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Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Allied Industries

Marketing and furnishing

In the Area of study: Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Allied Industries you will investigate aspects of marketing in the textile industry that affect the consumer, producer, manufacturer and retailer. The Internet is an important marketing tool that can be utilised in the textile industry to benefit the consumer as well as the producers, manufacturers and retailers of textiles.

Outcomes
This material addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcome:
H5.1 The student investigates and describes aspects of marketing in the textile industry.

Source: Board of Studies NSW (1999) Stage 6 Textiles and Design Syllabus, Preliminary and HSC Courses.

This tutorial will help you to investigate and describe aspects of marketing in the textile industry through the analysis and comparison of three web sites for textile furnishing products. This would be a good group activity, one person investigating each web site and concluding with a summary of all three.

The web sites to analyse include:
Sheridan Australia: http://www.sheridan.com.au/
Warwick Fabrics: http://www.warwick.com.au/

Activity 1

Analyse and compare the marketing strategies used for the textile furnishing product on each web site. Consider how appropriate the web pages and the marketing strategies are for each specific textile product.

The following questions should help you to analyse each web site. You may think of additional questions to consider.

The web site:
What web page tools are used and how effective are they? Consider the following:
1. Graphics
  - colourful and clear graphics that inform about the product, or set a mood and tone for the page and the product
  - moving graphics.
2. Font used: is it easy to read?
3. Web page set up:
  - pages are easy to read
  - site is easy to navigate.
4. The language used:
  - clear, concise, informative
  - does it use clear, technical language to inform or emotive language to persuade?
Aspects of the product marketing strategies:
1. Product planning and presentation of the product:
  - use of text and graphics for product description and display
  - display of existing range and new products.
2. Place and distribution:
  - how easy is it to view, select and purchase the product from the web site?
  - what other distribution channels are available?
3. Price structure:
  - is this information presented?
4. Promotion strategies:
  - what promotion strategies are used to grab your attention and interest and entice and persuade you to purchase?
  - who is the target market?
Is each web site appropriate for the particular textile furnishing product?
Why or why not? Give reasons for your answers.
Which is the best, most appropriate and effective web site? Why?
Which is the least, most inappropriate or ineffective web site? Why?

Activity 2

To conclude your analysis, summarise your answers in a Venn diagram.

A Venn diagram is a graphic organiser, which helps you to compare and contrast two or more items to determine similarities and differences. An example is presented to assist you.

Ven diagram (3 websites)

Answer