Saint Laurent Consumer Profile

FEMALE CONSUMER PROFILE Caroline Helen Davies 201009275

CONTENTS Introduction

4

Mood Board

6

Demographics

8

Geographics

12

Psychographics

16

Behavioural Traits

18

Conclusion

26

Appendices

28

Reference List

39

Figure List

40

Saint Laurent Paris, formerly Yves Saint Laurent, is a luxury brand parented by the Kering Group, that operates globally across Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. Established in 1961 (Kering, no date), Yves Saint Laurent is considered to be the innovator of luxury pret-a-porter, or ready-to-wear, fashion (Kering, no date) and can be regarded as one of the most influential,

powerful

and

successful

fashion brands in contemporary culture.

Hedi

Slimane’s

Director shifting

appointment

caused the

a

target

dramatic

as

Creative

rebranding

consumer

to

younger audience. (Mellery-Pratt, R.

4

a 2015)

5

FEMALE CONSUMER

“

“ FASHION FADES,

STYLE IS ETERNAL yves saint laurent

7

DEMOGRAPHICS

THE BUSINESS WOMAN A woman of power and ambition, the business woman is drawn to the dominating aura of Saint Laurent Paris’s designs. Attracted by the unfaltering quality, fashion forward design and urban appeal of the apparel, the fashion-conscious business woman takes pride in her appearance. Her demographic qualities consist of:

Aged in her late twenties to early forties No religious preference Either a full-time employee or self-employed Working in a city office environment Holding a position of power or authority A yearly salary of greater than ÂŁ100,000 House owner with or without a mortgage Living alone or with a partner Educated to degree level educated in a business-related field Single, engaged or married No dependents

9

THE LEISURE WOMAN A woman of luxury and time, the leisure woman has come into her money through inheritance or marriage. Often seen divulging in luxury purchases, the leisure woman is image-obsessed and influential.

Often denoted as a socialite, she must always look her best. She is drawn to the luxury image as a matter of conspicuous consumption, she is wealthy and likes to show it. Her attraction to Saint Laurent is partly due to the high fashion appeal, but mostly due to the recognisable brand image. Her demographic qualities consist of:

Aged in her late twenties to early forties No religious preference Unemployed, or working with a charity No salary, but a high household income House owner without a mortgage Living with a partner Educated to a mandatory level engaged or married Either no dependents or two or three children

10

DEMOGRAPHICS

THE METRO

WOM

Thriving off the hustle an the metropolitan woman

aspects of her life. Her s

metropolitan lifestyle; he

for the office and for the statistics are:

Live in large cities suc

Urban living standard

Lives in a townhouse, a

12

GEOGRA

OPOLITAN

MAN

nd bustle of the inner city, embraces the city in all

style choices reflect the

er wardrobe has apparel

e evening. Her geographic

ch as London

ds

apartment or penthouse

APHICS

13

THE SUB

WOM

Opting for a quieter lifes

enjoys the tranquillity of

benefiting from the proxim

environment allows her t

sizeable home. Her geogra

Live in suburban areas

Rural areas consider Lives in a townhouse,

14

GEOGR

BURBAN

MAN

style, the suburban woman

f rural settlements whilst

mity to the city. The spacious

to live a life of luxury in a

aphic statistics are:

s on the outskirts of cities

red more family focused apartment or penthouse

RAPHICS

15

ART Both traditional and modern, the cultured woman expresses an active interest in art. She enjoys both viewing and collecting, perhaps to enhance her own home aesthetic or in a more conspicuous consumption manner, to assert and demonstrate her affluence and lavish lifestyle.

THE CUL

WOM

FOOD The cultural woman indulges herself in luxurious food. She enjoys the fine dining experience and can often be seen in luxurious restaurants.

She experiments with exotic flavours and unusual taste combinations to treat her taste buds.

PSYCHO

TRAVEL The cultured woman enriches her lifestyle with frequent travel, exploring the cultures of the world. Benefitting from the relaxtional aspect as well, she enjoys both beach and city holidays, immersing herself in the culture, traditions and food of the country.

LTURED

MAN

OGRAPHICS

FILM The cultured woman’s interest in film and television is enhanced by the surrounding celebrity culture.

A refined way of following popular and contemporary culture, she finds enjoyment in revisiting 17 old classics and experimental new releases.

BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS

THE AFFLUENT WOMAN The affluent woman’s wardrobe is a collection of luxury investment pieces, most of which have been considered purchases. Her behavioural traits include: A high household disposable income, in the region of £5,000 per month (estimated from the Office for National Statistics, 2016) A monthly spend on clothes greater than £1,000 keeps up with current trends Purchases clothes at least monthly Influenced by magazines, celebrities and peers.

