Fossil Final Brand Audit Report

Emily Brennan, Katie Gray, Abby Jennings,

Katherine Keavney, and Meredith Taylor

Prepared for Dr. Chris Pullig

MKT 4340, Brand Management

December 4th, 2017

 Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary…………………………..…………………………..……………...2
II. History of Brand and Overview of Report……………………………………………..3
III. Key Challenges Facing Brand…………………………..…………………..…………..3
IV. Brand Inventory………………………………………………………………………….3
○ Brand Architecture………………………………………………………………...3
○ Branding and Marketing Programs……………………………………………….4
○ Profile of Competitive Brands and Market Situation ..…………………………...4
V. Brand Exploratory……………………………………………………………………….5
VI. Major Issues and Challenges…………………………………………………………....7
VII. Recommendations………………………………………………………………………..8
VIII. Appendices………………………………………………………………………………10
○ Works Cited………………………………………………………………………10
○ Qualtrics Survey Questions…………………………………………………...….10
○ Qualtrics Survey Results…………………………………………………..……..13
○ Interview Notes………………………………………………………………......15

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 Executive Summary
Purpose and Content
The purpose of this Final Brand Audit Report is to outline and take a closer look into the Fossil
brand. The report is aimed to discuss our findings in order to improve and effectively leverage
Fossil’s brand equity. This report will include a history of the Fossil brand, the key challenges
facing the brand, overall brand inventory, a brand exploratory, major issues and challenges the
brand faces and recommendations that we have for the brand moving forward. A summary of our
main findings and overview of our recommendations can be found below.

Our Findings
The biggest challenge currently facing Fossil is the overwhelming shift in the watch industry to
include wearable technology. In response to this shift, Fossil developed its own line of
smartwatches and is now facing new challenges as it introduces these products to the market.
The key challenges we found for the Fossil brand is lack of awareness of Fossil’s smartwatches,
and consumer distrust of Fossil smartwatch capabilities and confusion in consumer judgements
for the brand as a whole.

Summary of Primary Research

Our primary research included both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the Fossil brand
through in-depth interviews and a Qualtrics survey. Our in-depth interviews consisted of 9
respondents ages 19-26. Our interviewees’ perception of the Fossil brand included viewing the
brand as dependable and durable but also as outdated and impractical. Respondents mentioned
they prefer looking at their phones or using smartwatches as opposed to wearing traditional
watches. When asked which smartwatch brands they were familiar with, interviewees mostly
listed Apple and Fitbit. None of the respondents mentioned Fossil, suggesting an issue with
brand salience in the smartwatch category. Our Qualtrics survey consisted of 177 respondents
ages 18-28. These respondents were indifferent to the overall Fossil image, having neutral
overall judgements about the brand. Survey respondents that already owned smartwatches owned
mostly Apple and Fitbit watches and no respondent owned a Fossil smartwatch. In fact, many
were unaware of the Fossil Q smartwatch line. Once again, this highlights Fossil’s problem with
brand salience.

Recommendations
In order for Fossil to stay relevant in an evolving smartwatch industry, it is important that they
adapt their current marketing strategies for their smartwatches. First, we recommend advertising
smartwatches more proactively with less of a focus on re-marketing. Second, we recommend
shifting smartwatch marketing to be more informative. Third, we recommend improving brand
cohesiveness by either changing the color of the Fossil “Q” logo, or using it more in connection
with traditional Fossil logos. Fourth, we recommend implementing in-store technology experts in
order to demonstrate Fossil smartwatch capabilities to consumers.

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 Final Brand Audit

History of the Brand and Overview of Report

Fossil was founded by Tom Kartsotis and his brother Kosta in their garage in 1984. After
learning about the potential profit from importing mid-range fashion watches from overseas,
Tom Kartsotis started what would become a $2.5 billion company. His brother Kosta, who was
the Sanger Harris executive, helped him get his first line of Fossil watches into department
stores. Since then, Fossil’s portfolio has grown to include acquisitions such as Relic, Abacus,
Michele Watch, Skagen Denmark and Zodiac. Fossil not only has created a multitude of brands
but also has licensing rights to make accessories for Emporio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael
Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Diesel and Armani Exchange. Fossil has also grown to
include its own line of accessories, handbags, jewelry and most recently smartwatches. Since
adding their latest Fossil Q smartwatch line, many consumers have been unaware that Fossil
makes such watches and often choose other smartwatches from Fossil’s competitors, such as
Apple, FitBit, and Samsung smartwatches.

