INTER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASION DESIGN,

APPAREL MARKETING AND MERCHANDISING

ASSIGNMENT-1
MARKET SEGMENTION OF AN APPAREL BRAND

SUBMITTED TO : MS ZANKHANA JADHAV

SUBMITTED BY : GANESH DASAR

1.INTRODUCION
 COMPANY PROFILE :
Before Fashion, Polo was a Sport. The U.S.POLO.ASSN. was created in 1981 out of the
desire to have a clothing brand that truly reflrct the spirit of the sport of polo and helped
support the activities of the United States Polo association(USPA).
Howevewr, their roots in the sport date back as far as 1890,when the USPA was
founded.
The U.S. POLO ASSN. brand is the official brand of the United States Polo Association,
the non-profit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States since 1890.

It is the only brand that truly represents the heritage and tradition of the sport of polo, not just a
lifestyle.

Mr. David Cummings manages the U.S. Polo Assn. brand as the President& CEO of
USPA Properties Inc. (USPAP), the licensing arm of the U.S. Polo Association (USPA).
The Association's trademarks and logos worldwide are managed by USPA Properties.
Their products are sold in over 130 countries at independent retail stores, department
stores and U.S. POLO ASSN. brand stores. The U.S. POLO ASSN. brand carries clothing
for men, women and children, as well as accessories, luggage, watches, shoes, home
furnishings.
US POLO ASSN brand clothing and accessories represent the spirit and traditions of polo
– classic yet comfortable, sporty yet well dressed, high quality yet accessible.
Since incorporation in 1981,
USPA Properties, Inc.‟s entire business model is built around giving back to the polo
community. All of its profits from the sale of U.S. POLO ASSN. branded merchandise go to the
United States Polo Association (USPA) to support the association‟s mentoring and training
programs. This relationship affords the USPA the opportunity to increase player member
benefits and promote the sport through training for interscholastic and intercollegiate polo
competition, while better regulating the rules of the game through programs in umpiring,
competition, and ensuring the safety and welfare of their equine companion players.
 Michael Prince is President & Chief Executive Officer of USPA Global Licensing Inc.
(USPAGL), the official licensor and broadcaster for the United States Polo Association
(USPA). Michael provides executive leadership overseeing the USPA's iconic sport-
inspired U.S. Polo Assn.

2.HISTORY

 BRIEF ABOUT THE COMPANY NAME AND GAME :

Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's
oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective
of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the
opposing team's goal. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective
of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the
opposing team's goal.
The game is originally invented by Iranians and its Persian name is "Chovgan"
(čowgān). The game's English name derives from the Balti language, from its word for
'ball', polo. It is cognate with the Standard Tibetan pulu, also meaning 'ball'.
 POLO IN INDIA :
The modern, international, game of polo is derived from the form played in Manipur,
India, where it was known as sagol kangjei.
A European polo club was established in the town of Silchar in Assam, India, in
1859, This was one of three forms of hockey in Manipur, the other ones being field
hockey (called khong kangjei) and wrestling-hockey (called mukna kangjei). The oldest
polo ground in the world is the Imphal Polo Ground in Manipur State.
  REACH IN U.S AND ESTABLISHMENT OF BRAND :
Polo is perhaps the oldest organized sport of any kind, according to some historians, as
written references indicate that Alexander the Great (356 – 323 BCE) knew of the game.
It was first played in the United States in 1876, introduced by James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
who had first observed the game played in England. Bennett came to be known as father
of American polo as it was he who assembled the players, knowledge, equipment and
Texas horses to play the first loosely structured matches in the United States.

During that winter of 1876, the first game was held indoors at Dickel‟s Riding Academy
in New York and the first formal U.S. club was established, the Westchester Polo Club.

However, their roots in the sport date back as far as 1890, when the USPA was founded. Over
the last 20 years, the brand has grown from 12 licensees to over 70 licensing partners
worldwide. The initial launch of the U.S. POLO ASSN. brand was in the United States, but
quickly spread into Mexico, Central and South America. The international market was
developed soon after, first in Japan, China, Taiwan, then into Europe, Middle East and India.

 PRESENCE IN INDIA :
Since 2005, US POLO brand business in Asia has boomed and there are steady growth
year over year, with the region making up almost 20 percent of our international sales in
2011. And USPA partners in Asia are continuing to open new stores across the region to
meet the strong demand in these markets. US team promotes value by offering a quality
product at a reasonable price. Also, consumers around the world respond to our classic
American style, based on the enduring heritage and tradition of the sport of polo in the
United States.
U.S.POLO.ASSN, partner with leading licensees to make full use of their local expertise
and leading market position. Using their knowledge, licensees adapt our design vision to
fit within the culture of each region. So, while colors and sizes vary across borders, the
style remains. These partnerships ensure that U.S.POLO.ASSN, meet the specific needs
of each geographical market, provide the best consumer experience and maintain
consistent brand standards believe that this smart strategy is one of the keys to our
continued success. U.S.POLO.ASSN, maintain very close relationships with our
licensees to confirm quality in products and services, and to make sure our basic
operating and business principles are met in each region our products are sold.