Prefers shopping in store

19

OLD BO 12.0

OND ST 02.17

A large proportion of female customers were alone, shopping productively rather than socially.

Two women were accompanied by male partners but were shopping for themselves rather than their male accompaniers.

The women were well dressed and stylish;

A popular choice

was a Burberry style trench coat and most women carried a luxury leather handbag; popular options were a Mulberry and a Givenchy Antigone.

A

selection

carrying

of

women

were

bags

from

shopping

other luxury retailers such as Selfridges

The customers browsed the store leisurely, taking their time to inspect the products.

BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS

IT

SHOULD

ONE OF

DAY. SAINT

BE

TAKEN

THEREFORE, LAURENT

INTO IT

CONSID

CANNOT

PARIS’S

B

CONSU

DERATION

BE

THAT

CONCLUSIVE.

UMERS

SHOP

THE

DATA

COLLECTED

FURTHERMORE,

FROM

THEIR

DUE

ONLINE

FROM

TO

THIS

THEIR

STORE

AND

STORE

VISIT

OCCURED

LIMITED

NUMBER

ARE

THEREFORE

OF

IN

STORES,

NOT

ONE A

INSTANCE

LARGE

CONSIDERED

IN

OVER

PROPORTION THIS

DATA.

BRANDS also shopped at THE

MAJORITY

OF

OTHER

FAVOURITED

BRANDS

WERE ALSO LUXURY READY-TO-WEAR, SUCH AS DIOR, HOWEVER,

AFFORDABLE

LUXURY

BRANDS

SUCH

AS REISS ARE FREQUENTED, HIGHLIGHTING

THEIR

CONSUMERS AS FASHION-CONSCIOUS AND BRAND FOCUSED PEOPLE, PERHAPS USING BRANDED GOODS TO ASSERT STATUS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH VEBLEN’S CONSPICUOUS

CONSUMPTION

THEORY

BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS

(1899)

24

25

It can be CONCLUDED that, although Saint two

Laurent

Paris

different

types

demographically,

both

appeals of

to

women

share

similar

behavioural and psychographic qualities.

Saint Laurent Paris have been successful in

engaging

through

a

their

younger recent

consumer rebranding.

28

APPEN

NDICES

29

RESEARCH METHODS As an international corporation selling womenswear, menswear and childrenswear, with an additional successful beauty range, the focus for the consumer profile was geographically limited to the United Kingdom and limited to the womenswear market.

This increased the accuracy of the findings and the extent of the research covered.

Finding accurate demographic data through primary research would be challenging as access to the target consumer was limited.

Therefore, much of the demographic data and data regarding wealth was found in secondary sources whilst psychographic and behavioural data was found through primary research.

A survey was distributed amongst twenty women aged between 25 and 49 asking a series of questions intended to gain information across the four segments of the consumer profile: demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioural traits.

The respondents were asked to answer the questions truthfully yet hypothetically, as for the majority, Saint Laurent Paris was not an economically viable brand. This is simply because personal connections and contacts did not allow for access to such women.

Further primary research was required due to this, and an observational store visit was conducted, in which the customers of the Old Bond Street store were observed and their behaviour, style and other traits were noted to enhance the already discovered information.

30

SURVEY QUESTIONS Please answer the following questions under the hypothetical circumstances

that

assume

shopping

at

Saint

Laurent

is

economically viable: DEMOGRAPHICS: Please select your age group: 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 Do you identify with a religion, if so which religion?

Prefer not to say Atheist Agnostic Christianity Judaism Hinduism Buddhism Sikhism Other, please specify ........................................

Please select your employment status: Unemployed Part-time Employed Full-time Employed 31

Self-Employed Retired If employed, do you consider your work to be academic, business focused, or creative?

Academic Business focused Creative What is the highest level of education you have achieved?

GCSEs A Levels BTEC NVQ Foundation degree Undergraduate Degree Postgraduate Degree PHD What was your field of study? ........................................................

What is your marital status?

Single In a relationship Engaged Married Separated Divorced Widowed How many dependents do you have? ...............................................................

GEOGRAPHICS: 32

In what region of the United Kingdom do you reside?

Scotland Wales Northern Ireland North East North West Midlands South East South West Would you consider yourself to live in a rural or urban area?

Rural Urban What size settlement do you live in?

