2004 Information Specific to Product

Textiles: 2004

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-The two articles; “No Winner in Textile Trade War”, and “Retailers Sue to Keep Textile Imports” talk about the year 2004 and what was going on in the world of Textiles. The Chinese the world’s biggest textile producer, consumer, and exporter imposed export tariffs on hundreds of categories of textile products after the textile quotas were lifted at the beginning of 2004. Basically the Chinese were trying to create a win-win or a monopoly situation since they were already a powerhouse of textiles.

-US trade officials quickly acted by re-imposing quotas on seven varieties of textile and clothing products made in China; trousers, underwear, and shirts. This made it a lot harder for Chinese to monopolize creating a war on trading textiles between the US and China.

-In the US a group representing about 200 retailers filed a lawsuit to try to stop the Bush administration from putting restrictions on the Chinese textiles. The companies suing were those such as Liz Claiborne and J.C. Penny.

-The main textile used in 2004 was linen. Linen was in a range of different colors, fabric, weights, and textures. They used linen combined with Lycra was used to give denim a boost and was expected to be a familiar demand with consumers. Lycra combined with linen was said to create a smoother fit and aid crease recovery, which was an important factor that deters some consumers from buying.

-Other specialties in linen in 2004 are double-faced fabric, printed and textured linens, linen mixed with Lurex (to create more shine in pastel colored fabrics), and natural more rustic and distressed finishes in linen. A trendy new fiber from 2004 was Ingeo. Ingeo is a renewable non-flammable fiber made from the sugars found in vegetables such as corn. It is very appealing to the eco-friendly environment.

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Color: 2004

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-The 2004 colors go from bright colors to more neutral colors. With a mix of vivid coral, canary yellow, apple green, powder pink and lavender, these colors help create a very beautiful sea-wash look.

-The colors of Spring 2004 into Fall are made up of white and cream with black, burnt orange, pink tones, dusty berry reds, yellow and more yellows, spice tones, chartreuse, lime, khaki, kingfisher, sapphire, blue, powder blue grays, fruit shades and brown tones. Colors that previously wouldn’t have been acceptable to consumers are more acceptable because of different fabric weaves and new fabrications. Many of the colors of 2004 are burnt and very natural looking shades of the environment. The colors are very earthy, for fashion, lifestyle, and housing.

-The main point of the article is portraying the colors from the year 2004. The articles all depicted the colors of 2004 being really bland, burnt colors. The idea for the colors was sort of a sea-like, nature like color to it. Throughout fashion and home décor to even the colors of cars, we see a calmer year of 2004 when it comes to color.

Trends: 2004

-Trends from 2004 including many different points of view and inspirations. One of the most influential trends seen in 2004 was the 1950’s trend. Many designers used the fifties as influences to their designs from full skirts to pile on everything, and plenty of floral.
-Another trend from 2004 was the Equestrian style. This trend was seen in many trousers, with pocket flaps, traditional cowboy boots, Hermes (red) style scarf fabrics, and metallic chains emulating horse bit and ring snaffle on handbags and any other type of hardware they could use on bags.

-Another trend from 2004 was designers using masculine touches to their feminine garments. These masculine touches included pinstriped fabrics, tweeds, and traditional Fair Isle patterning on knits. These elements are all traditionally seen in masculine tailored looks.

-Another trend from 2004 was modern romance. This trend was all about pretty bows, traditionally tied bows, and corset style bodices. It was Marie Antoinette look with bows, and lace on everything.

Vogue.TV - Trend Watch: Fall Fashion - The most amazing home videos are here

Accessories: 2004

-Accessories in 2004 are all about handbags of different varieties. Crocodile, lizard, and alligator leather for the shoes and bags. These bags will include shoulder and hand purses. Also colored bags are popular too to match with every outfit. Also in 2004 bags will have more designs on the outsides, including straps, butterflies, beads, brooches, and rope. Mobile phones will first come into the construction of the bags, mostly placed on the outside of the bags for easy access. The biggest emergence in bags for 2004 is large traveling bags made to look fashionable. Never before have we seen traveling bags made to look in style and in season.

-More accessories of 2004 include different styles of gloves, and umbrellas with a number of different designs and colors made as an accessory over actually protecting one from the rain. Scarves printed with circus and cartoon print, made for the head rather than the elongated scarves of the past years. Shoes as always, are an important accessory in every season. The shoes from 2004 include shoes of every hue designed rather to look sexy, rather than for comfort, distance and durability. An important shoe coming into style in 2004 is the round-toed flat.

