Tommy Hilfiger’s Adaptive Clothing Line: Making Fashion Inclusive
Nov 28, 2023
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Elizabeth Keenan, a Harvard Business School assistant professor, discusses the opportunities and challenges of Tommy Hilfiger's adaptive clothing line for people with disabilities. The podcast explores the success and need for further development of the global expansion. It also delves into Tommy Hilfiger's background, values, and commitment to inclusivity and sustainability. The innovative adaptations in the clothing line and strategic marketing are highlighted, along with partnerships and challenges in making fashion inclusive.
Tommy Hilfiger's Adaptive Clothing Line aims to make dressing easier for people with physical disabilities by providing fashionable options that allow individuals to maintain their personal style.
Tommy Hilfiger took a thoughtful approach in marketing the Adaptive line, directly engaging with the target audience, adopting people-first language, and prioritizing the customer journey.
Deep dives
Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive: Fashion for All
Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive is a clothing line designed to address the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities in getting dressed. The line includes innovative adaptations such as magnets and hook-and-loop closures, and focuses on providing fashionable options that allow individuals to maintain their personal style. The market for adaptive clothing is significant, with nearly one in four people identifying as having a disability. Tommy Hilfiger worked closely with the community of people with disabilities, seeking their input in the design and marketing processes. The brand's goal was to create a movement and inspire other brands to join in making fashion accessible to everyone.
Expanding Internationally: Should Tommy Hilfiger Go Global?
The central issue discussed in the case is whether Tommy Hilfiger should expand the Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive line globally. While the adaptive line has experienced some success, with measures of success including customer satisfaction, low return rates, and positive feedback, awareness of the line remains relatively low. The case prompts students to consider the opportunities and challenges of international expansion, evaluating whether the brand is ready and weighing the potential for increased awareness and market reach against the need for further development and brand awareness.
Marketing and Impact
Tommy Hilfiger took a thoughtful approach to marketing the adaptive line, directly engaging with the target audience and seeking their input on how best to reach and communicate with them. The marketing strategy was created from scratch, as there was no existing benchmark for targeting adaptive customers. Language was a key consideration, with the brand adopting people-first language and focusing on inclusivity rather than defining individuals by their disabilities. The brand also prioritized the customer journey, offering online shopping options, easy returns, and accessible customer support. The positive impact of the adaptive line extended beyond profitability, with customer service team members reporting calls of appreciation and a sense of fulfillment in making a difference.
In 2017, Tommy Hilfiger launched its adaptive fashion line to provide fashion apparel that aims to make dressing easier. By 2020, it was still a relatively unknown line in the U.S. and the Tommy Hilfiger team was continuing to learn more about how to serve these new customers. Should the team make adaptive clothing available beyond the U.S., or is a global expansion premature?
Harvard Business School assistant professor Elizabeth Keenan discusses the opportunities and challenges that accompanied the introduction of this new product line while simultaneously starting a movement to provide fashion for all in the case, “Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive: Fashion for All.”
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