Exciting expansion plans

A leading clothing brand is aiming to transition from being a UK-focused retailer to a global multi-channel player. This involves more store openings and a substantial investment in digital. To support these strategic ambitions they needed a deeper understanding of international customers and how to attract them.

A segmentation with feelings at its heart

The brand commissioned Kokoro to devise a customer segmentation spanning the UK, US and Germany. The goal was to create segments that can be tagged onto its database so that all customers are attributed to a micro and macro typology. We explored customers’ wider lives and how their fashion buying fits in. Knowing that feelings do most to shape behaviour, we used our 5Drivers model of emotions to detect the non-rational forces at play. Shopper responses, such as not liking the way they look or frustration at not having the budget to buy, were then attributed across the Drivers.

Insight into action

After Kokoro delivered its findings, the brand was very keen to put our analysis at the core of its segmentation. Unusually, each group was not summed up by a first name or picture of a customer, but by one of our Drivers. The business wanted to think of each segment in terms of how they feel and not be distracted by the way they look. Today the segments have been successfully mapped onto the transactional database and launched to the business. Insights will be central to ranging and marketing planning and, ultimately, commercial effectiveness.