-The natural looking jewelry of 2004 was very ethnic and earthy inspired. The jewelry was made to look and imitate the jewelry style from Africa, The Sahara Desert, and Nepal. Big necklaces were in, as well as chandelier style earrings. The whole style of 2004 was to take tribal art off of the body and textiles, and put it into the jewelry like rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

Technologies: 2004

-The present and newly developed technologies of 2004 were all very computer based. Computer based storage on a Mac and PC upgraded because of the demand of MP3 players. Jawbone headsets instead of microphones were a new technology and highly demanded. Digital cameras were developed with higher mega pixels than ever for clearer shots. Satellite radio was a new technology that grew quite popular in 2004. Fingertip toothbrushes were a new demand for after lunch brushing. Also Livestrong Bracelets were a huge popularity for Lance Armstrong’s raising money for cancer. Hybrid cars were introduced in an effort to create an environmentally friendly way to drive.

Designers: 2004

There were many US influential designers of 2004:

-Tommy Hilfiger used bright colors to create bomber jackets and extra wide pants.

-Ralph Lauren used strong pastels and had a fresh young look to his designs

-Marc Jacobs used 1920’s and 1970’s inspiration to use flowery tea colored dresses using ruffles and velvet.

-Caroline Herrera used masculine pinstripes to create women's wear and evening dresses.

-Proenza Schouler designed shoulder cropped jackets, swing coats, and piped tops, using bright yellow colors giving a zeitgeist effect.

-Michael Kors designed summertime sundresses and evening wear popular during the 2004 times.

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Sources:

http://www.fashion-era.com/Trends/fashion_trends_2004colours.html

http://www.improvability.co.uk/trends/spring04.html

http://findarticles.com/FashionForecast2004apparel&accessories

"NO WINNER IN TEXTILE TRADE WAR." China Daily 15 June 2005
Cox, James. "Retailers Sue to Keep up Textile Imports." USA TODAY 2 Dec. 2004.

2004 Economics

Inflation
In 2004 the total consumer price index was 93%. Within that total, food was at 90% and apparel at 49%; which was the lowest among the rest of the categories.
- According to this data, the consumer price index was very high in 2004, indicating that inflation was a problem. However, the inflation did not hit as hard in the apparel industry as it did in necessity items. This also shows that the cost for supplies in necessity goods is much higher then for apparel. When this information is compared to 2004 sales (in both apparel and food industries) we can see where the consumer spending was during the time of inflation.

Trade Restrictions
The USITC (United States International Trade Commission) creates laws, rules, and policies to promote fair trade within and between countries. The USITC also creates and regulates tariffs (taxes for imported or exported goods). Throughout 2004 the US tariff schedule included: Free tariff (average) for natural cellulosic fibers and bamboo, 8% tariff (average) for man-made staple or filament fibers, up to 65% tariff for knit or crouched apparel, and up to 40% tariff on unknit or crouched apparel. Furthermore, NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was also a major player in the US trade market. This allows Canada, Mexico and the United States to trade freely without tariffs while protecting intellectual property rights (trademarks, copyrights, patents).
-The tariff schedule regarding different fibers and apparel shows us that its cheaper to import natural fibers then apparel itself. Also it is also cheaper to use natural fibers rather then man-made ones. Furthermore, NAFTA is very important component because we know we would be allowed to have free trade with products from Mexico and Canada. Overall this information provides us insight of where we should look or plan for fibers or goods, when we produce our bag.

Consumer Spending
In 2004 the US national average for disposable personal income per capita (income after taxes) was $29,914 which was a 5.2% growth from 2003. However, in 2005 the average slowed to a 3.6% growth. On the other hand, the US average national income per capita (income before taxes) in 2004 was $33,050 which was also a rise from 2003, of 5%. The rise from 2004 to 2005 in the national income slowed to 4.6%. The average personal consumption expenditures per capita of 2004 was $8,195. This total was spent on: $983 on durable goods, $2,343 on nondurable goods and $4,868 on services.
-The US disposable income is very important to understand possible shifts in consumer spending or how much they can spend. Also the comparison of income and disposable income informs us on the tax situation and how it is affecting the consumer and the national average. Furthermore, when their is a decline from year to year (i.e. 2004-2005) of disposable income, we know something has occurred. Discovering what had occurred can help us predict situations like this for the future. Moreover, we see a trend in spending more money on "nondurable goods" and "services". This lets us in on where consumers prefer their money to go or what's more important to the consumer.

Unemployment
In 2004 the US national average for unemployment was 5.01%. This was an increase from the previously year; however the country did see a .2% drop in January of the following year. The average male unemployment for 2004 was 5.63% but this number dropped .3% in January of 2005. On the other hand, the female unemployment for 2004 was 5.39% and remained that through the begining of 2005.
-The fact that the unemployment had dropped following the 2004 election give us a clue today of the possibilities. Secondly, the female unemployment rate was lower then the male and did not fluctuate following the election. These piece of information help us know are target gender and their possible spending habits.

