some powerful consumer insights and translate them into the business functions. For example, the target market was re-defined, affecting model casting, media choices, key messaging, product curation and more. Also, the company position was tilted to address market conditions and customer appetites. The results were immediate and resulted in internal clarity as well as less media waste, higher order value and advocacy.
Brand Identity
Bringing a brand to life in a fashion company requires a keen eye for design. Indochinos’ aesthetic needed developing to address their market position and customer expectations. We worked with the design studio to oversee the production of creative assets that kept the brand moving forward, while being responsive to the needs of a fast moving retail environment. We also originated and shot all the seasonal camapigns, with the help of Trevor Brady. The Indochino brand is now an iconic brand in mens’ online fashion.
Indochino was built from the ground up by 2 university friends who had never had formal jobs before. They needed help structuring a marketing department that was capable of getting high quality, targeted campaigns to market in real time. Periodically, we were their surrogate Marketing Directors, responsible for strategy, hiring, process, execution and measurement. Indochino now have a fully functioning marketing department of their own.