MISSGUIDED x
JAPAN
Contents 0.1 Concept 0.2 Social Media 0.3 Brand History 0.4 SWOT Analysis 0.5 PESTLE Analysis 0.6 Customer profile 0.8Competitor Analysis 0.9 Competitor SWOT Analysis 11 PLT Brand Analysis 15 Stop proposal 16 Pre Store Opening 17 Online Advertisement
18 Social Media Mock Up's 20 Offline Marketing 22 Press Party 23 Timetable Of Events 24 Moodboard 25 Influencers 26 Press 27 Location 28 Press Party Mock Up's 29 Store Launch 30 Store Mood Board 31 Incentives
32 Store Mock Up 33 In-store Experience
CONCEPT This portfolio will exploit western culture trends through rising high street fashion brand ‘Missguided’ and take Japan an Eastern heritage to welcome a new culture flagship store in the heart of the capital Tokyo. The purpose of this document is to take Missguided’s positive social media presence to create strong online marketing campaign in order to spread awareness. Missguided having only two stores and taking its third worldwide is a major advancement within the brand, it bridges the connection between two cultures. In order to reach success I will carry out consumer profiles, market research and competitor analysis this initial research will allow me to combine ideas in creating an action plan best suited for the store opening. With use of offline and online marketing techniques nationally will allow for maximum coverage to increase footfall for the store intended. With a target customer for the store I will propose an event best suited to the consumer to set the launch of the store. This event will be of high exposure among the community introducing new brand representatives and more.
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
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Brand
History
Missguided is a British brand established in 2009 by entrepreneur Nitin Passi. Based in Manchester the online retailor focuses on rapid fashion releasing over 500 new lines each week and ships to countries worldwide. Missguided is one the most popular affordable online stores with currently two flagship stores (Westfield Stratford, Bluewater) and one concession (Selfridges Manchester) They have strategically placed themselves in the communications of social media among their consumer keeping up with the time and relaying the image of the brand. The digital Marketing of the brand is above their competitors ensuring the maximum sales of the company. Collaborating with impactful influencers allows the customer (young girls) to keep up with the latest fashion and be inspired by high end inspired outfits for a fraction of the price. Garments are designed by in house talent and is inspired by what the consumer desire keeping up with trends and offering a variety of styles.
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STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Strengths of this plan is that it will allow Missguided to have more status among other brands like Topshop, Uniqlo and Zara who are known internationally by many. By taking it to the capital, Tokyo which has a population of 13 million with the exception of tourists it is intended many will see the brand. Japan had delivery options in the past to Japan, however factors like shipping costs, quality, sizing are problems which by having a shop in the country would sort. It would allow people to try clothes on and then click and collect option for delivery will minimalize shipping costs. As Missguided stated in their brand ethos they believe in woman building up woman embracing cultural diversity and how know body is the same by opening worldwide stores it will spread culture fashion and allow young teens to express themselves freely within the brand.
When taking a brand to a different culture who explore different beliefs and day to day life, sales targets may not be met due to ill-fitting trends and fashion that doesn’t fit the consumer as expected. Loyal customers may not be established if they are not keen on styles or quality leaving the store at a loss as stock won’t be selling. Missguided will also have to provide more jobs in order to run the store, being a British brand Japan have a different language so they need to ensure communication is established through bilingual speakers or translators as plans and store ideas may be interpreted wrong. Not only will the store contain store but a distribution a stock transport will be established. Being in a different country Missguided will not already have warehouses in the country this could be a weakness to the store as if problems with stock densities in store and stock transportation is limited the time taken to get the stock to the store may take longer consequently losing on sales.
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OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
There is many opportunities to be made taken Missguided In Real life (IRL) international it allows for a possible extension of a worldwide chain of stores and concessions if the store is a success. Mennace, Missguided’s menswear range may feature in its own branch of store if sales of the “sister” brand reach the level of Missguided this can be an explored option if a sample sale of garments were sold with Missguided branded and Mennace (menswear) to monitor exposure and if it is selling. The Missguided reputation is seen differently by many generations younger generations seeing it as a brand that fit the financial need and the freedom of woman in the 21st century, that there is no limits on what you can and can’t wear. Critics takes this freedom within fashion and sees it as sexualizing and unnecessary for young girls however being able to see the store in person and the variety of clothes the store sells and not just the negative press they will be able to primarily see without the influence of critics. There will also be the opportunity of increased sales, through store add on’s and instore stylist offering hands on advice that you cannot get through a website. Sales are important as it monitors the success of the store and allows you to compare the preferred shopping experience of the Japanese customer and cater to it. Being the increase customer service or personal shopping experience in store that simulates online with the benefits of instore..