Key Challenges Facing the Brand

Fossil is currently facing a several challenges in its market and in the overall watch
industry. For many years, Fossil has been prominent in the traditional (non-smartwatch) industry,
ranking fourth with an overall market share of 5.2 percent. Recently however, the watch market
has evolved and shifted to include more wearable technology, forcing Fossil to adapt its product
lines as traditional watch sales decline. The smartwatch market is relatively new for Fossil, but
offers new opportunities for the brand, especially if they want to stay relevant in the minds of
younger consumers.
With new product categories brings new competition, and Fossil now faces competition
that they had not previously faced. These new competitors include technology giants such as
Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit, all of whom already hold significant market share in the smartwatch
market. These brands of smartwatches are disrupting the traditional watch industry, with a study
showing that this new market will reach almost two-thirds of the traditional Swiss watch market
by the end of 2017. To keep up with these popular brands, Fossil has put more of an emphasis on
their own smartwatches, but is falling short in creating salience in their new products.
As mentioned above, traditional watch sales have also declined in recent years, greatly
affecting the Fossil Group. Between 2014 and 2016, total Fossil revenues fell from $3.5 to $3.04
billion, down 13 percent. As of the third quarter of 2017, Fossil watch sales had decreased 9
percent and the company plans to close 50 retail stores by year end.
Aware of its arising challenges, Fossil launched its “New World Fossil” campaign in
2016 to gain a larger market share by becoming more efficient in its production and more
intentional in its licensing agreements. While this multi-year plan could prove effective for
Fossil, the company will need to do more to market its smartwatches if it hopes to stay relevant.

Brand Inventory
Brand Architecture
Fossil itself is a parent brand and makes a variety of merchandise for consumers
including watches, purses, and accessories. It’s brand architecture includes a hybrid of both a
“house of brands” and a “branded house,” due to the fact that Fossil both owns brands as well as
makes watches for brands through licensing agreements. Brands that Fossil currently owns

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includes Relic, Abacus, Michele watch, Skagen, Misfit, WSI and Zodiac. All of these brands
make mostly traditional watches as well as a few high tech watch options. Fossil also makes
traditional watches and smartwatches through licensing agreements for a variety of different
brands through licensing agreements, something many consumers are unaware of. These brands
include Emporio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Diesel,
Kate Spade New York, Tory Burch, Chaps and Armani Exchange. Because of this mixture
between brands owned and brands Fossil makes watches for, Fossil’s brand architecture is a
mixture between both “house of brands” and a “branded house.”

Branding and Marketing Programs

Fossil currently utilizes several marketing elements to communicate its branding and
product offerings. While the company follows traditional advertising methods such as catalog
mailing and sampling, it most commonly employs digital media in its marketing efforts,
including web ads, YouTube commercials, and social media. As of December 2017, Fossil’s
Facebook page has over 3 million likes and follows, while it’s Instagram and Twitter accounts
have 852k and 78k followers, respectively. Most of the company’s social media posts are a mix
of bags and wallets, watches, and other accessories, with a recent emphasis on promoting their
smartwatches. When posting photos, Fossil blends minimalist and retro styles while utilizing
white, black, and earthy tones. This aesthetic reflects the fashionable yet vintage goal of the
Fossil brand. Fossil’s classic American styling is also represented in all point-of-sale materials,
including packaging, design, and store displays. The vintage-inspired tin packaging of the
watches have even become iconic to the Fossil brand. The company also strives to create
cohesive product displays and advertisements across all of its stores. This extends to co-op
advertising in larger department stores, where Fossil utilizes a “shop-in-shop” concept to create a
more focused shopping experience for customers.
The company’s most recent watch campaign focuses on “Fossil Firsts,” where consumers
are encouraged to share personal stories of their first experience with Fossil watches. In turn,
favorites are shared and reposted on the company’s social media. To endorse this new campaign,
Fossil reached out to actresses Kristen Bell and Yara Shahidi, actor and musician Leslie Odom
Jr., and singer Austin Mahone to promote the watches and also share their own “Fossil Firsts.”
Odom and Bell have both grown up with Fossil and have seen the brand grow, while Shahidi and
Mahone speak to a new generation of Fossil customers. Fossil hopes these four celebrities will
represent and resonate with specific groups of their target market, and eventually create more
revenues and awareness of the Fossil Q.
Fossil realizes that as the watch market evolves to include new products and advancing
technology, they must also evolve. This is why, Fossil launched its “New World Fossil” to
reinvent all aspects of its business. This initiative will include a leaner, more efficient
infrastructure and better leveraging of Fossil’s licensed brands. The company believes that in the
future this plan will grow the Fossil brand and lead to a larger market share.

