Introduction
Gabrielle Teare runs Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant. The organization is categorized as the leading celebrity stylist in the UK. Gabrielle Teare is located in Chic Chelsea, UK (Gabrielle Teare 2012). In addition, it is an affiliate member Federation of Image consultant.
The company is known for its exclusive emphasis in fashion, design, and style and most of the world renowned public figures are dressed under the Gabrielle Teare. Gabrielle Teare is recommended by The Daily Telegraph as one of the style consultant firms that one can visit while visiting London. This implies that the fashion and design consultancy firm is well known for its styling prowess.
The fashion and image consultant has a blog which has been updated with the latest fashion trends and fashion tips. In addition, the organization has also been recommended by Vogue.Co.UK as one of the world’s top Fashion and Beauty sites” (Gabrielle Teare 2012a).
This makes it not only famous but also accessible to anybody over the internet. In addition, the organisation’s website is easy to operate. Social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are used to reach as many willing customers as possible. The multi-award winner of beauty and fashion awards has had and is instilling a positive impact on the fashion and design industry in the UK.
The UK fashion and design industry is probably the largest in the world contributing over £21b to the economy (Fox 2011). The industry has been described as a great British success story which has not only transformed the lives of people and improved fashion, but also contributed greatly towards the UK economy.
Among the many creative industries in the UK, fashion industry has been ranked as the largest employer employing over 800,000 people (Fox 2011). Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant which is part of the UK fashion industry faces high competition although it has been ranked as the leading personal stylist in London. This can be attributed to the fact that a lot of fashion consultancies have been located in London, UK (Karra 2008).
The objective of the report paper is to analyze Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant to determine its strategic positioning in the fashion and style industry.
Competitive Positioning Analysis
Organizations do not operate in a vacuum but in an environment which is influenced by both internal and external factors (Wernerfelt & Karnani 1987). Occasionally, firms carry strategic management analysis with the aim of determining their competitive positioning in the industry.
This is achieved through the use of several analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies, Porter’s five forces of competition, and the blue ocean model/strategy. Strategically, Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant is competitively positioned in the UK fashion and style industry.
SWOT analysis
According to Chapman (2011, p.148), SWOT analysis is carried out to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats experienced by an organizations. This helps an organization to determine its competitive positioning in the industry. These strengths and the weaknesses are applied to represent the internal environment while the opportunities and the threats are applied to determine the factors influencing an organization from the external environment (Wang n.d; Böhm 2009).
Strengths
Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image has a strong brand image over the other firms in the fashion and design industry. For example, it has been recommended by the Daily Telegraph as the finest style consultant one can visit when in London (Gabrielle Teare 2012a). In addition, its blog which talks about style, fashion, and design has been recommended by Vogue.Co.UK. The implication made is that its strong brand has enabled the organization to create a strong brand image over its competitors.
Gabrielle Teare is strategically located in Chelsea, UK which makes it a more favourable and preferable choice for design and styling (Gabrielle Teare 2012a).
This makes it easily accessible by people visiting London. In addition, Gabrielle herself has in the past and in the current been featured on the international fashion magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire and the Press Elle.
As an international stylish editor and a writer, Gabrielle has also been featured in the Daily Express, The Guardian and the Daily Mail Magazines. Gabrielle Teare London Personal and Image Consultant has all its contents available on its website which is easy to access since it is SEO-enabled (Gabrielle Teare 2012).
Gabrielle Teare is not only a celebrity stylish, but it offers personal shopping for its clients, advice on what to wear, choose wardrobe for individual clients, and provide men’s styling (Gabrielle Teare 2012c). Furthermore, customers are treated well at a personal level thus making Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant more approachable and accommodating (Gabrielle Teare 2012e).
These attributes makes it more likeable and preferable. Unlike its competitors who specialize in one dimension like personal shopping and styling, Gabrielle Teare London Personal Style and Image consultants is a multi-task operator which jungles different tasks.
Weaknesses
The major weakness of Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultants is that it has a solid focus on celebrities who are its major clients (Gabrielle Teare 2012). This implies that it is less associated with low class citizens or middle class income earners.
