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EMULATION I N V E S T I G A T I O N

An extensive research investigation of the Contemporary Emulator market.

Olivia Boyce | Erin Quick | Kendall Reid | T if fany Rogers

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Table Of Contents

Executive Summary......................................................3 Secondary Trend Analysis..............................................7

Qualitative Research.....................................................13

Quantitative Research...................................................16

Conclusions & Recommendations....................................18 Special Thank You From Justin.......................................23

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Executive SummaryThe Opportunity

One of the fastest growing segments of consumers in America are females ages 18-24, but this group has also proved one of the hardest for Justin Boots to tap into. Justin Boots currently markets toward the 18-24 year old female through various styles in the Gypsy and Bent Rail lines, but has an opportunity to strengthen the con-nection between the brand and this target market which Justin Boots has labeled the Contemporary Emulator: those who don’t necessarily live the western lifestyle, but love it. These women are more focused on the fash-ion of the boot than on its ability to perform in riding or ranching, and are entranced by the ambiance of the western lifestyle.

The Research

Qualitative

In order to better understand the target market, a focus group was conducted with women in the 18-24 year age group, as well as some in-depth phone interviews. The purpose of these two forms of qualitative research was to dive into the minds of the Contemporary Emulator and gather insight on meanings they associate with the western-boot experience, from purchase decisions to use to influences. In essence, we wanted to further define the Contemporary Emulator to increase Justin Boots’ ability to connect and communicate messages that would resonate with these women. Furthermore, we wanted to decipher what role the internet played in their boot buying process and how exactly these women responded to the current elements of Justin Boots’ market-ing mix, including their connection with Red Dirt music.

Quantitative

To further delve into the contemporary emulator’s lifestyle and purchasing process, an intercept survey was conducted with 62 women at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. Women who fell into the prescribed category of Contemporary Emulator were asked to answer questions about their purchasing process, use of social media, and other factors they used to determine which brand to buy when looking for a new pair of boots. Due to the location in which the intercept survey was conducted, the survey participants were assumed to be active in the Red Dirt music scene. These women were also asked about their knowledge of Justin Boots and what words or characteristics they associated with the brand, allowing us to put the Contemporary Emulator’s understanding of Justin Boots into better perspective.

The Take Away

The various employed research methods yielded results that shaped our recommendations for Justin Boots in their coming campaigns. We found there to be two subgroups within the Contemporary Emulator market segment—the Extreme Emulator and the Moderate Emulator—which weren’t being equally acknowledged in Justin Boots’ current marketing mix. Of the recommendations made, one was to reposition the brand in a way that speaks to the lifestyles of both Emulator segments. The Contemporary Emulator Consumer segment over-

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whelmingly cited fashion as the most important purchasing factor, which led us to suggest Justin Boots tailor their advertising toward fashion as a key message in order to connect with these women. A suggested change for Justin Boots would be to also highlight western as being less about “country” and more about “heritage,” an idea which resonated with members of the Contemporary Emulator market segment. With information we collected from the target market as well as Balcom Agency, Justin Boots’ social media mix attracts a 62% female audience, 20% of which are ages 18-24. To better engage this segment, we believe Justin Boots may benefit from making a shift from their current online positioning and creating a presence in their social media with a more feminine-friendly tone. Justin Boots would also benefit from more promotional events that the Contemporary Emulator participates in, such as tailgates and concerts, a shift from their current predominant involvement in western activities.

As a final note, women would also be more inclined to buy a custom-made pair of boots, an area Justin Boots may be able to expand their services to accommodate.

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Justin Boots is truly a lifestyle brand. Since 1879, the company has produced high quality boots with unwav-ering passion and honor for the Western lifestyle. Although Justin Boots has grown considerably since its beginnings, the company remains deeply rooted in its heritage, as they have continued for 131 years to con-duct business based on the same principles as those of the company’s founder, H.J. Justin. With its humble beginnings, the brand represents the American Dream: a man with just pennies in his pocket and a vision who brings that vision to life to earn a living for his family, leaving behind a legacy for generations to come.

By offering 300 styles, Justin Boots is able to meet the needs and wants of its different consumers. They produce boots for men, women and children in a range of styles from the more trendy and fashionable bent rail to sturdy work boots. Pricing also ranges anywhere from $79 casual boots to $500 exotic boots made from ostrich or alligator.

