Perhaps Men’s Wearhouse cannot “guarantee it” when it comes to consumer perception, in the wake of the firing of its founder George Zimmer. The exit of Mr. Zimmer, the long-time face of Men’s Wearhouse advertising, appears to have caused the brand to dip into negative perception according to YouGov BrandIndex.
Men’s Wearhouse stands with its lowest Buzz score since at least 2007, -10.7 on June 25, from 20.8 before the story broke on June 18. This metric tracks what Americans have heard about a brand, by asking consumers: “Have you heard anything positive or negative about this brand, either in the news, the press, or by word of mouth?”
Zimmer, who had been with the company for forty years, was fired by the board of directors as Executive Chairman on June 19. The high profile ousting was followed by extensive coverage in the press. On June 25 the Men’s Wearhouse Board of Directors went public over the decision. “Mr. Zimmer had difficulty accepting the fact that Men's Wearhouse is a public company with an independent Board of Directors,” it commented.
The company initially remained quiet on the firing of Zimmer as Executive Chairman and his subsequent quitting from the Board. In a public letter to the Board circulated last Monday June 24, Zimmer wrote said it was clear he was let go “to avoid addressing my growing concerns with recent board decisions.”
Men’s Wearhouse was measured by YouGov BrandIndex against its competitor brands, Jos. A. Bank, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s and Nordstrom.
Men’s Wearhouse vs. Competitors' Buzz Score, June 9 to June 25 2013:
