Streetwise Brand Development is a New York based firm that, since 2004, has provided market research and brand consulting services to the menswear industry in the United States and overseas.

Our clients include domestic firms seeking to evaluate or reposition their brands, international firms wishing to develop strategies to enter the US market and investors that wish to evaluate a brand in advance of a potential acquisition.

Using its national network of correspondents, Streetwise directly assesses brand performance at retail; manages consumer focus groups to measure product desirability; and interviews retailers and buyers around the country to determine brand performance.

Our connections in the world of men’s retail span independent specialty stores, department stores, mid-tier retailers and the off-price market. Our areas of product expertise include premium denim and sportswear, accessories and tailored clothing.

Our engagements are handled with the highest degree of confidentiality and are invisible to the overall market.

Market Assessment:

Client: $100 million men’s sportswear brand.

Mandate: Assess brand position in UK, US and EU. Propose unified strategy to reposition brand in all markets. The brand wished to trade up for increased brand equity without losing critical upper-moderate revenue.

Research: In-depth assessment interviews with 22 US retailers carrying the collection. Interviews with key executives throughout the company; interview with distributors in 7 EU markets. Review of product line, pricing and marketing, including advertising and new media strategies.

Result: Streetwise proposed creation of a new sub-brand to focus on the better price tier. The client adopted the strategy, dramatically increasing the price range of its offering and immediately adding key better accounts including Bloomindgale’s and Selfridges.

Brand Evaluation and Acquisition:

Client: $800 million publicly traded apparel company.

Mandate: Evaluate the brand strength of a women’s wear acquisition target. Propose strategies to grow the brand, if purchased. Purchase negotiations were underway and the evaluation had to be handled within 20 days and with extraordinary discretion.

Research: Formed investigative team to conduct 25 store evaluation visits in Northeast, New England and Mid-West. Also designed and executed a telephone survey of buyers and retailers to evaluate the brand’s performance compared to its peers. The survey was constructed in a ‘blind’ format that did not disclose the identity of the target.

Result: Streetwise determined the brand was underperforming at one national partner, but was otherwise strong. Streetwise identified challenges to expanded department store distribution due to the brand’s better price point. The client purchased the target in an approximately $80 million transaction and announced a growth-strategy focused on opening company-owned stores.

Market Entry:

Client: European menswear brand seeking to terminate the license for its US licensed accessories collection and re-launch the business in-house.

Mandate: Analyze current distribution of licensed product, perform competitive analysis and propose a price product and distribution strategy for the re-launched collection. Determine if the brand was strong enough to sell across better and upper-moderate tiers.

Research: In-store evaluations throughout Northeast, including better, upper-moderate and off-price units. Built competitive analysis and case studies for accessories brands selling across multiple tiers. Identified pricing disconnects in current licensed product.

Result: Streetwise determined it was possible for the brand to be relevant in both the better and upper-moderate channels and recommended a tiered pricing and product strategy. The plan was adopted by the client and is scheduled for FW12 launch.