Profile of Competitive Brands and Market Situation

Due to Fossil’s involvement in both the traditional watch industry and the smartwatch
industry, the brand’s competition is vast. Competitors in the traditional watch industry include
Swatch Group (18.3 percent of traditional watch market share), Richemont (15.7 percent of
traditional watch market share), and Rolex (11.8 percent of traditional watch market share). Two
of these brands include high priced options (Rolex and Richemont), while the Swatch group

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more appropriately fits Fossil’s traditional watch category. Fossil’s market share is ranked #4 in
the traditional watch market share (5.2 percent of traditional watch market share). Other
traditional watch competitors to Fossil include Casio, Omega, Seiko, Daniel Wellington, and
Timex.
Fossil also produces smartwatches, which is a weaker product category in comparison to
Fossil’s traditional watches. Competitors in the smartwatch industry include Apple, Fitbit,
Garmin, and LG, with Apple being the most popular smartwatch option. Many prefer Apple
smartwatches as they are associated with being sleek, technologically savvy, and easily
compatible with consumers’ current Apple devices. These competitors have a large share of the
market and often overshadow Fossil’s smartwatch offerings. In fact, Fossil is often excluded
when it comes to smartwatch comparisons seen on blogs. This includes websites such as
NewsAtlas.com, Wired.com, and Techradar.com (which are three of the top website results when
consumers google “best smartwatches”). As Fossil begins to focus more on their smartwatch
offerings and less on their other products, they have to be sure to position their brand in such a
way that consumers are aware that the brand even offers smartwatches.

Brand Exploratory
In order to gain further insight into how Fossil is seen by consumers, we created a 23
question Qualtrics survey and conducted ten in-depth interviews. Overall, we found many
similarities among the two types of research. For example, when it came to traditional watches,
Fossil is viewed highly in the minds of consumers. In our in-depth interviews, seven out of nine
people had positive associations with the brand. They each cited high quality as a direct reason
for this rating. However, when it came to smartwatches, less people had the same positive views.
In fact, based on both of our interviews, we concluded that few people are aware that
Fossil produces smartwatches. In the in-depth interviews, only one person was able to recall
Fossil as being a smartwatch producer. In the Qualtrics survey, only 34 percent were able to
recall Fossil when given a list of brands for both smartwatches and traditional. This low recall of
Fossil indicates a low level of brand salience in the brand equity pyramid.
To differentiate Fossil’s smartwatch, the brand uses a large orange “Q” in its new
smartwatch logo. This “Q” is sometimes used after the name Fossil, but other times it is used
alone. In order to see how well Fossil’s new logo was reaching the market, we asked respondents
if they have ever seen their “Q” logo. Over 60 percent of respondents indicated that they have
never seen the logo before. In the same question that asked respondents to recall smartwatch
producers, every single respondent in the in depth interview was able to recall both Apple and
Fitbit as a producer. Of the respondents, 57.69 percent owned an Apple smartwatch and 32.69
percent owned a fitbit. This shows that consumers are aware and active in the smartwatch
market, however they are not engaging with Fossil’s smartwatch products.
To measure brand meaning within the brand equity pyramid we included a semantic
differential scale question asking the respondents to place where they view Fossil on a scale of
opposing adjectives. Brand meaning is where the meaning or image of the brand comes into play
as well as what other customers see in that brand. On a scale from boring (1) to exciting (5),
respondents ranked Fossil with a mean of 3.10 out of 5. For fashionable (1) to unfashionable (5),
Fossil received an average of 2.25. This means that just over half of the respondents viewed the
company as being fashionable. When it comes to whether or not Fossil is outdated (1) or
innovative (5), their responses averaged a 3.17. Based on these semantic differential scales, we
can conclude that barely over half of the respondents viewed Fossil as being fashionable,

