Vineyard Vines, the purveyor of New England nautical themed ties and clothing, has announced that it will be opening it's seventh freestanding retail store in the tony Georgetown section of D.C.
The 6,000 square foot space is located in an historic townhouse on the corner of Wisconsin and M streets. The store is scheduled to open in April of 2008.
As an aside, I was literally standing on that corner about 30 minutes ago. It is a fantastic location and the specialty retail hub of the city. Go up Wisconsin in one direction to find the newly renovated Ralph Lauren boutique. Turn around an go the other way to visit the new Rugby outlet and cafe'.
According to the DNR article, other than specialty retailer Sherman Pickey - itself in Georgetown, but further up Wisconsin Avenue - the Vineyard Vines store will be the only place in the capitol to buy their wares.
Though I am biased, both as a native New Englander and a longtime D.C. resident, I completely agree that Georgetown is an excellent market for the company. Vineyard Vines ties are incredibly popular with both Democrats and Republicans, not to mention all those well dressed lobbyists.
Throw in the fact that the Chesapeake Bay is only a short drive away and sailing is a huge pastime in the Mid-Atlantic and sales should be just fine.
Picking up on on the discussion from Part One of this column, let's look at the business side of Vineyard Vines.
Going To CollegeEarly on, the company focused on the college market as a key demographic and it has been a successful effort.
A la Jimmy Buffet, Vineyard Vines has “college tours” that bring the VV lifestyle directly to college students on their campuses. Complete with beach parties and pink foam whale hats reminiscent of Buffet’s “land sharks” they are marketing the Vineyard Vines brand directly to a core consumer audience.To say that Shep and Ian created and effective and inclusive grassroots marketing environment is an understatement; they knew exactly which demographic they were targeting and how to reach it.
Unfortunately, they might have been a little too successful in that particular market. In the eyes of some, the brand has become somewhat synonymous with beer chugging, rowdy preppy frat boys. While not an image problem per se, this reputation among college and immediate-post college consumers does somewhat degrade the brand’s image within part of its core market.
Unflattering subsets aside, this kind of legwork develops an enthusiastic customer base that sees their support of the brand as part of their own lifestyle. The company has a business unit dedicated to producing customized designs for colleges, their sport teams and fraternal organizations.
Whale heads
To keep these collegiate efforts coordinated and effective, it also has dedicated brand managers who focus solely on the university market; working with student leaders, administrators and sports teams. A key goal of course is that as these students grow up and head off to their own careers, a new supply of Vineyard Vines diehards are ready to open their wallets.Wearing the WhaleThe Vineyard Vines brand also fits nicely into the current trend of preppy/New England Americana we have seen in men’s and women’s wear for the past few seasons.The company’s classic, some say pedestrian, designs will be in style for years and have a certain malleable nature that engages both New England Gold Casters and Southern preps from key markets like Charleston, South Carolina.The brand also has an appeal that reaches those who will never set foot on the Vineyard and who will never be part of “that” life. This issue alone spawned a wide-ranging discussion in Part One of this article and even prompted me to write a side column on the issue of branding real life.As the preppy trend has matured from “see how over-the-top preppy I can be” to a more grown up blending of classic patterns, colors and textures, Vineyard Vines finds itself well positioned to be a sort of baseline purveyor of East Coast preppy. The current economic downturn also provides a silver lining of sorts because customers are drawn to safe, stable, familiar styles now more than ever.
For some then, the traditional designs of Vineyard Vines shirts, pants and shorts represent stylistic security as well as comfort. As a number of readers pointed out in their comments on Part One, Vineyard Vines is no Ralph Lauren. While the two share a seaside/preppy/windswept lifestyle brand, where Ralph is champagne and oysters, Shep and Ian are Sam Adams and lobster rolls.
Family friendly marketing
The brand has never been about highbrow, but it does appeal to the lifestyle sensibilities of many who want some of the privileged coastal life.Functionality plays role as well. A Vineyard Vines polo, tie, fleece jacket or classic “bare feet” D-ring belt will be in style now, a year from now and probably 10 years from now. To some the brand is very functional, forgettable in fact. A number of people have told me that apart from the whale logo they find those khakis, polos and shorts interchangeable with other mid-market purveyors like Gap or Eddie Bauer.Their tote bags have become, especially for many young women, signature accessories. Other items like blazers, oxfords, shorts and pants all reinforce the VV lifestyle without the overbearing brand association of a Ralph Lauren-like status issue. The message is often that if you are a Vineyard Vines person, you are a fun loving low key brand ambassador who doesn’t need go out of your way to impress others.
