Brand experience report

DE1131

AUDIENCE AND BRAND EXPERIENCE

JENNA GALLEY

THE EDIT

HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS THEY NEED TO BUY LESS?

“THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS YOU SEE, IS NOT FOUND IN SEEKING MORE, BUT IN DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY TO ENJOY LESS.” - SOCRATES (DO LESS. JONAT R. 2014)

THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

THE EDIT 2014

The fashion industry is one of the most aesthetically driven and highly influential business sectors in the world. According to The Value of Fashion report, 2012 fashion contributes approximately £21 billion to the UK economy alone, with an indirect economic impact encouraging spending of over £16 billion in other industries. With a total impact of £37 billion, the idustry is able to employ almost a million people, across a wide spectrum of roles providing diverse opportunites and a force for new skills and talent. However alongside a multitude of profitable success lies an array of statistics worthy of debate.

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AESTHETICALLY DRIVEN AND HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL

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THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

THE EDIT 2014 METHODOLOGY

According to the office of National Statistics 2013, it is estimated that each household on average owns around £4,000 worth of clothes with around 30% neglected for up to one year. These shocking results of unused clothing have resulted in a cost of around £30 billion with an estimated cost of £140 million (350,000 tonnes) being sent to landfill in the UK yearly (Valuing our clothes report, 2013). According to Appendix A, whilst questioning ethical awareness it is apparent the consumer is sympathetic towards the issues of over consumption however are unable to compromise on price due to the democratisation of fashion.

The appeal of fast fashion and high street discount is currently dominating the mind set of C2DE consumers. In order to convince C2DE customers to buy less, companies need to consider re-inventing and rebranding to cater for those willing to pay more for better quality and more sustainable garments.

It is apparent that those with a lower income buy into fast fashion to stay up to date at an affordable price and this was proved in Appendix A1 where participants favoured low to mid end stores, avoiding luxury brands altogether. This is not to say mid market consumers do not want to live a designer lifestyle, as Appendix B suggested C2DE consumers, aged 25-44 have a desire for better quality but surpass it due to a lack of time and expenditure. In accordance to Mintel, Media and Fashion UK, 2010 25-44 year olds are the age band most likely to be making major purchasing decisions as they set up homes and start families therefore they could be convinced to spend more and consume less if it was to be made clear how they will benefit from this mindset.

Trust is a fundamental element to decision making therefore in order to change the mindset it is vital concept strategies are both authentic and believable.

An article from the Telegraph, 2009 quoted, “It appears that, post the demise of the fashionista, a wiser bird called the ‘recessionista’ is out there shopping, and she is wise.” This implying that despite financial difficulties a new type of consumer is willing to shop elsewhere to source well designed pieces at a reasonable price. This type of consumption has been created through a growing sophistication among C2DE customers whom seek to find affordable clothing offering function and longevity.

London’s leading retail consultant, Mary Portas quoted for the Telegraph 2010, “The recession has forced retailers to raise their standards. We have gone from fast fashion to considered consumerism. The ‘more, more, more attitude is over. We don’t need ‘buy one get one free’, what we want is value- although not just in a monetary sense. We want the value of what an experience means to us. How will the product improve our world? Value now has a new meaning in a consumer’s life.”

This has helped brands deemed ‘uncool’ pre recession such as John Lewis and Next become trustworthy ‘go to’ retail brands over the past couple of years. John Lewis specifically, has survived a great depression, a world war and a three day week resulting in a mass of consumer loyalty. It is these authentic brands who have found the link between value and great design that have the influential factors to change the mindset of the consumer.

- Create more consume less.

The Minimalists.

RECESSIONISTA noun informal Plural noun: Recessionistas A woman who seeks to remain fashionable or stylish despite financial difficulties or a limited budget.

Create more consume less. Date Unknown.

A change of mindset does not come easy.

Shortly after the industrial revolution, corporations found themselves juggling too much supply and not enough demand.

Advertisements and talking heads were to become the answer, forcing the need to consume more. Even today, we are lead to believe that in order to keep the economy going we have to buy excessively (Create more, consume less.)

Advertisements and promotional strategies are used to drive consumer behaviour, working successfully by manipulating the audiences subconscious desire. In order to create a solution to convince customers to buy less, a story worthy of challenging advertising needs to be addressed.

A story to encourage the consumer they are able to live happily with fewer things.

Using the advertisment strategy of evoking emotion and suitable education and awareness, the consumer will be able to consider need over want, preventing them acting on lust.

THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

THE EDIT 2014 PROBLEMS

“Marketers do a great job convincing us we need more. They establish a void so we will try to fill it.

We let them into our homes, our screens and into our personal lives via Facebook and when we do, the void gets deeper.�

LIFESTYLE

Lifestyle brands embody the interests, attitudes and opinions of the consumer. Brands such as ‘Cos’ and ‘& other stories’ have created an aesthetic consumers want to buy into. Evoking emotional connections with the consumer, lifestyle brands are created to inspire, guide and motivate people contributing to the definition of their way of life. (Lifestyle brands, 2014)

THE EDIT 2014 SOLUTIONS

Portraying the Nordic way of living, Scandinavian design prides itself on providing ‘affordable luxury’.

