Creating A Fashion Brand

Wk 4. Website Evaluation Form: Swishing.org

2009-03-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

1 = strongly agree..........6 = strongly dissagree

1. Effective use of colour on main page? 2, Black background with pink & white writing. Girly but serious.

2. Effective use of graphics on main page? 2, Only one banner image - is effective but could use more.

3. Consistant use of colour throughout site? 1, Strong colour scheme

4. Consistant look and feel throughout site? 2, Font use is basic - no different fonts used for titles etc.

5. Proffessional use of wording? 1

6. Contact person easy to identify? 1, Ashley Dow's email or telephone number given for media enquiries.

7. Site easy to navigate? 2

8. Returning to the main page easy? 1, 'Home' button on top left of each page

9. Site features good FAQs? 5, No FAQ's, although there is a definition of swapping and how to arrange swaps.

10. Site is exciting? 2, Could use photos taken from the swapping events on the home page to create more hype.

11. Site contents are appealing? 3

12. Site appears to be up to date? 1, Events are all in date order and old ones removed accordingly

13. Overall evaluation of site? 3, It needs to encourage more interaction from members - maybe through a forum or by persuading upload of photos from private swaps members have arranged.

14. Would you recommend this site to other people? Yes, it is organised for a great cause and is inkeeping with money saving / recession worries current to today.

The Ragdoll Video Advert!!!

2009-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

Starring my sister as Ragdoll and my boyfriend as camera man. It is not the best quality as had to upload a low quality one. Please let me know your comments below, especially whether you think it effectively portrays the clothes swapping idea...

Enjoy!

Some Interesting Statistics On Unwanted Clothes

2009-03-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

* UK Government statistics show that there are 2.4bn pieces of clothing unworn for an entire 12 months (many possibly brand new) cluttering up the national wardrobe, which adds up to a whopping £10bn worth of unused clothes, shoes, bags etc. Source: YouGov.

* The new First Lady of America Michelle Obama recently organised an up-market swap party in New York city. Source: CNN.

* The average UK woman spends nearly £13,000 on clothes she'll never wear. Source: BBC.

* Women in the UK spend a staggering £6bn every year on clothes, shoes and accessories they'll never wear. This means there are more than 30m wardrobes, each packed with at least £216 of unworn items many still with tags. Source: Bigwardrobe.com.

* Swapping will be a major trend for 2009, according to research that suggests 5.5m people (12 per cent) exchanged goods with others in 2008. A further 11m (24%) plan to swap items in 2009, the poll, conducted by ICM for broadband provider TalkTalk, indicated. Clothing topped the list (19%) followed by cosmetics (9%) and books (8%). Source: TalkTalk.

* Nearly 2m tonnes of discarded clothing, shoes and accessories go to UK landfill sites every year. This represents nearly 4% of all the waste in Britain that is sent to landfill annually. Source: The Observer.

Wk 5. Flesch & Fog Indices - How Readable Is My Promotional Blurb?

2009-03-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wardrobe Nightmare?

Maybe it's full of dated high street 'trends', or maybe you can't afford to keep up with them!

Maybe your clothes are just too bland, or have you simply outgrown them?

Why not come raid ours!

Ragdoll is revolutionising the way fashionistas acquire clothes by bringing free clothes swapping to the high street. Women in the UK spend a staggering £6 billion every year on clothes they will never wear. Instead of private swaps we are inviting everyone to take part by bringing unwanted clothing to swap in our neat and tidy boutique stores.

Save money, be resourceful and get style savvy!

Flesch Indice:
0 = unreadable.....100 = very readable

Readability for Promotional Blurb = 75.92

Fog Indice:
0 = very readable...10 = becoming hard...20 = very hard
Readability for Promotional Blurb = 8.43

Video Shooting

2009-03-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

I shot my video over the weekend using my sister as the 'Rag Doll', my boyfriend as the camera man and myself as make up/scenery/producer! Preperation for the video took a while as I had to decide which scenes would be least busy to shoot in, track down a mannequin and camera tripod, find a red wig, and bribe my sister into the lead role.

We completed the filming in one afternoon - it started raining as we were finishing which was lucky. The only problem I discovered when watching the video clips back was that one scene (at the park) has the sun shining into the camera which has distorted the picture slightly.

