Canadian Apparel Tailor your site to strengthen your brand Getting online is easy but it's harder to make your site relevant to the retailer or consumer seeking information or inspiration The Canadian men's apparel industry is steeped in tradition and prides itself on providing quality and service. But adapting to changing times and adopting new technologies is a real challenge for industries that date back decades. Those that adapt tend to prosper, or at least keep up with the demands of retailers and the changing needs of consumers. The following tailored menswear sites have all succeeded in getting on line and making themselves available to their audiences. What each needs to consider is whether or not they have also made themselves relevant to their potential customers. Will the consumer or retailer visiting the site to learn more about the company's brand or brands find the information he is looking for? Will the site reinforce brand loyalty? Let's see.
This succinct site welcomes you with a message likely to resonate with retailers eager for a resurgence of business attire: "Times are tough. It's time to get back to work. Dress for it." Though the Flash introduction (which can be bypassed by clicking the "Skip Intro" link) sets a strong tone, the home page does not follow suit. The images are lively, but fail to quickly convey the strength of the company's lineup of brands or the quality of its products, as explained in the About Us section of the site. To save the user an extra click, and thus to decrease the chance of losing him, the site could be improved by incorporating messages from the About Us section directly on the home page. Another consideration for Peerless is its reliance on the strength of the brands to validate the quality of their workmanship. This would be more effective if backed up with a wider array of images, individually or in a collage. Lastly, this site seems to have been designed for a Business-to-Business (B2B) audience. Some additional support for consumers - like a Where to Buy or Store Locator section - would round out this site.
Coppley Apparel, with roots going back to 1856, makes a strong foray into the online arena. Visually, the site is not very stimulating but a deeper look reveals some of the country's most prominent labels and a well thought-out B2B site. The Retailers Only extranet- a section only accessed by username and password - is a wonderful way to communicate exclusively with the B2B at audience. Navigation is simple and effectively breaks the site down for the us( Each section is easy to use, with a simple sub-navigation where necessary. From a consumer's standpoint, the site quickly explains the benefits of the individual brands the company manufactures but, unfortunately, the consumer is left wondering where he would need to go to purchase these wonderful products.
A visit to the Jack Victor site gives you a taste for a consumer-driven site instead of a B2B piece. The images are consistent with the offline advertising Jack Victor uses; a wonderful consistency that is often overlooked when designing a web site. However, the site makes it difficult for the user to learn much more about the company. From a minimalist's perspective, the collection looks impressive and Contact information is readily available - which perhaps makes the site as functional as it needs to be. But if the visitor wants to know where to buy the products, he's going to have to contact the head office as no other information is given. An erroneous conclusion might be drawn -that the only place to buy Jack Victor is in Montreal.
If, by contrast, you were looking for a suit from Samuelsohn, you could visit their on-line store locator that conveniently helps identify the retailer nearest to you that carries its products. The site is rich with information on Samuelsohn's product quality, history and company background in general but if you are looking for examples of what its product looks like, you'll need to visit one of those retailers because the site only provides one picture to look at. Samuelsohn plays the technology card well by including an extranet for retailers and an e-mail subscription for Samuelsohn. Men interested in becoming part of its Email Club. The Email Club is an excellent opportunity to create loyalty and to initiate conversation with the target audience. With the site's strong text positioning of the brand and its well thought out use of technology, all that is left is to execute on its promise. This means delivering the emails and actually communicating with the retailers. Many sites have the appearance of providing this functionality but lack the resources to commit to their execution. Samuelsohn may already be there. And by adding more depth to their catalogue of online images, they will create a very well rounded web experience.
This company has developed a robust online experience. With a single product line - trousers - Ballin's site manages to convey the same level of detail in communicating its message as it does in manufacturing its products. Its range of resources -include a dictionary of terms, anatomy of a trouser, and Care Symbol explanations - provides a great example of a site that can convey the company's value to both business and consumer. Situated at the top of the screen, the navigation utilizes concise text for each section, accompanied by black and white images that change to color when the user rolls over them. Users often appreciate the option of a visual combined with the text to provide cues on how to navigate a site. Adding this type of interactive element is a great way to make the site inclusive. One of the site's most striking features is also the only element with which you might find fault. The only thing missing while navigating the site is a sub-navigation once you're inside one of the sections. For example, if you select one of the major sections (e.g. Profile), you will have the option of viewing two or more subsections (e.g. History or Headquarters). Once you choose a subsection, though, there is no option for a single click to go into the other subsection. Instead, you'll need to return to the main section's homepage (Profile) to see both subsections again. In the world of the web, every click counts, much like the buttons on a jacket. Too many buttons make the jacket too complicated to wear. Too many clicks, and the site is underutilized. Providing sub-navigation within each section would further simplify the user experience. As always, the Internet allows sites to evolve; to improve on what is there and to build a strategy that fits the needs of its audience. Some, more than others, have taken steps to get there, but there are many avenues that remain unexplored. Examples are: how to fit the perfect suit, matching a suit cut to the right body type, accessorizing with ties, belts, shoes, and socks, and so on. Tools used by parallel industries can help menswear manufacturers take advantage of everything the Internet can offer. These sites should be resources that help the North American male grow out of hockey jerseys, lumberjack jackets and sweats and into than the finest labels in the country. Now where did I put those long johns? The BrainStorm Group's Interactive division works with companies to plan and execute all aspects of their online campaigns with a focus on integration with existing marketing strategy. |
Peerless
Clothing - 
Coppley
Apparel Group - 
Jack
Victor - 
Samuelsohn
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Ballin
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