Threats that need to be observed in order to minimize them. Threats include established brands already in Japan who have consistent customers and established selling patterns to cater to. By carrying out comp shops you can see how other shops run and what signage and visuals they use to influences the opening of the Missguided store. Economic Instability could lead to people having less disposable income leading to a decline in sales as less people will be able to spend money on luxuries such as clothes and bags. Increased taxes and importing the clothes in could drive prices up even further.
JAPAN
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POLITICAL
ECONOMICAL
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TECHNOLOGY
LEGAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
• Declining population due to ageing.
• Highly technology advanced compared to other countries.
• Employment laws are similar to those of the European, contracts are used stating wage, employment status and length of employment.
• Political instability due to different governing bodies. • Yuriko Koike is the first female present governor of Tokyo, elected in 2016 to hold the office.
• Centre of contact with foreign fashion in comparison with governing capitals. • High capacity of head office space and storage warehouses. • High number of potential consumers. • Living space is expensive however the consumer will in turn be of a higher demographic. • Strong economy and one of the top 5 in the world.
• Lower fertility rates than in previous years • Birth rates to decline 25% by 2050. • Has over 100 universities and colleges.
• They are different to western country instead of relying on data they rely heavily on wi-fi and stay connected via emails and airdrops mainly.
• Vast majority of Japans population is centered around or in Tokyo, due to mass amounts of land taken over by mountains and uneven forestry grounds. • Earthquakes and tsunamis are a large risk for Japan due to this housing areas become inhabitable moving more people towards safer zones increasing demand for housing to accommodate the population. • Some brands support ethical trade such as “Studio Membrane” collection was made only using biodegradable fabrics.
Customer Profile Missguided have defined their target market and cater well to suit there needs. They use influential models such as Lisa Marie who are of a similar age range and continue updating clothing trends in order to cater to the fast fashion and continued desire for new outfits. With social media as a main communication tool Missguided use this to bridge the connection to there consumer, ensuring frequent updates on all social accounts posting about topics that interest the age group (12-24). The brand has strong beliefs on woman being the best version on them, They build on woman empowerment collaborating with influencers like Maddison Beer, Carli Bybel and Jordan Dunn. A variety of styles cater to the different styles within the age range targeted this is easily stoppable online and instore as style are grouped via sections and links though "Occasions" on the Missguided website.
SABRINA Sabrina is a sixteen year old female who lives with her family in a detached family home within the capital of Tokyo. Sheis a average achieving student at Den Enchofu High School. Sabrina does have a local part-time job in a local retail store earing on average 13,568 yen per month which is the equivalent of Englands minimal wage. Sabrina enjoys spending her free time meeting up with friends to go shopping at the local shopping Centre, using social media and continuing her hobby of drawing. She enjoys expressing herself through her clothing and hairstyles, although she is immersed within street culture Sabrina has a fashion forward mind and likes to stay up to date on fashion trends globally and in her area. She is inspired by influencers such as Ariana Grande and J-pop singers.
SURI Suri is a young woman who has established her style. She is not one to follow fashion trends however embrace who she is as a person she is not swayed by brand or price however a more “like then buy” attitude. Working full time, shopping is limited so online shopping is the easiest option for her however she does like to try things on for size and colour recommendations so when she can she does hit the high-street. She lives on the outskirts of the capital in a city called Kawasaki she’s from a family who have a socio economic grading of “B” so she is well off and does have disposable income within her wage. 33,000 Yen per month. She lives with her two brothers and her parents so she is surrounded by family and is essential she has casual clothing for family days out.
Competitor Analysis Market positioning graph The market positioning graph clearly distinguishes Missguided brand competitors reflecting on quality and price. Being an affordable online brand they do have similar competitors reaching the same target consumer such as Pretty Little Thing. I reframed from using only UK competitors and indulged into the Japan high-street fashion, most in which are affordable. By incorporating Japanese high-street brands it will put Missguided among there foreign competitors and easily view where they stand and how to make them more profitable in comparison by comparing there selling techniques and marketing campaign’s. Mid-market brands that I collectively included a mixture of online and instore brands as many people do shop online especially the younger generation. With brands like Zara and river island hitting the higher demographic of my target market I feel this is important to acknowledge as a brand they have both been worldwide successful for years and I feel the marketing of their brand makes them a competitor for Missguided as they are able to effectively reach their target market which Missguided need to effectively carry out in Japan.