The largest domestic footwear manufacturer in the country, Justin Boots prides itself on manufacturing the highest quality boots. Each boot takes approximately 10 days, 40-60 sets of hands and 24,000 hand-stitches to come to fruition. Factory employees and top management alike are passionate about the excellence of each boot made.

Technology is an important aspect of the company’s products. Justin Boots executive Lewis Russo points out that Justin Boots utilizes technology for solution sake rather than for marketing sake. For instance, cowboy boots are traditionally uncomfortable and stiff, so Justin Boots created the patented J-Flex Flexible Comfort System to help solve the problem of discomfort. Other technologies utilized by Justin Boots are Grip-On-Demand, JST, Justin Jel, Waterproof, Electrical Hazard, Steel Toe, J-Max Double Comfort, Double Comfort and Aluminum Toe. Each of these hi-tech features is employed to satisfy the wants or needs of Justin Boots’ customers.

Justin Boots sells its products to consumers through retailers, and seeks to maximize that relationship in order to maintain shelf space, website presence and in-store kiosk displays. Justin Boots’ decision to sell its boots through retailers instead of directly is based on the simple fact that it would be difficult and contra-dictory to expect an advantageous relationship with retailers while simultaneously competing with them for sales dollars. Key retail partners include Cavenders Boot City, Sheplers, Boot Barn, Zappos.com and more.

Justin Boots was once a subsidiary of Justin Industries, which includes the businesses of boots and build-ing materials. While the coexistence of boots and bricks under the same umbrella company is seemingly incongruous, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Justin Jr. drew parallels between them in a 1981 interview with Forbes reporter Anne Bagamery: “Why, just take a look at them. They’re both made of natu-ral materials and they both protect you--that puts them practically in the same family.” The original linking up of Acme Brick Company and (then) H.J. Justin & Sons was relevant in that each enterprise dates back to Texas’ pioneering past; the two companies shared a similar heritage and thus operated under the same core principles. But in 1999, Justin Industries split its footwear and building businesses into separate companies and moved its boot-making headquarters to El Paso, TX and Cassville, Missouri respectively. Justin’s im-mediate parent company is still Justin Industries, and the ultimate parent company is Warren Buffet’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., which acquired the company in 2000 in a $600 million cash deal.

Secondary Trend Analysis

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SWOT Analysis

Justin Boots is a successful company rooted in its rich history, and thus has internal strengths and external opportunities on which it can capitalize in order to increase sales, profits and brand perception. But as with all companies in all industries, Justin Boots has weaknesses and threats which it should acknowledge and work to correct or avoid for the betterment of the company and its brand.

Strengths• An authentic brand based on history and tradition• Highly focused on boot quality and craftsmanship• Domestically manufactured products• Strong effort to maintain good relations with its retailers• Knowledge of and passion for boot-making• Emphasis on consumer wants and needs• Availability of products; all merchandise is in stock an estimated 95% of the time

Weaknesses• Lack of a deep understanding of the contemporary emulator consumer (especially the female demographic)• High quality boot-making is a time-consuming process• The struggle to be a contemporary brand while still honoring the company’s past

Opportunities• Contemporary consumers are focused on purchasing quality, durable, U.S.-made products • Utilizing the internet for marketing and distribution purposes, as consumers are flocking to e-com merce and social media1

• Co-branding opportunities (i.e. its current partnership with Fossil)• Non-core channels of distribution

Threats• Economic recession• Retaining cross-generational relevancy• Attracting the contemporary emulator consumer while still adequately serving the core consumers• The potential to misunderstand consumer wants, needs and perceptions• Dependence on small, independent retailers to sell their products

Bagamery, Anne, “You Can’t Just Go with the Flow,” Forbes, October 26, 1981, pp. 59-61. (Found on FundingUniverse.com/company-histories). Farman, Irvin. “Bricks and Boots.” Standard of the West: the Justin Story. Vol. 2. Fort Worth, TX: TCU Press, 1996. 174-75. Print. TCU Texas Biography Ser Colbert, Catherine. “Justin Brands, Inc.” Hoovers | Business Solutions from Hoovers. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

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Target Audience

The first customers of Justin Boots were cowboys making their way up the legendary Chisolm Trail, and the core customers of Justin have hardly changed since. Today, Justin considers its contemporary core consumers to be those that live and breathe the western lifestyle. From rodeo athletes to ropers, these consumers are the heart of Justin Boots Company, and have been from the start. History, tradition and authenticity of the brand are extremely important to these consumers, as is the quality of craftsmanship tailored to each individual pair of boots. They purchase Justin Boots because of the fit, comfort, and performance of the boot, not necessarily for the look or style.

