I’m a big fan of Target stores. I remember when the Target logo started popping up and the store finally opened and we didn’t quite get it, just thinking it was a Wal-Mart competitor. (I lived in Florida at the time where Wal-Mart is serious business.) However, over the years, I’ve become loyal to Target, we have Wal-Mart in NJ, where I live now, but it is a different world than the Target world.
Anyway, I came here to talk about Target’s marketing brilliance. Unfortunately, I can’t easily find the year, but I remember when fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi partnered with Target to bring a line of clothing into their stores. This was a big deal, at that point, there weren’t many partnerships between stores and “real” designers (NOT celebrities wanting to “design” clothing). It was brilliant for him, he made himself accessible to the masses by having his designs available at a reasonable cost. The sales were big, Isaac Mizrahi’s name became more prominent, he guest-starred on Sex and the City, got his own show on the Style network, and famously felt up Scarlet Johannson on the red carpet while hosting for E!. About a year ago, Isaac signed a contract with Liz Claiborne, which would bring his affiliation with Target to an end, but Target has taken the idea of that partnership and gone all out. There have been multiple partnerships with home designers like Jonathan Adler and Michael Graves, Sonia Kashuk and Jemma Kidd have special makeup lines available exclusively at Target, and the biggest partnership has been with multiple clothing and accessory designers. Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Joy Gryson, Rafe, Monica Botkier, Anya Hindmarch, etc, have all developed special lines for Target, most of which have been spectacularly successful. The Rafe bags SOLD OUT in the stores and online and were selling for twice the retail price on ebay, because at twice the retail cost they were still $500 cheaper than the Rafe bags you can purchase at Neiman Marcus.
I have purchased quite a few items from Target in the past, and I am currently coveting this Angie & Lola bag, in fabulous yellow.
Angie & Lola Handbag.
Target was the leader in these partnerships – it’s become the hottest thing now to have a designer partnership, although more often than not I’m seeing the celebrity designer being the connection. Both Amanda Bynes and Sarah Jessica Parker worked on clothing lines with Steve & Barry’s (which is close to, if not completely, out of the picture), Rachel Bilson partnerred with DKNY, etc, etc, etc. I’m not impressed.
Target’s marketing team identified a way to reach out to the audience that appreciates good design, while also allowing those designers to introduce themselves to the audience of non-fashionistas who shop at Target. It’s mutually beneficial for all involved, and it’s a moneymaker.
…and I wish I had thought of it.
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