Imports/Exports
In 2004 the average total amount for dollar exports was 96,577 (per million dollars). On the other hand the average total amount fro dollar imports was 142,500 (per million dollars). The majority of the US exports go to Europe and Asia (second highest). The majority of the imports to the US are from Asia. The lowest in both categories is Australia which only receives and sends 1% of the global trade.
-This is important because it provides us information on where the majority of the US goods are going to or coming from. Knowing the global trade market drastically affects how you get or where you get the goods or supplies needed for production of our bag. This also lays out the standard for goods based on where the majority are imported from.

Natural Resources
The US had 3% of the world's natural gas reserve. It also has the 11th largest oil reserves in the world. Other important resources in the US are: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, and timber.
-The natural resources of the US show what is redly available for production. It also shows how big of a market player we are in the high demand areas (coal, natural gas and oil). The bigger the market player the easier it is to obtain other needed natural resources.

Sales
The total revenue for all retailers (everything from food to automobiles) in 2004 was $3,846,316 per million dollars and the monthly average was $320,526 per million dollars. Grocery specific was $35,000 per million dollars retail per month. Clothing and accessory specific was $15,250 per million dollars retail per month. The retail volume for clothing and footwear in 2004 was 10,287,433 per 1,000 units (includes whole North American Continent). This was a 5.1% from the previous year which grew to 5.9% growth for the following year. The total dollar retail for 2004 was $293,561 per million dollars (includes whole North American Continent) .
-Also, the information on retailer is directly related to our industry. It shows how much people were spending at this time and where they were spending their money. When compared to other years we may see a trend or an event that disrupted the spending habits. To pin point these ideas will help with future preparation. According to the information, Americans spend 50% of what they spend on groceries, on clothing and accessories. This high percentage is directly related to consumer price index (49% in 2004).

Other
In 2004 the US lending rate was 4.3 (relatively low). The lending rate rose to 6.2 in 2005 (relatively higher). The average GDP was 3.6% (healthy) but dropped in 2005 to 3.1 (borderline healthy). During 2004 the US had a public/national debt average of $7,286,196,099,751.
-The lending rate of the US is very significant. The lending rate shows the likelihood of people borrowing money. The burrowing of money promotes consumerism and commerce. Furthermore, the GDP shows the overall stability of the economy and the higher it is the better. The GDP takes into account: consumer consumption, investments, government expenditures, exports, and imports. As you can see (data from above) those aspects of the GDP have contributed to it being very close to the borderline. Our national/public debt shows we aren't doing very well economically (because very high). It also shows we are dependent on other counties, because thats where the money/debt is.
**Chart 1 shows the growth and decline in sales of footwear and clothing between 2001 and 2006. As you can see from the chart, the sales of shoes slowly grew from 2001 through 2006.
**Chart 2 is a representation of the growth and decline of the real GDP between 2001 and 2006. The chart shows that 2004 was a peak year in real GDP, then followed its decline.

Sources
Online Resource. Retrieved September 30, 2008 at
economist.com Online Resource. Retrieved September 30, 2008 at
BEA.gov"United States International Trade Commission". Reviewed on September 18, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008 at
http://answers.usa.gov/cgi-bin/gsa_ict.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=8193&p_sid=PD**CBfj&p_lva=7884#"North American Free Trade Agreement". Reviewed October 3, 2008. Retrieved on October 4, 2008 at
http://answers.usa.gov/cgi-bin/gsa_ict.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php
Price Index Program, Bearu of Labor Statistics. January 2005. Retrieved on October 4, 2008 at Global Market Information Database.

USA :Country Fact finder. Retrieved on October 4, 2008 at Global Market Information Database.

Online Resource. Retrieved on October 4, 2008 at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

2004 Cultural

2004 Entertainment/media important event snippets

The Cultural Obsession with Celebrities

• Below is a clip demonstrating the obsession the Western culture as a whole has with celebrities and how the fashion industry uses this obsession.
  

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Celebrity Controversy in 2004

• Martha Stewart goes to jail for five months because she was convicted of lying to investigators about a stock market sale.

• Controversial Report on the Killian documents regarding President George W. Bush by CBS News Anchor Dan Rather
  
  

• Janet Jackson exposes half of her chest at the 2004 XXXVIII Super Bowl due to a costume malfunctions which sparks outrage among the American people.

Controversial Celebrity Cinema in 2004

• Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is released- this film investigates the President and his administrations war on terrorism.

• Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is released- This film is about the last hours of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
  
  

  

Popular Shows Feature Celebrity Judges and Creates Celebrities

• Project Runway premiers in December in 2004.- This is a show is an American reality competition that focuses on fashion design and designers that airs on the Bravo network.

• The Apprentice premeries in 2004- This show is a reality competion to be a apprentice for Donald Trump.

• American Idol is the highest rated show in 2004. - This show is an American Reality competition that focuses on finding the best singer in America that airs on Fox.