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innovative, and exciting. Although these responses were mostly positive, they could also create
future concerns for Fossil if they do not keep up with industry trends. To measure brand
performance in the pyramid we asked respondents to rank what attributes they find most
important when choosing a smartwatch. Price was ranked most important with 60.52 percent of
respondents ranking this in the top two. Quality was the second highest rating with 36.84 percent
in the top two. Next in importance are technology and compatibility with other devices with
35.59 percent and 24.34 percent, respectively. Design was ranked last with 21.05 percent in the
top two. Based on these results, we can conclude that there is a disconnect with consumers who
view technology and design as being important, and how these same consumers do not view
Fossil as exceedingly innovative and fashionable. When asked what would prevent the
respondent most from wearing a Fossil watch, 37.84 percent cited that they prefer other brands,
while 35.14 percent say that the brand is too expensive.
Regarding brand performance the product itself is the heart of brand equity, influence of
experience with customers, what they hear about a brand and firm can tell customers about the
brand in their communications. One of the most interesting insights was that most respondents
viewed Fossil as divided between primarily being within the handbag or watch industry which
asked to simply choose one. This is could largely affect consumers outlook on both performance
and imagery if they are seen as an expert in the handbag industry when they are marketing a
smartwatch.
In order to see the consumer’s view of the brand personality of Fossil, we asked
respondents to state what type of car Fossil would be and why. Through the
answers that were given, we received great insight into Fossil’s perceived
personality. The majority of the cars that were listed were lower to middle class
cars. Cars such as Ford, Kia, Honda, and Toyota were some of the most commonly
chosen. This tells us where they view Fossil in the watch industry: not the top, but
average. Many of these answers were accompanied by explanations of how Fossil is
nice but outdated and not very trendy. One answer is as follows, “Fossil would be a
Toyota...dependable and reliable but not very chic/innovative.” One response that
stood out to us the most was “I️t would be the Hyundai Genesis or Mazda 6. It’s
trying to look the part but just isn’t there with the tech quality.” Lastly, someone had
responded that, “Fossil is like a VW beetle which is cute but not for everyone”. This comment
and other respondes indicate that not only are consumers confused about their brand image but
also about their personality. This perception that Fossil is a niche market not only limits your
audience but allows consumers to not feel any attachment or resonance”.
While answers like these prove that Fossil is not seen to be as innovative and fashionable
as the brand would like, other respondents had more positive things to say. These favorable
answers included some who thought Fossil was similar to a fancy sports car because it is a trendy
and popular brand. A few respondents cited a Mercedes as the first car that came to mind. With
respondents stating cars ranging from Ferrari to a old VW van there is clearly a misalignment in
Fossils brand image that we will address in our recommendations. Initially we had hoped to gain
a definitive and decisive brand imagery from consumers with this question, but found
consumers’ views to vary widely with no consensus. Fossil needs to establish itself consistently

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in consumers’ minds if they want to stay relevant and keep growing. Finally, heritage is
something that I believe is one of the most unique things about Fossil. Tom started this business
in his garage in 1984 and produced one of the first luxury watches that nearly anyone can afford
at that time period.
Brand responses are how customers respond to the brand. Brand judgments focus on
customers personal opinions and imagery that they associate with the brands. Brand superiority
is another important but I believe that Fossil is now offering other watches to combat with this
problem. Fossil started their own smartwatch, Fossil Q. Respondents are indicated that Fossil is
not a fresh or innovative company which is a very poor review if we are trying new technologies.
Finally, brand feelings is customers emotions and reactions to a particular brand. When
comparing Fossil against cars the brand was seen as dated, reliable, boring, small niche market
and more affordable models.
Finally, brand resonance goes beyond knowing the brand but really establishing a
relationship with the brand. Brand resonance is characterized by behavioral loyalty, attitudinal
attachment, sense of community and active engagement. As we discussed in brand feelings
Fossil did not have the most positive attachments to the brand itself. Finally, both sense of
community and active engagement is strong within Fossil. Fossil started the Fossil Firsts
campaign that sends out a free watch every week to one follower who posted user-generated
content.

