Abercrombie & Fit(ch)

Choose the size of this marketing strategy: 

(  ) XS 

(  ) S

(  ) M

(  ) L

(x) XL

(x) XXL

Sorry, XL and XXL numbers are not available. Abercrombie does not produce large numbers.

More than about whom to attract, targeting (especially in fashion industry) is also about whom to repel. 

Be all the things to all the people can't build an iconic brand so that's why exclusive brands have used price as a bar of access against less affluent consumers. Price has been an acceptable form of exclusion since always.

A mainstream exclusion form.

The strategy:

This clothing retailer didn't want to sell to overweight women or men and in 2006, Michael Jeffries, A&F's CEO, said 

"(...) because good-looking people attract other good looking people and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that."

What didn't work?

Focusing on a niche target is smart. Crowing about it in public is not.

If your core business becomes a scandal, make sure you have an unfailing PR around.

Remember the rule Mike, just because it zips, doesn't mean it fits (in all businesses).