USPA Properties and Arvind Lifestyle Brands have inaugurated in India.

 ARVIND LIMITED PROFILE :

 Type : Public
Founded : 1931
Industry : Conglomerate
Headquarters : Ahmedabad,India
Key People : Sanjay Lalbhai(Chairman and Managing Director),
PunitLalbhai(ExecutiveDirector),Kun lalbhai (ExecutiveDirector)
Products : Denim, Knits, Woven, Engineering,Retail, Telecom, Advanced
material, Agribusiness, Real estate ,The Arvind Store etc
Revenue : Rs . 5,407.26 cr (US$ 750 millon) 2016`
Employees : 25620
Subsidiaries : Arvind SmartSpaces,Arvind Lifestyle Apparel
Manufacturing PLI, Arvind Brandsand Retail Limited, Arvind Worldwide
Inc. Arvind Internet Limited etc.
Website : www.arvind.com

 COMPANY OVERVIEW OF ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRAND

LIMITED :
Arvind Lifestyle Brand Limited Designs,Distributes and Retails readymade gament
Apparels andaccessories in indiq and internationally.The Company offers its products under the
AEROSTATE,ANALI,AROW,THE CHILDREN’S PLACE ED HARD ,ELE
EXCALIBAR,US.POLO.ASN,FLYINGMACHINE , GAINT, GAP, HANES,
IZOD,KARIGARI, MEGAMART, NAUTICA, Cherokee, TCP,Mossimo, GEOFFREYBEANS
AND RUGGERS brands names.It owns and operates apprroximately 800 stores and 14.2 mn
retail space.; The company based in ahmedabad ,india. Arvind lifestyle brand limited is
subsuidary of Arvind fashion Limited.

Arvind lifestyle manages business in india .The 50th US Polo Assn. store in India at Linking
Road, Mumbai. USPA Properties is a wholly owned subsidiary of United States Polo
Association and Arvind Lifestyle Brands is a part of Arvind Mills. Arvind Brands has
been the exclusive manager and authorized supplier of the US Polo Assn. brand in India
since 2007. In 2010, US Polo Assn. brand wholesale sales were ar $7.12 million (Rs 38
crores) in India and $475 million (Rs 2,560 crores) worldwide. Some of the other USPA
stores in India are located in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
Arvind has introduced international brands such as Arrow, Izod, GANT, US Polo Assn.,
and Emerge in India. It also has its own brands like Flying Machine and Excalibur,
among others and operates 200 plus retail chain ‘Megamart’ in India.
“International expansion is a key strategy for the U.S. Polo Assn. brand and the opening
of a 50th store in India reinforces U.S. Polo Assn.‟s strength as a leading International
brand," said David Cummings, president and CEO of USPA Properties, Inc. “This
opening also marks an important moment in our relationship with Arvind, a licensee and
valued partner to uspa for several years. Arvind has done a tremendous job in expanding
the business in India. We look forward to continuing to work together to provide the
Indian market with apparel and other products that are true to the heritage of the sport of
polo.” “This is an exciting day for Arvind and the U.S. Polo Assn. brand in India,” said
J. Suresh, MD and CEO of Arvind Lifestyle Brands and Retail.
“The popularity of polo in India has led to demand for retail apparel and other
merchandise that are true to the sport. No other brand represents the heritage of the sport
as well as the U.S. Polo Assn., reflected in the popularity of the brand within India..
Other USPA stores in India are located in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune,
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and many more. USPA Properties, Inc.

3. MISION AND VISION OF U.S.POLO Assn.

We believe it‟s not an “either or” game, but rather an “and” game. U.S. Polo Assn.
clothes are both authentic to the sport and fashionable. Global Design Director Brian
Kaminer is USPA brand visionary.
 He travels around the world to not only discover emerging trends, but to truly understand
what our customers are looking for. With all of this knowledge, and through
collaboration with our global licensees, Brian and the design team are able to inspire
clothing that is stylish and functional; could wear it to a polo match or just simply
around town.

To promote the sport of polo in the United States through responsible consideration and
recommendation for the approval of tournament matches and events.

