Alex Stoddart
Design: Enterprise and Innovation
Social Media and Marketing Assisant 3244094aub.wordpress.com
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CONTENTS 2. Contents Page 3. Introduction 4. Oxygen Boutique, History and Strategy 5. Finance 6. Positions in the company 7. Product type and range 8. Aims 9. Opportunities and Threats 10 & 11. Reflection 12. Conclusion
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INTRODUCTION
The Enterprise and Innovation unit within Level 5 allows individuals to engage in a professional environment, this unit encourages networking, and professional application. Dependent on subject interest and future ambition the unit offers an international or national placement or a Live Project. This project is placed at industry level. Through reflection and also specialist interest it was decided to take the placement option, working at Oxygen Boutique as a Social media and marketing assistant in London. This is a full time unpaid placement. This report is a case study of Oxygen Boutique, it is also a summary and reflection of the time spent as an intern.
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COMPANY HISTORY AND STRATEGY Oxygen Boutique opened four years ago. The boutique now occupies a space at 51 Eastcastle Street, London, having recently moved from 38 Eastcastle Street. Oxygen Boutique is a small, family run business, devised by two generations of one family; it is the creation of Helen and Joanna. Helen and Joanna started in production; they have been cultivating their successful fashion label for many years. As clothing wholesale, they design this apparel, and sell successfully to some of the biggest high street companies; the company sells to companies such as New Look and Zara. There is a small design team behind this company, individuals that design, seamstresses, as well as individuals that deal with stockists, fabric wholesalers and factories, here is where most of their stock is produced. Due to this experience within the fashion industry, and their extreme interest, Helen and Joanna realised there was a space for an accessible yet fashion led boutique, Joanna heads this boutique. Helen and Joanna aimed to accumulate their great interest in style, fabric and fashion labels, and put this into a fresh and unique company. The duo aimed to stock distinctive and desirable labels, mainly sourcing these labels from America and Australia. Looking beyond huge labels that are stocked by department stores such as Harvey Nicholls and Selfridges, Helen and Joanna wanted to sell discreet labels that were very current that would create curiosity, labels that customers could discover in store. Oxygen Boutique, did not want to stock brands that were popular with Selfridges, Harrods or Harvey Nicholls, as they could not compete with them, they needed to provide something different, carefully sourced and edited labels that were attainable to their customer. They set up business above the offices of the production company, a great location being just off Great Portland Street. The team started small, and has also stayed small, being an independent boutique, many sales assistants are not necessary, and their objective was for the boutique to be intimate and friendly, therefore Helen and Joanna wanted a close and devoted team. The duo researched labels online and attended trade shows in London, Paris and New York. They intended to stock a refreshing fusion of labels; “The labels available in-store and online are an intriguing blend of new and upand-coming designers who are creating a buzz in the industry to established highly desirable labels” Oxygen boutique then go on to say “Big brands and label flashing are a thing of the past. The carefully selected and edited product range reflects this new approach to dressing and offers a highly personalized shopping experience”. Oxygen Boutique was the first to stock American brands such as Clover Canyon and Cut 25; they constantly strive to provide contemporary and unusual brands. Over the last two years they have invested more time in enhancing their website, as they realised the demand for online shopping. Oxygen Boutique gain most of their sales through their website, they have accumulated customers worldwide as they deliver globally. Oxygen Boutique has always gained good press through lending clothing to magazines, stylists and
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celebrities, and this is a way of promoting the boutique. They rely on this press to build hype, they now gift clothing to fashion bloggers, understand the power bloggers hold, and this advertisement leads to sales. Oxygen Boutique has recently moved to a new location, although just down the road, the new space has attracted a considerable amount of attention. The location, previously used as an art gallery, is light, airy and stylish, everything 4. a boutique should be. It is a larger area, with bigger offices, meeting rooms and studios. Having only moved across the road it is a surprise to notice the increase in footfall, the decision to move can only benefit the business.
