london
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY
contents 3-4 CONCEPT 5-16 STORE ANALYSIS 18-20 TARGET AUDIENCE 20-22 LAUNCH EVENT AUDIENCE 23-24 PR OBJECTIVES 25-26 PR STRATEGY 27-44 PR TACTICS 45-46 TIMELINE
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CONCEPT Stussy is one of the world’s leading contemporary streetwear brands, embracing the styles of subculture trends including skating, graffiti and DJ culture. This project aims to engage and inspire Stussy enthusiasts by bringing them a UK Stussy standalone store which will be located in the heart of London within the BOXPARK Unit, amongst the busy streets of Shoreditch. After their store closure due to the recession in 2009, now has never been a more convenient time to re-welcome the brand into the capital of the UK. By giving consumers the chance to shop in a standalone shop rather than a concession, it will give them a sense of exclusivity that they cannot gain from anywhere else. This will benefit the brand intensively as it will maximise sales within this region of Europe, with their only other European stores being in Milan and Madrid. Stussy brings much more than a clothing line, it brings a lifestyle, a lifestyle that the streets of London are missing, this store launch aims to bring a sense of community, fun and excitement to its enthusiasts through the use of in-store events, exclusives launches and an overall relaxed atmosphere. The key of this development is to offer something fresh to its customers and engage with them on a personal level. Using a strategic offline and online promotional plan as well as a simplistic and modernised visual merchandising design plan, Stussy are set to receive the successful entrance into the UK of which they deserve.
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STORE ANALYSIS
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prODUCT A vibrant, modern, fresh space for brand indulgers to hang out and experience the Stussy culture. The store will be opening to the public in late August 2017, where the opening will take place over the busy bank holiday weekend, beginning with the launch event on Friday the 25th. The store will be thoughtfully designed to match its other worldwide stores with its simplistic and modern approach, creating a visually attractive space to compete with competitors around the area.
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price Rental Fixtures Shop Fitting Exterior Graphics Storage and Removals Cash Desk Hangers (box of 500 wooden) Bags (per 1000) Tailor Dummies X2 Kick Stool Ladders Heavy Duty Clothes Rail X2 IT (Computer / Printer) Software (Microsoft) Office Supplies (Stationary) Interactive Board plus Installation Total:
20,000 + VAT every 12 months - BOXPARK £500 – Nelson Thomas UK £2000 - Nelson Thomas UK £750 - Glyphics £50 PH – Nightingale Removals London £180 -Staples £100 - Morplan £100 - Morplan £78 - Morplan £30 - Morplan £18 - Morplan £40 - Morplan £1300 –Apple £50 per year. £50 –Staples £1000 - Touch Magix £26, 246
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positioning Boxpark is the perfect location for both the store and its launch event, with container styled shops on the ground floor and an outdoor terrace above, the venue has everything the brand seeks in a new environment. Boxpark aims to utilise entertainment and shopping to create a unique experience for its visitors, the venue regularly holds exciting events including hip-hop nights, club nights, raves, art work exhibitions and more, suiting Stussy’s persona. This suggests that Stussy’s consumers have more than one reason to visit the store in this location as they gain much more than just a retail shop, enhancing popularity. The stores in BOXPARK change frequently due to the short leasing contracts, therefore it is hard to pin point direct competitors within the mall itself due to the fact this often alters however previous / current stores who would draw in the same type of customer as Stussy have been Vans, The North Face, The Brokedown Palace and POPUP. As listed, the mall have several stores that would attract the same demographic however they sell different content, placing Stussy at a better advantage as they have less competition in terms of stock as they hold a higher reputation. Shoreditch in itself is an area that boasts colourful streets of unique artwork and funky locations as well as being a hub for entertainment and music. The relaxed environment draws in creative people who have these interests which are similar to Stussy’s brand personality, therefore meaning that the kind of people to hang around in this area, are the same kind of people who would want to shop in the store, making it the ideal location. Although there are other stores in the area that would also appeal to their target consumers including Carhartt, Goodhood, Parlour Skate Store and Illutsrated people, Stussy remains safe as it offers different apparel and will be a fresh face in a small location, which will excite consumers.