I have shortened the Aerosmith "Rag Doll" song so that the intro is shortened and the singing comes into the advert earlier on. I also changed the ending slightly from my original storyboard by using a rag doll boy who cheers up when being given a top hat by the rag doll. I thought this ending was more fun than the group of girls in the storyboard as it portrays the clothes swapping idea more clearly.

Here is a little snippet from the filming yesterday!

My Draft Video Storyboard!

2009-03-04T03:05:00.000-08:00

The video idea follows a girl (with rag doll wig / make-up) who is fed up of her clothes. She leaves her house and embarks on her journey where she keeps coming across mannequins in the street / in the subway / in the park. Each time she sees a new outfit on a mannequin she changes into it. At the end a group of girls are staring at her clothes in admiration....she hands them a card which the camera zooms in on. On the card is the brand logo. Background music once edited will be Aerosmith - Rag Doll. Below is a rough storyboard for the video:

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Wk 3. WGC Case Study

2009-03-04T01:27:00.000-08:00

(1) What characteristics did the WGC use to segment the consumer market?
- Country of residence (6 countries; India, Turkey, China, Saudi Arabia, USA and Italy)
- Behaviour & attitudes towards gold jewellery / luxury goods (I.e. an expression of wealth and tradition, emotional benefits, a financial investment)
- Usage of gold & values held (such as chosing yellow or white gold & ideals women hold central to their lives)

(2) What were the key aspects of the re-branding campaign? Globally? Locally?
A key finding globally showed that today's modern women primarly want to look their best for personal gratification. Women are also driven to gold for sentimentality (e.g. a gift from someone special or as a symbol of a person's individuality) and so purchasing levels have increased with women more willing to treat themselves (gold jewellery demand rose 17% compared to only 7% in non-promoted regions).

Locally, advertising campaigns and projects have been adapted to suit differing attitudes and values within the 6 countries. For example, the USA advertising campaigns use real women in real situations so as to relate to USA women's everyday lives and using gold to symbolise key events. On the other hand, adverts in the Middle East use rising pop star Nancy Adram as a brand ambassador to express gold as modern, bold and contemporary – moving away from it's previous image of 'old fashioned'.

By segmenting the attitudes of women wearing gold according to where they live, advertising campaigns have been tailored to appeal to values which are common in these locations – encompassing the different values from country to country.

Logo / Brand Name Ideas

2009-03-02T08:25:00.001-08:00

Backing Music For My Advert?

2009-02-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have been searching on YouTube for doll-type inspiration for my advert. And Lookey what I Found....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBOz1znAIfc

My Survey....

2009-02-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

Just sent out my survey via email and networking site Facebook.....

I am hoping to find out which brand name is most popular for me to adopt for me brand, and also decipher which media to use for targetting my audience. Already had about 10 responses in 30minutes so it's going well. If you would like to have a peek (and fill it in!) please go to:

http://www.freesurveysonline.com/fso/AskSurvey.fso?Survey=16275&CheckID=13986

Coverage of Clothes Swapping & Swap Shops

2009-02-27T02:47:00.000-08:00

Since I have decided to base my brand on a clothes swapping idea, I seem to see clothes swaps mentioned in every paper or magazine I open! Yesterday I saw an online swap shop (whatsmineisyours.com) mentioned in the Feb/March Dare magazine (free from Superdrug) which had a double spread on 'Cheap & Chic' - how to be thrifty in the recession. Also, The London Paper had a section on clothes swapping parties.

It seems that the recession is encouraging people to re-think fast fashion and rebel against the throw away culture we have become. What better way to do this then re-using perfectly good clothing which would have otherwise been dumped in a land fill, and saving money for more necessary items. Besides, wo wants to follow high street dictated trends when you can create your own!

MY online research has flagged up LOADS of clothes swap coverage dating back two years. Also, I searched on networking site Facebook and found over 500 results under the bracket 'clothes swap'. There are many small gatherings arranged by students at their universities and also within young twenty-something groups of friends, but nothing with a large following. Refferring to the AIDA model of communication, it is my aim to make more people aware of the swap shop phenomenon by creating attention on networking sites, and then with my advert create interest and desire. To cause action I will think of an instore promotion or giveaway to bring footfall to the store(s).

Further Clothes Swapping Coverage:

Marie Claire
“It's everything we want to be right now – ethical, environmentally friendly and fabulous!”

Cosmopolitan
“Swapping is the latest trend guaranteed to give you a shopping high without spending a cent.”

InStyle
“Trade that Dior saddle bag for a Stella McCartney corset.”