While it is important to remain loyal to its core consumers, Justin Boots would be missing a huge oppor-tunity if it chose to ignore the potential of its contemporary emulator consumers. These consumers don’t necessarily live the western lifestyle, but they love it. They are attracted to the music, ambiance, attitudes, and lifestyle of the west, including the fashions. The contemporary emulator consumers skew younger than core consumers, and are more focused on the fashion of the boot than on its ability to perform in riding or ranching. Justin created its trendy and hip Bent Rail model to attract these consumers. In order to get Bent Rail on the feet of customers, the model was heavily promoted on the internet – where the majority of this young audience is. Justin Boots and its agency of record, Balcom Agency, capitalized on this target segment’s adoration of western music to engage them in the Justin Boots brand and drive them to its website. By utilizing internet and social media marketing backed by strategy, Justin Boots exceeded their sales goal for the new product line by 30 percent.

In order for Justin Boots to continue its growth and success, it must continue to engage its customers in two-way conversation to effectively communicate key product features and benefits that are of interest to its various target market segments.

Competition

Competition in this industry is high and increasing. Competitive considerations include: • Price• Quality• Product innovation/differentiation• Product branding

Competition includes:

Ariat International, Inc. • Founded in 1990 in California• 54 employees• Manufactures western boots, accessories and apparel

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• Sells products to consumers through retailers and catalogues• Focused on technologically-advanced shoes• International brand

Lucchese Boot Company • Founded in 1883 in San Antonio, TX• Similar “American Dream” heritage to that of Justin Boots• Domestically manufactured• Handmade, high quality boots

Double H Boots • Handmade, domestically manufactured boots• Factory located in Martinsburg, PA• Focused on technologically-advanced shoes

Environmental and Market Trends

Justin Boots is found under the NAICS code 31621, footwear manufacturing in the U.S. Key industry statistics are as follows: 6

• Revenue: $1.7 billion

Revenue Growth

Year Revenue $Mill Growth %1998 2,408.0

1999 2,586.2 7.4

2000 2,996.9 15.9

2001 2,501.2 -16.5

2002 2,831.2 13.2

2003 2,694.6 -4.8

2004 2,359.1 -12.5

2005 2,248.2 -4.7

2006 2,176.1 -3.2

2007 1,835.1 -15.7

2008 1,997.9 8.9

2009 1,810.2 -9.4

2010 1,719.6 -5.0

Gustafson, Carol. “The Top 10 For 2010.” Western & English Today. Jan. 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://www.wetoday.com/>.

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• Profit: $111.8 million• Annual Growth: -5.2%• Life Cycle Stage: Decline

United States-produced shoes supply a shrinking portion of the market6• In 2010, approximately 93% of domestic footwear demand is expected to be satisfied by imports• Total US production of footwear amounted to a mere 30.7 million pairs compared with 2.0 billion pairs imported• If each person owns 7 pairs of shoes, 6 of them are foreign-made• Domestic manufacturers will not be able to effectively compete against low-cost im ports unless producing for and marketing to a niche segment (i.e. Western footwear)• Consequently, industry employment has fallen significantly over the past 5 years, averaging 6.4% per year, with production workers being most severely affected

Product & Service Segmentation within the Industry6

• Men’s footwear makes up the largest segment at 50%, but this number is down from 53% in 2006• Women’s shoes is the 3rd largest segment at 12.5%, which is up from 10% in 2006

Other Key Industry Facts6

• Market concentration in the U.S. footwear manufacturing industry is low• The industry is largely fragmented; it lacks major players and instead consists of a mix of small players• The level of technology change across the industry is low, as much of the production remains labor-intensive• U.S. consumers purchase an average of 4 pairs of shoes per year, making Americans the world’s largest consumer of footwear

Boots are made for walkin’Boots are made for walkin’Boots have a purpose. What do they mean to me?

"I love wearing my boots out on the town!"

-Calvin, 21

"The opinions of my friends have the most in�uence on all of my shoe purchases."

- Kristin, 19

"The style of the boot is the single most important thing I take into consideration when buying"

- Kate, 22

"I typically use the Internet for help with my buying decisions, but I would never actually buy boots online."