Celebrity Fashion and accessory lines in 2004

• Gwen Stefani fashion Line "LAMB" and other accessories premiere in 2004
  
  


• Nicky Hilton line of purses and other accessories premieres in 2004
  
  

2004 Olympic Game Celebrities

• Michael Phelps- 2004 Olympic Gold medalist
  
  

Celebrity Controversial Talk show host

• Ellen Lee DeGeneres- Daytime Emmy award for best talk show in 2004

Analysis of these Events:

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Entertainment and the media’s impact on culture values have increased over the last couple of years, especially in celebrity entertainment. "In the last couple of decades, the industry which feeds, celebrates and trashes celebrity has flourished" (Glater, The New York Times).Therefore, celebrities have more of an impact on consumers then ever before. These events in 2004 demonstrate the celebrity obsessed nation we have become. This is evident in 2004 when TV shows and even the Olympics created celebrities to keep our hunger satisfied of scrutinizing new people in the spotlight. "Consumers have an insatiable appetite for celebrity news," (Farzad, The New York Times). It seems in 2004 that everything entertainment is celebrity dominated. This celebrity obsession is very shallow and very rooted in vanity.

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The mainstream culture depicted from these important 2004 events shows the values of society going through a transition period. The boundary of American values is being tested. This is evident in the media events that happened in 2004. Movies such as Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore and Mel Gibson’s, The Passion of the Christ, demonstrated in 2004 the changing tides of the American culture. These ripples on the surface of culture have changed the consumer’s preference which is why we have to pay attention to the changing values of the American mainstream culture. Fahrenheit 9/11 demonstrated that many people in America don’t trust the government, which is evident in numerous other sources. The film The Passion of the Christ came out in 2004, when at the same time the first gay marriage is legalized in Massachusetts. But, people are still shocked when Janet Jackson’s breast is exposed at the 2004 super bowl. There is still a fine line in what is wrong or right according to the American moral and value code but the line is getting blurred. These occurrences show the changing period that society was going through in 2004 and is still going through presently.

Sources:

Cann, Richard (2004). Have Style Mags Lost their Gloss? PR Week . Media Analyist Magazine.Copyright 2004 Haymarket Publishing Services Ltd.

Farzad, Roben(2005).To Market a Magazine, Fill It With Celebrity Gossip. Advertising. (2005, August 16). The New York Times National.

Glater, Jonathan D. (2005). Debating the Role of the Celebrity in the system. (2005, June 25). The New York Times National.

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Important Cultural Occurrence:

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In this century, social networking has become a huge phenomenon. Its popularity began increasing when sites such as MySpace and Facebook were founded. Facebook, one of the most popular sites, and now a rival to Myspace, was launched in 2004. When it began its social-networking revolution, it was formally known as ‘The Facebook’. “Experts and investors were inclined to dismiss social networking sites as a mere fad” (Mullaney and Rosedbush) when these sites first started. Facebook has shown its consistent power with young adult consumers. Unlike its various competitors, Facebook started out only being available to college students in the United Sates. Now it has progressed to targeting a diverse array of groups.
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Facebook was set up by a Mark Zuckerberg, who was a sophomore at Harvard University in 2004. Zuckerberg says that Facebook allows “free expression of ideas, enabled by the Web, [and] bridges deep cultural divides” (Holahan). What he means by this is that our culture can be connected in such a way to allows us to expand our cultural perspectives via social-networking.
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This site is important because it “has a unique opportunity to reach a crucial demographic [Y generation] at a key point in their lives” (Holahan). Facebook and other networking sites are highly influential in the American culture for the Y generation.
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Sources
Holahan, Catherine (2008). Facebook: No. 1 Globally. Business Week Online, 00077135.
Retrieved September 25, 2008 by Academic Search Complete database.
Mullaney, Timothy J., Rosedbush, Steve (2006). Social Networking’s Gold Rush. Business Week Online, 00077135. Retrieved September 25, 2008 by Academic Search Complete database.
Alarms sound over Facebook time. (2006, March 09). USA Today, 073474456.

2004 Social

Lifestyle

During 2004 ages 35-44 were the average age for the head of the household. Most of the families had least one child and the average age of the children were ages 13-15. Households that had two parents and one income were ½ the amount of households that had two parents with two incomes. There were a total of 12,820,908 households in the United States that went shopped by catalog or by mail. Gambling and entering lottery or sweepstakes was on the rise, with almost 50% of households participating in one or both of these activities. The average person was interested in moneymaking ideas and gourmet food.2004 was a year of opportunity. Many families had a rather large discretionary income and we were willing to spend it.