Strengths • River Island have an established older demographic and produced a kids range that allows mums to also shop for their children. • Uniqlo is Japans leading retail store in terms of sale and profit. • Pretty Little Thing are well connected with their consumer and offer enticing discounts for students to increase profits. • Zara is a worldwide known brand known for their quality and unique seasonal pieces and staples. • Wego sells a mixture of new and second had women’s and men’s wear which doesn’t limit their store to just one name brand designer and offers a variety of fashion cultures a destination to shop. • Gucci have the status and historic quality which people will buy into for generations. • Superdry are known for providing high quality garments suitable for any season.
Weaknesses • River Island have limited visual merchandising, this could limit foot fall as customers will have nothing new to look at. • Uniqlo provide basic and essential clothing however increases the likelihood of customers shopping else where. • Zara do not promote themselves as much as their competitors do meaning people are less likely to go to Zara if they haven’t heard of the brand before. • Wego stores do not have an sophisticated look to them which can make the store look unorganised and cheap. • Gucci is a trademark print that is often reused by other brands and companies. With copies makes Gucci’s origin less appealing.
Opportunities • River Island: Do more celebrity collaboration’s like in the past with Rhianna in order to increase sales. • Uniqlo: Could increase their presence online and virtual marketing as this is something the brand is limited with and they stick to offline marketing as their main tool. • Zara: There is more global markets that Zara could explore that suit their consumer profile that they could market to and introduce the products to. • Wego: Open more stores nationwide and offer more fuller lines than one of pieces. • Gucci: They could take inspiration from youth culture who are the rising generation of fashion and create a more affordable and generation made trend. • Superdry: offer more variety of clothes and accessories such as pajamas, lingerie, handbags and jewelry.
Threats • River Island has new uprising brands that have potential factors that could entice there customer through lower prices and quicker online service. • Uniqlo • Zara has been in some legal trouble concerning the production of the garments being produced in sweat shops. This could affect the brand selling rates and fines and correction of this will cost the company money. • Wego are a small chain of stores and have the threat of bigger more established brands making the company bankrupt through diversion of customers and lack of income. • Gucci’s main threat is competition from high end brand and high-street putting a strain on their sales. • Superdry has a threat of the perception of the brand from others affecting their sales as people will be less likely to buy into it.
Marketing ONLINE Techniques:
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Use cookies Pop up ads Email subscriptions Promotional videos Sponsored adverts
OFFLINE • Billboards • tube stations • taxis • word of mouth • Packaging
I have chosen to take a more thorough look into Pretty Little Thing due to my Primary research showing peoples opinions as them being Missguided main competitor. By conducting this further research I can highlight marketing patterns and selling rates that my store concept may benfit from.
Pretty Little Thing have a similar demographic aiming at 16-24 year old’s with limited disposable income who intend to remain on trend with fashion. The brand image online is very similar to Missguided however clothes are positioned in more of a trend section rather than the garment description themselves. They are also very influencer based in order to promote new clothing and outfit ideas being a new brand they are well connected with social media platforms posting frequently new in stock items and updates on fashion icons such as Kim Kardashian and Selena Gomez. Pretty little thing also did a collaboration with Kourtney Kardashian which with her promotions brought more online traffic to the website with the niche audience of fans of hers that may not of shopped on Pretty Little Thing (mainly USA). Their Instagram features a variety of posts which all relate to what the consumer is interested in. This increases active following by posting influencers, relatable posts and new lines as this is all of interest to them. Not only do they post-secondary content but content of their own from their own shoots and collaboration’s.
Past campaigns
Pretty little thing use a variety of offline and online marketing techniques however as shown in the examples the is a common pattern within the print and layouts being offline or online. This is something I think works well for the brand as it makes them easily recognizable for the signature unicorn and pink that they use and even without the brand name people associate them with the brand.
From looking at Pretty Little Thing promotional poster and websites I created my own poster promoting their new swim range. From doing this i feel I can interpret PLT as a brand better and understand there marketing choices by doing it myself taking in consideration product placement and colours which suit there consumer.
