A comparative analysis between:  Aspiga, a UK based upmarket ethical brand of women and menswear, and Mûre + Grand, an all-woman owned New York City brand that sells handmade speciality items, jewellery, apparel, sunglasses, and bags all exclusively designed for the brand.

Differing Inbound marketing approaches between the UK & USA

Description UK’s Aspiga: Founded by Lucy McNamara in 2006[1] , markets itself a leader in the Green revolution: ‘Stylishly Sustainable Fashion’ a collection of fashion and ‘upcycled accessories’[2], and has become a ‘B certified corporation.[3]

Inbound Marketing Approaches

Aspiga have a comprehensive range of discrete digital and physical marketing techniques which combines: consumer profiling while cultivating, engaging, educating, and converting their targeted clientele into brand-loyal repeating customers. The brand received increased traffic when John Lewis and Partners begin selling their dresses in store.[4]

The Brand:

Aspiga operates a well-profiled model that has expanded its environmentally friendly top-notch niche product offerings nicely in the past eighteen years. With its eleven shops in the UK, they have achieved their goal of raising awareness levels in sustainable fashion, while putting people ahead of profits. Their inbound messaging resonates well with their targeted environmentally sensitive and progressive audience.

Aspiga has an extremely user and SEO friendly, crisp, neat and fast laptop and mobile website, that is utilised to regularly update its audience  with new blog posts, and videos.

Their meticulously curated seasonal promotions, accessory offerings, and wide range of products that span every season provide something for everyone. Their regular emails are informative rather than invasive and spammy.

Sustainability: The company has a call for Climate Action, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), diversity, and their specific focus on people and the planet and helping the indigenous communities in Africa and India where their products are produced.  

Social media: Instagram, Tik Toc, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Independent reviews: TrustPilot.com, 4.3 out 5 based upon 2,647 reviews, and Glassdoor 2.8 out of 16.

The Brand:

Mûre + Grand has a new company operating a model of inexpensive product offerings seeking to nurture and cultivate a profiled target audience of customers interested in ‘love, kindness, and celebration.’[5] The messaging seems inconsistent.

Their website is very hectic. It’s neither SEO nor desktop, laptop, or mobile friendly. In fact, it is glitchy, has links that do not work, and several programming bugs. It’s obviously an inexpensive website thats not at all user friendly. While the website does feature several promotions, gifts, apparel, jewellery, sunglasses and bags it is difficult to navigate, poorly organised, and offers a subpar customer experience.

While the stores offer discount codes claiming a 30% for online orders, the online shop lacks inventory, is extremely poorly managed, and most products that one would want to purchase are only available in store. making the 30% offer of a discount disingenuous.

Trendy Cute Stuff:  Mûre + Grand  Seem to be focusing upon cultivating a young clientele from school age seven up to university. They have opened six small boutiques all located near each other in Manhattan which is counterproductive. All shops in SOHO, makes no sense.

Social media: Instagram, Tik Toc, and Facebook

Independent reviews: TrustPilot.com  3.1 out of 5  based upon 1,202 reviews, Yelp 4.4 out of 5 based upon 22 reviews.

The Data Science –

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[1] Hello! (2024) Shake The Table with Aspiga founder Lucy McNamara Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFMbJzbJHck  (Accessed: 12 November 2024).

[2] Aspiga (2024) Aspiga Website Available at: https://www.aspiga.com/ (Accessed: 13 November 2024)

[3] B Lab Inc. (2024) Certified B Corporations™ Available at:https://usca.bcorporation.net Accessed: 15 November 2024)

[4] John Lewis & Partners  (2024) Aspiga Dresses Available at: https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/women/womens-dresses/aspiga/_/N-flwZntv4 (Accessed: 19 November 2024)

[5] Mûre + Grand (2024) Mûre and Grand Available at: https://mureandgrand.com/  (Accessed: 29 November 2024)