KMC6203 MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TRIMESTER 1, 2023/2024 (T2410) ASSIGNMENT 1 (40%) SELECTED COMPANY: SITI KHADIJAH APPAREL SDN. BHD. SECTION: FAC1 PREPARED BY: STUDENT NAME STUDENT ID 1. ALYA SYAFIAH BINTI SAIFUL AKMAR 1211101394 2. DAMIA QAISARA BINTI RAHMAD FAISAL 1211102462 3. HO SHU EN, RACHAEL 1211100685 4. NUR AISHAH BALQIS BINTI SARUDIN 1211102249 PREPARED FOR: DR. NURAFIQ INANI BINTI MAN SUBMISSION: WEEK 6
Introduction Siti Khadijah Apparel Sdn. Bhd. is an apparel company which was established by Padzilah Enda Sulaiman in 2009 as she thought of the concerns of Muslim women who had difficulties in finding the right telekung that does not bring them discomfort during prayers. The company has stated that they get their name from a prominent figure in Islam, Saidatina Khadijah binti Khuwailid who was given the name “Mother of The Believers”. Siti Khadijah has been doing extremely well seeing as they have over 50 local branches and 4 overseas branches (Rahman et al., 2022). The Siti Khadijah catalogue is large where they sell multiple types of headwear, bodywear, and accessories such as the sejadah for Muslim prayer. Besides their telekung, they also have regular everyday wear hijab (Said, 2019). They are inclusive in a sense that they not only have a selection for women but also for their male customers. Although the telekung sold by Siti Khadijah are pricier than some, Muslim women are still willing to pay the price because telekung were meant to last for a long time and the quality is of high calibre (Badarudin, 2019). Siti Khadijah uses their website as a digital platform where customers can gain information about not just their brand but also products that they sell. Upon clicking on the option on their website, customers are faced with free gifts after purchasing items ranging from RM180 to RM1000 and above. The marketing strategy used where customers are tempted by the offers to keep adding onto their total so that they can obtain a better free gift offer. At the bottom of each page, there are “free delivery”,
“your nearest store”, and “gift cards” options which makes it easier for customers to navigate their website. Siti Khadijah also has a section where they briefly promote their subsidiaries, Hegira and Anbot, which sell a variety of hijabs and outdoor camping equipment such as tents, camping furniture, and power stations, respectively. They have a section where investors can investigate their franchise opportunity if they wish to expand their business and collaborate with Siti Khadijah. The marketing strategy of Siti Khadijah Siti Khadijah Apparel Sdn. Bhd. (SKA) has established a name for itself in the clothing industry by carefully crafting each of its marketing methods to appeal to its target market. Their brand identity is infused with a philosophy of simplicity that is fundamental to their approach. Siti Khadijah's digital marketing strategy on their website is designed to create an immersive online experience that reflects the brand’s values of tradition, quality, and authenticity. The website is meticulously designed to be visually appealing, user-friendly, and intuitive. It features elegant aesthetics, easy navigation, and responsive design to ensure a seamless experience across devices. Emphasis is placed on showcasing product images, descriptions, and features in a compelling and informative manner, allowing visitors to explore the Siti Khadijah collections with ease (Fadzil, 2022). Figure 1: Siti Khadijah’s Website
Moreover, the content on the website revolves around the brand’s products. Other than that, the website serves as a seamless e-commerce platform where visitors can browse, select, and purchase Siti Khadijah products with ease, Integration with secure payment gateways, streamlined checkout processes, and personalized recommendations, enhancing the shopping experience. Siti Khadijah’s website is integrated with their social media platforms, allowing visitors to easily share products and content across their networks. This integration helps to amplify the brand message and expand the brand’s reach to new audiences. Siti Khadijah also utilizes email marketing to nurture relationships and drive repeat purchases. Visitors are encouraged to subscribe to the brand’s newsletter, receiving exclusive offers, product updates and content tailored to their interests. Overall, Siti Khadijah’s digital marketing plan is a holistic and dynamic strategy that integrate targeted promotion and omnichannel distribution. Their website is the epitome of simplicity and luxury and accessibility combined. Siti Khadijah leverages both online and offline platforms. Their website serves as the primary transactional platform, offering a seamless and secure shopping experience where customers can browse, select, and purchase products with ease. The marketing mix analysis of Siti Khadijah Product Siti Khadijah’s product strategy revolves around offering high quality telekung (prayer garments) that embody tradition, craftsman ship, and cultural significance. They prioritize quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship to ensure that their products meet the expectation and standards of their discerning consumers. Additionally, they continuously innovate their product range to cater to evolving consumer preferences while staying true to their brand identity and heritage.