Major Issues and Challenges

One major issue that Fossil is facing is that the brand is not salient in the mind of
consumers when considering where to buy a smartwatch. During our initial primary research, we
conducted in-depth interviews. We asked respondents to list the first five analog watch brands
that come to mind. Fossil was listed in the responses of 89 percent of the those interviewed,
showing us that it is a watch brand that has effectively established itself in the traditional, analog
watch market. However, when asked to list the top five smartwatch brands, only one responder
listed Fossil; the majority instead listed off several competitors.
We continued to explore saliency in a brand audit survey distributed through Qualtrics. In
our survey we found that over 66 percent of respondents were not aware that Fossil sold
smartwatches before beginning the survey, despite Fossil being the second most recognized
traditional watch brand in the survey. Out of 177 respondents, 151 selected that they recognized
Fossil as a traditional watch brand. This lack of recognition of Fossil’s smart watch offerings
translated to us that Fossil is falling short in it’s advertising and consumer education of these
products. Fossil has branded their smartwatch line as their Fossil Q line. We decided to continue
evaluating awareness by evaluating awareness of the Fossil Q branding. When shown the Fossil
Q logo and asked if they had seen the logo before, 67.53 percent of respondents chose that they
had never seen the logo before. Although the company has made an effort to create a brand
image for their new smart watches, it is clear that they are falling short in getting that brand
image out to consumers.
The second major issue faced by Fossil is a reluctance to believe that the brand’s
smartwatches are as capable as those of its competitors. Fossil is lacking emphasis of key points
of parity with other smart watch brands. By distinctly proving points of parity while maintaining
strong points of difference, Fossil will be able to establish itself as a relevant company in the
smartwatch industry. According to our brand audit survey, Fossil currently sits in the mind of
consumers as a classic, quality brand. Although this is good for their traditional watch sales, it is

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stunting the sales of their smartwatches. This is because the classic brand image is resulting in a
majority of consumers not associating Fossil with innovation the same way that they would with
competitors such as Apple. This leads to a distrust that Fossil Q smartwatches will perform on
the same level of technical ability as other smartwatches currently offered in the market. When
asked to rank Fossil on a scale of outdated to innovative, 53.64 percent of respondents ranked the
brand as being exactly between the two, revealing that most do not view the brand as one moving
forward in the technologically advanced marketplace. When asked to rank the brand between
boring and exciting, the respondents gave the brand an average ranking of almost exactly
between the two at 47.68 percent.
It addition to discovering these brand opinions, we found that the third major issue facing
the brand is that is seems to lack a solid identity within the watch industry. In our Qualtrics
survey, we conducted qualitative research on the image of Fossil by asking respondents what
kind of car they think fits the brand image. The responses we received were widely varied,
revealing to us that the brand lacks a unified image which is hurting both their traditional sales
and the introduction of new products such as the smart watches. The responses we received were
very scattered in description, including everything from Mercedes and Range Rover, because it’s
“classy” and “high quality” to a wood paneled car or Volkswagen Bug because it’s “outdated”
and “not for everyone.” This revealed to us how much variation there is in brand image.
However, the response we received the most of was a Cadillac because “it is classic but
outdated,” which reinforced some of our earlier findings.

Recommendations
Our first recommendation to Fossil would be to advertise their smartwatches more
proactively. After looking at our research, we can conclude that the majority of Fossil’s problems
stem from lack of brand salience. As we stated earlier in the audit, the majority of consumers are
not aware that Fossil produces smartwatches. Of those that are aware, many do not know that
Fossil smartwatches are just as capable as any other competitor. Based on our experiences, Fossil
has a great remarketing campaign. The company re-markets its advertisements on social media,
quizlet, and websites. While their remarketing efforts are satisfactory they have very little
presence when it comes to marketing to new consumers who have not previously showed online
interest. They also have had a television advertisement that introduced the smartwatches which
was advertised for a short amount of time and had very few impressions. Aside for this single
television ad, there have not been many advertisements.Due to the lack of advertisements and
marketing, there is an overall lack of awareness among potential consumers.
Another recommendation would be to improve Fossil’s brand cohesiveness. Currently,
there is a disconnect between advertising for its traditional and smartwatch products. While
consumers recognize traditional Fossil logos and merchandise, they do not associate the red “Q”
with the Fossil brand. The smartwatch branding elements are more colorful, inconsistently used
and do not fit in with the overall Fossil brand. We recommend either changing the color of the
smartwatch logo, or using the “Q” more cohesively in connection to the traditional Fossil logo.
Our third recommendation consists of making Fossil’s advertising more informative.
Because smartwatches are a high-involvement purchase, consumers want to learn more about the
product in order to ensure that they are spending their money wisely. Previously, Fossil has been
able to utilize simple, aesthetically pleasing ads because their products were not very complex.
Consumers were well-aware of analog wristwatch capabilities. However, now the smartwatch
technology and capabilities are more uncertain and risky in the mind of consumers.

