Ch. 15- Marketing Communications

David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris, both in Ermenegildo Zegna Made to Measure.

Ermenegildo Zegna is often worn by successful actors and famous personalities alike. Zegna suits can be seen on the red carpet, at new movie promotions, or on a busy street in NYC. All of this draws publicity to the brand. Many people look up to actors as inspiration and when you read in the newspaper or in magazines that your favorite actor wore a top of the line Zegna suit, you begin to want one yourself.  You become intrigued with the brand and want to know more about them. You may ask around to see if anyone you know has owned one and if they have, they will tell you how excellent their purchase was. Zegna grows their company primarily through earned media, although they also use paid media to increase their consumer base. Campaign ads can be seen in popular magazines. They use the pull strategy to stimulate consumer demand by create videos and ads that can be viewed on their social media pages or their website, instead of purchasing air time.

Ch. 10 - Product Concepts

Ermenegildo Zegna is known in the fashion world as a company that creates exceptional clothing for the modern gentlemen. But, what many people don’t know is that they started with a simple product, wool. Zegna began selling wool to other companies and for about 60 years they created a trustworthy and reliable product. Their fabric was a business product. At first, they only distributed fabrics to clothing brands but decided to start producing suits themselves around the 70’s. They created a consumer product. Zegna knew consumers admired their craftsmanship so why not take it a step further and create our own specialty product. Since then, they have created an even bigger name for themselves and are now looked up to by other clothing brands.

 Every season, Zegna modifies their products to adapt to the changing world of fashion. They stay ahead of trends by creating them. They offer a large variety of products for all types of men, both business attire and causal. They have truly created an image and a brand and are now globally known as serving quality clothing. Many customers who shop at Zegna have brand loyalty, especially when dealing with tailors. Customers prefer to work with the same Zegna tailor because they know that the tailor understands their body structure and is a reliable source for alterations. All of these aspects of Zegna keeps customers coming back and back again.

Ch. 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

Ermenegildo Zegnas focus is to always manufacture the highest quality products to their customers. Luxury is deeply imbedded in this brands foundation. An important part of a luxury brand is to not pressure your customers into buying your product. Instead, Zegnas sales techniques include heavy communication. When you walk into Zegna, you are always greeted with a respectable welcome and are perhaps offered a beverage. Their employees ask if you need assistance in anything and inform you to feel free to ask any questions. This builds a customer-seller relationship. Zegna employees have an immense knowledge on the products they are selling, so every question you ask will have an answer. This builds credibility for the seller. Zegna employees may refer you to a different store, or a different Zegna tailor, as one may be more suited for the job than others. Zegna employees build friendships with the customers. This often times increases their networking so instead of a customer saying to their friend “ Lets go shop at Zegna”, they will say “ Lets go see my friend David who works at Zegna.” Zegna employees do no typically negotiate. It Is not part of their sales process. Zegna employees may also follow-up with the customer after exchanging emails or phone numbers. They may inform them about upcoming sales or new collections that are arriving.

Ch. 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sale

Since Ermenegildo Zegna is a luxury menswear company, they typically do not advertise the way regular everyday companies would. Clothing companies use collections to advertise what they will be selling for the upcoming season. Often times, Zegna would create a short clip that markets the product they are selling and the mood of the collection. This is their advertising campaign. They provide an interesting look to the clothing that they are promoting to try and influence consumers to purchase them. They give advertising appeal to their clothing by sometimes going into detail and explaining what they have changed for the collection and why. They may explain why a new technique for treating wool is far more suprior than other companies or how they have found the perfect fit for a dress shirt. Zegna posts these advertising campaigns on their website, blogs, and social media pages such as instagram and twitter. This is an example of a recent campaign advertising Z Zegna’s spring/summer 2015 collection. They decided to create a unique selling proposition by stepping into a futuristic setting and mixing sneakers with suits, something that isn’t seen too often but is very unique and appealing to a younger generation. 