According to Anne Persson, director of Copenhagen Fashion week (2014), “Scandinavian fashion is functional, minimalist but most importantly it is democratic and inclusive. You get great tailoring and luxury at an affordable price.” Scandinavian design is a reflection of practicality and style and is created using quality materials made to last. Business Destinations, 2014 claims its functionality and likeability has lead to an in an increase of consumer interest, resulting in more people wanting to buy into the Scandanavian ethos.

MINIMALISM IS MADE TO LAST

Cos, a brand associated with scandinavian design, launched in 2007 proposing a style inspired by architecture, graphics, design and the arts. Refreshingly, Cos recognised the change in consumer shopping habits, realising they were seeking key styles that fit the modern lifestyle.

Womenswear design manager, Karin Gustaffson quoted, “We play with volume and proportion, rather than follow trends. We have always hoped to create styles that last beyond the season.� (The Independent: Cos: Thoroughly modern minimalism 2012) It is this customer focused logic that makes Cos an influential brand.

QUALITY QUANTITY

Taking inspiration from designers such as Jil Sander, Acne and Helmut Lang, Cos is able to offer high quality garments for middle market prices enabling the mid market consumer to buy into the sleek, minimalist modernism that has resurfaced over the past five years. The brands timeless style and good quality design offers the consumer an affordable solution to remain stylish whilst consuming less.

Minimalist fashion is a realistic and timeless solution to convincing the 2544 year old target customer to buy less.

The rise of interest in Scandinavian design, is an affordable and functional way of persuading the fashion conscious consumer to idolise style over trend.

IMAGE: COS, 2014

THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

TECHNOLOGY

THE EDIT 2014 SOLUTIONS

Fashion and technology are now intertwined, partly due to the power of social media. Statistics from the Mintel Academic, Mobile overview 2014 reports 72% of UK consumers own a smartphone with 69% of those being adults. It is the 25-44 age range whom are outpacing other age groups when using smartphones or tablets for product research, price comparisons and purchase decisions.

As Apps are becoming a growing opportunity for brands and retailers to connect with consumer needs and raise engagement, it proves to be an obvious strategy with strong potential.

Digital Technology is the recommended way of convincing the C2DE 2544 year old consumers to buy less.

She Knows, 2012

“I access social media apps daily.

Even if I’m not interacting myself I do browse others posts.

I scroll through fashion apps and websites at least once a week, it’s a mothers way of visiting the highstreet, stress free.”

- 29 year old mother.

Appendix C

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RECOMMENDATION

THE EDIT 2014 RECOMMENDATION

A strong marketing strategy is the central importance to convince customers to spend less. A strategy worthy of evoking an emotional attatchment is beneficial to creating a change of mindset. The C2DE Consumer Market Assessment, 2014 states as economic struggle furthers for C2DE consumers, corporative strategies are forced to focus on building trust through customer participation, (Business wire, 2014).

Making consumers feel part of an organisation is an essential element when recommending ways to convince a decrease in customer spending.

The brand pyramid, Mind Tools.

(Date unknown)

PRESENCE Using digital technology to promote, engage and inspire users to live a minimalist lifestyle could be a successful way of convincing the customer to buy less. Using elements of Pinterest and Instagram the app could use visual search technology to create an interactive customer experience through recording and creating a capsule wardrobe.

Furthering this, collaborations with industry professionals, minimal brands and bloggers/authors will be on hand to additionally educate, advise and stimulate users. The ambition of using social media interaction is to promote the benefits of minimal living as well as creating authentic user morale, as they begin to notice the benefits of spending more on better quality but consuming less in the long run.

Relevance According to Appendix C, as people in the 25-44 year old age bracket are most likely to be undergoing major financial decisions they begin to look at clothing as a luxury and not a neccessity. This age bracket are considered consumers, they want to feel they are remaining stylish at an afforadable cost. This is where the relevance of the app is vital.

The app must explore the benefits of minimal living, proving why a change of lifestyle could benefit the users financial stability, without removing the desire of remaining fashionable.

Advantage Here, users will now feel an emotional attachment to the app. Understanding trust is integral to decision making, it is important the app continues to provoke an emotional attatchment by not only advising the benefits of living with less but also upholding the opinion with fact. This could be done through a news section feeding daily articles focused on ethical statistics and over consumption. This shock tactic will hopefully engage a stronger emotional attatchment which will ultimately change the mind set of the consumer.

Performance As users begin to understand the app’s ambition, product stickiness needs to be assessed, ensuring a reason for the user to return. Cross promotion within a social networking application is a strong way to gain visability in a crowded market (Rebecca Dowell, 2014). Using crowd sourcing through social media sharing enables customer participation, generating awareness as well as customer loyalty. As users create their capsule wardrobes they will be able to share, advise and comment on others.