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Smartwatches are a new product category for Fossil, therefore they require a new type of
innovative marketing. The brand needs to shift their marketing methods to better show the Fossil
Q line and its capabilities in order to be seen as a serious product.
Our last recommendation for Fossil is to implement in-store demonstrations led by
technology experts. As of right now, Fossil is experiencing point-of-parity issues in that many
consumers are not sold on the fact that Fossil is just as capable as Apple or Fitbit is. Another way
in which Fossil can prove its seriousness in the industry is to provide extra in-store support for its
customers. Similar to Apple, Fossil can employ in-store tech experts to teach consumers how to
use the products while they are shopping. This is a great way to demonstrate the innovative and
technologically advanced side that Fossil so desperately needs to show.

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Appendices
Works Cited

Fossil Group. “Fossil Group Annual 2016 Report.” Fossil Group, Inc., 2016,

eproxymaterials.com/interactive/fosl2016/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.

Halkias, Maria. “Fossil Shares Sink After Company Loss and Watch Sales Drop Again.”

Dallas News, 8 Aug. 2017, https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2017/08/08/fossil-

shares-sink-company-loss-watch-sales-drop. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.

Statistic Brain. “Wrist Watch Industry Statistics.” Statistics Brain Research Institute, 1

Aug. 2016, https://www.statisticbrain.com/wrist-watch-industry-statistics/. Accessed 21 Nov.

2017.

Thompson, Joe. “Business News: Forget the Swiss, Its Fossil That Apple is Threatening.”

Hodinkee, 19 Sep. 2017, https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/forget-the-swiss-its-fossil-that-

apple-is-threatening. Accessed 4 Dec. 2017.

Qualtrics Survey Questions

1. Which traditional (non-smartwatch) watch brands do you recognize? (Check all that apply
Seiko Timex Daniel Wellington
Casio Swatch Omega
Rolex Micahel Kors Other
Fossil Tag Heuer None of the above
2. What are the smartwatch brands that you recognize? (Check all that apply)
Apple Huawei Other
FitBit LG None of the above
Fossil Samsung
Garmin Sony
3. Please rank the most important qualities or attributes you are looking for in a traditional
watch (1 being most important and 5 being least important).
-Price -Brand Recognition -Quality
-Design -Size
4. Please rank the most important qualities or attributes you are looking for in a smartwatch (1
being most important and 7 being least important).

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-Compatible with other -Price -Size
devices -Quality -Brand Recognition
-Design -Technology
5. Do you currently own a traditional watch?
-Yes, I currently own a traditional watch -No, I currently do not own a traditional
watch
(Skip Logic) If yes:
6. What brand is your traditional watch?
Casio Nixon Skagen
Coach Michael Kors Swatch
Daniel Wellington Omega TAG Heuer
Fossil Rolex Timex
Kate Spade Seiko Other
(Skip Logic) If yes:
7. How often do you wear your traditional watch?
-Everyday -A few times a month -Never
-A few times a week -Only for special occasions
8. Do you currently own a smartwatch?
-Yes, I currently own a smartwatch -No, I currently do not own a smartwatch
(Skip Logic) If yes:
9. What brand is your smartwatch?
Apple Garmin Sony
FitBit LG TAG Heur
Fossil Samsung Other
(Skip Logic) If yes:
10. How often do you wear your smartwatch?
-Everyday -A few times a month -Never
-A few times a week -Only for special occasions
11. To what extent do the following adjectives describe Fossil watches?
-Boring - Exciting
-Unfashionable - fashionable
-Outdated - innovative
12. When you think of Fossil, which category do you associate with the brand the most?
-Purses -Accessories
-Watches -I don’t know much about Fossil
13. Which of these logos have you seen?

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14. Have you seen this logo before?

-Yes, I have seen this logo before. -No, I have not seen this logo before
15. Where have you seen advertising for the Fossil Smartwatch Q?
-In stores -Celebrity -None of the above
-Magazines Endorsers/Influencers
-Social Media -TV/Online Commercial
16. What would prevent you from wearing a Fossil watch?
-My friends don’t wear it -Not trendy enough -I am not familiar with
-Too expensive -I prefer other brands Fossil at all
17. If Fossil were a car, what type of car would it be and why?
-Opened ended
18. Which smartwatch would you wear based on design?