Analysis of Data:
With the number of most consumers owning a bank or credit card being nearly 7 times larger than not having one, it shows people were 'OK' with have some debt with confidence of being able to pay the amount off. It was a time when consumer confidence was up and sales in most areas showed. Companies could have clued in on this and may have focused on using “word of mouth” as a way of advertising.

Demographics

The United States is a large retail market, certain regions on the country being more prevalent than others. According to the United States demographics, Zip Edition, this is how the top 5 regions ranked by population and other factors that may influence the area.

South Atlantic

• Largest region population which was 54,930,860
• The South Atlantic states include: Delaware, Florida,Maryland,Virginia,and North and South Carolina,Georgia,Maryland and West Virginia.
• Total retail sales:$616,196,591 with a projection of $691,088,791 in 2009.
• The total dollar amount of apparel sold was $69732417
• The population was split 48.5:51.5 male to female ratio

Pacific Region

• The region included states California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii.
• Regions population was 47,527,011, with expected growth to 804,804,431.
• The dollar amount of apparel sold:$73239297.
• The population was split with a 49.9:50.1 male to female ratio.
• California has the largest person per square mile in this region at

East North Central

• States included: Illinois, Indiana,Michigan,Ohio, and Wisconsi
• Population: 45,988,620
• Total Retail Sales: $612,119,591 with a projection of 691,088,792 in 2009
• The dollar amount of apparel sold$69,732,417
• The population had a 49:51 male to female ratio

Mid Atlantic

• States in region: New Jersey,New York,Pennsylvania.
• Population: 40,309,735
• Total Retail Sales in 2004:$511,764,703 with a projection growth to 595,176,500 Dollars
• Amount of apparel sold: $67073394
• The population had a 48.4:51.6 male to female ratio
• Largest person per square mile at 427 people. The next best is 275 in the New England Region

West South Central

• States within region: Arkansas,Louisiana,Oklahoma,Texas
• Population of region: 33,173,879
• Total Retail Sales$ 209,563,224 with a projected growth to 543,953,497
• Total Dollar amount of apparel sales:$44,838,651
• The region has a 49.5 to 50.5 male to female ratio
  
  

Analysis of Data:

Not only do demographics effect where and what peoples needs are, it affects what they buy. It is very clear that in these five top regions based on population and retail sales, it would be a smart choice to invest money in advertisements and product placement. A company must be aware of what type of consumer they are targeting. The United States does have fashion capitals, New York being the most famous. Since New York has the highest person per square mile in the United States, it would be a good investment of a company to spend more money on an extravagant sign or ad since it will reach many people. In other areas of the country in which retail and apparel are not as important to the consumers, it would be also a smart choice to invest less on that market. The consumers are very different in each of the regions, they have different leisure activities, tastes, styles, and discretionary income. A company needs to keep a close eye on how many people can be reached, how much the consumer is willing to spend on items,are they male or female consumers,what type of household do they live in, and how easy it will be to reach them in order to have an idea on what regions to invest in.

Leisure Activities

The Average person in 2004 participated in a leisure activity for at least 1 hour a day. Some activities included watching TV, socializing, exercising, and sports.According to the US Department on Labor, 96% participated some sort of leisure activity. The largest group of people spent their time watching TV. The lowest amount of people spent their time exercising. Men have been shown to participate in sports and exercising more than women. This sprung a huge push in exercise programs and keeping children educated about obesity and the importance of exercising. NASA really picked up the pace on using their resources to reaching out to young children as well as adults.

• This video is one of the programs that NASA has committed themselves to and it started in 2004. It educates on exercise, nutrition, and overall healthy living.
  
  
  

Analysis of Data:

Leisure activities effect what the consumers spend their money on. Discretionary income is spent on leisure activities and the equipment and dress that goes along with it. In 2004, health was not as big of an issue as is in 2008. With the new knowledge of health concerns and risks, leisure activities have drastically changed in 4 years. Not only have individuals picked up on the healthy living push so have communities. Some have gone as far as to link their professional teams with the youth of the community. This is a way to get consumers involved and adds them to the list of those who are going to buy the companies product. The fashion industry can take part on the sales of the professional teams products that are sold at the game, world wide, and in many stores around the states. Not only is the focus on certain products, it focuses on the lifestyle of that consumer. It will lead lead the consumer to purchase related products and become loyal to the brand.

Natural Disaster

The tsunami in South Asia and Indonesia occurred in 2004.It claimed over 290,000 lives. According to PBS, the debris that filled the streets contained wooden planks, cars, bicycles, dead animal bodies like snakes, rats, chickens,goats, even water buffalo, and human beings. When bodies were found, they used mattresses, and carpet to cover them. Relief from the red cross came with food, water, gas, and some clothing.The problem with the food was that not enough water was brought and there was no way to cook the noodles without clean water. Therefor, the people had to eat without cooking their food. It was such a disaster area that not enough relief could be found in the early days.This also is important in the fashion industry, if the area of natural disaster has certain materials relevent to the textiles that are popular at the time.