Town Village City Suburb Countryside What type of home would you choose to live in, if you were in a financial position to afford Saint Laurent?

Detached house Semi-detached house Terrace house Town House Penthouse Bungalow Flat PSYCHOGRAPHICS: How would you describe your aspirations?

Career-driven 33

Family-driven Do you consider yourself to be fashionable or fashion-conscious?

Yes No Do you aim to keep up with current styles and trends?

I keep up with all major trends I keep up with a few trends I consider myself a trend setter as opposed to a follower I do not express an interest in fashion trends What hobbies and interests do you have?

Shopping Travelling Socialising Sight-seeing Sports Food Theatre History and culture Fashion Art Film and television Music Other, please specify: ………………………………

BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS: Why do you buy new clothes?

For a specific occasion To replace old and worn out clothes Change in body shape To keep up to date with new trends 34

Other, please specify …………........................

How often do you buy new clothes?

Weekly Fortnightly Monthly Seasonally Yearly Less frequently How do you buy clothes?

Online In-store Via a catalogue Second-hand What other brands would you frequently shop from, if it were financially viable?

Acne Studios Alexander McQueen armani Burberry Chanel Cos Dior Fendi Givenchy Gucci Prada Reiss Ted Baker Valentino Versace Vivienne Westwood 35

SURVEY RESULTS 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Please select your age group: 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 Do you identify with a religion, if so which religion?

Prefer not to say Atheist Agnostic Christianity Judaism Hinduism Buddhism Sikhism Please select your employment status: Unemployed Part-time Employed Full-time Employed Self-Employed Retired If employed, do you consider your work to be academic, business focused, or creative?

Academic Business focused Creative What is the highest level of education you have achieved?

GCSEs A Levels BTEC NVQ Foundation degree Undergraduate Degree Postgraduate Degree PHD What was your field of study?

Business Science Humanities Medicine Languages English Art Media

36

What is your marital status?

Single In a relationship Engaged Married Separated Divorced Widowed How many dependents do you have?

0 1 2 3 In what region of the United Kingdom do you reside?

Scotland Wales Northern Ireland North East North West Midlands South East South West Would you consider yourself to live in a rural or urban area?

Rural Urban What size settlement do you live in?

Town Village City Suburb Countryside What type of home would you choose to live in, if you were in a financial position to afford Saint Laurent?

Detached house Semi-detached house Terrace house Town House Penthouse Bungalow Flat How would you describe your aspirations?

Career-driven Family-driven Do you consider yourself to be fashionable or fashion-conscious?

Yes No Do you aim to keep up with current styles and trends?

I keep up with all major trends I keep up with a few trends I consider myself a trend setter I do not express an interest in fashion

37

What hobbies and interests do you have?

Shopping Travelling Socialising Sight-seeing Sports Food Theatre History and culture Fashion Art Film and television Music Why do you buy new clothes?

For a specific occasion To replace old and worn out clothes Change in body shape To keep up to date with new trends How often do you buy new clothes?

Weekly Fortnightly Monthly Seasonally Yearly Less frequently How do you buy clothes?

Online In-store Via a catalogue Second-hand What other brands would you frequently shop from, if it were financially viable?

Acne Studios Alexander McQueen Armani Burberry Chanel Cos Dior Fendi Givenchy Gucci Prada Reiss Ted Baker Valentino Versace Vivienne Westwood

38

REFERENCE LIST

Kering. no date. Saint Laurent. [Online]. [Accessed 19th February 2017].

Available

from:

http://www.kering.com/en/brands/

luxury/saint-laurent Mellery-Pratt, R. 2015. The Secret of Saint Laurent’s Success.

[Online]. [Accessed 18 Febraury 2017]. Available from: https:// www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/the-secretof-saint-laurents-success-saint-laurent-hedi-slimane Office of National Statistics. 2016. Household Disposable Income and Inequality. [Online]. [Accessed 20 February 2017]. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/ personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/ householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyearending2 016#statisticans-quote Veblen, T. 1899. The Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions. London: Macmillan