FINANCE
Oxygen Boutique is a self-financed business. The duo were fortunate enough to be in the position to fund their company, this is through the profits achieved through their clothing production company. Helen and Joanna chose this avenue due to the freedom and power it offers, working as a family they already had support. Oxygen Boutique did not want to risk relying on investors, they felt their performance as a boutique would be closely watched and possibly scrutinised if it did not hit targets every month. They decided if they were self-financed they could grow slowly, and develop as they wished, they would have their own aims and objectives to meet. Helen and Joanna felt if they were to have investors their input could be limited, the labels they invested in and stocked would be monitored, and if they did not succeed within the first few months they investors could ensure these brands were dropped. Helen and Joanna had confidence in the labels they were stocking, they did not want a time limit, the duo wanted time to develop and boost these brands. Oxygen Boutique not only wanted creative control but also financial control. Investors can lose interest and disagree with the direction a business is heading, if investors do not believe a company can make profit they can decide to withdraw their support and money at any time, possibly resulting in a company going bust. This is a daunting thought for many companies; fortunately Oxygen had the start up capital, therefore they had independence.
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POSITIONS IN THE COMPANY
Working alongside Jo, the owner and Tasmin the website manager, I managed social media tasks, I also completed some visual merchandising and store work. As the team is small and the company is growing the boutique was always busy, with lots of tasks to do. Joanna and Tasmin work in relation, operating the website, meeting customers and running the store floor. As the owner, Joanna is regularly researching new brands, online and visiting trade shows. To publicise the Boutique Joanna is in contact with publications and stylists, and more recently bloggers, lending clothes for shoots and appearances. Liaising constantly with stockists and production companies, lots of meetings are held at Oxygen. Tasmin is placed on the store floor, greeting customers, greeting stylists, processing orders and managing the website. The boutique is open from 1118.30 everyday, it is also open on a Saturday, but only for appointments, therefore both Jo and Tasmin could work a 6-day week. When the new season of clothing is secured and bought into the store work on the look book takes place. Joanna is strongly involved with the look book, bringing in external photographers, a stylist, hair and make-up and also a model. Preparation was important and time consuming, and the photoshoot took a whole day to complete. Joanna works on a more creative level as she is the founder, researching and delivering contemporary brand, Tasmin is a strong assistant having worked her way up from an intern.
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PRODUCT TYPE AND RANGE
Oxygen Boutique’s stock varies depending on each brand and also the season. When asked to define their customer Oxygen Boutique explained that they appeal to a trendy mum and her daughter. The company is fashion forward but not trend led; the carefully selected and edited range reflects the fact that the company is a boutique. As well as selling clothes Oxygen stock shoes, swimwear and night wear also accessories such as hats, jewellery and bags. This stock is carefully chosen and is dependant on whether Oxygen believe it will appeal to the consumer, there is a strong focus on the customer, this aspect is exclusive. Oxygen stock brands such as Giuseppe `Zanotti and Jerome C Rousseau, both desirable shoes brands that are very popular. Helen and Joanna also need to ensure the brands will compliment each other when on thestore floor, the aesthetic of the boutique is vital, the clothing needs to be presented in a considerate manner. Alice + Olivia, Sea NY and Clover Canyon are a few of their best selling brands, they are all American and appeal to a wide audience. Oxygen Boutique was the first in London to stock Clover Canyon and Sea NY, now Harvey Nicholls and other such department stores now stock them.
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AIMS
Oxygen Boutiques major aim is the improvement of their website. The website is currently being developed by a separate company, the objective is for it to include elements such as various currencies and languages, Helen and Joanna also want it to go through a general revamp. This is their main focus due to the amount of customers they sell to in China, America and Australia. Oxygen Boutique have recognised the change in the pattern of shopping, the influx of online shopping and their mass global appeal, therefore their website is their priority. Oxygen Boutique intends to maintain the success of their social media. Setting up a Facebook, Instagram and twitter was extremely beneficial to the company; they have built up a huge following, they update customers on things such as new stock that is to be sold and new brands. This communication between them and their customers is important to their success, as they are a independent boutique with no chain to fall back on, they desire to maintain a great relationship with their customer, word of mouth is everything to them. The team are constantly checking to see if their clothing has been featured in magazines, as they lend a lot of stock to publications, they also look for events and online in general to see if celebrities have been pictured in their clothing. Celebrities such as Caroline Flack, Leona Lewis and Kelly Brook borrow clothing through their stylists, featuring this on Facebook and on WordPress is vital to Oxygen, when previously celebrities have been pictured in particular pieces, they have sold out very quickly. Oxygen Boutique has also signed up to Snapette and Polyvore, two sites that are extremely popular to brands and customers. Oxygen Boutique through their online orders can monitor where the sales come from, and Polyvore exceeds most. Polyvore is a technology company that pioneers social commerce, over 20 million visitors go to their site every month, and it allows consumers to voice and discover what they like online. Oxygen create sets on Polyvore, putting together outfits and images including their clothes, visitors can also put sets together using Oxygen’s clothing, so this creates a customer.