• The video below show actual footage from the 2004 Tsunami.

Anaylsis of Data:

The tsunami not only effected Indonesia, it affected the U.S. By sending relief, there was only a limited supply of food, clothing,etc that could be supplied.It puts stress on the government and Red Cross on giving as much help that can possibly be given. This also means that other countries were called to the rescue of the disaster sight. This proves that not only do we need to pay attention to what disasters are going in the U.S, but also other countries around the world. In the end we are all linked to each other in some way.

Gay Rights

2004 was an eventful year for gay rights organization. Bush was on his was to being reelected and before he had been so pro gay rights, that he had lost supporters who did not believe in homosexuality. During his campaign in 2004, he changed his views and decided to try and plug into the Christian base supporters. Not only did he change his speeches, he was pushing for a ban on gay marriages. This did not stop the gay organizations from putting pressure on the court system, which is why in February, the first set of same sex marriage licenses are issued.

Analysis of Data:

During this time, celebrities who were gay were stepping out with their partners more than ever. Especially in an industry that does have many gay designers and leaders, it was an issue that brought press to their companies. Not only did this issue open up the designers personal lives, it allowed their advertisements to push to the limits even further. Advertisements soon showed up on billboards and magazines, with the two members of the same sex arranged closer to each other than ever before. With people being more open about who they truly were, a new niche market opened up for companies to target. Not only was it easier to target them, those in the market were more willing to be targeted. This means that regardless if the company agreed with their choices, they had to pay attention. This goes even further to any group of consumers that a company doesn't completely agree with, still has to target them as a consumer.

Animal Activists

2004 was not a year that animal activits took a break. Some groups took it as far as to break the law in order to get their point across. A popular example would be one in Philadelphia when the group named Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA proceded with terrorist like attacks against those they believed were cruel to animals. This is not the first group who has done nothing but their best to stop many companies from using products tested on animals or those who use animal skin. Other groups such as PETA protest year round, they dont mind protesting at some of the designers most important nights in order to get their point across. Groups also boycott whole companies and encourage other consumers to do so as well.

• This video is a great visual of how protest happen. You will be able to see Neiman Carcass on the signs of protesters. The interviee goes as far as to explainging that they are there to help make sure the public knows how the fur coats end up in the store.
  
  
  
  

Anaylsis of Data:

Not only do these groups protest, they educate consumers on what the fashion industry as well as other industroes are doing in order to get their product on the market. This can hurt the fashion industry's consumer market in a very large way. If the protests are successful, then the company has just lost profit and a future consumer. It is not an issue that is taken lightely by the protester or the designer. Some designers such as Donna Karen has celebrated PETA during a recent fashion show and Janice Dickinson protested with the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency models in LA. The industry really has to be concious on the products they are producing if they are wanting to stay on top of the market.

The Green Movement

2004 brought controversy to the ongoing subject of global warming. One side believes that if consumers and companies do not stop abusing the environment, the earth will not be able to withstand to the pressure. On the other hand, some people think that it is a hoax and liberals are trying stop countries from developing and will power down the economy. Many companies have picked up on the trend that consumers want to go green. America has a hazardous disposable lifestyle, that effects the environment substantially.Everyday activities such as going to the grocery store and carrying the groceries out in plastic bags effect the environment. Plastic bags take over 1000 years to disintegrate in the landfill. "Every hour, Americans use 4 million plastic bottles; yet, we recycle less than 25% of them. " (Mountain Valley Recycling). This was a huge public eye opener. Much of the population started to take action in 2004, and has only gained speed as the years have passed. Not only have there been vast improvements on the being environmentally friendly, there have been scams that have caught consumers attention and money. It has caught the attention of Oprah who has a large following and influence on vast consumer market. She has made an effort to educate the public by hosting "Green" events and an area on her website dedicated to the Green Movement and environmental issues.

• The following video is an example of products that have scammed the "going green" consumer market:
  
  
  

Analysis of Data:

Social movments effect the fashion industry directly. The going green movements pushed for organics styles of clothing and fabrics. The movement allowed for companies to gain credibility with some consumers as they want to support companies who are helping the enviornment. With the spotlight on the Green movements, the fashion industry now more than ever needs to stay intune with the consumers needs. When a population heavily supports a enviornmental movement, every consumer purchase has impact.
Social movements also effect how a company advertises their product, as well as being able to stand behind their promise. A company can gain a consumer by claiming they are taking part of the movement, but if this is a false promise, they can stand to lose more than they can gain.

Sources:

"Fort Wayne Sports." Fort Wayne Sports Corportion.