Vineyard Vines' tote bagWashington, D.C., has also found the brand to be a good fit. Apart from its appealing natural heritage and traditional preppy theme, there is a long running and bipartisan relationship that politicians, particularly from the Northeast, have with Vineyard Vines ties. During his presidential run, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) commissioned blue donkey ties for his staff which quickly attained must-have status. Since then, Vineyard Vines ties and belts sporting donkeys, elephants, and American flags regularly dress up blue or red political operatives from Capitol Hill to K Street.Even those classic Vineyard Vines totes have been tricked out with blue/donkey or red/elephant trim – no doubt a de rigeur item on the Hill.The Business of FunFrom a purely business perspective, Shep and Ian are pretty smart guys. They understand the power of branding and customer association to the Vineyard Vines island lifestyle. They are heavily involved in non-profit, good will and social activities in many of their key markets. The brothers understand the financial and marketing benefits of letting their brand grow organically and in markets that make sense.One of those markets is corporate branding. The company recently announced a lucrative contract with the National Football League to produce neckties and select garments and accessories featuring team logos where one might normally find repeating sailboats.
Paired with an earlier Major League Baseball agreement, the NFL contract is a coup that will extend the Vineyard Vines brand into the profitable sports marketing space.
As reported last December in SportsBusiness Daily, NFL Vice President of Consumer Products Susan Rothman said, "we have ties in the market, but they don't have the quality that Vineyard Vines has." She went on to say that additional team branded Vineyard Vines products are a logical next step.In addition to its collegiate and professional sports business ventures, Vineyard Vines provides an extensive corporate branding service that captures lucrative company contracts for employee polos, fleece, etc., and corporate gifts, like tote bags, hats and jackets.Minding The StoreVineyard Vines has taken a creative approach to its retail outlets as well. The company makes a concerted effort not to cannibalize existing retailers whenever possible. In many cases, they actually partner with their existing retailers in developing a new stand-alone Vineyard Vines store.
The Memphis, TN, store's family owners/partners
This strategy captures local market knowledge and existing customer bases, engenders goodwill with their local partners and consolidates retail channels. It also frees up the corporate team to focus on product development and branding efforts.At least one of my readers indicated that he feels the company’s product line is too one-dimensional and stylistically limited to support dedicated retail outlets. While a valid point, those products are selling and the stores appear to be doing well.
The company has won numerous awards, including being named a 2008 All-Star Awards winner by Apparel Magazine for outstanding achievements in the apparel industry. Though I heard from several detractors, mostly other bloggers, Vineyard Vines continues to be profiled as case study in creating and building a passionate and successful business.The company also recently invested in robust back office and supply chain management software so that costs can be controlled and inventory managed across the various retail platforms (web, catalog, company store and retail).If there is an area of legitimate concern regarding Vineyard Vines’ brand, I think it is the issue of dilution. By broadly moving into so many tangential markets – collegiate, fraternal, club, professional sports, corporate – the Murrays do run the risk of thinning its image and muddling what "Vineyard Vines" means. If I can pick up a dozen San Francisco 49ers VV ties at Marshall’s, exactly how special is that brand? What lifestyle am I really buying?It’s a legitimate concern and frankly one I suspect has already been mulled over up at the Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters.An in case anyone is wondering, no, I do not have a stake in the company and no, it is not supporting me in any way. I contacted Vineyard Vines and asked for some time to speak with Shep or Ian but I have not yet heard back. Guys, if you’re reading, I’d love to get your thoughts on all this.
An anonymous gentleman posted the following comment about the recent “Vineyard Vines” column.
He raises a very interesting point and I quickly drafted three paragraphs in response. So, instead of overloading the comment screen, I decided that a more organized response was appropriate.OTC-Being a Vineyarder, I've always been a little frustrated with Vineyard Vines. Shep and Ian are great guys, I've run into them in Edgartown plenty of times and they're always cordial, etc.
However, VV has exposed and exploited the "Trad" and "Vineyarder" traditions and lifestyle that I've held dear. Why do they get to exploit an island that, statistically, the average Vineyard Vines wearer will never visit? Some kid in Ohio buys VV sandals with the towns of the Martha's Vineyard on them, and that's supposed to be clever or a good business plan?
I like their stuff and have some myself, however when I see them putting out "cargo-shorts" and goofy sweatshirts, I have to draw a line. They've taken it too far, and it's upsetting.
Therefore, while I understand people's frustration, I myself just cannot accept a company that blatantly exploits the place I've summered all my life.