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positioning The most popular shopping areas in London are often known as Oxford Street and Regent Street, and although these attract millions of shoppers every year, it wouldn’t suit Stussy for the following reasons: •Due to the very wide selection of shops, there isn’t a specific type of customer in these locations and there is a lot of diversity, making it a lot harder to stand out. •These streets offer a lot of successful worldwide chain stores which would offer too much competition for Stussy, and would attract the wrong kind of business. Although the brand is worldwide, it likes to remain as friendly and personal as an independent. •The business of the areas would attract the wrong type of business, it would attract those shopping in general, not Stussy indulgers who are genuinely interested in the brand, wanting to communicate with staff as well as shop. Stussy thrive to keep their stores welcoming and relaxed in order to create new bonds with the customers, which has stemmed from their Stussy International Tribe team spirit which has had a heavy influence on the brands full career. Main competitor stores in London include Palace and Supreme, which are both located approximately 30 minutes away from Boxpark. Palace and Supreme are also not located within the same perimeter, decreasing the chances of these stores being a major issue for the store.
STUSSY @ BOXPARK SHOREDITCH
pROMOTION Stussy are a very reserved brand in terms of their promotional and marketing strategies. Unlike many other brands, consumers often have to seek information regarding their activities, this is perhaps due to the fact they want their consumers to stand for what the brand believes in and therefore doesn’t want too much interest from any type of customer, which they would probably gain if they were to post themselves everywhere. For example in their recent re-opening store in Toronto, the brand remained very quiet about the matter digitally and physically posting enough to get coverage from the right sources, without making themselves seem mainstream. There are very limited articles about the opening online and minimal marketing strategies, yet enough to make an impactful re-entrance and keep consumers intrigued. Using their most successful platform of social media- Instagram, Stussy begin posting a few teaser posts only days before the re-opening on their Stussy Toronto account, with the first one being a painted wall with the caption, ‘fresh paint’, giving the public a clue as to what was yet to come yet not actually doing it. Another post included an image of the store being decorated with very minimal captions, giving nothing away. The other tactic used was to launch a series of T-shirts that were limited to the store (75 available each), giving consumers an incentive to shop there upon opening. This technique will be used throughout this store proposal promotion as too much promotion and advertisement would be irrelevant to the brand story and would not fit the existing Stussy practise.
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TARGET AUDIENCE Stussy is an advocate for supplying its customers with an experience of which is true to its own brand story. They aim to inspire their audiences and encourage them to indulge in the lifestyle and culture that Stussy lead. Enforcing the ‘tribe’ mentality onto their consumers gives them a close bond as customers feel a personal connection, rather than simply buying an item of clothing. Due to not having a store in the UK, this store opening is essential in forming a stronger bond with existing customers and also building the tribe that has already formed.
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YOUNG CREATIVES Those who live to have fun, lead a careless lifestyle and don’t take themselves too seriously. Typically, they enjoy drinking, listening to music, attending festivals and socialising. They dress stylish and are not afraid to push the boundaries, being creative is a part of their nature, it is not a questionable action.
SKATERS The skating audience, simply skate. They skate for a hobby, possibly as a job and everything in-between. They dress in streetwear/ skate clothing and enjoy hanging around with other skaters, listening to music. They are free spirits, they are not afraid of danger, pain or consequences, they simply just go for it and do what the hell they want.
80'S THROWBACK The ones that have stuck with the brand from the very beginning, they are engrossed in the brands history and have a personal connection with the clothing. They typically enjoy music, old skool hip-hop and dance. They take an interest in old streetwear brands and often have a passion to collect pieces of rare clothing.
bLOGGERS There are several streetwear bloggers that are complete Stussy clothing enthusiasts. You would often find them re-blogging streetwear fashion on Tumblr, uploading their outfit of the day or photographing something arty. They perhaps have a creative educational background, with an occupation as a fashion / art student or works within a creative industry.