01
MARKETING STRATAGEY
Store Proposal The first worldwide Missguided store will be within the Capital of Tokyo in beneath one of Japans major landmark Tokyo Skytree scraper the Solamachi. The store will be 25,000 square foot two story destination. An already established shopping Centre with over 312 stores and restaurants and experiences including an aquarium. Mixing main stream fashion and cultured designs it will allow Missguided to flourish as a brand in an environment best suited to them. The intended outcome of the store is for it to open up opportunities for Missguided amongst western culture. The bricks and mortar location will allow for a statistical judgement from the consumer buying patterns in order to see if it could become a successful chain in the future. It will also allow customers to see first hand the clothes they shop online observing the quality, colour and sizing options. This for many will in turn drive a higher transaction value due to trend positioning and addons that you may not think to look at online. Being a two story store will allow for an increase spaced for fitting rooms and selling space to keep up with the intended high footfall rates. Clothing will be positioned with trend sections in order to increase outfit builds that fit that specific customer e.g Festival, formal, Jersey, partywear. This will not only make their shopping journey easily achievable but allow for more options that the customer may not of known they wanted “impulse buys�.
Store will have good transportation links and among many tourist destinations
Pre store Opening Pre store Advertisment
Promotional Strategies
The importance of extensive advertisement before the new store opens in Japan will affect the success in store dramatically. Being a new store to Japan and only shipping services have only been available in recent years means the statistical ratio of people who know of Missguided as a brand is minimal so it crucial to create a prelaunch advertisement plan which will create mass exposure for the designated consumer and other niches.
By taking the knowledge gathered through consumer and market research I will do mock up examples of offline and online promotions and conduct an opening event (launch party) to maximize foot fall into the store. The importance of using multiple marketing strategies with this campaign reflects back to the “Missguided customer� a generation of online users however still keep updated with fashion forums like Vogue, Elle and GQ. By selecting a variety of marketing platforms I intend to spread brand awareness among Japan and Western culture, creating a prescience digitally and among society surrounding the store launch. To measure the success of the campaigns I will use KPI’s which will exploit how effective thy are.
Online Advertisement WEBSITE/APP The Missguided website platform will play an important role in the opening of the Japan store, bridging the connection from online to instore. As shown in the mock up example I will create a direct link within a page to a look book, shop the look and area for customers to upload a view pictures of there Missguided outfits. By creating a redirected link it allows customers to distinguish what trends will be in store and how others have styled the garments. This separate link will only be able to be accessed with by Western locations as in order to maintain its relevance to its customer. Similar to the UK app I will be creating a Japanese version which will be more suited to the customer allowing quick browsing, checkout and keep up to date on the local fashion news daily.
K P I' S In order to measure the success of both the website and app I will monitor the order purchases rates within both platforms, by doing this it will allow and judgement on the ratio of customers completing the whole experience online. The amount of customer clicking past the home page onto the Japan link will show how interested people are into finding out more information. The amount of downloads and reviews given on the app store will monitor the success of the app and if it reaches customer satisfaction. The ability to add a comment to your review makes fixing any reoccurring issues easier.
SOCIAL MEDIA MOCK UPS TWITTER
SNAPCHAT
Social media is a new generation marketing tool that helps connect brands with more potential customers quicker through cookies, subscriptions and mailing lists. I have created some exemplar social media posts which would be similar to what would be used prior/during the store opening. I will be using a multi social media campaigns linking one to another for example a tweet “Go check our Instagram for more updates” this increases exposure on all accounts. By using sponsored adds from my demographic it will unconsciously be selling the product to the consumer being a “want not need” approach each time they click on the add or through the links they are impulse buying the product. Frequent pots will allow the customer to feel a part of the experience as it unveils such as on the open day and special events. Not only will it give people the chance to keep up dated it gives special discounts and offers not found anywhere else it gives the right incentives to sign up and subscribe to the mailing list. Social media offers a more updated and frequent campaign approach in comparison to offline adverts. They can be altered and changed quicker and is more cost effective in order to keep up with the fast fashion of today and being a brand target to the generation surrounded by technology this concept is one that will in turn be most effective.
Online campaigns are available in all areas of the world opening up more opportunities for potential customers from other surrounding areas or tourists who were not aware of the store opening as they are not in an area with designated offline ad campaigns. This will allow increase brand exposure within the western hemisphere and people who may visit Tokyo will plan a visit to their store into their trip.
KPI'S It is important to look into the success of a campaign in order to justify continuing the ad campaign. When looking at social media there is methods in order to distinguish the success of a campaign with Instagram you can look at the reach and interactions of a post which compares the amount of potential customers that have viewed the post and the customers that have interacted with the post would that be following a link or liking a photo. Sponsored ads that use cookies in order to display items best suited to the customer can be monitored by the purchase history of the customer and if they purchased the particular item through clicking the link. This I a good way to personalize the ads specific to the consumer in order to increase traffic to the website. Twitter is a platform that connects people via common interests and relevant information that the user will find useful, with this information with every retweet and like increases the exposure of the tweet. Twitter also have a statistical feature added for each tweet that allows for the brand to monitor each tweet and the exposure it is receiving.