-UpsetThe reader poses an excellent question and I fully understand what he means. Actually, his quandary gets to the heart of what I find so fascinating about brands and marketing.This sentiment is quite reasonable for someone who feels his way of life, culture or custom is being exploited for another’s material gain. Still, the short answer to his question is that if some kid in Ohio is buying Vineyard Vines flip flops than yes, they do have a good business plan because the point of a business is to sell a product. If they sell a lot of those flip flops, along with polo shirts, duffle bags and baseball hats, than I would say it is a very successful business plan. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to like it.I think however that the reader’s issue is not so much with Vineyard Vines’ business plan as it is with what he sees as the commoditization of the Martha’s Vineyard lifestyle. He cherishes what it means to be a “Vineyarder” (i.e., someone who, if they do not actually live there, actually spends frequent time on the Vineyard) and does not like how its distinctiveness has been watered down. Something unique that he loves and values is now accessible to anyone who wants to buy a piece of it.
Iconic Martha's VineyardAt first, perhaps there was a feeling of pride in the company’s initial success. He might have said, “Vineyard Vines, sure I’ve heard of it, summered there my whole life.” Now that it’s a pretty big brand which seems to be everywhere, not so much. Even worse, from his point of view the brand has lost some of its exclusivity since it even shows up at discounters. As JP noted in an earlier comment, the cache has left the station.But to me that seems to be a rather self absorbed way of looking at things. Vineyard Vines is a business created by two guys who wanted to celebrate the Vineyard/preppy/New England lifestyle. They succeeded and the brand is now widely available to a variety of customers. Just because you are “over” the initial coolness of a particular brand does not mean it is now valueless. And just because it’s no longer the new thing and instead an established brand (the kind of successful problem never achieved by many retail labels) does not mean that it should stop attempting to remain relevant to the market.
Is it an affront to authentic Vinyarders that they have achieved their goal? This is a question that many fact-based lifestyle brands will face at some point. I had my own issue with Polo/Ralph Lauren several years ago. I got over it of course since I went on to work at two Polo stores, managing one of them.Though by no means the landed gentry, I spent most of my childhood summers at family homes either on the Connecticut shore or in the mountains of Vermont. Many of my relatives (not I, for the curious) attended Ivy League schools and my immediate family has a long affiliation with Yale. We had enough interesting ancestors to provide us with monogrammed silver and several impressive looking portraits – one with a frame large enough to be briefly considered as a possible mantelpiece.The upshot here is that when I first encountered Ralph Lauren’s world, I thought it was awesome; a perfected version of a certain aspect of my life. I related to the New England preppy ethos behind the brand and identified with his message. However, as the company grew and expanded into every retail and marketing crevice imaginable, I got a bit irritated.
Polo's PreppyI felt that he had exploited the regional culture I loved and turned it into a caricature of vain, overly accessorized snobs. These were no longer the people or the rich, cultural heritage I knew. I felt that Ralph Lauren had co-opted a special part of my identity and turned it into just another brand, another ad campaign to sell shirts.What I felt he disregarded was the very thing I most appreciated; the reality behind the blue blazer-madras-gin-and-tonic-khakis-and-penny-loafers image. That the fancy silver was actually used every day, or that I've always had a blue blazer because I was taught to dress up when appropriate. I liked knowing that what we now see as the iconic rumpled preppy “look” came about for a reason – there is an actual history to it. That is what makes the Official Preppy Handbook such a beloved and sought-after book. For those familiar with the subject matter there is a big nugget of truth in there, along with the obvious tongue-in-cheek humor.Now some kid in Ohio could sport Polo khakis, a Polo polo shirt, Polo ribbon belt and Polo boat shoes and call himself a “Prep.” Anyone, anywhere could. The whole preppy lifestyle seemed a little reduced and shallow.However, as I got over my own self righteousness I began to see that the Polo brand was in fact celebrating and expanding upon its preppy base. Lauren was not devaluing it; he was embracing it and moving it beyond its traditional regional and cultural boundaries. While not meaning to sound sappy, Ralph Lauren has probably done more to preserve the idea if not the practice of New England/Ivy League/American preppy life than any other brand or modern cultural influence. He redefined, reinvented really, what classic American lifestyle means.Of course, Ralph Lauren and Vineyard Vines are two very different companies and I am not making a direct comparison. I do not think that Shep and Ian’s brand has had an equally global impact on the perception or “ownership” of Vineyard life.
Vineyard Vines' Edgartown StoreBut I do believe they had the same intentions in founding their company as as Mr. Lauren did with his: to celebrate a lifestyle they love. The true affection for both these two brands, each built from nothing and with considerable risk, is genuine.I happen to like the Vineyard Vines brand and what it represents. Though I am not a Vinyarder, I sometimes wish I were and if buying a ball cap with the pink whale logo gives me a small emotional connection to what my reader knows so well, then so be it.