-Taylor, 21

"My cowboy boots represent part of my identity and heritage"

-Christian, 21

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Qualitative ResearchPurpose & Procedures

In order to dig into the meanings of western-style boots to women ages 18-25, we conducted a focus group and several in-depth interviews. Our purpose in conducting these two forms of qualitative research was to dive into the minds of these western-boot consumers and gather insight on meanings they associate with the western-boot experience from purchase decisions to use to influences. On Wednesday, October 27th at 8 pm, we held a focus group with seven women. The women ranged from 19-22 years old and fell into the category of Justin Boots’ contemporary emulator consumers. This means that they are between the ages of 18-25 and either (A) enjoy the western lifestyle, (B) enjoy Red Dirt music, or both. The focus group was held in the TCU library and lasted for approximately 45 minutes. Participants were entered in a raffle for a gift-card to a local restaurant, and all were offered chocolate candy for their participation. In-depth interviews were conducted individually on Sunday, October 24th with three western-boot consumers and ranged in length from approxi-mately 20 to 30 minutes. These women were all 21 years of age and consisted of contemporary emulator con-sumers from both the Texas and Oklahoma regions. These women were asked questions similar to those used for the focus group, but were asked to expand on their thoughts and ideas.

Key Findings

The following findings were derived from the focus group and all three in-depth interviews. All participants had similar opinions and answers to most of the questions with few variances.

For instance, we asked the young women to describe their boot-buying process. Each mentioned that they look to the internet to help guide their purchase decision; they visit retailer websites and scan through user-reviews. Although the internet plays a role in the research of boot options, none of the girls would purchase online due to the simple fact that they would not be able to try the boots on or hold them in person. Even when mention-ing free return shipping if purchased online, the participants did not think the extra step was worth the trouble, and would rather have a one-on-one purchasing experience with a knowledgeable sales associate at a local retailer.

Style was the number one cited consideration when purchasing boots. A focus group participant, Anna, 21, put it quite simply: “The only thing I care about when looking for boots is how they look. Nothing else matters to me, they just need to be fashionable!” When asked their preferred boot-style, the women agreed that a simple, classic boot was ideal. They feel that classic-style boots are versatile and will match with anything, whether they are attending a concert for a Red Dirt band or a tailgate before a football game. A few mentioned that custom-made pairs are their favorite.

Although the fashion aspect was the most important for all focus group and interview participants, other important qualities were also mentioned. Price was the next most-mentioned consideration. The majority said they would be willing to dish out a few extra dollars for boots that are exactly what they were looking for and

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would last a long time and all understood and did not seem bothered that boots tend to be more expensive. But even though they understand the price-point of boots, they do look for deals and love to save money on boots. Comfort and durability were also mentioned a considerable amount of times as important qualities that they take into consideration when locating the perfect pair of boots. Authenticity of the boot was important, but they defined authenticity in terms of whether the boot looked like a real cowboy boot. To them, an au-thentic boot is not necessarily where the materials came from or where the product was made, but whether the style looks classic and authentic and not like a “cheesy knock-off,” as one interviewee put it.

As for domestically manufactured boots, opinions were split. Only one woman said that this was an important consideration in her purchase decision, and the rest were either neutral or strongly apathetic. The neutral ex-plained that Made-In-America boots would be important to them after they had already purchased their boots, but would have no direct impact whatsoever on which pair they choose to buy. The strongly apathetic side said that they did not care at all where their boots were made as long as they met all qualifications they look for in boots.

The focus group participants and interview participants had similar sources of influence on the buying deci-sion. The top influence was friends. Opinions and advice of their friends have the highest effect on all cloth-ing and shoe purchase-decisions, including boots. Word-of-mouth was also mentioned a number of times. If women perceive that customers were happy with a brand or style of boot, they are more likely to look into that particular brand or style. The Internet is also a key influencer, as the women look to the Internet as a source for researching boot options.

Women were asked to describe the last time they wore their boots, from what they were doing to who they were with to how they felt. A keyword that was derived from answers was “fun.” Almost all of the women described their boot-wearing experience as one in which they were out on the town, with friends, at a foot-ball game or at some other sort of fun “western” social event. To these women, boots are associated with a good time. But to these women boots go one step further than this. In addition to the fun-aspect of the boot experience, many of the women explained that when they wear their boots they feel a sense of pride in their Southern heritage. One interviewee, Christian, 21, stated, “When I go out of town, I almost always pack my boots—they are a perfect display of the Texas culture.” For these women, boots represent a part of their iden-tity. They allow them to express not only their personal style, but their personal history as well. Although most of the women do not wear their boots on a daily basis, they bring them out on special occasions to show off their fun-loving nature, personal style and love for their heritage.