Vogue
“The idea is straight forward and simple – if one person doesn’t want a particular handbag, pair of shoes or trainers, in fact any garment – then I'm sure that someone somewhere in the world would be delighted to own the very same piece – giving it a complete new lease of life.”

Elle
“The underground party scene.”

The Mail
“…switch that bought-on-impulse Marc Jacobs mini (bought in a colour that never really suited you) for someone else's once worn Stella McCartney pencil pants.”

The Guardian
“It brings together ethical shopping with bargain hunting, and fast fashion with vintage clothing with just a dash of MySpace-generation on-line networking added to whip up the waves a little bit more.”

The Daily Telegraph
“You never know what you might get for your old clothes.”

New York Times
“Not just for young starving artists, hipster students and fashionistas-on-a-budget, but women - and men - of all ages and income levels.”

(Source: Bigwardrobe.com)

Wk 2. Market Segmentation & Customer Targetting

2009-02-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

Chris Fill (Marketing Communications 2006) explains that segmenting is neccessary because a single product is unlikely to meet the needs of all customers in a mass market. Therefore we can divide the mass market according to the following methods of segmentation:

Demographic focuses on key variables such as age, sex, occupation, religion, social class, education and income.Geographic Segmentation follows the idea that the different needs of potential customers in one geographic area are different from those in another area.
Geodemographic considers the relationship between the type of housing a person lives in and their purchasing behaviours (i.e. ACORN profiling – where we live determines how we live).
Psychographic analyses AIO (activities, interests and opinions) to determine a person’s lifestyle or patterns of behaviour. It synthesises motivators, personality traits and core values held by individuals. By clustering common lifestyles, a correlation can be identified between a consumer’s product and media usage.

Behaviouristic puts usage and lifestyle into segments by analysing markets on the basis of customer behaviour (e.g. USAGE = how often someone buys, for what situation and where it was purchased / LIFESTYLE = looks at varying disposable income & differing needs at various life stages).

Who Is My target Customer???

To assist me with segmenting the demographic target customer for my clothes swapping brand, I have gathered resources from online interviews with Matt Poulton - Marketing Lead for clothes swapping website Swango.com. Matt highlights the much higher ratio of women partaking in clothes swapping than men, "Although our target audience remains largely female, our business strategy is to reach men through their female companions and wives". The clothes swapping idea has been a huge success for women who see it also as a socialising event, but there has not been anything near as much interest from men.

Secondly, Matt explains how initially Swango.com aimed its efforts primarily at the environmentally conscious crowd, and later also targetted fashion lovers and bargain hunters. I hope to attract ethical shoppers through the premise of recycling, however my target customer will be the fashion conscious who may not be able to afford new brand names (i.e. students).

Therefore, my target customer demographic will be:

Females, aged 18-30 educated to college or university level, middle class, Full time student (with possible part time job) or full time office type job (entry level job), low salary - possibly dependent on student loan, high interest in fashion, socialising, freedom of expression.

According to ACORN (geodemographic segmentation), my target customers are types 17-20, and 23-25. This includes;

multi-ethnic young educated workers starting out in their careers (i.e. office, clerical or lower managerial) & students, aged in their twenties. They live in denseley populated areas, or in the suburbs close by, in small flats (often purpose built). They are well above average in terms of qualitifcations held (NVQs, A levels, Degrees) and tend to use public transport as their main means of getting around. The most popular newspapers are The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer and The Times. This segment like spending their money on shopping and eating out and are comfortable internet users, as well as frequentcoffee shop users. Typical cities of residence include; Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge, , Plymouth, Bath and Southampton. Typical suburban areas of residence include; Richmond-upon-Thames, Sutton, Bromley, Cheltenham, St Albans and Guildford.

According to E-Types (psychographic segmentation) which segments customers according to how they use the internet, my target customers are:

Group B - Frequent Socialisers. These are the most active users of technology for socialising. This group has a strong bias towards the under 25's, living in rented accommodation. Incomes tend to be lower than average and perhaps as a consequence, they tend to spend less online than other people. They make significantly more use of social networking sites than other groups. Instant messaging is preferred to email and they are enthusiastic about downloading music, ringtones and TV programmes. This group includes the most prolific of users of text messages and download the widest variety of things to their mobile phones. Immediacy of communication is a requirement of the fast pace of this youngsters' social world.