Price Siti Khadijah’s employs a pricing strategy that balances exclusivity with accessibility. As a premium brand known for its quality, they command higher prices, positioning themselves as a symbol of luxury and prestige. However, they also ensure that their pricing remains competitive enough to attract a wide range of customers, leveraging the profitability approach to optimize revenue while maintaining profitability. Place In term of place, Siti Khadijah strategically distributes its products through a mix of channels to maximize accessibility and reach. They operate physical retail outlets in key locations, providing customers with immersive brand experiences and personalized service. Additionally, they have a strong presence on e-commerce platforms, allowing customers to conveniently shop for their products online from anywhere in the world. This omnichannel approach ensures that Siti Khadijah’s products online are readily available to customers. Promotion Siti Khadijah’s promotion strategy focuses on storytelling, authenticity, and emotional connection. Through engaging content across digital and traditional channels, they communicate the rich heritage and values that underpin their brand, fostering a sense of community and belonging among their audience. They leverage social media, influencer partnerships, targeted advertising, and content marketing to amplify their message and engage with their audience effectively.
The marketing communication strategies (SWOT) Strengths Innovative Products • Siti Khadijah is a pioneering brand that gives the public a new perspective on prayer outfits. Their telekung sets are complimented for how well-designed it is, as not only that the textile chosen gives a cooling effect to the skin, but it also protects the wearer’s skin from UV rays. The telekung can withstand fading, this allows the telekung to maintain its quality even after several washes. What is also great about their telekung sets is how soft the texture of the clothing, and how it does not wrinkle very easily. These characteristics help in creating a better experience for the wearer when performing their prayers or practicing their religion either outside or inside the comfort of their houses. • Utilizing a differentiation strategy for products helps in distinguishing the business from their other competitors, which contribute to the many reasons why Siti Khadijah is recognized as the brand leader for telekung and other prayer outfits. Good Marketing Strategy • It’s an inevitable truth that Siti Khadijah knows their target audience. Siti Khadijah specializes in their prayer outfits, which is an important attire for every Muslim individual. As they want their customers to associate their business with religion, they specifically picked the name ‘Siti Khadijah’ for the business to refer to the Muslim people’s prophet Muhammad SAW’s wife, Siti Khadijah. This choice of name has been shown to positively influence their brand image and reputation.
• Siti Khadijah also has a variation of marketing medium which allows a larger group audience of customers, which can benefit them in the aspect of brand recognition. Siti Khadijah used broadcasting media such as television shows and commercials, and they also have their own official website that customers can refer to for further information on their products. Own Patent • Not only is it important to maintain a competitive edge, but it’s also crucial to protect it. Siti Khadijah has always been wellknown for their prayer outfits that are highly innovative in the aspect of design. Its style and convenience make their products distinguishable from other products in the market, hence explaining why Siti Khadijah remains prominent in the market until now. • To ensure the legitimacy of their brand. Siti Khadijah has registered 29 trademarks and 5 industrial designs in 7 countries since 2009. This approach avoids customers from buying counterfeit products or purchasing imitations of the products that could negatively affect the image of the business and its relationship with their customers. Weaknesses Narrow Product Line • Siti Khadijah’s main specialty is their telekung collection, but they also offer products such as prayer mats, accessories, thobes, and headscarves. However, it needs to be acknowledged that Siti Khadijah struggles with a narrow product line with their other collections.
