UNIQLO: Relaunching +J Collection

Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.’s UNIQLO brand (UNIQLO) was planning to relaunch +J, its collaboration with the legendary high-end designer Jil Sander in the fall of 2020; however, the COVID-19 pandemic began in March of that year, causing many consumers to spend less on clothes and more on essentials. Just like the first launch of the +J collection in 2009, this launch would once again happen during a global recession. The affordable street fashion brand faced a challenging decision regarding whether to reintroduce the higher-priced collaboration brand amidst this unprecedented situation.

This case is appropriate for undergraduate courses on marketing, brand management, global strategy, strategic management, brand equity, and distribution channels. In addition to courses in undergraduate programs, this case can be used for graduate- and executive-level programs as a resource for discussions on leverage in core branding. This case examines the marketing strategy of an affordable street fashion brand’s collaboration with a legendary high-end designer and emphasizes target marketing in a rapidly upgraded, emerging economy. It describes the radical transformation of a company’s brand image over the past thirty years and outlines both the impact of those changes and the fundamental strategic tensions between what the brand needs to do to maintain its core position in the fashion market and what it must improve to attract a demographic that spends more money on clothes. Students will learn how to examine the risks and benefits of launching a higher-priced product in the middle of an economic crisis. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<ul><li>Identify a brand’s core demographic, and evaluate the extent to which a brand can attract others given its capabilities.</li><li>Assess the risks and benefits of launching a higher-priced product within an unstable economic environment.</li><li>Describe the roles of functionality in the fashion industry, and explain its importance.</li><li> Assess the shift from brick-and-mortar retail to an online shopping environment according to changes in consumer behaviour.</li></ul>

• Brand Management