In addition, because of its high class and recommendations by fashion magazines and television channels, some customers may shy away from it because they cannot afford the charges and fees being charged. There is also over-dependence on one dimensional development which is fashion and design of high class customers who can afford a personal shopper and stylist.
Opportunities
Because of the increase in the number of movie, film, and singers in UK and around Hollywood, Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has a high probability of increasing the number of its clientele. This is because every individual would like to be presentable and attractive. Furthermore, movie actors, singers, movie stars and news anchors have no time for choosing their wardrobe.
As a result, personal shopper and stylist from Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultants would be more preferable. According to the consultant website, some of its clients are complimented for their sharp dressing and as a result referrals are made (Gabrielle Teare 2012e). Therefore, through word of mouth and referrals, Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant will be able to increase its clientele and customer base as well as market in both domestic and international markets.
Due to change in technology and effects of globalizations, Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultants will become a household name. This is because social marketing networks such as Facebook and Twitter among others are used to market the firm as well as its services. Furthermore, it has established a fashion and design blog which offers advice on style and fashion to its clients and readers. Comments on the blog and the pictorial images of styled up models are used to attract new clients who would like to be dressed by Gabrielle Teare (Gabrielle Teare 2012b)
Threats
Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant face competition from traditional competitors in the fashion and design industry. Some of its competitors include Marie Fraser Styling, Birute’s Fashion, Co Mi Go London Ltd, and Nina De France Image and Style Consultancy (Free Index Ltd 2012).
In addition, it faces rivalry from new entrants who have cheaper rates compared to Gabrielle Teare. Currently, the eurozone is feeling the effects of the financial market crisis and since Gabrielle Teare is located in UK, it is also affected. Furthermore, the crisis has affected customers’ purchasing power, meaning that they have to make do with a tight budget since they have to choose between fashion and purchase of consumer products.
Porter’s five-force analysis
To understand competitive positioning better, the Porter’s five forces of competition have been applied. The model which was designed by Michael Porter was developed with the aim of determining the competitive position of an organization as well as creating a marketing competitive plan of an organization (Tutor2u 2012).
These forces are: the presence of potential entrants, presence of perfect substitutes, traditional competitors, suppliers, bargaining power of buyers/consumers (Enotes 2011; Lever 2008). The forces are presented in the diagram below.
Existing competitors
There is strong rivalry among existing firms due to the increasing competition in the fashion and design industry. This can be supported by Fox (2011) who notes that the industry which employs over 800, 000 employees is a serious venture that is also highly competitive.
Although Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has been performing well in the industry, it has been facing high competition from traditional rivals in the industry such as Marie Fraser Styling, Birute’s Fashion, Co Mi Go London Ltd, and Nina De France Image and Style Consultancy.
A company Nina De France Image and Style Consultancy operates just like Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant and the two are considered to be close competitors which not only operates in the UK, but in different parts of the globe as well. Competition from traditional rivals reduces the market share of a firm as well as its clients.
Threats from new entrants
The threat of new entrants in the lucrative fashion and design industry is increasing due to pressure imposed by cheap services from new companies (Karra 2008, p.17). According to Fox (2011), the fashion and design industry is worth over £21b.
As a result, the industry has become attractive to new entrants. Some of the new entrants in the UK fashion and design industry that have threatened the existence of Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant include Little Stoffy Ltd, Lovely’s Vintage Emporium and Heidi Mottram Ltd among many others.
The price gap offered is pushing cost sensitive consumers towards the new entrants who offer their services to both male and female clients. In addition, most of the fashion and design consultants and enterprises are located in London thus increasing the degree of competition.
Bargaining power of buyers
Because of the stiff competition and value for their money, the clients of Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant have a high bargaining power. In the UK, the industry is considered a serious business which has a lot of buyers with high bargaining buyer. For example, some of Gabrielle Teare buyers or clients such as Vogue, Elle France BBC and CNN (Gabrielle Teare 2012a) have high bargaining power as they are the major representative of the entertainment industry. As cheaper service providers enter the market, price reductions are more likely to occur in all markets especially in the UK.
