Magnus Marketing Blog

In what has to be the most puzzling marketing launch of the universe, Kohl's department stores rolled out Vera Wang's line: Simply Vera. On September 9, across all Kohls stores the Vera Wang line was steam cleaned and placed on special merchandise displays in key departments: Misses, Lingerie, Shoes, Accessories, Sleepwear, and Domestics.

The associates reaction was mostly mixed, but leaning toward "This is the ugliest stuff I have ever seen" and "who the hell would actually wear that" to "eh, it could have been made of more high end materials" to "that sweater is OK, I'd wear it". The price is OK for the middle class woman, the look is not something you would consider everyday wear with the exception of a few pieces. The handbags are really great as is the sleepwear, the shoes are made for petite feet.

(If Vera Wang had created super career suits or formal wear, like prom gowns for Kohl's, I think that would have had greater impact. Plus, if she had used high end fabrics like Angora or cashmere for the sweaters, the price would make sense. )

Slowly customers came in and surveyed the clothing line, sales were flat, responses not overly loud either way. Some people called and asked, a few asked in advance, but nothing major. That is...until....Oprah. At 1 a.m. on Friday, I watched Oprah who had Ms. Vera Wang on for 30 minutes previewing her clothes which also happened to be 30% with an additional 15% for using your Kohls charge card. Wowee!

Well, ladies and gentlemen - on Friday there were 20 pieces of Vera pants, on Sunday evening there were 3. There was a run on the merchandise with some racks left EMPTY. Now there are fashonista wannabees wearing Vera (many ladies who shouldn't be) at 45% off. Many customers mentioned Oprah, they saw the pieces on Oprah and wanted to know if the pieces were available. Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. She should do a show on how to target business to business customers more effectively and have me on so I can have a multimillion dollar business overnight also.

Mix a deep discount with Oprah and watch the sales soar. Think of ladies in purple ruffle shirts and blue billowy skirts and $50 straight leg jeans in silky purple striped belted (vera's signature) tops and be afraid, very afraid. The high society of New Jersey outfitted in Simply Vera, Vera Wang. Some of these people forgot Kohls isn't Saks, one fashionista called an associate a stupid idiot for not finding her size. Nothing worse than snobby wannabes acting like jerks, right?

As the associates said, Oprah could hold a platter out with dog poop claiming it is the new nutritious mealof the century and people would literally scoop poop and eat it. Maybe that is scarier than the fashionistas raiding Kohls for purple shirts.