"Discover the new Z Zegna SS15 advertising campaign - directed by Jacob Sutton - Entitled 'Be Your Own Style 24:7'. Tailoring and sportswear are brought together to present this versatile menswear collection designed to embrace the always-on lifestyle of the modern trendsetter."

Ch. 14 - Marketing Channels and Retailing

Ermenegildo Zegna uses dual distribution to sell their products. They also sell the similar products but in different forms. For example, Zegna will sell a certain suit with a certain fabric in their stores across the globe. But, they also will sell fabrics that are very similar to other brands that can make their own products with it. During this process though, they distribute selectively. Not all the fabrics the Zegna uses for their suit are available for sale. They have a select section of fabrics that they would like to sale to other companies, while still having exclusive fabrics that they use for themselves. Zegna has online retailing available for everyone, and over 500 retail store around the world. Their destination store is the flagship Zegna retailer on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The layout and atmosphere in every store follows the same pattern of high-end luxury goods. There is always a relaxing and somewhat gentle feel the their stores which create a great environment to sell clothing in. Soft carpeting and lighting create a mood that is unforgettable and makes you want to go back and experience it again.

Ch. 6 - Consumer Decision Making

Because Zegna is such an expensive company, understanding consumer behavior is very important for them to continue doing business. They cant just expect that everyone who buys suits wants the most expensive and luxurious one. Their consumer decision-making process goes as follows: Zegna fabrics are know worldwide as being exceptional. Many brands, from small boutiques to large fashion houses use Zegna fabric. Zegna is also responsible for manufacturing numerous other brands suiting. For example, you can walk down Fifth Avenue and see all the companies that use Zegna fabric. You can also stumble upon a small boutique in the middle of Burlington, Vermont and find Zegna fabric like I once did. This is all brand recognition. You see the name, you feel the quality, and you remember it forever.  After hearing about Zegna, or possibly seeing something Zegna manufactured, your next step would be an information search. Zegnas website offers a great detail of information on their products. Also, going to a Zegna store and seeing the products yourself will help make your life easier. Their staff is thoroughly knowledgeable and can answer any questions you may have. Learning about alternatives for suiting is always a smart idea, as every brand has different cuts and may suit your needs better. So what style of suiting does Zegna have? They answered that question by creating different off-brands that have completely different cuts to widen their consumer base. Purchasing a Zegna product for an average worker is something that needs to be thought out. As I have mentioned before, Zegna products are very expensive. Customers are ensured that Zegna products will last years of wear without showing signs of deterioration. After buying a Zegna suit, many customers come back and back again, and as their wants and needs grow, so do Zegnas products.

Ch. 5 - Developing a Global Vision

Zegna Boutique in China.

Ermenegildo Zegna is known worldwide for their exceptional understanding of mens suiting. What started as a small textile company grew into an international powerhouse that leads the world in suit quality. Zegna opened their first boutique in Paris in 1980, followed by Milan in 1985. They currently have over 500 boutiques all around the world. Zegna’s global vision allowed them to see that not only producing fabric could make them money, but venturing off into the suiting business can be extremely profitable as well. Much of their clothing is made in their factories in Italy, which is a great selling point to worldwide customers. Zegna products are also imported from places such as Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey. 

"Ermenegildo Zegna turnover exceeds 1 Billion euros and expands in Africa."

"Ermenegildo Zegna turnover exceeds 1 Billion euros and expands in Africa."

Most shoppers see Italian products as being luxurious, high quality, and worth the purchase, so opening boutiques in places such as Paris, Japan, and the United States was a smart move. Last year, Zegna made a licensing agreement with eyewear manufacturer Marcolin to allow the brand to use the Zegna name when selling certain products. “Passion for excellence, high quality, style, and made in Italy: these are the core values perfectly shared by both groups, which are the basis of this partnership,” said Giovanni Zoppas, CEO of Marcolin.