Power of suppliers
Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant relies heavily on suppliers to provide the best prices in order to keep costs down and encourage consumers to purchase their services. For instance, Gabrielle Teare acts not only as an image consultant but also as a personal shopper. This implies that it carries out shopping on behalf of its clients in most of the leading fashion stores. Gabrielle Teare does not design clothes for its clients but purchases them on behalf of its clients from most of the leading cloth designers in London.
Threat of substitutes
Although Gabrielle Teare has been considered as the leading London personal and celebrity stylist, it is threatened by closely-related service substitutes in the industry. New entrants and traditional competitors in the fashion and design industry (Karra 2008, p.16) threaten Gabrielle Teare London Personal Stylist and Image Consultant.
The increase on the number of entrants in the industry threatens the existence and the market share of Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant. The presence of cheap clothes affordable by middle class customers reduces the chances of this segment of customers from getting personal stylists and designers. In addition, some of the clients can substitute their wardrobes with cheap imported clothes which are a look-alike.
Porter’s generic competitive strategies
Competitive strategy is defined as a strategic management procedure that is concerned in the development of a management game plan which ensures that an organization competes successfully thus realizing a competitive advantage over its competitors or rivals (Porter 1980; Porter 1998; Fleisher & Bensoussan 2007).
The four major generic strategies that were suggested by Michael Porter that could be adopted to gain competitive advantage are differentiation focus, differentiation, cost focus and cost leadership (Orcullo 2007). The strategies are more concerned with the differentiation of products and services being offered by an organization.
Cost focus and differentiation focus strategies are applied in a narrow industry while cost leadership and differentiation are adopted in the broad range of the industry (Orcullo 2007, p. 226). The figure below shows the Porter’s generic competitive strategies:
Differentiation is considered as the selection of single or multiple buyers in the industry and strategically positioning the business with the objective of meeting the selection criteria (GrüNig, Kuhn, & Clark 2011, p.227). Other than charging premium prices, the product or the service is characterized by value-added characteristics or features which are made available to consumers or clients. This gives consumers clear reasons not to adopt other services/products over the less differentiated ones (Griffin 2012).
In reference to the case study, Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has shaped itself a niche where it provides fashion services at personal levels. According to Gabrielle Teare (2011a), the fashion consultancy goes an extra mile to style and show their clients how to dress to the occasion in a fabulous way.
From the Gabrielle website, the fashion designers are creative and innovative and they make women feel and look amazing (Gabrielle Teare 2012b). As a personal stylist, it is imperative to note that it is highly likely that premium prices are charged to loyal and esteemed customers.
Furthermore, the consultancy has the option of clients having their own personal shopper which has been described as an exclusive personal shopping service (Gabrielle Teare 2011).
Of course, the mentioned services can be described as part of differentiation which is used to increase their competitive advantage and at the same time, give their customers a reason not choose the less differentiated competitors’ services. The broad differentiation also differentiates its services from those of its competitors and rivals in ways which have appeal to a broad spectrum of customers.
Cost leadership, which is a broad-based perspective, is based not on differentiation but on offering low cost prices to maximize profits and gain cost advantage over its competitors (Hill & Jones 2012, p.170). It is also carried with the aim of increasing its market share. This kind of competitive strategy is applied where market is diversified like the lucrative fashion and design industry which is competitive and consumers need value for their money.
This is the case with Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant which gives value for its money. For instance, the consultancy has been referred and recommended because of the better services offered to clients (Gabrielle Teare 2011). In addition, it meets its clients’ expectations through the offer of quality services as well as affordable prices for its designed clothes.
From the consultancy’s blog, it is noted that the designed dressed are affordable (Gabrielle Teare 2011). What attribute Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant to be regarded as the leading personal stylists in London is because the consultancy has been able to adopt cost leadership as part of its competitive strategy.
Focused differentiation strategy is adopted with the objective of attaining competitive advantage over rivals by offering their members services or products which are perceived as better to their unique preferences and tastes (Porter 1998). The success of this strategy depends on the availability of a client or customer segment that is attractive to special services and attributes based on the suppliers’ capabilities.
