M
A
V
E
R
I
C
K
RETAIL BOOK
1
INTRO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
B
A
C
K
CONCEPT INTRODUCTION: MAVERICK MAVERICK IN BRICKS AND MORTAR
G
R
O
U
N
5
D
RETAIL STRATEGY TARGET GROUP INCORPORATED TRENDS & RESEARCH
D E S I G N L D I R E C T I O N
4
COLOR CHOICE MATERIAL USE SHAPE INTEGRATION NEW YORK STREETS INTERIOR IMPRESSION
8 10 12
16 18 20 22 24
N O I T U C E X E C
O
N
C
L
MONO BRAND STORE FLOOR PLAN MAIN SHOE DISPLAY: SKYLINE MULTIMEDIA DISPLAY WALL HOT DOG SATURDAY WALL OF MAVERICKS ONLINE/OFFLINE INTERACTION BRAND ACTIVATIONS LOGO USE LOCATION MULTI BRAND STORES
U
S
I
O
N
FINAL CONCLUSION
50
28 30 32 34 36 38 40 41 42 44 46
CONCEPT INTRODUCTION: MAVERICK Being a true MAVERICK means to adjust to the environment whilst staying true to yourself. It is about being different from the mass, striving for small achievements in life rather than big victories. Inspired by the underdog athletes which PONY supported in the past, as well as the underdog artists they support now the Maverick concept has been created. With the intention to join and embrace the Mavericks of today any PONY retail environment should be inviting in bringing its comunity together. With the biggerst aim of PONY’s own environment being increasing brand recognition and gaining loyal customers the experience has to be multidimensional - sharing stories, merging the brand and the Maverick community and inspiring to keep on going, no matter what.
K E Y C O M P O N E N T S
STORY TELLING MERGING BRAND & COMMUNITY FLEXIBLE LOW-BUDGET
The EXECUTION is based on a Maverick way of building an environment. Re-use of materials, found pieces on the streets to integrate in the stores and a low-budget but detailed execution is key. A store always needs to be placed in a considered LOCATION with a Maverick design concept that preserves original features whilst creating a modern, New York inspired community space for the collection. Attention to detail is key in all areas; from a high level of customer service and open minded staff, who love to share PONY’s experience, to the carefully designed store environment.
The PONY COMMUNITY is central to everything we do. We want them to enjoy a high level of service, feeling accepted in a relaxed environment. This is where the staff really makes an impact; being open-minded, involved and listening to our customers’ experiences and needs.
We want the CONSUMER to relate to PONY on a high level. Everyone had struggles in life, big ones or small ones. With an honest communication and great examples, everyone can relate to our concept. The store gives a common feeling – a place to come together, share experience and simply feel welcomed to hang out.
4
MAVERICK IN BRICKS AND MORTAR
Inspired by the STREETS OF NEW YORK and the sentence: “stay on your feet however tough the conditions” we translated those thoughts into a 3D expression. PONY’s first mono store is to be a flexible, chameleonic flagship store, created under the Maverick concept. It is a place to join the sneaker lovers and the PONY community and reflects PONY’s past and present while offering an interaction to the consumers both on- and offline.
An unconventional way of displaying the shoes always keeping the sole on the wall/surface, reflects “staying on your feet” and is a common link in both mono and multibrand stores. The re-use of materials from the streets, such as mesh wire, concrete and metal build the foundation of any PONY brand experience.
5
6
BACKGROUND 7
RETAIL STRATEGY
Due to the complex history but little brand awareness of PONY amongst the target group, we see the need of two phases as a plan of action for PONY to successfully re-enter the market.
Here we will focus on the NICHE MARKET. The aim in this phase is to raise brand awareness and to create a buzz. The target group that we will reach is Fashion Embracer & Sneaker Lover in the age of 18-30. People, who love to set themselves apart from the mass, sticking out by wearing an underdog brand. The store types where PONY will appear are Lifestyle Concept Stores, Urban Concept Stores and for making a brand statement, a Mono Brand Store.
PHASE2
P H A S E 1
Market analysis and consumer research have shown, that PONY isn’t known enough in the target group of the age of 18-30. We see this as an opportunity to distinguish from bigger sneaker retailers and a great opportunity to settle down in the retail business. To fully re-enter the sneaker market, we divided PONY’s Store appearance into two phases, which focuses on brand awareness and concerning new customers by being different.
8
In this phase we will go FROM NICHE TO MASS. The aim is to expand our target audience. By adding Multi Brand Sneaker stores, such as SNEAKERS, FOOTLOCKER, etc, to our portfolio, we will be able to reach an additional target market: Early Adopter to Mass.