• As proof, their male collection for tops only offers around 4 products with 3-4 designs. The difference is evident when compared to their female collection, which offers more than 4 products with a big range of designs. This pattern is seen with their other products as well. • While the male collection lacks variety, their other products lack the recognition. Their accessories, bags, fragrance, prayer mats, and other clothing pieces are not under any promotional categories on their social media accounts. It’s difficult for customers to get further information on their other products if the products are not presented in a way that customers can easily view its information easily. • Having a narrow product line puts Siti Khadijah’s business at risk, as it increases the substitute effect while decreasing the demand for original products. Because of that, Siti Khadijah should find a way to widen their product line to minimize the damage endured by the company when being faced with a situation where customers might go for cheaper alternatives for their prayer outfits. Opportunities Expansion on Product Range • The purpose of having a wider product line is to cater towards different customers, as customers are given more choices. This benefits the company in the aspect of their financial performance, as a wider product line helps in diversifying the revenue stream of the company. Apart from that, variations of products would be able to cater towards different consumer segments that have different needs and demands, which helps in expanding the customer base.
• This approach can generate success with proper promotions on social media accounts, and other mediums such as broadcasting and advertising mediums. A good promotion of a product can stir interest in potential customers, benefitting Siti Khadijah. • A business that offers a variation of products is usually able to adapt to market changes. This tactic could bring great profit if the products offered are adjusted according to the trends emerging in the market. If Siti Khadijah integrate this tactic into their marketing strategy, they can retain a long-term viability which allows them to survive better in the industry. Threats Direct and Indirect Competition • Despite its dominance in the market, Siti Khadijah can potentially lose its prominence. Naelofar, Zaahara, Ariani and Duck Prayer Wear use a nearly similar business tactic with Siti Khadijah where they focus on marketing their products in domestic and international regions whereas the density is urban and suburban areas. • If the consumers start becoming interested in other products due to a better quality offered at a more affordable price with greater services, then the business has a chance of losing its dominance in the market soon. Products Being Exposed to Imitation • On February 26th, 2024, Telekung Suqainah was under fire for imitating Telekung Siti Khadijah Harmoni. Although the court was in favour of Telekung Siti Khadijah Harmoni, the case
signifies that the products are at risk being imitated by other businesses (Roslan, 2024). • Imitation of products can bring harm towards the business as it erodes the uniqueness and profitability of the products, thus affecting its relevance in the market. • If little action is taken, this increases the demand for substitutes among consumers as consumers no longer see the value in the original product.
Major competitors of the product Siti Khadijah Apparel is well-known for offering both prayer wear and everyday attire for women and men. The company has been in the apparel industry for more than a decade, with different innovative collections to meet the demands of their clients and deliver the highest quality attire possible. In this wide fashion field, where designers produce new patterns, trends, and ideas every minute, Siti Khadijah Apparel must continually strive to enhance the brand's goods to remain competitive in the market, particularly in the modesty fashion field. It is normal to have existing or new competitors in the fashion industry since every second’s people create new designs to stay relevant and expands their creativity to the world. Naelofar is a prominent rival of Siti Khadijah Apparel in the business. Naelofar is also one of the largest business businesses promoting modest apparel and has been in the fashion sector for over a decade, competing with Siti Khadijah Apparel. The apparent competing goods shared by these two companies are women's prayer clothing. Both brands provide items that are comfortable, practical, and modest. However, Naelofar began as a headscarf manufacturer before expanding into prayer clothing in response to client demand. The company finds a way to stay at the same competitive level as Siti Khadijah Apparel by creating a prayer wear collection from the brand itself. Meanwhile, Siti Khadijah Apparel itself started by only selling prayer wear for women as they know their target audience in the market is the women in need who want to pray in comfort, practicality, and look presentable. One of the reasons why Naelofar is a major competitor is because of the fanbase the brand has as a company. The brand itself is also well known for its founder which is Noor Neelofa Binti Mohd Noor a well influence figure in Malaysia who promotes modesty and hijab representation in the fashion industry in Malaysia. Furthermore, Naelofar offers various modesty clothing from head to toe with premium quality that is worth the money buying in the long term of using. So, for Siti Khadijah to stay relevant and compete in the fashion modest industry, the company needs to have multiple analyses in terms of knowing the customer market demands and who is their real target market that benefits both parties internally and externally.