According to VALs (psychographic segmentation) which segments customers according to values and lifestyles, my target customers are:

Experiencers - motivated by self-expression. As young, enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers, Experiencers quickly become enthusiastic about new possibilities but are equally quick to cool. They seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social activities.Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis they place on looking good and having "cool" stuff.
Innovators - successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high self-esteem. Because they have such abundant resources, they exhibit all three primary motivations in varying degrees. They are change leaders and are the most receptive to new ideas and technologies. Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services.Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status or power but as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality. Innovators are among the established and emerging leaders in business and government, yet they continue to seek challenges. Their lives are characterized by variety. Their possessions and recreation reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life.

Wk 2. Primark - My Recommendations For Giving a Physical Presence To The Brand

2009-02-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

Brand Strategy
Positioning is, “The act of designing the company's offering and image so that they occupy a meaningful and distinct competitive position in the target customer's minds” (Kotler 1997). Positioning is not about the product but actually what the customer thinks about the product or organisation. Therefore it is about visability and recognition of what a product represents for a buyer.

Primark targets males, females and children within the mass market. The age of its target customers are from early teens to the middle aged (mostly women buying for the family). It positions itself in customers minds as the cheapest fashion clothing brand in the UK and does not partake in advertising strategies to emphasise this. However, the positioning strategy only works on differentiating Primark as the cheapest clothing retailer, and does not gain a meaningful position in customers minds as being fashion forward or of considerable quality – simply 'cheap'.

I would suggest that Primark adopts a positioning concept that emphasises how quickly it responds to new fashions and creates imitations off the catwalk (i.e. product features). Instead of positioning Primark primarily as 'cheap' it would serve them better to create an illusion of youth culture and being fresh and foremost with the newest fashions in a bid to remove associations with mass production and mass culture. Perhaps one way to initiate this would be to would be to establish an online store, giving Primark an online physical presence also. The teenage / young adult generation of today are highly influenced and dependent on the internet for research, social networking and downloading music. However, many of the online clothing stores target women aged 25-45 who may see ordering online as more convenient (i.e. Next, Debenhams, Littlewoods, Dorothy Perkins). If Primark were to open an online store it could position itself in the minds of teenagers as the most accessible online store, with the freshest fashions. The only competition currently is New Look which is still more expensive (around 50% more in the case of jeans, accessories and shoes).

Brand Proposition
Primark's products include lingerie, nightwear, hosiery, footwear, clothing, accessories and even home ware. Stores are large (2-3 floors) which are generally laid out with the floors split into two categories such as womenswear & accessories, menswear & underwear, footwear & childrens wear. The clothes are crammed onto stands and positioned very closely to one another. When the store is busy the close proximity of the cramped stands adds to Primark portraying a frenzied persona and is often off putting to customers who describe it as a 'jumble sale'.

I would suggest that Primark use better visual displays in store by having mannequins with outfit ideas on with the clothing hanging beside. The window displays at Primark look fantastic – but go into the store and it is virtually impossible to find the items to put together yourself. If Primark could put together inspirational displays it would suggest to the customer that Primark believes in its own clothing, and demonstrates how it can be put together to look fashionable. Furthermore, it shows that the brand has gone to the trouble of using visual merchandising expertise to offer customers a better store experience.

Brand Expression & Communication
As mentioned earlier, Primark has little in terms of expression and communication as it does not advertise. The only place the logo can be seen is on shopping bags and on the store logo suggesting it does not feel the need to insist on a reputation other than 'that cheap place'. To express the brand as being fresh and foremost with the newest fashions they could print 'coming soon...' images of new items on their shopping bags for the view of high street shoppers. Also, in keeping with the online store idea, Primark could send weekly emails to customers showing ' the latest looks' – alongside catwalk trends or celebrity outfits.

Wk 2 Task - Videos & Targetting

2009-02-23T03:14:00.000-08:00

Bathroom Graduate

What Would I Sell Them? A digital radio

How? Advert in free press (Metro)

What Messages To Send? Better quality sound & variation

Getting Ready Graduate

What Would I Sell Them? A better value mobile contract

How? Direct mail

What Messages To Send? save money on cheaper tariff

Pre Friday Graduate
What Would I Sell Them? A mobile with MP3 player

How? Online advert (Amazon)

