AussieBum Reflection Essay

AussieBum is an Australian male underwear and swimwear brand. The company is based in Sydney’s inner-west and has become one of Australia’s most sought after brands. Originally just a hobby for company founder Sean Ashby, AussieBum started in the corner of his living room. As time progressed and his brand became popular, operations moved out of his living room and expanded into a company warehouse. After being shunned by Australian retailers, the company moved online. Once word got out about the Australian surf-cultured underwear, the rest of the world became interested. AussieBum’s prime function is selling men’s underwear and swimwear to a target market of young men aged between 16 and 39. At this stage, AussieBum would be in the maturity stage of the Business Life Cycle because it has already expanded and grown to be a large company. At this stage it is focused on the selling of its products before renewing it’s brand. AussieBum have hit the mark with their marketing and brand strategy, which allows them to mature for longer. The company has a goal to turn over more than $20 million dollars in a year. AussieBum also wants to see more people wearing their products. AussieBum has a partnership as its ownership form. This is the best structure as it allows the company to be guided by two people rather than dictated by one. It also leaves the two leaders answerable to each other so that there is no misguided activities or ideas that are not regulated or thought through well enough. A major challenge was faced during the initial stages of the company. They were shunned by Australian retailers, which gave them no opportunity to launch their brand in stores. They reciprocated their downfall into success by launching a website which has enabled them to become a global company. The e-business approach was a positive move for AussieBum. Consumers purchase AussieBum’s products online from anywhere in the world, easily allowing the company to go global. Originally the e-business model as adapted so that the company could get their brand in the public eye without having a retailer carry it. AussieBum’s marketing strategy has been simple, but unique. There have been no television or radio advertisements; instead there have been several online campaigns to promote the company. In relation to the four P’s, they have always let their product do the marketing work. By having their products on show in the public eye, it has made the public aware of the brand. The prices are not as expensive as exclusive brands, but carry the same level of design and quality, making it an affordable alternative. By having their product in the right place, the product is promoting itself. The promotion of the business is mainly done in the online world. Photo-shoots are done with attractive, well-built Australian models in Australian environments e.g. Bondi Beach and used on their websites and other internet sites like Facebook and other social networks. I believe that AussieBum’s marketing strategy has been extremely successful. Their strategy proves the power of the consumer. They strategy has made their product highly desirable and sought after across the world. The increasingly higher popularity of the internet over the years would have helped their strategy to be successful. Sean Ashby can be considered an entrepreneur as he demonstrates qualities that are essential to their success. By being resilient and using initiative, Sean was able to re-group after being rejected by Australian retailers and use his initiative to start an online portal for his brand, eliminating the need for a retail outlet. He has also had the determination to be able to keep working on his company to bring it to the success levels that it is experiencing. I would suggest that the company attempt to move their brand into elusive Australian department stores e.g. Myer and David Jones to boost their profit. From reading the AussieBum article, I have learned to think outside the box and not to ‘stick to the status quo’. Sean Ashby has proved that there are more ways to make a retail brand successful than just selling it in stores. He also proved that there better ways to connect with the consumer than just advertising. AussieBum Mission Statement: AussieBum aims to bring a burst of energy and uniqueness to your underwear. We spice up what’s underneath. AussieBum will make you feel confident and proud to show what’s hiding. We want you to be excited about AussieBum shopping, and get excited to wear AussieBum.