American Apparel Downtown?

**hybridy** · May-09-13, 08:58 AM

Am I missing something here? Does the Curbed ad know something I don't? Royal Oak is not Detroit. Tis a good thing, as I suppose American Apparel is a store of some "caliber" that would be on par with Gilbert's oft touted Urban Outfitters.

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**313WX** · May-09-13, 09:01 AM

To be fair, the same thing was thought with the Microsoft store at Somerset.

**hybridy** · May-09-13, 09:04 AM

haha, they fixed it almost immediately.

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**iheartthed** · May-09-13, 09:05 AM

I'm surprised there is only one American Apparel in the tri-county.

**hybridy** · May-09-13, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I'm surprised there is only one American Apparel in the tri-county.

their target consumer is the just off-woodward crowd. and they typically don't locate in suburban malls, but rather in walkable sites with some critical mass. their royal oak spot pulls from the ferndale to birmingham +/- troy locales.

midtown/downtown store could make a go as more bodies appear in the cbd.

**Spartan** · May-09-13, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by hybridy

haha, they fixed it almost immediately.

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Royal Oak, Detroit!

**iheartthed** · May-09-13, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Spartan

Royal Oak, Detroit!

That was a pretty clumsy ad. Royal Oak is not a neighborhood in Detroit [[I doubt the person who wrote the tag realizes that). So they're telling Detroiters to visit their store in Royal Oak...

**casscorridor** · May-09-13, 01:10 PM

north woodward area isn't where their target demographic is concentrated. their demographic is highly decentralized. royal oak is simply a central place to have a storefront, with strong retail sales, that is not a mall. detroit is arguably the most decentralized region in the country [[see job sprawl discussion).

**EastsideAl** · May-09-13, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

That was a pretty clumsy ad. Royal Oak is not a neighborhood in Detroit [[I doubt the person who wrote the tag realizes that). So they're telling Detroiters to visit their store in Royal Oak...

Reminds me of the time when I was trying to deal with a problem with some online/catalog retailer or another. During a phone conversation about replacing a certain item, the customer service person says to me excitedly: "Well sir, we have a store right there in Detroit!" "Where?" I ask. "In Troy!"

**DetroitPlanner** · May-09-13, 03:00 PM

The world view makes no distinction between City Limits and the Detroit region. Don't be so myopic!

Just because it says it is Detroit, don't make it downtown either. It might open on Fenkell in Brightmoor, the ironic hipsters kids would find that to be as cool as Scotty Simpson fish!

**iheartthed** · May-09-13, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

The world view makes no distinction between City Limits and the Detroit region. Don't be so myopic!

Except it just doesn't make sense. Not to be all English teacher-y, but it was an incorrect statement. Saying "I'm going to shop at American Apparel in Royal Oak, Detroit" is like saying "I'm going to shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles."

Also, this ad being focused on the local market that made it even more weird. Everyone in Metro Detroit knows where Royal Oak is at and they know it's not physically in the city of Detroit. Which is why I'm reasoning that the person who wrote the tagline just isn't familiar with the Detroit area.

**hybridy** · May-10-13, 11:36 AM

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okay this is getting wierd. "visit our store IN detroit"

say what you want about 'detroit' and its regional context. this is too intentional. someone doesn't have a clue over in marketing, and im getting annoyed

**Bham1982** · May-10-13, 11:58 AM

Royal Oak is Detroit. Much as it pains the city-limits fundamentalists, it's all the same.

**Honky Tonk** · May-10-13, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Royal Oak is Detroit. Much as it pains the city-limits fundamentalists, it's all the same.

Really? I have a bit of a debt issue and cash flow problem I'd like to discuss with you.

**Bham1982** · May-10-13, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Really? I have a bit of a debt issue and cash flow problem I'd like to discuss with you.

Unfortunately, yeah, we all pay for the city's decline.

See today's Freep article on the downtown/midtown subsidy racket, and how downtown/midtown rental rates are low and vacancies high [[contrary to the claims you see on DYes).

**marshamusic** · May-10-13, 12:05 PM

These ads are not mentioning Detroit in error.