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OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS
Oxygen Boutique could have the opportunity to expand, to open other boutiques in London or in other parts of the country. When asked about expansion Oxygen Boutique revealed they had no intention of expanding, having just moved to a new location they are satisfied with the space they occupy and want to focus on just the one store. Helen and Joanna recognise the fact that stores are not making the profit they used to, everything is online, and that is where a large proportion of their sales come from. Being aware of the change in shopping habits has prompted the duo to focus on their website. It is essential for them to have a developed webpage so they can appeal globally; they already deliver globally so adding languages and currencies to their site is another step to worldwide demand. Oxygen however are drawn to pop up shops having previously put one together a few years ago, and there is currently a big hype around these events. Instead of opening more boutiques Oxygen may consider creating events such as these around London, a cheaper way to create hype. Oxygen’s biggest threat is a bigger retailer stocking the same labels and taking over. They fear over taken by bigger companies that hold more power, this is why they constantly strive to find the most current, desirable and discreet labels. Harvey Nicholls may stock a few of the same brands but because Oxygen have an excellent standard of attention and they create an intimate environment within their store they retain their customers. Recently it has become clear that consumers would rather give their money to smaller independent companies and this may fall in Oxygen Boutiques favour. However if other department stores such as Liberty or Selfridges begin to stock the same brands they may suffer as these companies have a loyal following. Oxygen has recently created their own brand, Related, they released their first collection for S/S13 in their store, but are launching the brand officially with their collection for A/W 13. They have a great opportunity to develop and grow their label, again devised by two generations; Related offers stylish and wearable pieces for women of all ages. To create this collection the duo have fused their experience in production, buying and retail, the brand is designed to sit in store but also within other boutiques. Helen and Joanna have already secured stockists in the UK for their A/W 2013 collection. Boutiques across the country include Pipa in London and Rocca in Harrogate and Alderley Edge. Oxygen have a great opportunity with this label, finding further stockists could lead to Related being stocked globally, therefore this will allow them to up production, developing fabric and finishing’s. Helen and Joanna have secured an agency in American for their S/S 2013 collection, they are also planning to take their brand to a trade show in Shanghai.
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REFLECTION
Managing the social media within Oxygen Boutique reinforced what I already knew, the importance of social media to a business and brand. Shopping patterns have changed and it is interesting to see how a company reacts to this. I have learnt that similarly to how a business adjusts to cater to the ever advancing and fast paced industry, it is important to hold this versatility as an individual. Many careers merge and it is vital to have more that one skill set; it shows you are capable and applicable to many tasks, I gained a social media and marketing role but completed various other tasks. Tumblr was previously my chosen site for a blog, finding it easy and simple to use. Oxygen use WordPress for their blog, after hearing it is complicated and difficult to use I was slightly hesitant. After being shown a straightforward way to use the site I was perfectly fine and have published many posts since starting. Learning that WordPress is actually a Content Management System (CMS) actually surprising, not knowing that it is a special type of website showed me I had not done enough research. Using WordPress you can edit your own content, be it a blog post, new product, photos or a promotional video, Oxygen use it as they believe it appears more professional than a tumblr. Through Oxygen I was also introduced to Vine, an app that allows you to post videos with a maximum length of 6 seconds, this can be shared or embedded on social networking sites such as Twitter. Creating a film for Oxygen Boutique named “A New Season of Outfits� was fun and interesting. I created stop motion film, changing parts of the outfits every millisecond, showing the audience the new clothing that had arrived. Having a strong interest in film and fashion film I found this task thought provoking. Many brands use Vine; Zara, Urban Outfitters, also the designer Matthew Williamson at New York Fashion Week. As a result of being introduced to this new social media I am interested in gaining more experience in this avenue, and I have also signed up to this new media myself. Multitasking has been a key word throughout my time at Oxygen Boutique; each day I was set several small tasks to complete, some related and others that were very different. Dividing these tasks into a schedule per day was a lesson in itself; I had to consider the time these projects had to be completed by, software and support needed, and also the quantity of work. Time management is something that has become a little easier however being relied by a team of people is new to me, especially when for example the content I was producing for the blog and website
