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Girl
Power
Get
Ready Girls the New Fashion Choice in Licensed Sportwear
Febuary 20, 2007
The licensing marketplace is filled with great products. But as any enterprising entrepreneur will tell you, that product is worthless if you can’t sell it. Dana Lasher, the President of Get Ready Girls, knows this better than anyone.
Lasher logged valuable experience in the high-stakes marketing world with corporate giants like Coca-Cola before launching Get Ready Girls two years ago. Hence, the company didn’t come to market with merely a great idea—fashion-forward sportswear and accessories for women. It was also armed with an aggressive, affinity-based strategy designed for maximum market penetration.
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“We saw a real need in the industry for sportswear women could be proud of,” says Lasher. “We’re talking about very feminine looks created out of the love for ‘spirit.’ But we’re doing more than selling bags, shoes and clothes. Get Ready Girls is offering partnerships to retailers. Our product is about selling the conversation.”
The Get Ready Girls line got its start initially with a handbag for the NASCAR arena. From there, the company quickly moved into the collegiate product, which has become its bread and butter. Currently, Get Ready Girls holds licenses for more than 40 schools. “We also do private label work for the NBA,” adds Lasher. “Our goal is to secure deals with the NFL, MLB and NHL, too.”
Get Ready Girls’ most recent introduction is an old-fashioned wood clog featuring college logos. Lasher says the response from consumers and retailers has been overwhelmingly successful. “We’re not about cheap,” she explains. “But we’re priced very competitively. At $25 wholesale, the clog is our most expensive item. We compete against cheaper licensees, but they can’t match our quality.”
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Many of Get Ready Girls’ competitors also can’s match the company’s branding strategy. The company offers dual versions off of its Spirit Ready brand. One is geared toward campus bookstores and better gift stores. The other is more of a volume-targeted brand.
“Sporting goods dealers are very important to us,” says Lasher. “We offer them something different from what they normally carry, and in turn they’re able to create alternate buying channels.”
This, according to Lasher, is a crucial selling for Get Ready Girls. “Being a former brand manager, I know what drives business for dealers,” she says. “Look at your SKU base—what’s performing for you and what’s not? Often, there’s less risk in carrying new product. If you want to create opportunities, you need fresh product. Give Get Ready Girls a try. Start small, and we’ll grow from there.”