In the focus group, we used a projective technique where we brought in one pair of Justin Boots and one pair of Ariat boots. The women did not know the brands of the boots and were asked to choose their favorite pair and cite reasoning. Every single woman chose the Justin pair for reasons such as the brown color, classic style, toe-shape and worn-in look. Although the specific reasons slightly differed, all were on the basis of style. We revealed the brands of the boots and asked if any opinions changed. The women explained that style mattered far more than the brand. Brand preference played no role in this particular group of women.

We then discussed Justin Boots. Brand perception was generally positive, as the women felt Justin is a trust-

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worthy, authentic and well-known brand that makes high-quality, classic boots. Many explained that Justin’s logo and advertisements came to mind when we mentioned Justin. While most comments were positive, a few of the women said that they felt Justin does not make enough of a variety of styles that are appealing to them.

Overall, the interviewees and focus group participants all fed back similar information. The main concept of style and comfort were cited as the most common reasons for boot-purchase and boot wearing. Also, that “fun” and “western” were keywords the women associated with boots.

Another overarching conclusion was that online previewing was more useful than an actual online purchase, suggesting that accessible product detail via the internet is beneficial, but not a key factor in boot purchasing decisions. In the end, all of the findings were similar to each other, and allowed for greater insight into the tar-get group’s perception of boots and their personal meaning to the group.

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Quantitative ResearchWe headed to Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky tonk, located in Fort Worth, Texas. We conducted a series of 62 intercept surveys to more clearly identify and define this contemporary emulator consumer to help Justin Boots effectively reach her with its marketing efforts.

Give Them FashionOf the five factors women were asked to rank in level of importance, fashion was ranked as very important by 52.5% of those surveyed as important when purchasing boots. Furthermore, when asked to choose the single most important factor, women chose fashion 47.5% of the time. Key Finding: Justin Boots is currently boasting two lines of fashionable boots for women with the Bent Rail line, as well as the Gypsy line. Justin Boots should consider expanding these boots lines by adding more styles to reach both the contemporary core consumer and the contemporary emulator on a greater level.

Give Them ComfortSecond to fashion in importance of the five factors for women who purchase boots was comfort. Of the women surveyed, 62.3% believe comfort is very important. Though this is a higher percentage than those who ranked fashion as very important, it was rated by only 32.8% as the most important determinant when purchas-ing boots.

Key Finding: Since Justin Boots has unique comfort technology built in to each boot with either J-Flex Flexible Comfort System® or J-Jel™ inserts, it can be said this is something already well understood by the company. Continuing to use this technology in the Bent Rail and Gypsy lines that target the 18–24 year old age group would be wise and would allow Justin Boots to combine the two top determining factors for female shoppers.

Don’t Break the Bank, Unless…Price was third in importance to women when purchasing boots, 52.5% of those surveyed ranking it as very important. When asked to choose the most important factor when purchasing cowboy boots, a mere 13.1% ranked it as a top priority.

Key Finding: These numbers suggest that while women keep price in mind, they are willing to buy the boot if it is the right style and fit. Justin Boots does a great job of offering a wide price range for their boots, which should allow them to retain customers and attract new ones so long as comfort and style are present in their boot lines.

Women on Authenticity and “Made In America”Of those surveyed, 36.1% said they think it is very important to purchase cowboy boots that can be labeled as authentic. However, this was not of great importance when women were asked to choose what factors into their purchasing decisions. Only 4.9%, or 3 of 61 women asked, believe this is the most important thing to look for when buying cowboy boots. This was ranked only slightly higher than “Made in America” on level of importance, which was considered very important by 24.6% of women. A dismal amount found this to be the most important of all factors, with only one woman saying it was the main factor she uses for her boot pur-chasing decision; 68.9% ranked this as least important.

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Key Finding: Justin Boots often uses authenticity and “Made in America” as characteristics that set them apart from competitors, but this particular target market appears to seek out boots based on other characteristics. When marketing “fashionable” lines like Bent Rail and Gypsy, Justin Boots may find their time and money would be better spent marketing other factors which are more relevant and relatable to the 18-24 year old age group.

How Women Use Facebook and TwitterPerhaps the least helpful to women when buying boots are the social media sites of Facebook and Twitter. Only 14.8% women said they use Facebook to help them make purchasing decisions. Less than that use Twitter to help them choose products to purchase at a low 6.6%.