39

FIGURE LIST PAGE 1: Saint Laurent. 2013. SS13 Womenswear Campaign. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://en.paperblog.com/yves-saint-laurentss13-by-hedi-slimane-ad-campaign-395916/ PAGE 2 & 3: Saint Laurent. 2013. SS13 Womenswear Campaign. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.thebitemag.com/archives/3480 PAGE 4 & 5: Saint Laurent. 2017. SS17 Womenswear Campaign. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://lesfacons.com/2016/10/14/saint-laurent-spring-2017-ad-campaign/ PAGE 6 & 7 (from left to right, top to bottom): No author. No date. Shopping Bags. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://weheartit.com/entry/group/27809478 No author. No date. Beach Vacation. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.quotesaboutfriendship.info/?page=/quotesabout-needing-a-vacation/ Pinterest. No Date. Audi R8. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/audi-r8-black/ Sinclair. 2012. Restaurant Insurance. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://srfm.com/blog/restaurant-insurance-online-marketing-tips/ Pinterest. no date. Luxury makeup. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/luxury-cosmetics/ Pinterest. no date. Office Wear. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/kavini15/my-office-wear/ Pinterest. no date. Ralph and Russo Shoe. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/214906213449956258/ Help Me Travel. 2015. Cocktail Bar. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: http://www.helpmetravel.gr/nightlife/%CE%BC%CF%8D%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82%CF%84%CE%B15-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%BB%CF%8D%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B1cocktail-bar/

40

EJ Style. 2016. Black YSL Bag. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/308848486925885478/ Eco Turkey. 2017. Santorini. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://www.ecoturkey.com/holiday/11-days-bulgaria-greece-multi-country-tour/ Pinterest. no date. Black and Gold Watch. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/black-and-goldwatch/ Favim. 2016. YSL Bags. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://favim.com/image/4437824/ Pinterest. no date. Gaveta Organiser. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://pt.pinterest.com/pin/388505905339744142/ Pinterest. no date. Perfume Display. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/perfume-display/ Hammett, L. 2017. Surrey Family Home. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.laurahammett.com/portfolio/surrey-family-home Pinterest. no date. Wardrobe. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/wardrobe-design/ Elle South Africa. 2014. Vogue Stack. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.elle.co.za/five-minutes-rising-star-finalists/ PAGE 8 & 9: The Zoe Report. 2016. Successful Businesswoman, Rachel Zoe. [Online].

[Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/ AS-8xo9aSgMWxraG6z20cuxkTqVtlLPALizY9vspRMPxS8tDcHc6_hM/ PAGE 10 & 11: Pinterest. no date. Poppy Delevingne. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/catalinavi/poppy-delevingne-style-icon/ PAGE 12 & 13: Pinterest. no date. London Skyline. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=london%20skyline&rs=typed&term_meta[]=london%7Ctyped&term_meta[]=skyline%7Ctyped PAGE 14 & 15: Pinterest. no date. Suburban Street. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=SUBURBAN%20STREET&rs=typed&term_meta[]=SUBURBAN%7Ctyped&term_ meta[]=STREET%7Ctyped

41

PAGE 16 & 17 (from left to right, top to bottom): Pinterest. no date. Yale Centre For Art. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/103864335135262024/ Long, R. No Date. Cornish Slate Line. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/richard-long/ Pinterest. no date. Maldives. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/482588916302060389/ No Author. no date. Bangkok Grand Palace. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.malpertuusclinge.nl/paper/bangkok-grand-palace.html Le Cou Cou. No date. Le Cou Cou Restaurant. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.lecoucou.com/ Pinterest. no date. Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/36380709459831454/ DSLR. 2015. Famous Movie Posters. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://dslr.center/23-famous-movie-poster-photos-without-text/ Whipp, G. 2017. La La Land. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http:// www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-0214-ryan-goslingemma-stone-la-la-land-20170214-story.html PAGE 18 & 19: No author. no date. Woman Shopping. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.luxo.co.za/picodicoza-your-new-best-friend-foronline-shopping-.html?articleID=2235 PAGE 20 & 21: Saint Laurent. 2017. Store Interior. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.ysl.com/corporate/saint-laurent-store-locator/ PAGE 22 & 23 (from left to right, top to bottom): Pinterest. no date. Givenchy Antigone Bag. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/106256872437370423/ Pinterest. no date. Burberry Trench Coat. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March].

Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/burberry-coat/ Pinterest. no date. Mulberry Bag. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/mulberry-bag/ PAGE 26 & 27: Saint Laurent. 2017. SS17 Womenswear Campaign. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://lesfacons.com/2016/10/14/saint-laurent-spring-2017-ad-campaign/

42

PAGE 28 & 29: Saint Laurent. 2017. Womenswear Introductory Video. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.ysl.com/gb/shop-product/women/women_section

PAGE 44: Saint Laurent . 2013. SS13 Womenswear Campaign. [Online]. [Accessed 5 March]. Available from: http://www.madeinchicistan.com/2013_01_01_archive.html

43

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