Timberland

Turning around Timberland with data science

Challenge

Timberland was struggling with flat sales and was losing market share in the US, its biggest market.

Its global marketing had become confused with mixed messages and product strategies across disparate consumer groups – hip-hop, outdoors and fashion – and multiple global markets.

To deliver consistency for the brand, we needed to rediscover the core Timberland consumer and build the experience around them.

Clarity

Through comprehensive qualitative research across 6 countries and with more than 600 consumers, we discovered that Timberland lacked technical credibility among hardcore outdoor enthusiasts, but had a casual versatility that resonated among a core segment, Outdoor Lifestylers.

These are style-focused consumers who engage in everyday outdoor occasions.

To become an aspirational outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland had to:

• Deliver a consistent brand identity based on the target instead of catering to disparate buyer groups
• Shift its reputation from utility to outdoor enjoyment by adding emotion
• Focus on injecting more style vs. performance to create real brand desire

Clarity creates growth

Solution

With newfound clarity on the global target, Clear helped Timberland to radically refocus its product assortment, revamp its merchandising strategy, and craft a consistent global message.

Rolled out on a market by market basis over a period of 3 years, it had a transformational impact on the brand’s performance both at home in the United States and in global markets.

Results

Sales improved in every global market and every product category – growing 15% in one quarter in early 2014.

Annual profit margins increased from 8% to 13% in less than 3 years.

Clear’s data science driven approach “provided the fuel and the framework for each of its changes.”