batiste | rafter
Partnership Proposal
gameplan
To start, we are generally targeting men in a middle-high income bracket between the ages of 25-45 living in urban areas. Most heavily, we are targeting men in this demo who love basketball and/or sneaker culture. Eventually, we plan to expand the brand's reach to men of all ages who don't necessarily love basketball, but love the Rafter style - just as Ralph Lauren isn't just for polo lovers and many people wear Jordans who don't play basketball.
We would like to introduce signature shoe lines for players as well as other influential figures outside the sport, starting with Jon Batiste. We will also expand beyond shoes - we are already in the process of designing suits and accessories that also pull inspiration from basketball culture, e.g. blazers modeled after varsity jackets or carryon bags modeled after classic gym bags.
We plan to open retail locations that are more than just clothing stores. They will be similar to golf clubs with a classic locker room aesthetic for the clothing display, and in the back, a space to hangout and watch basketball while sitting in a nice leather chair and drinking a glass of scotch. We will create a community - a comfortable place where our customers will congregate on a regular basis to socialize, watch important games, listen to interesting speakers, and network. We even foresee eventually opening high-end basketball clubs with courts and gyms.
We have many other exciting plans for directions this brand can go, and would love Jon to contribute his ideas and creativity as a founding member of the team.
EXPRESS YOURSELF TODAY, CAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY
You will no longer go to weddings or offices where every man is wearing the same outfit. Rafter will provide the same range of styles that women have with formal attire. We believe the lack of self-expression from men in society is perpetuated by homophobia and the idea that emotions are an exclusively feminine concept. We believe access to more expressive clothing that promotes individualism can play a significant role in allowing men to open up.
find your arena and rise
The Rafter Club represents the pursuit of greatness. A significant part of our goal is to help people with less opportunity find their arena of life and rise to its rafters. We plan to start an inner city youth mentorship program through Rafter called Rise, where kids come together around their love for basketball in a safe space and receive guidance on how to pursue their off-court dreams. We also plan to start a program called Well Suited that provides free Rafter suits and career counseling to ex-cons applying for jobs.