Key Finding: Though some women may be active on these sites, Justin Boots may benefit from focusing on more traditional advertising channels and using social media sites for a dialogue with the target consumer, rather than a place for promotion.

The World Wide WebUsed more often by women when looking to purchase new cowboy boots is the internet. 42.6% of women surveyed said they visit brand websites to see recent styles before purchasing boots. Furthermore, 75.4% of women say they use the internet in general when deciding what cowboy boots to purchase, 29.5% saying they head to retailer websites for product information, and 26.2% citing consumer reviews as helpful with purchase decisions.

Key Findings: Justin Boots already boasts a brand website that has user-friendly navigation, which will al-low that 75.4% majority of consumers using the internet to locate the new styles of boots easily. Justin Boots already does a great job of helping them find local retailers, so keeping the “Find a Retailer” feature on the homepage of JustinBoots.com should allow the target market a more effortless shopping experience online.

Women’s Perspective on Justin Boots 86.4% of women say they are familiar with the Justin Boots brand, and 42.6% said they associate the brand with the word “traditional.” “Work boots” was the second most favored classification at 20.4%, followed by “comfort” at 13.0%. Only 9.3% cited Justin Boots as being most associated with “cool style” and women least associated Justin Boots with “Made in America” at 7.4%.

Key Findings: Justin Boots has a high amount of awareness among the target market, but are known by most to be more traditional as a whole. Based on the findings of this survey, the 18-24 year old age group tends to be more concerned with fashion and comfort, which were among the lowest in percentage for words associated with the company. This suggests that Justin Boots should focus marketing for the Bent Rail and Gypsy lines on the aspects of fashion and comfort to re-brand themselves and create a more relatable image for this target market.

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Conclusions & RecommendationsWho to Talk to?

Perhaps the most key outcome of this research is the deep, multifaceted definition of the contemporary emu-lator consumer. Throughout the research process, common themes and trends arose that made us question whether one single, solid definition of the contemporary emulator consumer was the most viable for Justin. In further exploring this phenomenon, we realized that there were two distinct segments of young women who fit into the contemporary emulator category, but in significantly different ways. Under the overarching um-brella of the Contemporary Emulator Consumer, we define the two smaller segments: the Extreme Emulators and the Moderate Emulators. The Extremes are those who have a special passion for the western lifestyle and demonstrate this passion in everyday life. They have an infatuation with Red Dirt music, western ambiance and heritage, and it is ingrained into their self-definition. We found that while the Extremes represent a large segment of the Contemporary Emulator consumers, Justin is missing out on an equally valuable segment: The Moderate Emulators. These young women are attracted to the western lifestyle but on a smaller scale than the Extremes. While they do enjoy Red Dirt music and the western ambiance and heritage, it is not a defining facet of their identity. In order to more clearly define the Extreme Emulators vs. the Moderate Emulators, the fol-lowing are consumer profiles of each segment.

Moderate Emulator

Meet Calvin Smith, age 22, from San Antonio, Texas and a student at Texas Christian University. When Smith seeks to purchase a brand new pair of cowboy boots she has a specific list of requirements in mind. Of all the things she looks for, fashion is the most important thing. After fashion is accomplished Smith then gauges the overall fit and comfort. Then she asks: Are these boots versatile? Can I find use for these boots? If the answers are yes then next time there is a football tailgate or western event, you’ll see Smith sporting her fashionable boots. A consumer like Smith is aware of Justin Boots and the history and tradition that coincide with it. She knows Justin Boots is a well-known boot retailer with a vast selection from high quality to low. She is also not particularly concerned with the authenticity factor; however, after learning about it liked the idea. A consumer like Smith uses the internet to look at styles but not to make purchases due to the idea of physically trying the apparel on. A Moderate Contemporary Emulator like Smith only wears her boots on occasion as opposed to a weekly basis. Though Smith is not a Red Dirt music lover, you’ll occasionally find the radio locked on a Fort Worth Red Dirt station. Smith is a prime consumer due to her discretionary income and kin to Texas heritage and the qualities Justin Boots advocates.