Indictment - Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty." United States of America vs Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. US Government. 10 Oct. 2008 http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/files/pdffiles/shacind.pdf

"Leisure Activites." Bureau of Labor Statistics. 06 Oct. 2005. US Government. 11 Oct. 2008 http://http//www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2005/oct/wk1/art04.htm.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA. 10 Oct. 2008 .

Taylor, Micheal. "Stalking Charges Against Animal Right Activists." SF GATE. 27 May 2004. San Fransisco Chronicle.

The Lifestyle Market Analyst. Des Plaines, IL: Media Solutions 2004
"Tsunami 2004. "Asian Tsunami 2004. 5 Oct 2008

"The PETA Files: Janice Dickinson and PETA." Peta Files. 20 Aug. 2008. PETA. 08 Oct. 2008 .

"Qwest for same sex marriage."Human Rights Campaign. 5 Oct 2008 .
"Gay Rights".6 Oct 2008

2004 Political

2004 Political

Overview
The political environment in the year 2004 was much divided. The US had been at war with Iraq for 3 years and oil prices were continuing to rise. The oil prices averaged $50 a barrel in the year 2004, but peaked around $60 a barrel at one point. Furthermore, the US was going through a presidential election between John Kerry (democrat) and George W Bush (republican). These two men represented two very different views on: secure borders, tax cuts, government spending, eco-friendly spending, health care, gay rights, the Patriot Act, education, Iraq War and abortion. In 2003, Bush filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, which allowed him to start building his campaign. Supporters of Bush felt this was a time of war and a change of president could lead to a time of chaos. This Senator John Kerry was the second democrat to enter the race. Even though Kerry was not the favored democratic candidate he was a well known Vietnam veteran. Voters that supported John Kerry felt that Bush had been hasty in the Iraq war and a change needed to be made. There was an overwhelming effort to increase the amount of voters.

MTV launched a campaign titled "Rock the Vote" in which they had celebrities encouraging young America to vote.



despite the efforts, by the end of November Bush had won the country's vote for president but only by 34 electoral votes or 3% of the popular vote.




Once in office for his second term, Bush encountered many rising issues, including the rise of oil prices and lack of support for him in his second term. Bush was being blamed for creating a division within the American people for declaring war in Iraq and Afghanistan.



Analysis of the 2004 election
Paying attention to the division that Bush is blamed for creating between the American people is very important because it can be used to analyze what we are currently experiencing (current election). Furthermore, the affects of the outcome of the past election can give us clues to the affects of the current election. The affects might be how policies the candidates implement might change or direct the zeitgeist. Their views on the debated issues will directly effect the fashion industry and how, what, when or where we sell our bag.

The Iraq war

In 2004 the United States had been at war with Iraq for a year. Like all wars there are many controversial issues and many problems were starting to arise. According to Michael Ledeen, “the root cause of our problems in Iraq is an excessively narrow vision, which has blinded us to the real strategic context, and therefore left us running after epiphenomena instead of developing a proper policy and a sensible mission.” He goes on to say that the problems in the Iraq war are political. He states that the United States should have prepared the political battleground before the fighting ever started.


Another important issue involving the Iraq is how much it is costing tax payers. According to the Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph E Stiglitz the Iraq war could end up costing Americans 2 Trillion dollars. In April 2004 it became apparent that the U.S military would need more money due to their worsening luck in Iraq. A bill was soon passed to issue 402 billion dollars in 2005. According to "Funding the Iraq war" The money would be for:
• Army:
• $132 million for bolt-on vehicle armor
• $879 million for combat helmets, silk-weight underwear, boots and other clothing
• $21.5 million for M249 squad automatic weapons
• $27 million for ammunition magazines, night sights and ammo packs
• $956 million for repairing desert-damaged equipment
• $102 million to replace equipment lost in combat
• Marine Corps:
• $40 million for body armor, lightweight helmets and other equipment for "Marines engaged in the global war on terrorism"
• 1,800 squad automatic weapons
• 5,400 M4 carbine rifles

However, it was soon found that this did nothing. With the decision to extend the stay of 20,000 troops and the increasing failures of the U.S army would cost an additional 700 million dollars just in three months. It was soon released by officials that the war was actually costing 4.7 billion dollars a month. To read more on this article visit:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Funding_the_war_in_Iraq


Analysis on the Iraq war
It has become apparent that the Iraq war is extremely political. As Michael Ledeen states, “future historians will no doubt marvel at the fact that more passion and more man hours were spent fighting the Iraqi National Congress than combating the likes of the remnants of Saddam’s security forces. There is also an overwhelming feeling of deception in the Iraq war. Many people believe Oil is the number one reason for the War in Iraq and that the United States is watching out for themselves and not the rest of the world. In addition, with the United States shelling out 4.7 billion dollars a month to finance the war, this puts the American economy and wellbeing at stake.