OFFLINE MARKET CAMPAIGNS
Large-scale Billboards
Highstreet traditional advertisement University Posters
Bus advertisement
Tube stickers
Offline is an important tool within any campaign it increases niche audience awareness, for example they may not understand the ads or posters however they are designed for their “Z” generation it makes them later question it with daughters etc spreading awareness about the uprising brand. Public transport ads are used by tourists, workers, and families the mass amount of people seeing this “moving ad” is high; centering them around the location of the store with relevant information can divert customers towards the store to increase footfall and with consistency the use of website and app may become part of their everyday regime. The transport ads will be very minimalistic leaving room for question about the brand: what they sell, who they are targeted for as curiosity leads into further research into their social media and later the store itself. I also created onsite campus ads due to the brand being best suited for their age range and the student benefits being best suited for their age range. By promoting around nearby campus and the chance to sign up to the mailing list for the chance to win free clothes, extra promotions and discounts I am highlighting what Missguided offers that best that suits university students in order to make them stand out against their competitors and make them reoccurring customers.
I researched into Japanese highstreets and looked into typical ‘market advertisement’ it was very minimalistic yet effective so I took a rugged sign and just printed the Missguided logo onto the centre with extra information including social media, store and opening date positioned towards the bottom.
KPI'S Measuring offline market campaigns is less statistical than online campaigns however I will look at the footfall on bus routes in order to calculate an average reach for my target consumer and for niches. By using popular bus routes and areas will increase the exposure for the campaign and increase peoples knowledge before the opening. I will also add small barcodes at the bottom of underground posters and street billboards, this will allow potential customer to scan the barcode and bring up the Japanese website for convenient access and on the spot interaction. Japan is very technology orientated so by combining the offline campaign into and online alternative will allow for easy measure as you can follow the amount of scans each poster is getting and if the posters and billboards are worth investing in after the launch.
Press Party A press party will be held before the official launch of the new store with the intended outcome to maximize exposure to the consumer. I will combine the media and the influencers socials in order to spread awareness. I have researched into the types of influencers invited to the press event based on the demographic of their following and if it suits the typical Missguided buyer. For example Ariana Grande has a following of young female teens aged 12-17 year old which resembles the similar customer of Missguided offering clothes suited to their style and age. By inviting a variety of influencers from different genres such as music, beauty and fashion it will expand the different types of customer that will suit different trends in store, as this is something Missguided feel is important is to allow people to express themselves and be comfortable in what they wear. I intend for the party to make not only the influencers aware of the eastern fashion brand but the surrounding western countries near Tokyo. I aim for the first flagship western store to open up a chain for other Missguided stores in surrounding countries in order for this to happen I need to maximize exposure and sales in order for the store to run profit and by maximizing influencer based marketing. The activities I have included within the press party have been designed in order to promote “good vibes� of the brand and information that will be useful for future promotions. With interviews and media shoots to increase visibility and get to know the influencer opinions about the brand it gives the customer a secondary opinion. With event stylists on location influencers will be allowed one outfit build that represents there personality then later promote the brand through their chosen outfit using a series of hashtags.
Timetable of the event
Red carpet arrival allowing press to broadcast the event
5.30 arrival red carpet event
Press interviews and photos Interviews with local press and tv stations showcasing there thoughts and outfits
A detailed presentation outlining store prospects and future plans
Talk about the store launch 6.15
Stylist session inside pop-up 7.00 1-1 session on creating the perfect Missguided outfit to suit them
Gives the promoters an insight in what they need to do in oder to promote Missguided successfully and ensure they relay the brand message
Celebrate and showcase
Social media session 8.00
Cocktail party 10.00
Pre dinner 8.30 Good vibes Missguided meal
PRESS PARTY MOOD BOARD
INFLUENCERS
Aya and Ami
Rola
Zoella
Ariana
Models
Youtuber
Model
Singer/Actress
Hikari Model
Momo Blogger
What Will be Included:
GIFT CARD ÂŁ200
Press Guest package I will include an influencer package for each guest, this is important as some of the influencers may of never heard of Missguided before and by providing a gift package containing items best representing the brand it allows the influencer to judge the quality, practicality and usefulness of some of the Missguided products and in turn if they will be more likely to want to partner with the brand again and recommend it to their following.