Jockey Reaches Its Target

Kenosha, Wis. — Jockey International launched a line of premium underwear at Target last summer, accomplishing two goals in the process. While securing national distribution of its underwear at the mass merchant for the first time, it also redefined the Jockey brand.Target's exclusive "JKY by Jockey" comprises both upper and lower undergarments designed to appeal to consumers younger than the traditional target of the 136-year-old brand. With Target the focus from the start, according to Jockey chief marketing officer Dustin Cohn, Dallas-based retail marketing agency TPN steered Jockey to a younger consumer based on Target's shopper profile, and then set about helping Jockey's design and packaging teams innovate. "Qualitative, quantitative, shopalongs and intercepts," says Sarah Cunningham, TPN vice president of account services. "[Make] a pretty robust research plan."TPN also created the campaign messaging; it turned over all the P-O-P files to Target's merchandising team.The "It's Time to Change Your Underwear" campaign was supported by a dedicated JKY by Jockey area in-store, as well as by activity at Target.com, in the retailer's circulars and on receipts. The brand made 30-second commercials for a digital campaign that was slated to begin in the fall and includes a Facebook page and Facebook ad buys, as well as a presence on YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest.Key insights from the research included learning that the target consumer is male, 25 to 39 years old, and fashion conscious. Also, the research revealed that when people shop for underwear, they like to touch the fabric, which is why many underwear sections of stores are littered with torn packaging, according to Cunningham. Finally, says Cohn, Jockey learned that a quarter of male shoppers in general leave stores frustrated, without making a purchase because they couldn't find what they wanted.The result is a style with functional packaging that featured openings for shopper fingers, color codes and silhouettes for ease of navigation. A byproduct of the accessible clothing, and no small consideration, is less cleanup in the underwear section for retail associates."Probably the most important piece was the packaging," Cohn says. "What the agency and Jockey created was a very premium, upscale package that also clearly communicates the product benefits and most importantly creates what we call a wayfinding system that provides navigation for consumers to quickly find what they're looking for."JKY by Jockey's role at Target also figured into the product design, packaging and P-O-P equation, says Target spokesperson Evan Miller. Target previously had bargain underwear and a level up from bargain, but not a premium choice. "JKY fills a niche and helps differentiate us from competition," says Miller. "Given Jockey's market share and brand heritage, the partnership was a compelling reason for us to develop an exclusive, differentiated product offering."Cohn says the look and feel of JKY by Jockey was driven as much by a shopper demographic as a shopper mindset. "From a signage standpoint, this notion of an advanced stay-dry fabric and this modern fit along with this product that stays bright and white was very critical as well because consumers will have to pay a premium for this product," Cohn says. "Given it's the highest quality that Target carries, it's important to reinforce to consumers the value based on these benefits."Cohn says the ideation and selling to Target took four months; another eight months was spent on production of the underwear and the packaging, and shipping to all 1,760 Target locations."Jockey's a great iconic brand," Cunningham says. "It wasn't just about selling product, it was about helping them re-establish a relationship with not just Target but their other customers as well. To get them to see them in a new light, to look to Jockey as being an important partner in this category, and someone they're going to look to, to help bring them new ideas and new innovation for their own shoppers."

Jockey Reaches Its Target

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