Introduction

Ben Sherman started in 1963. It began in Brighton selling quality shirts. It is now a brand known all around the world - in the USA, Europe and Australasia. In 2004 it was bought by the US group, Oxford Industries. The Ben Sherman name has always been closely linked to the British music scene and to fashion. Customers include actors, music stars and models. Ben Sherman targets the key market segment of young people who like music. These are people who like fashion and will spend on top brands. Ben Sherman uses a balanced marketing mix to ensure that it appeals to this segment. The marketing mix is the mix of product, price, place and promotion.

Product

Ben Sherman must decide whether to take a product-led or market-led approach. With the first, they create a product and then find a market for it. With the second, they find out what customers want and then provide it. To achieve both, it offers a wide product range. A strong brand image ties the products together. In 2007 the theme was ‘This sporting Life’ and ‘British music and style’. Fashion products tend to have a short life cycle. This means that the time from launch to maturity is limited. Products therefore need to be changed and refreshed often.

Price

Ben Sherman can choose from a number of pricing methods. These include:

• market penetration - this is a low price for a new product in a market
• market skimming - this is a high price for a unique new product
• premium pricing this is a high price for exclusive products
• economy pricing - this is a low price for basic products.

Low price may lead to high sales. High priced products can achieve the same returns with fewer sales. The Ben Sherman range is mostly medium price. Support for the pricing comes from its strong brand image of quality and style.

Place

Place refers to any means by which a customer can buy the product. This refers to the places where products are sold. It also includes the ways in which they are distributed to these places. The Ben Sherman brand might lose value if it was too widely available. Ben Sherman uses three channels to protect this part of the marketing mix: 

• its own stores, with their strong brand image 
• independent fashion stores
• department stores where ‘shop-in-shops’ - a Ben Sherman store within the store – are built. This is a unique concept that helps the brand image.

Promotion

This is either:

• above the line – with direct spending on media and advertising
• below the line – using other means of promoting such as direct mail and public relations

Ben Sherman also uses:

• sponsorship of music events, such as the Q awards
• product placement - giving clothes to famous people to wear
• branding – across not just products but all of the marketing mix.

Conclusion

The Ben Sherman brand appeals to a young market. It has always been linked to British music and style. The marketing mix is carefully balanced. This has ensured that the brand has become a symbol of ‘British’ in the fashion industry.