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Launch EVENTAudience In terms of the press, unlike other launch party events, there will be limited sources invited to the press launch to gain the best coverage possible, rather than quantity of un-respected reviews. The following companies will be invited to send their specialist streetwear journalists along to the event: -Highsnobiety -HypeBeast -Complex UK -Dazed -Vice All of these are well respected organisations within the streetwear sector both online and offline. They have all previously written several articles about Stussy too, which have been positive and true to the brand, painting an accurate image, making them reliable sources for this event. To remain true to the idea of community and the Stussy international tribe mentality, the remaining attendees will all be customers. With the capacity of the venue being just over 200, guests will be pre-invited to the event by using the Stussy UK subscribers online list, to ensure regular customers get the opportunity to visit instead of passers-by. However this will strictly be on a first come, first serve basis to adhere to health and safety regulations. Those who are not successful in gaining a place at the upstairs launch party, will still be welcomed on the ground floor where people will be encouraged to shop, socialise and enjoy a free drink with the Stussy tribe (staff).
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PR OBJECTIVES -Expand the presence of Stussy in the UK -Build on existing/ new relationships -Launch a store that has an inspiring and communial purpose, rather than just a retail purpose -To influence the media into a positive response in order to gain a strong market response. -Rise above other competition in central London (Palace, Supreme) by the opening of this store
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PR STRATEGY Fitting with Stussy’s existing code of practise, the promotion online and offline will be minimal yet effective for this campaign. The brand act upon a mysterious persona, and like to leave their consumers in the dark to a certain extent, as they like to build suspense and create a sense of curiosity as appose to feeding them directly. Informed by this, the promotional campaign has been tailored specially to meet PR objectives through low-key advertisement, both online and offline.
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PR TACTICS -Store Launch Event -Exclusive Line of Stussy London T-shirts -A Press Pack to the media -Social media (Stussy London Instagram)
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STORE LAUNCH EVENT The store launch will be the central focus of the entire promotional strategy. Stussy are a brand that like to hold personal relationships with consumers, and a launch event gives them the means to do this. The event will be held on the 25th August 2017, just before the bank holiday weekend commences, giving people the perfect opportunity to start the weekend with a party, the event will take place from 7pm-12pm and will be located above the store on the outdoor terrace, BOXPARK.
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ENTERTAINMENT The event will be packed with relevant entertainment and complimentary street food / beer, keeping with Stussy’s chilled vibes. The entertainment for the night will be hosted by 4our Pillars, a group that aim to bring the 4 core elements of hip-hop culture under one roof using talented DJ’s, MC’s, Break dancers and Aerosol Artists, fitting perfectly with Stussy’s brand values. The street food styled catering and alcoholic beverages will be provided by BOXPARKS very own in-house chefs / bar tenders, invitees will be given a free token for a meal and free drinks however if they require more food, they will be charged a small rate, which is how BOXPARK will gain something from the event amongst the publicity.
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special guest / gift In terms of special guests, Stussy legend / co-founder, Frank Sinatra Jr will be at the event to talk to the public however there will be no official speech, as this doesn’t fit with the brands personality as it would be too formal, instead he will be around the press and Stussy enthusiasts answering any questions about his everlasting passion for his brand. The fact he will be in attendance makes the event a special occasion in itself as it is not often consumers are able to talk first hand with such an influential character. Each guest will be given a free gift which will basically be a small booklet containing their food voucher, drinks pass, store discounts and blank pages with areas to fill on the night, for example there will be a graphic designer at the event offering free name sketches in the style of the signature Stussy font. The aerosol artists from the hip-hop group will also have tiny cans on hand to enable them to do some free artwork in guests books for them with a design of their choice. This creates more of a memorabilia and gives consumers and the press the chance to take away a personal experience away from the event rather than just a standard freebie. There will be a high level of security throughout the night provided by BOXPARK checking tickets and making sure everyone is behaving in an appropriate and respectful manner.