9
L
S
N
O
E
V
A
K E
E R
R E
F M
A B
S R
H A
I C
O E
R
N
TARGET GROUP
10
R E
Y
O
P
T
L R
A
E
D
A FASHION EMBRACER: * * * *
fashionability has a high impact on him doesn’t create trends but likes to be on top of trends shops in Concept Stores to find new brands is considered as a credible person concering trends
SNEAKER LOVER * * * *
appreciates the story behind the brand constantly looking for athentic and heritage products seeking for special collections/ collaborations insider of the sneaker market
EARLY ADOPTER TO MASS * picks up the sneaker after the brand has already been embrased * his friends and their recommondations influences him most * goes for sneakers that are ‘cool’, that makes him belong to a group
11
INCORPORATED TRENDS & RESEARCH
RETAIL TRENDS MULTIFUNCTIONAL RETAIL SPACE: a store needs to be more
than just a Point of Sale. It needs to join a community together, give them room for sharing experience and other stories. Continuously REINVENTING the shopping experience by providing frequent changes makes the consumer curious to re-visit the store on a regular basis.
FROM E-COMMERCE TO EVERYWHERE-COMMERCE: IMAGE IS ALL:
telling stories with visuals is the most powerful tool. Popularity of visual social media. 83% of learning occurs visually.
connecting brand and consumer on multiple channels interchangeably. Making use of technology that consumers bring to the stores (e.g. Smartphone, Tablets). This means an extension of stores in time and space. The physical and digital world are converging, an augmented reality. It leads to a rise in social sales.
FLEXIBLE STORE CONCEPTS: quick &
frequent reactions to changing behaviors and trends. A store has to be easily scalable, flexible and temporary design.
BRAND
JOURNALISM: telling meaningful stories. Engagement, sharing, repurposing. It is about the quality of storytelling, not content marketing for the sake of it. Focus shifted from the story of the brand towards telling stories about real people.
12
CONSUMER TRENDS SELF
IDENTIFICATION with the brand: Generation Y will only feel emotionally connected when the brand feels like a friend to them (brand should reflect their lifestyles)
‘THE PROGRESS PRINCIPLE’:
pleasure comes more from making progress towards goals rather than from achieving them.
DIGITAL-DEPENDENTS & DIGITAL NATIVES:
Use of technology on multiple levels. Intertwining real world and virtual world.
UNCONVENTIONAL
methods regarding the shopping experience. Excite the consumer by surprising them.
13
14
DESIGN DIRECTION 15
16
COLOUR CHOICE
Primarily the MONO-STORE features white in combination with shades of grey derived from used concrete and metal. Color highlights appear as accents in PONY‘s OldGlory red and OldGlory blue color, spread throughout the store.
17
MATERIAL USE
18
Highly polished surfaces, Plexiglas, concrete, reused metal tubes and mesh wire fence are the main MATERIALS used in building the store skeleton. Pegboards, used basketball net cord and neon lights add up to the overall Maverick look.
19
SHAPE INTEGRATION
The primary SHAPES used in the PONY store are geometrical and non-organic. The chevron is always clearly visible and appears both in the placing of the logo and use of shape in 3D. The New York skyline is translated and portrayed in an abstract manner and shapes of street signs appear in the store.
20
21
22
NEW YORK STREETS INSPIRATION
The SKYLINE of Manhattan as well as the streets, signs and colors inspired the entire 3D brand experience. From skyscrapers to display columns, rusty old tubes to pegboards and paint to color choice. It is a total reflection of New York and the strive of a Maverick.
23
INTERIOR IMPRESSION
24
Whilst the store is build up on used and rather rough materials, the displayed furniture is in contrast more SIMPLE AND CLEAN. The BASKETBALL court and the game itself inspire the design direction. Clear lines and the PONY primary colors are the foundation of the interior.
25
EXECUTION
28
MONO BRAND STORE
The first own PONY store created under the concept of MAVERICK is a place to join the sneaker lovers and the PONY community. It provides a hangout zone, a place to be as well as an inspiring atmosphere introducing the PONY sneakers.
The design is based on a FLEXIBLE STORE CONCEPT, led by a chameleonic approach. Shoes that are displayed on different sized columns, representing the New York skyline, are attached to ropes. When the display is set the shoes on it are the main focus. Every first Saturday of the month, the store is turned into a hang out place. Shoes are pulled up to the ceiling and the columns can be flipped down to provide seating. While providing hot dogs, the store becomes a place for the community to come together. Focus then is on the „Wall of Mavericks“ and the total brand impression. The till, shaped in a chevron can then turn into a bar.
