The CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries, caused a stir when he announced that Abercrombie stores don’t stock clothes in any size larger than a 10 for women. In fact, it is a purposeful attempt to keep larger women out of his stores and not wearing his “cool” brand. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this guy has a serious problem on his hands. His lame apology a week after being called out was disingenuous at best. Several bloggers have taken Mr. Jeffries to task for his boorish statement and have had a little fun throwing it back in his face.
My sympathy lies with Abercrombie’s corporate PR department, who are left with mopping up this mess. I’m sure they are the ones who drafted his statement and urged him to recant. But what happens now? Here are a few things Abercrombie can do to redeem its image among its customers, and perhaps avert another public relations nightmare.
Fire the CEO. Nothing says “you were wrong” like a trip to the unemployment line.
Change your clothing policy to match the apology. There is no reason not to stock sizes that are readily found in other trendy shops.
Don’t discriminate in hiring. You’re setting yourself up for a lawsuit.
Invite moms and grandmas back in to your stores. Apparently, Abercrombie is unaware that most of the skinny kids who shop there have parents and grandparents who pay for all the pricey stuff.
Un-stink your stores. (this has nothing to do with the crisis, but has always bugged me) No one wants to come out of a retail shop smelling like they fell into a vat of Old Spice.
If Abercrombie was our client…oh nevermind. We’d never have that guy for a client. We’re not that desperate.
Lessing-Flynn has added another sushi lover to the team! Shawna Weis joined LF as a Marketing Coordinator at the end of April and is quickly fitting in with our highly caffeinated group.
Shawna was born and raised near Pella, Iowa, but she has enjoyed living across the country. The “Dutch girl” craved more excitement after graduating from Graceland University in 2002, so she headed out west. She pursued marketing opportunities in San Francisco while completing her master’s degree in marketing from Keller Graduate School. In 2007, Shawna returned to her Midwestern roots and has spent the last several years in management and marketing positions in Des Moines.
Beyond the walls of Lessing-Flynn, you’ll find Shawna in the great outdoors – biking, running and enjoying the city’s local events. Plus the past three years, Shawna has served on the Board of Directors for Amanda the Panda, a non-profit organization that provides free support services to grieving families. She enjoys volunteering as the Event Chair for their annual Colors of Hope 5K Festival.
Help us welcome Shawna to the Lessing-Flynn team! We’re happy to have her. (And, maybe she’ll teach us all how to get as buff as she is…just maybe)
In a world full of fake people, it is a rare and wonderful thing to find a genuine soul. When you find one, immediately befriend him. If you treat a genuine soul with friendliness and fairness, water with YouTube videos and silly pictures, and feed him occasional sushi rolls and gyros, he will become your lifelong friend. That has been our great fortune here at Lessing-Flynn. Josh Fleming is one of those genuine souls that make work less burdensome, a little more fun, and a lot less serious. Today is Josh’s last day at Lessing-Flynn.
Josh’s impact here goes a lot further than the balance sheet or the web analytics. He infused his soul into our company and helped it become a better place. He unselfishly shared his expertise, his insights, and his laughter. He made us all laugh with his thunderous sneeze/coughs. He shared his daily trials and tribulations and gave all kinds of unsolicited advice. He took time to meet with people who wanted a minute of his time and advice. He was a part of the fabric of the agency.
Tomorrow, he sets sail for Prairie Meadows, bringing with him a head full of ideas, and leaving behind a desk full of trinkets. We’ll miss you Josh. Don’t forget about us! P.S. We made a video for you…
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Tweet (please click the photo to see these posters in their full detail) There has been a fascination with animal butts around the office lately (See the bottom of this post for evidence). So when we were asked to create the Marion County Fair posters you can probably imagine all the ideas we thought up to incorporate [...]
The CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries, caused a stir when he announced that Abercrombie stores don’t stock clothes in any size larger than a 10 for women. In fact, it is a purposeful attempt to keep larger women out of his stores and not wearing his “cool” brand. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this guy has a serious problem on his hands. His lame apology a week after being called out was disingenuous at best. Several bloggers have taken Mr. Jeffries to task for his boorish statement and have had a little fun throwing it back in his face.