Extreme Emulator

Meet Julie Bonner, age 19, from Harlingen, Texas and a student at a local community college. In her spare time, Bonner works at a country store that sells western products and musical paraphernalia and hosts up-and-coming country artists at low costs. Bonner is obsessed with the Red Dirt genre and familiar with nearly every artist, famous or up-and-coming. In addition, Bonner loves the fashionable western side of style; there-fore, over her adolescent life Bonner has owned 4 pair of boots. Bonner is also the type of consumer who is very familiar with Justin Boots and has even purchased two pairs from their company. The best way to assess Bonner’s consumer classification is by describing her as an Extreme Contemporary Emulator but with quali-

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ties that mimic more of a core emulator. Bonner likes everything western but doesn’t physically rodeo, ride or ranch. Bonner simply uses the boots to make fashion statement as opposed to a utilitarian value. Bonner is the type of consumer who wears boots on a weekly basis. When describing her internet usage, Bonner uses the internet to discover the new styles but not to make physical purchases. When ready to purchase a new pair, the most important things Bonner keeps in mind are comfort and price. As a main target of Justin Boots, Bonner satisfies the audience Justin Boots is looking for, however, with a lack of discretionary income, price is a more determining factor than Smith’s.

The following recommendations take into strong consideration the two segments in order to develop a more holistic marketing effort towards these Contemporary Emulator Consumers.

Brand Awareness

We found that most young women are familiar with the Justin brand, but do not have a personal meaning for or a connection with the brand. It is important to this entire demographic, Extremes and Moderates alike, that they feel connected to a brand in order to be motivated to purchase or better, to become a brand advocate. With an integrated plan tailored specifically and especially to female Contemporary Emulator consumers, Justin will be able to establish and cultivate relationships with them. To Extremes, Justin needs to be the brand that understands and relates to their love for the western lifestyle. To Moderates, Justin needs to understand and re-late to the fact that the western lifestyle is a supplement, and while it is important to them, it is not a core piece of their identity. It would be in the brand’s best interest to seek a brand awareness that remains loyal to its rich culture and heritage while developing itself as a well-rounded, all-encompassing brand that is extremely relevant to the Moderate Emulators as well as to the Extremes. One question from our intercept surveys was “what is your favorite brand of boot?” An overwhelming majority responded with some variation of “don’t know/don’t care.” With careful consideration of both segments of the Contemporary Emulator Consumers, Justin Boots has the potential to become the brand that fills in that blank.

From Country to Heritage

Among both the Moderate Emulators and Extreme Emulators, heritage is an important influence on the reason they wear boots in the first place. They wear their boots for the fashion aspect as well as to show off where they are from. They are proud to be from the South and wear cowboy boots as a fashionable representation of a piece of their history. Country, to the Contemporary Emulator Consumer, is more about an everyday way of life, while heritage is more deeply embedded in their roots and personal history. Our research suggests that heritage is extremely important to these women, so highlighting heritage rather than “country” in messaging would resonate more effectively with this consumer.

Advertising

Across the board, the young women we spoke with overwhelmingly cited fashion and style as the main factor

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in purchase decisions. Based on this finding, it is important that the style aspect of Justin Boots is highlighted in advertising. On the same note, Made in America was overwhelmingly deemed the least important factor. Nevertheless, many young women explained that although it doesn’t influence their initial purchase decisions, wearing Made in America boots makes them more proud to wear their boots once they are on their feet. Be-cause of this, we suggest making the fashion of Justin Boots more dominate in advertising so that women will purchase, and then highlighting the Made in America aspect perhaps on the inside packaging or tags. Beyond what to emphasize in advertising, how to say it is just as important. Our sampling of young women feel that Justin’s advertising does not necessarily “speak to them.” Many felt that the tone of Justin advertising is more masculine and relates more to the male demographic. Implementing a more gender-neutral tone throughout advertising would better attract this female demographic.

Social Media & The Internet

It is no surprise that the internet and social media have an enormous potential to reach these Contempo-rary Emulator Consumers. Research showed that these women use retail and brand websites to help with purchase decisions, although they typically do not actually purchase online. They research a few pairs of boots, scanning customer reviews and ratings, then head to the nearest Cavendar’s or other boot outlet to try on and purchase. Thus it is imperative that Justin has a strong online presence so that the idea of pur-chasing a pair of Justin Boots is top-of-mind when visiting retail locations. In order to make the Justin website more relevant to Contemporary Emulator Consumers, the fashion aspect of western boots could be highlighted. Perhaps having a “boot of the day” on the homepage, or an editorial section for western boot fashion trends would help establish an overall connection with these young women. The section of the website titled “Share Your Justin Boot Story” would be particularly relevant to this demographic, so perhaps emphasizing this section more prominently on the webpage would be beneficial. To further capitalize on that piece, it could be leveraged across social media platforms for added impact. While the internet plays a role in purchase decisions, research showed that they do not look to Facebook or Twitter, although the vast majority are involved on both platforms. We determined that the reason they do not look to Facebook or Twitter for purchase decisions is that these women see social media as an inappropri-ate venue for sales pitches. Instead, they use Facebook and Twitter for social reasons; they want to relate to people and engage in meaningful conversations that are relevant to them. Based on all of this research, an appropriate objective of social media with Contemporary Emulator Consumers is for Justin to estab-lish relevant, personal relationships with these young women and continue to cultivate these relationships on more than a retail level.