4. BRAND PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES :

 In the sport of polo - the tradition, camaraderie, competitiveness and passion of all
 those involved; from the players to the fans.
 Polo is the King of Sports and the Sport of Kings - inviting and open to all those who
 wish to participate, whether on the field or from the sidelines.
 Polo captures a spirit not known by other sports - the love of the game embodies an
 enthusiasm for competition, a passion for horses and an appreciation for all those who
 work to bring the sport together. There is a special feeling associated with being a part
 of the oldest equestrian team sport in the world.
 The future of polo lies in raising awareness through education and participation;
 encouraging greater numbers of people to embrace the sport with the same fervor and
 devotion as those before them.
 The U.S. POLO ASSN. brand captures the authenticity of the sport, while embracing
 the genuine spirit known throughout the world as Classic American Style -
 comfortable and casual, but still put together.
5. MARKET TARGET :

Business Mens, Women And Sport Clubs members and famous sport
players and “Celebrites”

6.COMPETITORS :

U.S.POLO.Assn stands at the 51th Rank among their competitors out of 578.

 NIKE
 PUMA
 RAULPH LAUREN
 TRACK SMITH
 UNDER ARMOUR
 NEW BALANCE
 LULULEMON
 VUORI
7.METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS :
 QUALITY & POSITIONING SEGMENT :
US polo apparel products are made with high quality fabric with high price and
they are targeted at upper middle class & upper class segment.US Polo products
are:

1. Best quality.
2. Positioned at premium price worldwide

 PRIMARY ICON :
The double horsemen icon is the primary icon of U.S.Polo Assn... This mark
reinforces the athleticism & the authenticity of the U.S. Polo Assn. brand.
  CATEGORY

1. MEN:

 Polo Shirts
 Shirts
 Jeans
 T-Shirt
 Trousers
 Accessories
 Joggers and Trakpants
 Shorts
 Outerwear

2. WOMEN

 Polo Shirts
  Shirts
 Jeans
 T-Shirt
 Dresses
 Outerwear
 Tops
 Hand Bag

3. Footwear :

 Sneakers
 Smart Casuals
 Flip Flops
 Loafer
 Slip on Sneakers

4. Innerwears :

 Trunks
 Briefs
 Boxers
 Vests
 Lounge T shirts
 Lounge Pants
 USPA PRODUCTS ARE EXPENSIVE :

 It is an American brand that represents the premium of polo

 Unlike the other kids wear brand in the market, design sensibility
following is classic & clean with keen focus on garment details.
 Testing parameters which US polo follow on kids wear Colorfastness
testing for washing, crocking, light fastness perspiration, water, saliva, etc
 Detailed fabric and garment construction analysis including fabric weight,
thread count, & yarn size Trim testing for buttons, Zippers, Snaps,
elastics, metal hardware.
 Physical testing including tensile strength, tear strength, abrasion, pilling.
 Mechanical safety review on children‟s clothing to verify the product
meets the consumer product safety commission regulations for small
parts, shar,edges, and draw cord.
 All prints on the garments are Non PVC to make them toxin free.

 Popular advertising campaign :

USPA Properties, Inc. develops an annual advertising campaign and slogan for the
U.S. POLO ASSN. brand, providing the consumer with a common and consistent
message worldwide. In 2011, advertising went back to the roots of the brand and the
authenticity of its merchandise; specifically, its deep connection to the sport of polo
and its history.

This connection and relationship with

the sport brought the company to an
advertising campaign focused on the
fact that, “Before Fashion, Polo was a
sport.”
The U.S. POLO ASSN. brand captures the authenticity of the sport. For example,
they use real equipment in their stores, American polo players in photography and
real names of tournaments. This is combined with embracing the genuine spirit
known throughout the world as Classic American Style-comfortable and casual, but
still put together.The brand is athletic, confident, genuine, approachable and most of
all, classic.

U.S. Polo Assn, announces its fashion campaign. Conceptualised by WYP, a

Wondrlab company, "Legends Forever, Play Together” weaves together threads of
nostalgia, and partnership and brings back two sets of legendary duos.

The duos? Legendary tennis duo, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes. And the
original supermodel duo, Arjun Rampal and Milind Soman, they are the Male brand
ambassdor the U.S.POLO.ASSN.
USPA has appointed Palak Tiwari as its first woman's brand ambassador. As the first
female brand ambassador of US Polo Assn, Tiwari
  MARKETING STRATEGY :

 The success lies in their precise understanding of consumer taste towards

the fashion. They caught the consumer trend with a fashion with a price
tag which can be afforded.
 Strategy of promoting brand more in a casual sense and less in driving
fashion resulted in wider expansion of the brand.
 Attracting customer base with their classy style and a unique logo has
also added to making this brand a huge success. They plan to inaugurate
more stores across the country and reach out to customers in every place.
 Branding concentrates on the authenticity of the Sport POLO by using
real equipment in stores, photographs of Real Polo players and original
name of the Tournaments.
 The aura they create in stores makes brand visibility very strong which
encourage and motivates the customer to seek the product along with the
attributes of brand.
 “First Impression is the Last impression” and for a Good First
Impression, a retailer needs a good and well stocked store and a smiling
sales person. The key to a good store is visual merchandise and a great
layout (and traffic flow), and the ease of finding merchandise.
 The brand has been acknowledged by the DNR Magazine as Top 40
mega-brands in the United States of America.