If nothing else, it makes me want to be one of those statistical few to actually visit, stay at a nice B&B in Edgartown, shop and have a cup of coffee while perusing The Martha’s Vineyard Times real estate section.
Vineyard Vines is a classic American success story. The company, founded in 1998, sells a classic vision: that everyone should enjoy the simple New England seaside life and through their products you can. In times like these, full of turmoil, fear and uncertainly, that message is very attractive.Vineyard Vines was built by two brothers, Shep and Ian Murray, who both had suit-and-tie Manhattan careers but really wanted to live and play by the water. They quit, started making quirky ties and the rest, as they say is history. Self financed by the seat of their pants, it’s an authentic story. And the company's hats, ties, shirts, short and bags all carry this inherent authenticity that resonates with Vineyard Vines’ customers.Though host to a variety of product lines, the most well known are their ties which have a similar cache’ to Hermes ties and so are regularly snapped up by suit wearing lawyers, bankers and even politicians.
Founders Shep & Ian MurrayAs Ian says, “We started making neckties so we didn’t have to wear them.” That feeling has effectively translated to their customers. For many, wearing a Vineyard Vines tie is a little like saying, “I may have to wear a tie, but I’m wearing a vineyard Vines tie because that’s who I really am – someone who doesn’t need to wear a tie.”
Classic Beachy Designs & Colors
Vineyard Vines’ ties send a message about the wearer, or at least what the wearer wants you to believe about him. Their designs are tastefully neutral but topically ironic. Where Hermes may have interlinking horse bits, Vineyard Vines ties have interlinking beach chairs or gin & tonics. They are statement ties at a very irreverent level and in fact require the wearer to possess some personal confidence; a little “in-your-faceness.”
Vineyard Vines Tie DetailTo my mind, one of the main reasons that Vineyard Vines remains a successful brand, even during these economically challenging times, is because its growth and brand recognition were both the result of an organic process. It’s grown slowly in terms of a national label and by doing so has achieved a certain cult status among the American preppy/Trad cognoscenti.The brand and its products have a personal and timelessly classic appeal. Most companies spend small fortunes trying to manufacture that magic – Shep and Ian just seemed to stroll right into it. But once the brand stuck, they made a point of effectively managing its growth and sticking to their natural markets.Branding the Life
At its core, Vineyard Vines can still be considered a cult brand. While its product lines are fairly strait forward New England preppy stand-bys - polos, khakis, shorts, fleece, tote bags - the buzz surrounding the company is still the visceral kind normally associated with newcomers. Not everyone knows about the brand, but those who do are often vocal advocates.
For a lot of their customers, sporting a Vineyard Vines martini glass tie or whale logoed hat, tells people that really they are an individual, not one of the corporate masses. And within the company, there is still a real passion to spread the gospel of Vineyard Vines. With products and price points that range from hundreds to just a few dollars, it’s also a lifestyle brand that people can buy a little piece at a time. This approach is the classic recipe for retail success practiced by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.From the customer’s perspective, moving through the Vineyard Vines world is well thought out presented at a casually human scale. Everything reinforces not only the "VV" lifestyle but also the real people living it. For example, the catalogs feature real people whom the brothers have known for years, not professional models. This practice began out of necessity - the brothers could not afford to hire models - but became a staple of the local and real world ethos that has made the brand so popular and accessible.
The Nantucket Store
The stores are friendly, bright and inviting. You feel the Nantucket-ness in every inch of the place; from the large framed maps of New England coastline to the buoys and nautical paraphernalia scattered across the selling floor. For a native Connecticut Yankee who spent childhood summers on Long Island Sound, it's like going home. Of course, it's a clean, shiny, well designed version of home akin to Polo's take on the classic English country manor house. Better than the real thing but nonetheless inherently true to its roots.
If they'd let me, I would live in the Georgetown store.
The Georgetown Store
On the cyber end of things, the website is visually engaging and makes the visitor feel like they are part of the Vineyard Vines world, or at least that should want to be. There is even a photo gallery so that customers can send pictures of their exploits and celebrations while wearing or using Vineyard Vines products. This last feature is a very effective method for building brand personalization and identification because the customer is literally getting to be part of the culture. It also marries traditional “real world” marketing with aspects of social media and first person reporting.
Part II of this article will take a look at business end of Vineyard Vines, including their successful approach to college grassroots marketing, Vineyard Vines' political connections and their creative model for retail development.
Vineyard Vines, the purveyor of New England nautical themed ties and clothing, has announced that it will be opening it's seventh freestanding retail store in the tony Georgetown section of D.C.
