Table of Content Company Overview Target consumer overview Sustainable product concept SWOT and competitor analysis Marketing
In store signage
E-blast Mail item
Digital Marketing web page
Window display Social media strategy Process
Company Overview In 1970s Dick Hayne start the first store in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The first official name was Free people, over time the name jumped around and finally got back to the original in the 1980s. He wanted the store to embody the young people who were living there at the time. As the store grew him and his wife changed the name to Urban Outfitters then slowly grew the company to where it is now. With Free People, Urban outfitters and Anthropologie. Over the years it let go of the junior lifestyle and started to focus on a more mature contemporary brand that we know and love today. The shift happened in 2000s to follow its target consumer. Today the focus is on countless options, with colors and patterns. They are creating an immersive environment for all of their customers. Free People want to be a full lifestyle brand that creates a modern, unique feel from their products. They have the Free people collections in over 1,400 specialty store worldwide. A few sections within department stores such as Belk, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales. In each of the locations in department stores have their own in store concept to keep the feel of the brand consisted. The environment is cozy with a feel of Freedom within it. They want you to feel comfortable, relaxed and keep your mind open for new and unique styles. Their total revenue was around 600 million in 2016. The total revenue growth is on average around 9.7% for the next year.
Mission Statement “Free People is much more than a clothing brand. A unique and unwavering bond with our customers sits at the heart of our lifestyle community. We delve into the lifestyle of our girl, encouraging self-confidence and self-expression; the ability to identify what she loves is our secret to offering her the best product assortment and experience possible. We hope that you, too, will join us in our pursuit of acceptance and love.�
Demographics
Target Consumer A 26-year-old girl, smart, creative, confident and comfortable in all aspects of her being, free and adventurous, sweet to tough to tomboy to romantic. A girl who likes to keep busy and push life to its limits, with traveling and hanging out and everything in between. Who loves Donovan as much as she loves The Dears, and can't resist petting any dog that passes her by on the street.
Our target customers are brand loyal and ethically minded women between 26 years to 35 years of age. They are looking for clothes that are unique and comfortable. The selection of the products that they choose from fall under their ethical lifestyle. Ultimately, they care about the earth, their surroundings and they are free spirited.
Female Age 26-35 Income in the high middle to upper class Some form of education Single or just married with no kids Gen Y and Some of Gen X With gen x it pulls from the vintage side of free people which will be more of a 2nd target consumer
Psychographics A woman who is adventures, loves trying new things. She wants clothing that is comfortable, relaxed but unique. Yoga junkie and loves a good hike. She is mindful of her products that she buys and wants them to be great quality so they can last her a long time. Cares about the earth and has a free spirit.
Sustainable Product Concept
Product
Lightweight kimono featured in a dark blue and off-white triangular pattern. Make a statement with this bold style. The kimono is 100% linen and machine wash cold for best care.
Price
$38
Free People kimono’s range from $48-$500. This sustainable kimono sits at a reasonable price point to encourage our consumers to send in their reusable shopping bags.
Place
Customers will send their reusable shopping bags to Free People or bring them to their nearest store location. Then through e-mail a verification code will be sent to the customer and they will then be able to go to the Free People website to choose a pattern for their kimono.
Promotion
When a kimono is purchased 10% of the proceeds will go to a non-profit organization. Implementation of an omni-channel promotional strategy will take place by positioning our sustainable kimono onto our most popular social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook. Our brick and mortar locations will have in-store signage and small pamphlets to inform our consumer over the sustainable kimono. Through our website and with e-mail we will introduce our product to our loyal customers.
Social Media Catalogue E-mail Free People Website In-store Signage
People Strong Women Influencers on Social Media between the ages of 26–35.
Katie Roberts Founder of the blog Sustainability in Style, has been sharing tips and knowledge on sustainable fashion since 2011, while capturing over 20.3K followers on Instagram throughout the years. She would be a fit as a influencer for our sustainable product since her style and ethics are very on-brand with Free People.
“Slow fashion has provided me with a platform to discuss sustainability related topics and practice the delivery of sustainability education techniques that I have learned through my masters studies. Fashion is an easily accessible and understandable consumer good for shoppers to start making sustainable and ethical purchasing decisions. It is also an area where people (usually) put a little thought into their purchases which means it’s a great place to provide tools and knowledge for consumers to find items that fit their values.” -—Katie Roberts Greta Eagan The free spirited, published sustainable author and lifestyle blogger, Greta Eagan, is spreading the message of slow fashion. She strives to provide women with great content to bridge the gap of mainstream fashion with sustainability.
‘’My goal is to be a go-to resource for women to find the ‘eco alternatives’ for fashion, beauty and lifestyle without sacrificing an iota of style.’’ —Greta Eagan
On-brand Sustainable Product
One Size
Innovation on Products
Competition
Limited Advertising
Kimono Print Exclusivity
Limited Target Market
Expansion & Growth on Products
Innovation on Competitive Sustainable Products
Strong Customer Base
Online Only
Branding an Ethical Lifestyle
Negative Feedback
Social Media Presence
Limited Prints Available for the Product
Brand Image
Competitor Analysis Wildfox is a direct competitor by the concept of the brand, same price points and about the same accessibility as free people. They are trying to create a full lifestyle brand that's a mix of contemporary with an edge. Most of their products range from $50–200. They are reaching for the same target consumer with the same psychographics and demographics. Also they are 100% made in the USA and focuses on ethical laws. Aritzia is a direct competitor by the same price point, same accessibility and same target consumer. The only thing that makes them a little different is that they push for the more with the cozy basic side of clothing for their brand. Haute Hippie is a direct competitor, they have a higher price point, same concept for the clothing and brand but lower accessibility because they are only available in 8 stores with 4 of them being department stores. They do not have a website full created yet so you can't buy the products directly from them and they have no brick and mortar stores. Zara is a competitor based on the trendy clothing they produce and the price range is similar to Free people. With the target consumer being the same. The only difference is Zara is fast fashion so they have a wide range of products but lower quality. Topshop is also a competitor based on their target consumer. Also same price range roughly and accessibility.
Marketing
In-Store Signage
When a kimono is purchased 10% of the proceeds will go to a non-profit organization. Our brick and mortar locations will have in-store signage and small pamphlets to inform our consumer over the sustainable kimono.
Email Blast
Webpage
Window Display
Social Media Strategy The most popular social media accounts that they have are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All three of these accounts cater to different people with different demographics and psychographics. For the purpose of this project we would use Facebook and Instagram. While Facebook would help get the word out for what we are doing, Instagram would creatively show our product and the cause that the proceeds are going towards. Facebook would show a video of our product and inform the consumer the sustainable and ethical message behind the product. We will also host an event for our product to be launched in the stores, which consumers will be invited to through Facebook. On Instagram we would show how the proceeds are helping for the cause that we are supporting. In efforts to introduce the product through Instagram, customers will show the product they are wearing and include a hashtag to show their support.
Process
Sustainable Product for Free People Designed, Conceived, Directed By Arcelie Valencia, Christina Biller, Anna, Robertson, Darby Simkins
Photography By
Anna Vanharskamp, Darby Simkins, Anna Robertson
Model
Annika DuPree