Dockers
 | |
| Industry | Clothing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
| Parent | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Website | http://www.dockers.com |
Dockers is a brand of khaki garments and other accessories from Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co., then specializing in denim, introduced the Dockers brand in 1986. Dockers became a leading brand of business casual clothing for men led by Bob Siegel. In 1987, Dockers introduced a women's line. In 1993 the Dockers brand was introduced into Europe under the leadership of Joe Middleton.
Dockers makes belts, pants, leather wallets, shoes and other apparel.
History of Dockers
In 1853[1] Levi Strauss lands in San Francisco after leaving his home of Bavaria. After getting his business going, he resumed selling goods to the American people. Some of the goods he sold included clothes and foot wear.
By the early 1900’s, the American army became uniformed in khaki shortly before Strauss passes away and his business lands in the hands of four of his family members.
Still in the early 1900’s, khakis become domestic and are worn for “classier” occasions. All the while, undergoing a few label changes. 1916 marks the creation of the label “Levi Strauss Make” which khakis then fell under. In the 1920’s, Levi Strauss and Co began the production of women’s khakis made specifically for out door activity and comfortability all in one.[2] By the late 20’s, khaki under goes another label change and now falls under the famous “Two Horse Brand”.
10 years onto the second half of the 1900’s the company finally opens its first warehouse below the mason dixon line. The new factory was located in Blackstone VA. The rest of the 1900’s consisted of major moves on a business level, making Levi Strauss and Co a brand that has gone global and been very successful.[3] Before going global in 1992, Dockers made an appearance on an episode of Seinfeld.
Into the 2000’s the company starts producing denim and continues to expand into different countries. By 2011, khakis were being wornby both genders of all ages.
Cost of Dockers
Given that Dockers is not just your average clothing, prices on this brand can tend to be a little steep. A 1996 study shows that a pair of Dockers pants often had a price range of $50-$80 per pair.[4] Over time, prices on all clothing, including pants, fluctuated from year to year. Dockers is assumed to be favorited by many due to the fact they have generated billions in revenue over the years. A recent study in 2014 helped compare older prices to more current prices within the Docker label. This article[5] shows that in 2014 a pair of Dockers pants sells for roughly $140 and a long sleeve shirt reaches prices as high as $120.[6] As time went by and prices of the brand increased, sales increased as well.
Emergence of Khaki Pants
The Khaki pant has been around since 1846 when Englishman Sir Henry Lumsden dyed his cotton pajamas to create a uniform more suitable to the climate of India, thus creating khakis.[7] More than 150 years later the khaki pant has become a casual clothing staple in the office place. The pants have always had a go-with-anything motto that was really embraced by Dockers when the brand launched in 1986.[7] Khakis really took off when “casual Fridays” gained popularity in offices in the late eighties and lead to the emergence of Dockers as being the go-to brand.[8]
Dockers Putting Focus Back on Khakis
Recently Dockers as a company have gone away from their basic khaki pants and tried to become a more diversified brand. This has not worked out for them as of late. They have overhauled their corporate structure and product assortment in a strategy to try to revitalize their core competency, the khaki pant.[9] According to Jim Calhoun, the president of Dockers, “The brand is going back to focusing on what we do best: khaki pants for men.[9]" Dockers is trying to boost the selling of khaki pants, as it is a declining product among consumers. The reason for this decline in sales is the fact that people view khakis as a more corporate and office article of clothing.[9] Men tend to buy twice as much denim as they do khakis. The brand is trying to revamp the pants by new marketing strategies. They are emphasizing the Dockers lifestyle by showing ads depicting the various products for work, dress, casual weekends, and golf. According to Jen Sey, the global vice president of marketing for Dockers, “we lost our focus by going after women and trying to incorporate head-to-toe dressing.[9]" She says that Dockers will focus on what they do best, the Khaki pants.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is the parent company of Dockers, Signature, and Denizen.[10] “The culture of Levi Strauss & Co. is fueled by strong values, creativity and hard work. Using innovative, sustainable and progressive practices isn’t just how we make our jeans and other products, it’s a principle we value in all of our work.”[10] According to the Levi Strauss & Co., innovation is a big part of the company’s core competencies.[10] They invented the world’s first pair of blue jeans, and have implemented cutting-edge design techniques.[10] Sustainability has been a big part of there philosophy as well. The company wouldn’t be where it is at today if it weren’t for sustainability.
2010 Campaign
In January 2010, the Dockers brand launched a cross-channel advertising campaign with the tagline "Wear The Pants." The campaign premiered during the 2010 Super Bowl, and was the first Super Bowl advertisement to offer an exclusive, limited time online offer for viewers. The ad also featured "I Wear No Pants" by the Poxy Boggards.
The Dockers campaign tagline, "Wear The Pants", was marketed as a call to masculinity for men. The campaign incorporated outside sources to incite men to reclaim their lost male-aesthetic. Along with a new campaign message, the Dockers brand has since revitalized their product line as well, featuring several new styles aimed at a younger, status-seeker consumer. The Dockers brand has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity as their charitable cause.
References
- ↑ "Dockers | Denmark". www.dockers.com. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
- ↑ "A Secret History of Your Pants". Esquire. 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
- ↑ "Gale Virtual Reference Library - Authentication Failure". go.galegroup.com. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
- ↑ "Levi's scrambles with Slates line". LasVegasSun.com. 1996-10-10. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ↑ Choy, Kenneth (March 14, 2014). "Style Scoop".
- ↑ Canedy, Dana (1996-10-09). "Levi Strauss Hopes to Match Performance of Dockers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
- 1 2 Zaczkiewicz, Arthur (27 January 2016). "The New Uniform". Women Wear Daily.
- ↑ Gottschalk, Mary (16 September 1993). "Dockers Hopes to Cash in on Casual Friday". The Toronto Star.
- 1 2 3 4 Brenner, Thomas (1 October 2009). "Dockers Putting Focus Back on Khakis". Women's Wear Daily.
- 1 2 3 4 "Who We Are - Levi Strauss". Levi Strauss. Retrieved 2016-05-06.