In addition, customer should be able to distinguish the firm from competitors operating in the same industry. In reference to Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant, the firm has been able to create a niche for itself in the fashion and design lucrative industry. For example, a focused differentiation strategy has been adopted by the consultancy as it caters for celebrities in UK and at international levels. The consultancy has cut itself a niche which makes it a leader in celebrity fashion styling and design.
Although there are high costs incurred in this kind of strategy, celebrities are willing to pay for the services as they are the representative of the entertainment industry. The company also runs the risk of carrying out shopping on behalf of its clients knowing that the purchased products could be rejected by clients. Moreover, it offers men’s styling services given that most of its competitors offer women styling services alone (Gabrielle Teare 2012c).
Men have a unique taste and preferences and are ever willing to pay an extra cost, as long as they shall be well groomed and look fabulous. For women and men, it chooses clothes which suites the clients’ tastes and preferences thus making their wardrobe easy to wear and make their customers feel fantastic (Gabrielle Teare 2011; Gabrielle Teare 2012c).
The use of the focus differentiation strategy enables an organization to not only create itself a niche in the industry but to also maintain special clients through specialization to meet the needs of narrow segment of customers. Lastly, it is well applicable when the target niche is large to encourage profit making and encourage market share growth at the same time.
Focus cost strategy is applied via concentration on a narrow consumer/buyer segment in the whole industry (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson 2011, p.118). The organization using this strategy is able to out-compete its competitors/rivals by offering affordable prices than its competitors. This can be offered through premium prices to its customers in the narrow niche. Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant in most cases deal with customers who are celebrities (Gabrielle 2011).
In this line of thought, it can be argued that most probably, Gabrielle Teare has special prices designed to for its customers/clients. This can attribute the reason why the consultancy is beating its rivals in the UK’s lucrative fashion and design industry. The reason why this strategy is appropriate is because it attracts numerous customers thus increasing market share and at the same time to make profits.
Core competencies and capabilities
Differentiation either in broad or narrow sense is facilitated through core competencies and capabilities of an organization (Drejer 2002). These two elements allow an organization to gain competitive advantage over its rivals in the same industry. A service with a set of attributes which significantly differ from those offered by its rivals as well as capabilities that deliver customer value increase competitive advantage of an organization.
Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant have strategic core competencies and resources that are applied to create a competitive advantage in the dynamic market environment. For instance, one of its core competencies is driving performance to the extent of being regarded as a leader in the UK’s competitive fashion industry.
This can be attributed to its leadership through Gabrielle Teare who is “an International Fashion Writer and Editor and is herself featured in Press Elle, Marie Claire, Daily Mail, The Guardian, Daily Express, and Vogue” (Gabrielle 2012d). Her expertise as a fashion writer and a stylish has been able to act in the favor of the consultancy.
Another core competence of Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant is the employment of creative, innovative, and talented employees (Mulligan 2012). This helps the consultancy remain competitive by offering quality services such as personal styling and shopping.
Other competencies include its geographical location from where it easily accessible by different clients from different locations. It has also adopted information technology such as the use of a blog and social media networks such as Facebook and twitter to boost its presence in the globe. Its website is SEO enabled making it easily accessible as it attracts high levels of customer traffic.
With regard to core capabilities, Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant nurture talents in the fashion industry. As a result, the consultancy is able to develop and employ some of skilled and talented fashion designers from diversified regions.
In addition, the consultancy is full of financial capabilities and expertise that can be used to locate several offices in emerging economies like China and India. The management aptness and competency has enhanced the performance of the consultancy to be profitable and a success in UK.
Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has rare capabilities that are associated with its powerful brand and brand image. For example, it has been able to create in the competitive lucrative fashion industry both at the national and at international levels. As a global brand, Gabrielle Teare echoes in the minds of all customers causing ripples in the fashion industry.
Blue ocean model/strategy
According to Kim and Mauborge (2004, p.1), because competition in overcrowded industries cannot be the appropriate method to maintain high performance, the creation of blue ocean of uncontested market space has been suggested. Therefore, the concept of blue ocean strategy is not to compete for and “steal” the share of the existing market demand but to be in a position to come up with new ideas and designs that are unique from what is offered in the industry.
