BUS350: A former SAS officer from Western Australia is forging a name for himself in the New York fashion world as co-founder of the brand Killn Kapture: Strategic Marketing Case Study, MU, Singapore

A former SAS officer from Western Australia is forging a name for himself in the New York fashion world as co-founder of the brand Kill_Kapture. For Mark Wales, his time spent in the military had a significant impact on the development of the brand.

• From his experience in Afghanistan, he realized that the SAS uniforms were incredibly advanced. Not only did they look cool but they were streamlined, lightweight, and functional.  These attributes were incorporated into the style of the Kill_Kapture brand’s first product, the Pathfinder jacket. The kangaroo leather jacket which is made in the US is 10 times stronger than an average leather jacket, yet much lighter.
  The stylish black design is based on ‘special ops’ requirements and features a tracking beacon. Each jacket has a unique call sign for the owner and is delivered in a padded military case. With a price tag of US $1,500, the jacket is a luxury purchase and a style statement. What makes the Kill_Kapture brand unique is that in the highly competitive apparel market, the business was launched on the basis of one distinctive item, the Pathfinder jacket. The jacket is also carefully target marketed. It’s not for everyone and this is clearly portrayed in the images on the Kill_Kapture website
• The hard, edgy feel is reinforced by the models wearing the jacket,  who are all combat veterans. The men and environment of the Special Forces are the intended message.
  To further position the brand, the Pathfinder jacket was photographed on James Mattis, aka “Mad Dog”, a highly decorated and popular retired US Marine Corps general. A former commander of the US Central Command under President Barack Obama, Mattis has now been selected as Secretary of
• This endorsement and subsequent media exposure have helped to align the brand is tough and unique and aimed at rugged, athletic individuals. Demographically, the brand is targeted at 30 to 40-year-old veterans and uniformed service personnel such as firefighters, FBI, and police. During the development stages of the brand, it was identified that this market is largely under-serviced by luxury fashion. The size of the market is also substantial with over 22 million veterans in the US alone.