What Messages To Send? Less to carry - compact & multi-function

Weekday Eve Graduate

What Would I Sell Them? A DVD

How? Outdoor / transport advert

What Messages To Send? Make your own cinema at home

Work School Graduate
What Would I Sell Them? Concert / theatre tickets

How? Local brochure / local radio advert

What Messages To Send? A night not to be missed / one night only

Bathroom Party Girl
What Would I Sell Them? Blonde 'bombshell' shampoo

How? Promotional voucher in paper

What Messages To Send? Make your hair sexy too / look posh

Bedroom Party Girl

What Would I Sell Them? Aromatherapy candles

How? Internet video advert

What Messages To Send? Escape from everyday stress - 'me time'

Pre Friday Party Girl
What Would I Sell Them? Glow sticks

How? Bus stop advert

What Messages To Send? Out of this world - no ordinary accessory

Travelling Party Girl
What Would I Sell Them? Oyster / student travel card

How? Bill board advert

What Messages To Send? Save money on travel - more cash for clubbing

Travelling Professional
What Would I Sell Them? A portable TV with radio

How? Advert in The Times

What Messages To Send? Always up to date & never lets you down

Bathroom Professional
What Would I Sell Them? Electric razor

How? Advert in Argus Lite

What Messages To Send? Save time in mornings / shave lasts longer

Getting Ready Professional
What Would I Sell Them? An au pair service

How? Local radio / direct mail

What messages To Send? Get help at home & more family time

Shopping Professional
What Would I Sell Them? Online food shopping service

How? Weekend supplements

What Messages To Send? Midweek delivery available / spend Saturdays having fun

Weekday Eve Professional

What Would I Sell Them? Bathtime children's books

How? Poster at train station

What Messages To Send? Make bathtime fun educational for your kids

Swap Shops on The High Street - 2nd Idea For My Brand

2009-02-23T01:49:00.000-08:00

With the ever increasing popularity of vintage clothing, recycling or remodelling garments and charity shop bargaining, I felt it would be a prime time to revolutionise the way clothing swaps operate.

Currently, there are various sources online such as Bigwardrobe.com, CovertCandy, Whatsmineisyours.com, Swango.com and Swapz.co.uk which allow members to swap clothing online. However, as these online swap shops are relatively new, they have few members and so minimal numbers of clothing available. Furthermore, many of the members actually ask for cash - as opposed to an item to trade, which isn't really the idea most members had when signing up to a 'swapping' site. Another issue with these websites is the little or zero feedback on members. As these websites are still in the early stages there is generally no information on feedback history, therefore how is one member to be sure of the second's honesty and reliability? Furthermore the issue of postage cost adds to the transaction which means evidently you are paying something for the item - not getting if 'for free' as you might think initially.

Another way clothes are swapped are at organised clothes swapping events, such as VisaSwap, Swap-A-Rama Razmatazz, Swishing and Camilla Younges 'Y Shop' swapping parties. However, these are mostly held in London and have no form of promotion which means only their regulars will know of them. The only ones to hold regular swapping events are Swap-A-Rama (monthly in London) and Swishing (locally once every three months). The others only tend to only happen bi-annually or less!

My idea is to make clothes swapping more mainstream, more regular and more visable by creating a swap shop brand. The brand will have physical stores on the high street, which I hope will further encourage a recycling culture of people who exchange their old clothes for points. This would allow cities outside of London to get involved with stores in Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester etc. Customers can then use their points at other swap shop stores - not neccessarily having to use them in the store they donated their clothes. Futhermore it removes the cost of postage which seems to be putting people off websites like BigWardrobe and Swapz.

I would have to consider how the brand would fund itself - for instance staff wages and store rent. I believe charging customers a membership may be a possible option or getting local designers to collaborate on remaking new garments, which would be available for purchase (not swap). Also, customising workshops could be held for the public which charge an entry fee. The brands personality would emphasize the importance of recycling and creating amazing new looks for free.

Taken from: http://www.timeout.com/london/features/3112/Clothes_swapping_parties.html

Perceptual Map Of Competitors

Wk 1. The 4 C's (Advertising Management)

2009-02-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

The table above displays how different aspects of advertising can be compared against one another - namely communications, credibility, cost and control. We can see that although TV and outdoor advertising do not deliver a personal message, target specifically, and are a costly investment, in terms of cost per contact (or number of views) it is extremely worthwhile. The major drawback of these types of advertising is their lack of flexibility. For example, once the TV advert has been manufactured, paid for and aired, if the public do not read the advert as it is intended it is too late to alter it. A great example of this is the Tango advert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV8zGNe7Ebg) which actually encouraged a slapping epidemic in school playgrounds, as opposed to Tango's 'refreshing' ideological idea.