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DISPLAY The appearance of the event will be very simplistic and modern with a very raw, outdoor feel. Long tables will be placed up and down the terrace giving people an opportunity to sit and relax whilst meeting new people and communicating. There will then be stations around the tables for signing / aerosol art. The musical entertainment will be right at the forefront of the terrace making it visible to everybody. Fairy lights will be placed above the tables due to the fact the event will go on until 12pm. In terms of promotion the launch event will not be publicised a lot as it is invitation only subsides the remaining tickets which will be allocated on the night, therefore it does not need to draw in a huge crowd or gain a lot of recognition as the promotion will come after the event from the media attendees.
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measuring success Measuring success from this event will be determined by the following: • Number of visitors to the event • Number of press attendees • Social media activity- following increases, mentions, tags. • BOXPARK online store views • Stussy website views • Footfall / conversion rate of the new store from the opening date 25th August- 28th August.
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Limited Edition TEES An exclusive line of London edition Stussy T-shirts will also be on sale for this event. There will be 4 different designs, with 75 available of each. In each Stussy store opening, they tend to do this to supply consumers of that area with something limited, establishing bonds in their new location before they have even began fully trading. It is crucial to stay on par with their existing code of practise and continue to do this, as it is a method that has being trialled and proven to be successful at every event with T-shirts continuously selling out on the first night. It is also a persuasive tool to all potential shoppers, especially those who collect rare Stussy items as they will be fully encouraged to come down to the event just to buy the T-shirt. The Tees presented on the right are examples of a specialised London design, they have not been designed by Stussy.
measuring success Measuring success from this event will be determined by the following: •T-shirt sales on the night (how quickly they sell out will determine the demand) •Social media posts based around the T-shirts •Number of visitors attending purely to purchase the T-shirt, not attend the event.
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press pack One of the key offline marketing tactics in place for this campaign is a press pack. This is an effective tool for the brand as it indirect to the public as instead of promoting the event directly to consumers, the press pack will pitch the event to London based journalists who will then hopefully attend and report back to consumers. This way Stussy sticks to their style of minimalism and chilled, however they still gain the press coverage they need. Included in the press pack will be a press release which will be sent to HIGHSNOBIETY, HYPEBEAST, COMPLEX UK, DAZED and VICE. These sources are all reliable and suitable for both the brand and the event, securing excellent coverage.
measuring success Measuring Success: •Analysing press reviews / articles (AVE) •Analysing the number of companies talking about the launch event / store. •Store popularity post reviews •Personal attitudes on the night of the event
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social media Stussy are not overly active on social media, however they do tend to use Instagram. They are very minimal with posts and often post images that do not give much away but judging by the response rate and their number of followers, it works significantly. In recent store openings (Toronto for example) they have set up an account just for that store, instead of posting their store content on their main Instagram. The same will happen for this launch, Stussy London will have their very own page featuring teaser images about the store launch and will broadcast live Instagram stories of the launch event, to let people know that the store is officially open. This is the only online strategy that will be used throughout this campaign, which is why it is important that Instagram (their strongest platform) is used.
measuring success Measuring success from this event will be determined by the following: •Increase in followers •Likes •Tags •Shares •Mentions
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TIMELINE January
View properties, research extensively to ensure the right space is being selected.
Februrary
Finalise the location of the store and sign the lease and all other legal supporting documentation Source Shop fitters, a storage and removal business, and an electrician.
March April
Plan interior design with designers, visit warehouses to view samples.
May
Source and purchase furniture / interior accessories.
June
Order and organise stock utensils e.g hangers, rails, tables, folding frames.
July
Begin offline promotion via posters in shop windows. Send out press release to the media. Fit the store and Launch at the end of August (25TH), hosting the launch party at this time. Hold a variety of instore events (live music) and continue to push promotion
August September
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BY BETH NEVIS All images used wtihin this doucment have been taken from pinterest / google images.