19. Before taking this survey, did you know that Fossil carried smartwatches?
-Yes -No
20. What is your age?
-Open ended
21. What is your gender?
-Male -Female -Prefer not to answer
22. What is your ethnicity?
-White -Asian -Other
-Black or African -Native Hawaiian or -Prefer not answer
American Pacific Islander
-American Indian or -Hispanic or Latin
Alaska Native American

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 Qualtrics Survey Results
*The following includes survey responses from 177 respondents

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 Interview Notes
*The following includes interview notes from 9 separate interviews, including 5 males and 4
females, aged 19-26.
1. What are the first 5 watch brands that come to mind? Out of those, which brand do
you think is superior and why?
○ #1 Interview: Rolex (because of the craftsmanship), Casio, Seiko, Fossil, Timex
○ #2 Interview: Michele, Rolex (because of the esteemed brand they have high
status), Tag, Breitling
○ #3 Interview: Rolex (because it has a stronger brand name a quality is
reliable), Fossil, Fitbit, Michael Kors, Chanel

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 ○ #4 Interview: Fossil, Michael Kors (because she associates it with being classy,
fashionable, and high end), Kate Spade, G-Shock, Rolex Michael Kors
○ #5 Interview: Apple (because it’s technology and tracks your information),
Fossil, Timex, Rolex, Garmin
○ #6 Interview: Rolex (higher quality), Timex, Tag Heuer, Fossil, Casio
○ #7 Interview: Swiss Army watches (best quality and less blingy), Fossil, Rolex
○ #8 Interview: Rolex, Victorinox, Swatch, Seiko (it’s reliable, well-made, isn’t
too expensive and looks nice)
○ #9 Interview: Rolex, Timex, Tag Huer (because they always have really good
ads with airplanes), Fossil, Gucci

2. What are the first 5 smartwatch brands that come to mind? Out of those, which
brand do you think is superior and why?
○ #1 Interview: Apple, Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit (it has the stuff that I need in it.
It has the capabilities and UI make it easy enough to use), Google
○ #2 Interview: Apple (capability with the other devices we use), Fitbit
○ #3 Interview: Fitbit (brand loyalty) Apple, Garmin
○ #4 Interview: Apple (functionality, high end), Fitbit, “maybe an Android one?”
○ #5 Interview: Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, Fossil, Android/Samsung
○ #6 Interview: Apple (I generally prefer Apple products over the Samsung),
Samsung
○ #7 Interview: Apple (more features), Fitbit
○ #8 Interview: Apple (I’ve heard about them the most, most people have them,
most features, best quality, syncs well with other devices), Samsung?
○ #9 Interview: Apple (sees apple products as always superior), FitBit, Samsung,
LG, Sony

3. When buying a analog watch, what qualities or characteristics do you look for?
○ #1 Interview: Craftsmanship of the watch that makes the watch work, material
and do not buy non metal watches
○ #2 Interview: Features it has, telling dates, durable, classic, won’t go out of style
and not trendy
○ #3 Interview: Style and fashion. You want to feel proud of what you are wearing
○ #4 Interview: Classy face, band that will go with everything, quality
○ #5 Interview: I don’t look for an analog watch, I prefer smart watches
○ #6 Interview: has to be stylish, not too large, nice face
○ #7 Interview: Neutral colors, leather, easy to read, durable

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 ○ #8 Interview: Easy to tell time, quality, style, weight, not too expensive but not
cheap either
○ #9 Interview: Style, durability, affordability
4. When buying a smartwatch, what qualities or characteristics do you look for?
○ #1 Interview: Easy and use, can see the time immediately
○ #2 Interview: Capability with other devices, easy to use, tracks what we want
○ #3 Interview: Fitness tracking, design does not matter as much, price
○ #4 Interview: Ability to track fitness, functions well with other apple devices, and
miniature version of phone- safety measures
○ #5 Interview: Fitness tracking, give you the weather, tell you calendar dates,
tracks heart rate, shows notifications
○ #6 Interview: I don’t want a smartwatch, but if I were to buy one I would get an
Apple watch with a black band or a nice gold band
○ #7 Interview: Durable, small (not chunky), not flashy, long lasting charge
○ #8 Interview: Screen size, battery life, readability, features, maintenance, price
(not too expensive), durable
○ #9 Interview: Features, functions, things he would personally use it for
5. How often do you find yourself wearing a watch? Why? Where do you normally wear a
watch (everyday wear, special occasions etc)?
○ #1 Interview: Everyday- Fitbit/ just for school purposes or different ones for
different occasions; prefers analog watches for nicer events
○ #2 Interview: Everyday- I use it to tell time and something I always wear. If I am
going camping I will go with a crappy watch but otherwise I wear my Michele
watch.
○ #3 Interview: Every day. Wears it all the time for most occasions
○ #4 Interview: Wear watch almost every day
○ #5 Interview: Everyday. I wear a smartwatch so I wear it all the time.
○ #6 Interview: I go through phases where I wear them everyday or never. Right
now it’s never, but I’ll probably go back to wearing it everyday again.
○ #7 Interview: Never because use my phone to tell time. I also think I would
damage it. If I had one I guess I would wear it everyday but don’t see the point.
○ #8 Interview: Almost never, I use my phone to tell time. I would only wear one
for a special occasion to look nice.
○ #9 Interview: twice a year (nice occasions/when wearing a suit), only wears few
times because he buys cheap watches that break
6. What brand of watches do you own? Why did you choose this brand(s)
○ #1 Interview: Fitbit, Casio, Seiko; primarily for craftsmanship (don’t wear that
often nowadays)
○ #2 Interview: Michele, Timex