On the other hand, adverts online, radio and press are much more flexible. Credibility is probably highest in press advertising because it seems almost endorsed by the publication it features in. Where the public are dubious of television adverts which often promote aspirational lifestyles, they can choose which publication to read and so the choice in publication often means their being better targetted to.

Russian Dolls - 1st Idea For My Brand

2009-02-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

A matryoshka doll, a Babushka doll or a Russian nested doll, is a set of dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside the other. "Matryoshka" is a derivative of the Russian female first name "Matryona", which was a very popular name among peasants in old Russia.

(taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matryoshka_doll)

I first thought of the idea when I came accross a set of mugs with the design on http://www.dotmaison.com/. I loved the doll features (e.g big eyes, long eyelashes, rosy cheeks), bright clothing and also the russian names for the dolls (Babushka and Matryoshka). I felt it would be a great brand symbol of fun and femininity.

During my research period, I have only come accross home ware or broaches and other accessories adorning russian dolls - luckily no clothing brands. I love the idea of the dolls stacking and fitting inside one another and hope to incorporate this into my brand some how. Possible ideas so far focus on clothing and layering. For instance, my brand could consist of whole oufits for sale which 'fit together' such as layered dresses with matching cardi's and petticoats. The emphasis would be on value for money - being able to mix / match items with other outfits, and it would provide the buyer with 'a look' instantly as opposed to trekking around store to store trying to find matching items.

With the economic crisis and consumer spending in decline, there are already shops around such as Primark and New Look which offer very cheap clothing. However, dresses and one piece investments from these stores are hard to customise and lack originality - I am sure there are other girls out there who have seen someone else in their Primark dress on a night out! Hardly a unique outfit....

Although this is my first idea, I may try to think of a fashion brand not associated with clothing as I feel the clothing sector is fiercely competitive. However, I still hope to use the russian doll as a brand logo and possible name idea.

Wk 1. 100 Words On The Exciting Tom Cruise

2009-02-16T04:09:00.001-08:00

Tom Cruise.
Pint sized celebrity once married to Nicole Kidman.
Seems to have hit the jackpot with his young wife Katie Holmes.
Who continues to excel herself with more aging hairstyles.
Tom's interest in Scientology is argued by some as unhealthy,
Not to mention spooky.
He quotes believers are "the authorities of the mind".
Tom's daughter is named Suri, the Hebrew for 'Princess'.
He shocked the nation with his sofa aerobics on Oprah.
And even more when he planned to eat baby placenta.
Starred in films like Mission Impossible...
Overly nice on camera, smiley.
Not much else to say really...

Wk 1. The Luxury Designer Market; Luella

2009-02-16T03:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.luella.com/

What Is The Brand Personality?

'English cool meets English heritage’-Luella Bartley

The images (above) from the press cuttings page, emphasise Luella's personality as being eccentric and fun. Although at first glance the clothing seems youthful, it is also being worn by an elderly woman (right) - insisting that the brand is fun and not to be taken too seriously. There is an element of 'dressing up' and a theatrical theme to the brand.

What Is The Brand Saying?

- Luella Bartley said she designed 'the kind of clothes you can get drunk and fall over in.

- Her eternal muse is the rebel Brit “It” girl.

- The Look is basically: Squeaky-clean badass and pretty punks.

- Adepts include: It girls and hip kids such as Alexa Chung, Lily Allen or Agyness Deyn

How Does Luella Add Value?

Luella had been seen on the likes of; Kelly Osborne, Camilla Belle, Alexa Chung, Lily Allen, Kate Bosworth and Jessica Alba. Celebrity endorsement adds value to the brand. Luella has appeared in Vogue, Harpers and Bazaar magazine which also adds value to the brand as the target demographic for these magazines are women who are interested in high end fashion (and usually have a high income). In store, the music is very calm, which gives you a psychological feeling that one is separated from the fast moving world and can indulge themselves into pure luxury commodities. This adds value to the brand and makes the shopping experience pleasurable. The colour scheme is contrasted between bright and funky and pastel, soft colours.

Distinctions From Competitors?

In-store vibrancy
Whilst other luxury brand’s such as Miu Miu have stores which have a quiet, mausoleum feel to them, Luella is bright, energetic and lively, a customer isn’t scared to touch things. Leather goods are casually displayed as opposed to being locked away in glass boxes. This sets Luella apart from the competition- the customer base is not intimidated despite the high pricing and bond street location. The brand gives the impression that everyone is welcome at Luella.