8.SWOT ANALYSIS :
  Strength

 U.S. POLO is an international company and it has a great

reputation.
 U.S. POLO has strong marketshare.
 The company has an experience to producing high quality
products with high efficiency.

 Weakness:

 U.S. Polo doesn’t have an experience to engage technology

in their products.
 US POLO may not have enough resources to producing
LugSmart Tracker with great capacity.

 Opportunities:
 US POLO is the first and only inadopting this idea and
keeping up with technology progress
 There are no competitors yet

 Threats:

 Competitors may fastly attract the idea and implement it.

 Customers may not accept the price for LugSmart Tracker.

9. MARKETING MIX :
Marketing mix is the collection of several factors that are in control of an Organisation
which they can manipulate to attract customers.

 PRODUCT :
 The Game of Kings” one of the oldest sports in the world also referred as “Polo”
is a team sport distinct from other that exhibit the robust bond between the player
and their equine partner. The sport is also different because of its attire which is a
simple, elegant style with high-quality. The U.S. Polo Assn. is an extraordinary
sports clothing brand which speaks authentic intangible language of the
sport, honour’s tradition and promotes it to everyone so they can be a part of this
legacy.

 PLACE :

The brand came into existence with an aspiration to showcase the spirit of sport
that should reflect through clothing. Simultaneously, it also supported the
activities of the United States Polo Association (USPA) in the United States of
America. U.S. POLO has its presence in each major city of the world and it
excels the turnover over $1 billion across all categories.

 PRICE :

The Pricing strategy of US POLO Assn Marketing and promoting their Cloths
and Accessories to the formal and classy people or sport enthusiastic. These
customers do not hesitate to buy their clothes at their price.

 PROMOTION :

The US Polo Association retails men’s, women’s, and children’s sportswear,

dresses and accessories such as socks, neckwear, hats and bags along with small
leather goods. Promotion of the sport, various training programs, benefits for
Polo Player and support training centres for interscholastic and intercollegiate
polo competition and fund programs in umpiring, competition and equine welfare
is done through Royalties paid to the USPA.
With a desire to launch a brand which reflects Polo as a superior sport, U.S.
POLO Assn was inaugurated in 1890. The USPA fosters the game of polo, also
harmonize activities of the club member and registered players. Merchandise of
USPA is sold in over 135 countries in the apparel section of various shopping
malls and also branded retail stores

9. FINDINGS
 Brand awareness of USPA brand is less compare to other brands in Arvind
 Advertisement related to USPA may increase foot fall to stores. USPA
mainly focusing casual wear and sportswear, formal wear is not there in this
brand.
 If we compare sales ratio, men‟s category products sells more than kids &
women‟s wear.
 Ideas on designing & styling of product are good compare to other brands.
Kids wear products – Has less number of fancy prints and embroidery.
  USPA mainly focusing on casual wear and sportswear, formal wear is not
there in this brand.
 Brand awareness of USPA brand is less compare to other brands in Arvind.
Advertisement related to USPA may increase foot fall to stores.
 In all categories- US Polo has Polo t-shirts in all colors.

10. CONCLUSION :
With my constant effort and numerous help from the respondents and my Storemanager
I am able to put the in-depth study regarding the Retail store operationand customer
service. The data that are collected with the help of thequestionnaire are already plotted
and described in the preceding chapters.Arvind is one of the leading companies in the
world, really they are holding trueto it. The company has its strong heritage and is
leading among all. They havestrong vision and mission and each individual in the
company who is working forit is very much loyal to it.Arvind lifestyle brands are a
small section of the vast Arvind fields and eachbrand is today one of the leading brands
in India. USPA among them is nurturingits loyal as well as new customers to its best
and continuing to be better thanbest. When we observe the U.S Polo brand in the
market, it is growing up slightlywith the competitors and move positively and
developing a unique andoutstanding position in the market.Concluding that it is a great
experience being with Arvind, it is one of the bestand hold true to it to the core. One is
fortunate to be part of it.

When we observe the US Polo brand in the market, it growing up slightly with the
competitors and move positively & developing a unique and outstanding position in the
market. CEO of Arvind planning to expanding Kids wear of US polo, this opportunity
improves the growth of Arvind brands.