They are attaching their branding - aimed at their demographic - to Detroit's current hip, urban cache.

**Honky Tonk** · May-10-13, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

These ads are not mentioning Detroit in error.

They are attaching their branding - aimed at their demographic - to Detroit's current hip, urban cache.

That, and they're probably located in some other State, [[Country?), so when they look @ a map, Detroit and Royal Oak are only a half inch apart. Sometimes when I'm searching for a specific service, and punch in, let's say Royal Oak, I get nothing. If I punch in the name, then Detroit, the service appears.

**marshamusic** · May-10-13, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

That, and they're probably located in some other State, [[Country?), so when they look @ a map, Detroit and Royal Oak are only a half inch apart. Sometimes when I'm searching for a specific service, and punch in, let's say Royal Oak, I get nothing. If I punch in the name, then Detroit, the service appears.

Yeah, I know what you're saying, about the proximity to outsiders, but I don't think this is a mistake.

**Honky Tonk** · May-10-13, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

Yeah, I know what you're saying, about the proximity to outsiders, but I don't think this is a mistake.

Well, you were right about the cesspool in the picture.....

**Bham1982** · May-10-13, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

They are attaching their branding - aimed at their demographic - to Detroit's current hip, urban cache.

You think Detroit has a reputation as "hip and urban" nationally? I don't think I could disagree more.

They're doing this for the same reason they do it in every city. They don't say "West Hollywood, CA", they say LA. They don't say "White Plains, NY"., they say NYC.

Only here in Metro Detroit do we argue over random municipal limits. And even here, it's selective. No one would claim Metro Airport serves Romulus, or the Detroit Zoo serves Huntington Woods. It's all ridiculous.

**downtownguy** · May-10-13, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Royal Oak is Detroit. Much as it pains the city-limits fundamentalists, it's all the same.

Since it's an online ad, I would venture to say it was specifically localized to fit a Detroit area audience looking at the Detroit version of Curbed. Since, supposedly, they are talking to locals, the ad was confusing by not just stating their location as "Royal Oak." If I was interested in the store, and I live somewhere in the metro area, I would want to know how far away the store is. Using a generalized "Detroit" as a location doesn't tell the prospective local shopper how close they are to it. It's poor marketing and has nothing to do with "city-limits fundamentalists."

**iheartthed** · May-10-13, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

Since it's an online ad, I would venture to say it was specifically localized to fit a Detroit area audience looking at the Detroit version of Curbed. Since, supposedly, they are talking to locals, the ad was confusing by not just stating their location as "Royal Oak." If I was interested in the store, and I live somewhere in the metro area, I would want to know how far away the store is. Using a generalized "Detroit" as a location doesn't tell the prospective local shopper how close they are to it. It's poor marketing and has nothing to do with "city-limits fundamentalists."

Yeah... I'm guessing most of these people didn't realize this is a local ad. American Apparel isn't running ads in St. Louis for patrons to come shop at American Apparel in "Royal Oak, Detroit." Hence why it doesn't make sense...

**DetroitPlanner** · May-10-13, 12:54 PM

Maybe it is inviting Detroiter's to shop at their Royal Oak store?

"Come shop at American Apparel in Royal Oak, Detroit!"

I would think that american made stuff would sell well around here. Detroiter's regardless of city boundary are all loyal to American made stuff.

**Honky Tonk** · May-10-13, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Maybe it is inviting Detroiter's to shop at their Royal Oak store?

"Come shop at American Apparel in Royal Oak, Detroit!"

I would think that american made stuff would sell well around here. Detroiter's regardless of city boundary are all loyal to American made stuff.

Yeah, look @ "Made In Detroit" clothing.

**iheartthed** · May-10-13, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Maybe it is inviting Detroiter's to shop at their Royal Oak store?

"Come shop at American Apparel in Royal Oak, Detroit!"

I would think that american made stuff would sell well around here. Detroiter's regardless of city boundary are all loyal to American made stuff.

Yes, that is what I was saying before. That's exactly what it says.