The following are suggestions of ways Justin can capitalize on the huge opportunity that social media presents with the Contemporary Emulator Consumers:

1. Attract Contemporary Emulator Consumers: The following recommendations will help Justin ini-tially attract Facebook fans and Twitter followers from the segment.-Employ a more feminine tone-Speak to fashion and style of western boots-Utilize more female artists & female brand advocates

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2. Engage Contemporary Emulator Consumers: In order to retain and engage these young women, Justin must provide information that is relevant to their everyday lives. It is important to stay true to the aspect of western lifestyle and music for Extreme Emulators, but also to speak to style and other relevant topics for the Moderate Emulators.

-Ask relevant questions and encourage replies -Offer coupons, incentives and promotions -Photo contests -Facebook: upload a photo of you wearing your favorite outfit with your Justin Boots, vote with Likes, the photo with the most Likes wins a new pair of Justin Boots) -Twitter: tweet @JustinBoots a photo of you wearing your favorite outfit with your Justin Boots, the winner gets a new pair of boots -Profile Picture contest -Change your Facebook profile picture or Twitter avatar to an “I love Justin Boots” icon and be the 25th person to write on Justin’s Facebook wall or re-tweet, and win a discount on a pair of boots

Promotional Events

Justin Boots has a huge opportunity to reach the Contemporary Emulator Consumer by getting involved with promotional events. Our research showed that these young women, especially the Moderate Emula-tor, wear their boots primarily to concerts and tailgates. Taking the concert sponsorships a step further from just the band and music, adding a kiosk that emphasizes the fashion aspect of Justin Boots would be beneficial in reaching the Moderate Emulators. The kiosk could emphasize the most fashionable Justin styles, include a “design your own Justin Boots” event where the winner’s design is produced, and provide pamphlets or handouts tailored to the Contemporary Emulator Consumer. Getting involved at tailgates would also increase brand awareness among this demographic. Setting up a similar kiosk at tailgate events for Texas/Oklahoma colleges and even locally-played NFL games would resonate with these young wom-en who traditionally wear their boots while supporting their favorite teams. A contest can also be imple-mented at tailgate events such as a football toss, washers or the like, where the winner gets a customized pair of boots with their favorite team proudly displayed.

Customization

Apart from advertising, many young women mentioned that they enjoy custom-made boots, especially the Moderate Emulators. Justin has an opportunity to capitalize on this fact and place itself in the position of “the place to go for custom-made boots.” Although this does not need to be the key focus of Justin’s advertising, it can be a lucrative addition to Justin’s effort to emphasize the fashion and style of its boots and garner brand advocates among the Contemporary Emulator Consumers.

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March 4, 2011 Dear Kendall Reid, On behalf of Justin Boots, I would like to thank you for your contribution to the Justin Bent Rail research project that you participated in for Dr. Julie O'Neil's Research & Evaluation class at Texas Christian University. As you recall the primary purpose of the project was to better understand women’s boot purchase intentions and boot purchase behaviors. Your team gave an excellent and articulate presentation which was focused, concise, insightful and most importantly, actionable. Based on the research and recommendations provided by your group as well as the others that participated, Justin will be making multiple changes to our web site, advertising, social media and in-store creative for the Justin Bent Rail product line. For your job well done, Justin Boots would like to reward you with your own pair of Justin Bent Rail boots. All you have to do is send an email with the style number you'd like to have and your size to Krystal Lewis (krystal@balcomagency.com). Please visit a Justin Boot retailer to verify your size. You can view the collection of boots at this link. http://justinboots.com/boots/Womens_BentRail.html I would like to recognize you on a job well done and wish you great success at TCU and in your future professional career. Once again, thank you for your valued participation. Best Regards,

Louis Russo Justin Boots Brand Manager

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