29
FLOOR PLAN
SECONDARY FOCUS
PRIMARY FOCUS
DAILY STORE SETUP
30
SECONDARY FOCUS
PRIMARY FOCUS
EVENT SETUP
31
MAIN SHOE DISPLAY: SKYLINE
32
The New York Skyline display is centered in front of the store window and together with a replaceable window sticker form a view on “NEW YORK” putting this installation into focus for the passers-by. Each rope directly connects a shoe to the complementary interactive screen on the ,shoe display‘ wall.
Shoes attached to ropes are displayed on columns in different heights and materials, forming an abstract New York city SKYLINE. These blocks are multifunctional as they can be moved, flipped and put on top of each-other to form different types of displays or even serve as seating. To give the store more space for events the shoes can be pulled up to clear the area but still stay an always present component.
33
34
MULTIMEDIA DISPLAY WALL
The displayed shoes are connected to one of the side walls, where small TV screens provide imagery and more information about the different shoes. Visitors in store can CONNECT to the screens by using their own phones, linking them to the store’s Wi-Fi. The consumers can then slide the screens, look for other colors, the history and characteristics of the sneaker model and find all the additional information about it.
The STAFF uses the screens together with the consumers, to show its interactivity and to direct consumers to interact with it themselves. Telling the brand story while presenting the product and brand is very important therefore a personal level of interaction between the staff and consumers is of highest importance. As an additional TRIGGER for the visitors to use the screens, we hide one letter of the word ‘Maverick’ at the end of the slides at each screen. After connecting to the wall and having a look at the information on the screens all the letters of the secret word are revealed. With that visitors receive a free hotdog at the store’s first upcoming Hot Dog Saturday. In this way we not only make the visitors look through the provided information but also bring them back to the store for our event. The trained staff in store will inform customers about the secret Maverick game.
35
36
HOT DOG SATURDAY
To bring the Mavericks COMMUNITY together, once a month the PONY flagship store hosts a Hot Dog Saturday. Displayed shoes are then pulled to the ceiling and the display blocks arranged as seatings. The focus is now on the TV screens and the Wall of Mavericks. It‘s a place to share adventures, life stories and experiences in a relaxed environment.
37
38
WALL OF MAVERICKS
The Wall of Mavericks PORTRAYS PONY’s most important characters: athletes they supported in the past, collaborators, brand ambassadors and community sneaker lovers. An area where PONY’s brand story is told via the maverick stories of its supporters. This is the way to have a unique, personal and emotional level of story telling, giving the visitors a nice, homey feeling of PONY not being just a brand, but their fellow friend.
For this display we make use of the existing DO YOU community featured on PONY’s website. Besides the existing collaborators we introduce #DOYOUPONY for all the PONY lovers. Anyone hashtagging with this phrase has the opportunity to be featured on the PONY’s Wall of Mavericks. We curate contents from Instagram and Facebook and feature photos on our own DO YOU platform. From there on we select 3 photographs each month that get a special focus with sharing their Maverick story both on one of the boars in store as well as on our online platform.
An area where PONY’s brand story is told via the maverick stories of its supporters. This is the way to have a unique, personal and emotional level of STORY TELLING, giving the visitors a nice, homey feeling of PONY not being just a brand, but their fellow friend.
The wall is build from pegboards as well as reused street materials serving as boards and shoe displays that can be pulled out and pushed back into the wall when more space is needed in the shop floor for events and is yet another flexible component of the store. The use of pegboards and metal fences provides a quick and easy adjustment platform, making them useful in many different ways. It gives the staff a challenge in being Maverick themselves in discovering new ways of using them over and over again. The boards are MULTIFUNCTIONAL and can apart from displaying shoes and the PONY Maverick community be used as a main focus display area for the newest collaboration collections. As it is a low-budget installation it reflects our maverick take on retail.
39
ONLINE/OFFLINE INTERACTION To create an ONLINE/OFFLINE EXPERIENCE (trigger online to offline and vice versa) we make use of PONYs “DO YOU” community and expand it. We link the online DO YOU and our in-store Maverick wall by featuring the mavericks from the DO YOU in store whilst more information and background stories can be find online. It is all about their personal experiences and life stories. It’s about the small things, little accomplishments in life rather then big victories, so no matter how small someone’s achievement it still has the opportunity to be featured on our Wall of Mavericks.
The Maverick wall in store is very easily CHANGEABLE; a constant update drives people into the store and keeps the target group interested and curious. But most of all: involved, as if they share their own photo with the #, they can be portrayed on the wall in store as well.
We pick 3 mavericks per month to SHARE their maverick story with the PONY community. This is visible both online and in store. We curate content from online platforms such as instagram by the use of #DOYOUPONY and repost it on our own web page. This is how we ensure the growth of the PONY community.
