emand needs and appropriately prepare the floor space. Although advertising expenditures for swimwear have been increasing, Anne Cole has seen success with a much different approach. The strength of the companys advertising is in its consistency and not frequency. The modest print campaign is executed less frequently than other brands, but its elements are carried from the previous years campaigns. This consistency in the message gives consumers the impression of having been exposed more frequently than in reality and creates strong brand recognition. External FactorsMaterials & SuppliersThe fabrics used for swimwear manufacturing are expensive, ranging in price between $11 and $18 USD per yard. Although as expensive as fabrics for designer dress gowns, approximately three dollars worth of fabric will be used on the average bathing suit. But manufacturers are increasingly using more Spandex, $14 per pound, and less of the cheaper Lycra, $2.6 per pound, because of its higher quality and durability. The more highly engineered suits use up to three times more Spandex than the traditional ones. This is good news for Dupont, the worlds largest supplier of Spandex, yet prices are expected to remain stable or even decrease. The German chemical giant Bayer AG has entered the Spandex manufacturing market and become the worlds second largest supplier. While Dupont has kept its prices stable, Bayer is undercutting their prices by 10-20% and offering better support from their mills. Currently, most Canadian fashion swimsuit manufacturers import their materials and other supplies, such as labels and fabrics, from Europe. They feel as though the Canadian textile industry is unable to produce fabrics and labels similar to the ones imported from Europe and prefer European fabrics to Canadian fabrics for the following reasons:Canadian textile producers do not produce small quantities of high quality swimwear fabrics, which are necessa...