The effectiveness of a marketing communication strategy implemented by the brand. Siti Khadijah Apparel needs a well-planned marketing communication strategy to communicate its message to the target audience with the genuine aim of attracting customers and engaging them with the brand. The brand's efficient marketing communication approach is to clearly state on its official website what its vision, purpose, and fundamental values as a company wants to achieve (Olson, 2021). The company's openness with its consumers will result in good and efficient communication that ensures the customers understand the company's objective and the loyalty they seek from the customers. To have an efficient marketing communication strategy, they have done numerous feedback reviews to be able to assess their market needs from the customers and discover the flaws that may be improved for future customer satisfaction. Another great strategy used by the company is to constantly repost their customers' Instagram stories on their Instagram accounts when the consumers tag their official Instagram account, making the customers feel recognised and appreciated by the brand. It depicts how important consumers are to the organisation and demonstrates both types of support, even if some individuals may find it ambiguous. (Berita Harian, 2024). Figure 2: Picture above shows the Mission of Siti Khadijah Apparel Sdn. Bhd. on their official website.
Figure 3: Picture above shows the Vision of Siti Khadijah Apparel Sdn. Bhd. on their official website. If the brand consistently implemented marketing communication strategies, the company may have little to no difficulty marketing new launch products seasonally, because the company understands how to manage its audience effectively on social media, particularly through its official Instagram account, where it would update its audience on either their upcoming product release or any new features from the company. It is the company's job to constantly have strong marketing communication strategies in place so that customers can comprehend the brand identity and what the items displayed are about. Siti Khadijah Apparel, for example, used various advertising taglines to emotionally connect with their target audience and pique their interest in exploring the company with a single snap. An example of the tagline is “Nak…mak teringin nak pakai telekung Siti Khadijah” which is one of the most popular taglines that stuck in everyone's mind for a long time because of how it plays with human emotion just by reading it.
Figure 3: Picture above shows one of the brands popular advertisements that attract customer’s eyes. The effectiveness of Siti Khadijah Apparel's marketing communication strategies demonstrates unequivocally that marketing communication plays a critical role in causing the brand to grow rapidly in terms of fanbase, customer loyalty, and brand image as a modest fashion company. It is critical to protect and uphold the company's favourable image to get a long-term competitive edge in the industry (Krizanova, 2019). With good marketing communication strategies, it is possible to eliminate any misunderstandings among customers about how businesses would respond to any future crisis communication. Siti Khadijah Apparel can grow bigger and better with strong and effective communication strategies to be able sustaining in the modest industry. Conclusion In conclusion, Siti Khadijah utilises the simplicity approach in their marketing techniques whereby they use white colour to represent purity especially since their main products are prayer oriented. They also show that their products are of high quality and are known as a premium brand for their good quality telekung. The utilisation of pure expressions such as “a symbol for eternal love” can be seen in their blog where they help customers understand the significance of telekung. Their marketing mix comprises their products, price, place, and promotion. They are transparent with where their products come from, the price range, location of their stores both physically and online, and the promotional content of their products. Through that, Siti Khadijah’s marketing communication strategies were conducted
using the SWOT analysis whereby their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were analysed. Their strengths lay in their innovative products which showed their high quality telekung that can withstand many factors that cause wear and tear which enhances a Muslim woman’s prayer experience. Besides that, they also have a good marketing strategy whereby they understand their target audience and act accordingly and utilise their social media platforms to promote their products. Finally, they added their own patent whereby they protect their designs so that it is easily distinguishable from other brands. Siti Khadijah’s weaknesses would be their narrow product line. Although they aim to be inclusive by having not only telekung but also products for male customers, the male collection only has about 4 products which may put their business at risk of losing customers. Siti Khadijah’s opportunities include expansion on product range so that they are able to cater to a wider audience and also attract more potential customers. Finally, Siti Khadijah’s threats are their direct and indirect competitors which include Naelofar, Ariani, and Duck whereby customers may start losing interest in their products if they find that the brands have more affordable products. Other than that, they also risk their products being exposed to imitations where customers may not see the value in owning an original product when there are replicas going around at a lower price. It is known that every brand has its major competitors, thus Siti Khadijah will have to stand out with the implementation of good strategy and stay relevant in this competitive field by gaining a more stable audience. Additionally, they should be able to navigate the market whilst eliminating misunderstandings to have little to no problems in marketing their new products.
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