To make this movement possible, we will make use of the existing PONY SOCIAL MEDIA interactions such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
40
BRAND ACTIVATIONS
To trigger and drive curious consumers to our flagship store as well as to add to the appearance and recognition of PONY on the streets we make us of small cheeky street activations. In the wider area around the city we use small EMPTY SPACES and fill them with glass bricks with a PONY sneaker in, playing with “seeing opportunities where others don’t”. Stickering street signs with PONY sneakers raises curiosity and adds to building up an urban reputation of the brand.
41
LOGO USE
42
The logo is always present throughout the store, as it is the core of PONY‘s IDENTITY and its RECOGNITION. The chevron shape in shown on the store display window and above the counter, two points a customer focuses on before entering and before exiting the store. In the PONY Maverick Concept Store, the logo is also the boards of the Wall of Mavericks as well as on the TV screens of the Shoe Display Wall. The till is shaped into a chevron.
In a radar of 1km around the store, we use „STREET DRIVERS“ with hints to our store. Using floor tiles with PONY hints and signs that show PONY’s presence and the direction of the store we make use the Chevron shaped logo as an arrow.
43
LOCATION
S
E
C
O
N
D
A
R
Y
L
Z
O
N
E
The mono store of PONY is located in a so-called „SECONDARY ZONE“ of a city. By being away from the mainstream and close to other smaller hip brands it adds to the Maverick image and drives the right target audience. „The new 9 Streets“ in Amsterdam (e.g. Herenstraat) is the zone where we see the first store of PONY appear. Other options would be e.g. Elandsgracht.
44
SHOP FRONT VIEW
STREET POSITION
45 H E R E N S T R A A T , A M S T E R D A M
MULTI BRAND STORES PAHSE 1 As a Maverick, we stand out - this comes not only back in our mono store, but also in multi brand stores. Realizing that most of the multi brand stores don’t have the space or wish to display extra POS material, we created a display method that is not bound to additional props. The focus lays in the sneaker placement. This way, we ensure that we not only stand out from the mass brands but more importantly give a protagonist’s view on the sneakers (the visitor always sees the shoes in the store the same as when wearing them).
In a given space such as concept stores, a brand has to adjust to its surroundings. Placing of logo and other branding methods are not possible. If we stick true to our way of displaying, we still stand out in a smart, toned down way.
DISPLAY METHODS “Stand on your feet however tough the conditions” will lead us in these spaces. First of all, the given display method and type of retail space have to be considered to make decisions. This can vary from a very open minded and flexible store like ACHT to a more static one like 290 Square Meters. The Maverick concept provides different methods of displaying, with one and only guide being mimicking walking with feet on the ground, top of the sneakers being faced to the viewer. By the use of hook-and-loop tape, these can be easily installed and adjusted.
E . G . 2 9 0 L S Q U A R E L M E T E R S
CONCEPT STORES
A miniature version of the Skyline Display can be provided to a multi brand store, when PONY gets a bigger designated space in store.
OPTION 1 46
E . G . L B L A C K L R A I N B O W
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
47 E
.
G
.
A
C
H
T
MULTI BRAND STORES
DISPLAY METHODS “Stand on your feet however tough the conditions� repeats as the lead also in big sneaker stores.
.
G
.
S
N
E
A
K
E
R
S
Depending on the given space two methods are possible. If enough display space is given, shoes are portrayed vertically with the sole touching the wall. If the space is smaller, the shoes are displayed horizontal, sole still facing the wall, mimicking walking. An expression for always going forward, no matter what. Being on the move, instead of being static. A very effective tool to be instantly recognized by the consumer without big posters or exaggarated graphics.
E
SNEAKER STORES
PAHSE 2
OPTION 1
48
E . G . L F O O T L O C K E R KEYCOMPONENTS
OPTION 2
ALWAYS DISPLAY SHOES WITH THE TOP TO VIEWER THE SOLE ALWAYS FACES THE WALL RE-USED MATERIAL WILL BE FEATURED, IF POSSIBLE LOGO USED WISELY IN A TONED DOWN MANNER USE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHERS DON’T
49
CONCLUSION
By using profound research of the market, the upcoming trends and insights of PONY, the Maverick concept was developed to create a unique and exciting retail guide. Operating with the given information, we will lead PONY to a next step of re-entering the market. Especially as we integrated the needs of the consumer, an up-to-date look on retail and the true PONY DNA, the Maverick concept will set PONY apart from others. To be one of a kind and not focusing on selling only, this get-together and celebration of a community makes it so special. PONY always was a blue-colored brand – and this in the end is reflected in the retail behavior. Here, we will talk with people, not to them. We will let them share their own stories and experience and make them feel home. Exactly this new take on a retail space, more used as a community and statement space, is the big opportunity for PONY in it’s first, own mono brand store.
50
51
I
R
E
N
A
L
K
R
A
J
N
C
C H R I S T O P H E R L R I E D L