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 ○ #3 Interview: Fitbit for the technology and smartwatch appeal, Fossil: the look
and popularity
○ #4 Interview: Michael Kors, Kate Spade: both are high end products. More for
fashion purposes. Apple: functionality and trend
○ #5 Interview: Apple for the technology (an Apple junky)
○ #6 Interview: Timex
○ #7 Interview: don’t own any
○ #8 Interview: one - Seiko. It was a gift from my dad. He got it because it’s high
quality and looks nice for formal occasions.
○ #9 Interview: Nike, Kenneth Cole Reaction; Cheap
7. Do you own a smartwatch?
○ Only three respondents said yes (#3 Interview: FitBit, #4 Interview, #5 Interview:
Apple)
8. When you think of Fossil, what comes to mind? (If they don’t know or stumble- you can
say name 3 characteristics when you think of the brand Fossil)
○ #1 Interview: very big in heavy watches, I have owned them before but don’t
wear them, the battery has been dead for 6 years, they are more associated with
cheaper quality and you don’t see them for strip malls and that’s what they
associate with them
○ #2 Interview: affordable, durable, always something for everyone, appeals to a
wide audience
○ #3 Interview: Have a good warranty program. Always go in to get service,
friendly service, high quality
○ #4 Interview: Accessories (watches bags and belts), quality customer service,
variety of products, affordable
○ #5 Interview: I think of purses first, then watches. Pretty good quality (for how
expensive they can be they better be good quality!)
○ #6 Interview: I think of leather bags and wallets and watches. Classic but trendy.
Expensive
○ #7 Interview: Modern, sleek design, High-end shopping, also sell bags and wallets
○ #8 Interview: Never heard of it
○ #9 Interview: Unstylish people, classic but ugly, makes him think you’re also
wearing cargo shorts and an aeropostale t shirt
9. What feelings or associations do you have with the Fossil brand?
○ #1 Interview: Nothing else
○ #2 Interview: Unfamiliar with the brand, younger people but people who are
buying watches for the first time on their own
○ #3 Interview: Good service
○ #4 Interview: N/A
○ #5 Interview: good feelings, nothing bad about them

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 ○ #6 Interview: a quality brand and pretty widespread
○ #7 Interview: Nice but not practical for everyday use. Just not interested
○ #8 Interview: Unfamiliar with the brand
○ #9 Interview: Him in 5th grade when he wore an American Eagle t shirt everyday;
but also durable quality products
10. What brands do you feel are most similar to Fossil?
○ #1 Interview: Timex- because around the same quality
○ #2 Interview: I can’t think of any
○ #3 Interview: Michael kors
○ #4 Interview: Kate Spade
○ #5 Interview: Michael Kors (but different style than Fossil-- at least with their
purses!)
○ #6 Interview: I have no clue what to compare it to!
○ #7 Interview: Can’t really think of any
○ #8 Interview: Unfamiliar
○ #9 Interview: Aeropostale, Buckle
IF PARTICIPANTS OWN A FOSSIL WATCH (Only two interviewees)
11. If you do own a Fossil watch what situations or events do you wear the watch?
○ Wear the watch every day for almost every occasion
12. How do you feel when you are wearing your Fossil watch?
○ Not special anymore now that everyone has one
○ Not the top of the technology
○ Stylish

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