This interaction will generate a mass of customer trust as they see others undergoing the ‘less is more’ attitude.

Bond At this stage the app will have presented a strong solution to finding the balance between longevity and affordability, something the C2DE 25-44 age bracket long for. Now users will have determined the advantages of valuing quality over quantity and are likely to become vocal advocates of minimal living, primarily furthering awareness of the benefits of buying less. Users will have formed a strong emotional attatchment to living a minimalist lifestyle and the aesthetic of valuing style over trend has become part of their self identity.

This will encourage the user to favour the minimalist mindset, resulting in the app becoming a part of the users life.

THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

THE EDIT 2014 CONCLUSION

“THOSE WHO DIE WITH THE MOST POSSESSIONS, WINS.” “THOSE WHO DIE WITH LESS, HAVE LIVED A SIMPLIFIED, ORGANISED AND HAPPY LIFE.” - (DO LESS, 2014)

In order to convince the customer to buy less the psychological issue of consuming with the heart and not with the mind has to be addressed. Trust is the key to over riding the strength of advertising strategies. An authentic output willing to interact with the consumer as well as provoking an emotional attatchment is the solution to convince a change a mindset. It is understood that there is a growing sophistication among C2DE consumers, as they seek to find affordable clothing offering style, function and longevity. The urge to satisfy aesthetic and financial desire combined with lack of time because of work and family commitments proves digital technology is the covet solution. A solution, which can be accessed 24/7 created to promote, advice and ultimately save is the fundemental way of convincing C2DE 25-44 year old consumers to buy less.

THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

BIBLIOGRAPHY British Fashion Council (2012) The Value of the UK fashion Industry. Publisher: Oxford economics URL http://www.fashionmanufacturing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/BFC-TheValue-of-The-Fashion-Industry.pdf (Accessed: 30 October 2014).

Fashion United (2013) Annual Report: Facts and figures in the UK fashion industry. URL:http://www. fashionunited.co.uk/facts-and-figures-in-the-ukfashion-industry (Accessed: 30 October 2014).

THE EDIT 2014 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Valuing our Clothes (2013) The true cost of how we use, design, dispose of clothing in the UK. Publisher: Wrap URL: http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/VoC%20FINAL%20 online%202012%2007%2011.pdf (Accessed: 30 October 2014).

Hume, M. (2009) ‘Mid Market? Top of the range actually’, The Telegraph (Fashion edition) URL: http://fashion. telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG5314310/Mid-marketTop-of-the-range-actually.html Accessed: 30 October 2014 ’Lifestyle brand’ (2014) Wikipedia. Available at: http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Lifestyle_brand#References (Accessed: 4 November 2014).

Portas, M. (2010) ‘Mary Portas: from fast fashion to a more considered consumerism’, The Telegraph (Fashion edition) URL: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/ TMG8099047/Mary-Portas-from-fast-fashion-to-a-moreconsidered-consumerism.html Accessed: 12 November 2014 Jonat, United

R. (2014) States of

Do Less. Place America Publisher:

of publication: Adams Media.

The Minimalists. (2014) ‘Create more. Consume Less’, The Minimalsts, Available at: http://www.theminimalists. com/create-consume/ (Accessed: 4 November 2014).

Kilhof, S. (June 4 2014) Scandinavian style makes waves across the globe. Available at: http://www.businessdestinations.com/ relax/fashion/scandinavian-style/ (Accessed: 4 November 2014).

Mintel Academic (2010) ‘Media and FashionUK’.

Available at: http://academic.mintel.com/ display/506822/?highlight (Accessed: 18 November 2014).

Keynote (2014) ‘Feeling the Pinch’. Available at: https:// w w w. k e y n o t e . c o . u k / m e d i a - c e n t r e / i n - t h e - n e w s / d i s p l a y / feeling-the-pinch-—-14-percentage-point-rise-in-proportionof-adults-in-the-c2de-social-grades-between-2010-and2013/?articleId=1305 (Accessed: 18 November 2014).

Business Wire (2014) ‘UK C2DE Consumer Market Assessment 2014’. Available at: http://www.businesswire. com/news/home/20140619005579/en/ResearchMarkets-UK-C2DE-Consumer-Market-Assessment#.

VGtsrr68lFJ (Accessed: 18 November 2014).

Mintel Academic (2013) ‘Mobile phone apps UK’.

Available at: http://academic.mintel.com/ display/683333/ (Accessed: 18 November 2014).

The Brand pyramid, Mind Tools (Date unknown) Available at: ‘http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ brand-pyramid.htm’ (Accessed: 25 November 2014).

THE EDIT: HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY LESS?

DE1131

AUDIENCE AND BRAND EXPERIENCE

JENNA GALLEY

HOW CAN WE CONVINCE CUSTOMERS THEY NEED TO BUY LESS?