Product design
Luella’s collection is based around classical English designs, the prom dress, t-shirts and knitwear, but has a bright acid floral fabric used throughout. This design continuation is a visual feast, which is rarely seen in luxury fashion. The use of cartoon like graphics and bright colour is used throughout the website which creates an almost Warhol style tone. Combined with the girlish colours and prints used Luella is projected a thoroughly modern brand.

Use of celebrities
The website has a section devoted to showing celebrities wearing Luella product (i.e. Lilly Allen & Jaime Winstone), often in the form of cuttings from magazines varying from Tatler to Now. This is distinctive to the Luella brand. It is rare that a high end brand uses down market magazine journalism on their own website. Ordinarily a high end brand such as Miu Miu or Chanel would have a sleek website using only in house photography. Promoting the designs with the use of cheaper mediums making the brand seem accessible to a wider target market. Once more this gives Luella a more down to earth feel, creating a distinctly modern mood for the brand.

Source: Megan Hart, Sarah Katchis, Emete Yarici, Delphine Mirrolo, Reanna Philippou

Raunchy Calvin Klein Ad Banned

2009-02-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

The latest Calvin Klein Jeans advert has been branded so rude it was banned from late night cable TV in America.

It is the first advert for the designers's jeans line since the 1980s and they are certainly back with a bang. The campaign, shot by Steve Meisel, features topless male and female models romping on an old sofa wearing little more than their jeans. It has a real home video feel as though you have stumbled across something you shouldn't be seeing.

The label is working on an edited version of the advert to appear on cable TV but the original version will be shown in some European countries including Italy, France, Spain and Germany.

Still images of the campaign will soon be distracting drivers as they appear on billboards as well as in magazines.

It isn't the first time a Calvin Klein campaign has attracted such attention though. Last year the advert for it's perfume, Obsession, featuring Eva Mendes, was banned for its nudity after a peek of Eva's nipple is shown.

(Taken from www.femalefirst.co.uk/lifestyle-fashion/stylenews/Raunchy+Calvin+Klein+Ad+Banned-7086.html)

My Comments:

When designing the advert and target customer segment for my brand, I will have to approach the ad with caution so as not to offend or further narrow the market. The near nudity in the Calvin Klein ad mentiond above, although may be acceptable in European cultures such as Italy, has been banned in America. I do not have the intention to shock, however my ad must draw on fresh ideas and use of a memorable concept to create a buzz and instant recognition.

It seems from my research that the ads most talked about in the media are generally the most controversial (see Dolce & Gabbana ad from 2007 which was critisized for glorify gang rape) or have drawn upon new approaches.

In the first half of 1999 French Connection's profits boomed (up 15.4%) after the publicity of its controverisial FCUK advertising campaign, suggesting that adverts provoking attention not only raise publicity, but if read by masses can actually become desirable by those who like to rebel against societies 'norms' and accepted dress codes. If we reffer this to the AIDA model, we can see how attention is gained from the suggestive slogan, then interest encouraged through the media coverage and perserverance from French Connection to market the derogatory slogan. Next consumer desire forms for FCUK clothing, as it has become synonomous with rebellion and being tongue-in-cheek. Evidently the rise in profits suggests how many took action in purchasing an FCUK item of clothing.

The brands discussed above have each used sexual references to entice the audience. I would not consider advertsing in this manner for a new brand as it may establish it as tacky and in poor taste, however, for large well known brands this tactic has proved powerful. I hope to incorporate a fresh new concept into my brand's advert to not only create a buzz, but more importantly a desire for the clothing. However I think I will steer clear of nudity (after all the idea is to promote the clothing - not discard it!) and sexual inuendos (FCUK has had its day).

(Taken from: http://www.brandrepublic.com)

What Is Branding???

2009-02-02T02:33:00.000-08:00

A brand is a name or symbol that is commonly known to identify a company or it’s products and separate them from the competition.

A well-known brand is generally regarded as one that people will recognise, often even if they do not know about the company or its products/services.

The overall ‘branding’ of a company or product can also stretch to a logo, symbol, or even design features that identify the company or its products/services (e.g. Regularly used colours or layouts, such as red and white for Coca Cola or the Nike tick).

(Taken from bizhelp24.com/marketing/what-is-branding)