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would be going global. Working in a team at university is challenging in a different way than when on a work placement. Being employed by a company meant I took on their ethos and by not meeting their level of work I could have not only damaged my reputation but also theirs. The skills gained through this work placement at Oxygen Boutique are all extremely relevant and they will be crucial when looking for further internships and jobs. My experience at Oxygen and the diverse tasks they set me now means I have a clearer direction regarding a career path and I have also identified what I do not want to pursue. I am extremely intrigued to how a brand gains a positive presence, online and offline. I am constantly online, researching new brands, blogs, looks and trends. Through this personal interest I feel I have an insight into the online fashion experience, an aspect of the industry I wish to delve into further.
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CONCLUSION
Through working at Oxygen Boutique I have come to understand the importance of business. I have a strong interest in fashion; brands, garments, photography, style and film but business never occurred to me. I have learnt that an interest and love for fashion is great, but putting together a brand for yourself and an innovative business plan could lead to success. Achieving first hand experience within a business showed me the importance of innovation, finding something exciting and fresh to offer people, or demonstrating a new way of thinking within the industry is vital. Studying fashion is about being creative and having the chance to explore your interests further without being restricted, and it is about discovering a possible career path when you leave. Through my work placement I have learnt about expectation, what I will be expected to contribute when in my first job as a graduate. This was also a goal, to understand the various positions within a company, and the function of these roles. Reading publications, looking online and speaking to professionals previously daunted me, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of careers within the fashion industry, jobs I had never heard of before, my goal was to experience a few of these roles within a company, to understand first hand what they incorporated. Luckily working at Oxygen Boutique meant I was given various tasks day to day, mainly managing a myriad of social media, but alongside this; visual merchandising, website editing and preparing photoshoots. This gave me a great insight into the various roles within just one company. I feel being the only intern within a small company was an advantage. This allowed me to explore the different roles within the boutique, through this I was given more responsibility, and I believe this was necessary for me. I believe being able to work on a professional level is important, I felt learning this away from university would benefit me more, and learning the hard way with people relying on me worked. As a result of the previous Global Sourcing project I gained a lot of confidence, and my goal was to develop this when in my internship. My determination has definitely increased through my work placement. I feel I am more able to say yes to everything, before I may have been hesitant and doubtful to whether I could achieve something that wasn’t a clear strength of mine. I have recognised that my perseverance and willingness to learn is extremely beneficial within a job, saying you cannot do something without trying every single possible way is simply not good enough. I have realised that even when in a job asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of, before starting my internship I was slightly worried about being asked to complete tasks that I had not done before, and using software that I was not familiar with, I now know if you are enthusiastic to learn then an employer is eager to help. By choosing a work placement I feel I am more willing to put ideas forward and contribute in a thoughtful and measured way, being heard is important but so is politeness and refinement. Everything I have learnt, and the personal goals I have set will benefit me moving into third year, and also when looking for further internships and jobs. I will not be finishing my work with Oxygen Boutique until the first week in June; the time I have already spent with them has been extremely valuable and unsurpassable.
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14. Email Confirmation 1
APPENDICE
15. Email Confirmation 2
16. 1. Work on Snapette 2. Work on WordPress 1.
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3. Posts on WordPress
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18. 4. Putting oufits together for Oxygen’s instagram and appearing in it.
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5. Producing content for a Oxygen Post
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6&7. Putting together outfits and window dressing
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8&9. Helping Oxygen Boutique move to a new location.