Politics and global warming

In 2004, the Bush administration was criticized for its “suppression of scientific information.” Soon after the Pentagon released a statement answering questions about global warming and its consequences. Taken from “The Politics of Global Warming,” Scientists say that global warming could bring about a flip towards a colder climate for much of northern Europe. The Gulf Stream, a warm water ocean current which brings climatic moderation to the Atlantic shores of Europe, may be about to subside.” Evidence of global warming has already begun to show.

According to U.K satellite footage the oceans seem to be rising faster near the coast than at mid-ocean. Tapia Martinez-Russ has said that “This is attributed of global warming in that, as water in the oceans expands as it warms up, and more is added as glaciers and ice caps melt. However, the satellite also reveals an unexpected phenomenon: during the same period, the water level within 100 kilometers of the coast rose faster, by an average of 3.7 millimeters a year.” In short, the oceans are behaving like water in a bathtub when you splash around. In addition, in May 2004, it was discovered that global warming is affecting the Artic twice as fast as the rest of the globe. According to Robert Corell, chairman of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, “This is a huge cause for concern. “Global climate change could bring everything from disastrous floods or droughts to a rise in global sea levels that could swamp low-lying Pacific islands.”

Analysis of Politics and Global Warming
When a huge issue such as global warming arises, the population is going to turn to the government for help. Since the Government can issue laws and regulations to prevent global warming, politics plays a huge role. If the government ignores all of these arising issues, in 50 years the world is going to look very different.

Sources

-“Funding the war in Iraq” Retrieved October, 2008. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Funding_the_war_in_Iraq

“Politics of Global Warming.” Retrieved October, 2008.
“The Millennial files.” Retrieved October, 2008. htoption=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=29 http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/02/the_politics_of_global_warming.html

-Posted 2:14 p.m. ET, June 14. Retrieved October, 2008 at
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results

-"On the Issues" Retrieved October 2008 at
http://www.npr.org/politics/issues2004/

AMT 314: Strategic Plan

Group Name: Peaceful Shipwreck

Group Members:

Kim Armentrout
Andy Bennett
Jamie Carver
Sierra Cook
Siena Moore

Strategic Plan

Question:

Where are the hidden currents and where should we look to find this momentum?

Course of Action Resulting from Question:

*The process of finding this momentum will include “becoming sensitive to directional signals that others miss” from the past and present currents of the fashion industry (Fashion Forecasting Second Edition, Evelyn L. Brannon, Page 5).

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Forecasting Tools that will be employed:
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We will incorporate the six rules of forecasting to help locate the hidden currents of the momentum in the fashion industry.

• Our Group will analyze, synthesize, organize, and translate the data collected to find the reoccurring tends in the past and present so we can predict what might occur in the future.
• As a group we will understand the forecasting tools and theories so that they can be applied when working with the data.
• We will use numerous diversified and credible resources to support the findings that result from our research.
• We will be open to outlier information

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Qualitative Research Direction Points:

(Delegated individual research)

1. Political (Siena)

-Recession

-Disposable Income

-Presidential Race

• The affect of the future President

-International Issues

2. Social (Jamie)

-Social Movements

• Going Green, Natural Disasters (Global Warming), Animal Rights

-Equality

• Gay Rights, Gender Equality

-Lifestyle

• Leisure Activities, conspicuous leisure

-Social Appropriateness

• What's acceptable based on demographics

3. Cultural (Sierra)

-Consumerism

• Conspicuous consumption

-Beliefs and Traditions shared by a group

-Media/Entertainment

• Newspaper, magazines, television, internet (firstview.com, fashion.net, NRF Smart Brief), fashion related Groups (Cotton Inc., WGSN, Pantone, AATCC, ITAA)

4. Economics (Kim)

-Inflation

• Cost of supply increases

-Trade Restrictions

-Consumer Spending

-Unemployment/employment

-Outsourcing

• Materials, labor

-Natural Resources

• Oil (supply, shortage, issues)

-Sales and Data

• Fashion industry successes and flops

5. The Consumer (Sierra)

-Qualitative data about the consumer

• From journals, books

-Psychology

• Values, habits

6. Other Information Specific to Product (Andy)

-Color

• Color Forecasting

-Trends

-Styles

-Textiles/Fabrics

-Technologies

-Outliers

-Accessories

-What other designers/companies are doing

• styles, sales, textiles, area of industry

Qualitative Research Goals:

• Our group will analyze qualitative data that is listed above for distinctive traits of 2004, the current year,and recent past .
• The entire group will do an environment scan for the year 2004, the current year, and recent past.
• Each member will upload information and pictures in a timely fashion.
• The group will have weekly meetings to ensure the quality of information and to stay on course.

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*Our group will use the Forecasting tools integrated with the qualitative research we have evaluated to successfully develop a 2010 qualitative forecast for the Butler Bag company.