Kim and Mauborge (2004, p.7) note that the model ensures that organizations pursue differentiation and low price and at the same time, make profits. Through the alignment of value, cost and price structures in an organization, it becomes easier to achieve Blue Ocean.
The strategy which is based on the constructionist perspective assumes that organizations should be able to see the market forces and set market boundaries through market reconstructions (Kim & Mauborge 2005). Companies that adopt the blue ocean model are likely to operate for more than 10 years without facing any form of challenge or threat. The table below shows the major elements of the blue ocean model.
Table 1: Blue Ocean model.
In reference to Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant, the founder, Gabrielle Teare, did not feel confined to act within the boundaries of the traditional UK fashion industry, but instead, the consultancy eliminated, reduced, raised and created new boundaries in the industry.
Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has been able to create a blue ocean of uncontested market space. For example, it has devised personal shopping and styling with an emphasis on male clients (Gabrielle Teare 2012d). This market has remained largely untapped in the past decades and as such, the consultancy took the opportunity to venture into the promising market.
Jodlbauer, Olhager and Schonberger (2012, p.18) note that blue ocean is used to put consumers with the same tastes ate preferences in the same category. Based on this argument, Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant have been able to specialize in offering fashion advice to celebrities who can be categorized as having the same preferences (Fleisher & Bensoussan 2007).
As noted by Kim and Mauborge (2004, p.7), blue ocean adoption enables a firm to attract more consumers in large numbers. This has been the case with Gabrielle Teare whose major customers over the years (besides celebrities) include Disney Inc, the Daily Telegraph, CNN, Fashion TV, Vogue Marie Claire, Press Elle, and the Guardian among others (Gabrielle Teare 2012a).
As a result, Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has managed to put the would-be imitators on hold through an immediate and continuous cost disadvantage. Although other players in the industry have imitated the consultancy blue ocean, Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has been able to discourage other players from fully imitating its concepts.
The more customers the consultancy has, the more it becomes attractive to customers. This offers customers incentives to migrate to others players in the industry (Kim & Mauborge n.d). As a result, competitors are left with little room to get win over the customers of Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant.
The advantage of this form of competitive strategy is that it offers ample opportunity for growth by creating demand, as opposed to fighting for it (Kim & Mauborge 2005). This has been elaborated well in the Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant where the fashion and design consultancy firm has been able to increase the demand for its services via the use of quality personal styling services to its clients.
Lastly, employees of the fashion and design consultancy firm are highly creative, innovative and talented (Gabrielle 2012c). Therefore, through the adoption of blue ocean strategy, the fashion and design consultancy firm has been able to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals.
Conclusion
In summary, different competitive analytical tools such as SWOT analysis, Porter’s five forces of competitive strategies, Porter’s generic competitive strategies and the blue ocean model have been applied to determine the competitive strategies and advantage of Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant. Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant operate in a highly competitive environment and it is strategically placed.
The consultancy has employed different mechanisms to ensure that it gains a competitive advantage over its rivals in the industry. In spite of the numerous competitors and rivals, the consultancy has been able to remain as the leader in the UK’s fashion industry. One of the organisation’s key competitive strategies has been differentiation. Through differentiation, the company has managed to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals.
By curving a niche in the lucrative business, Gebrielle Teare has managed to gain a market share as well as increase its customer’s base. Its strong brand acts as a core capability as well as a major strength.
However, the consultancy faces the threat of new entrants, closer service substitutes and traditional competitors which increase the level of competition in the industry. Other probable threat as found in the analysis includes the effects of current financial crisis in the eurozone which has the capacity of reducing the financial capabilities of the clients.
Most of the company’s clients happen to be celebrities. The company also provides personal styling and shopping services to its distinguished clientele. Gabrielle Teare Leading Personal Stylist and Image Consultant has managed to differentiate itself from the rest of the players in an industry. This has not only enabled the organization to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals, but to also create a profitable niche in the fashion industry.
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