This business report is presented for AlphaOmega London, a luxury footwear and accessories brand. This document assesses the current fashion climate and how AlphaOmega London should use digital marketing to build its online presence for a product launch in the age of Covid-19. The current business culture of fashion sees a shift towards a more technologically innovative and customer-centric shopping experience. AO London establishes itself in the market as a luxury, sustainable brand meant to empower the modern woman and man with its bold and unique designs. The expansion of its tote bag line will need to be strategically and authentically marketed for it to be successful and benefit consumers.
» An introduction explains the aims and objectives, the research methods used, and limitations of conducting this report.
» Firstly, a situation analysis delves into the current target market for AO London, the brand’s supply chain management, a competitor’s analysis, and AO’s marketing and communication strategies. This information is based on extensive research of the external and internal environment.
» Secondly, based on the situation analysis, recommendations are proposed for the brand to position itself better against competitors and for a greater customer shopping experience, to build the brand digitally through technology and social media. Suggestions such as how to create a community and build a digital shopping space for customers will be explained through implementation into the brand.
» Lastly, the conclusion summarizes the key takeaway points from this report and further research that could have been conducted in order to strengthen the validity of the recommendations and implementation section.
» The reference list and appendix show an extensive amount of secondary and primary research conducted to support the recommendations and rationalize the need in the market for AlphaOmega London and its product launch in the age of technology and the coronavirus pandemic. The future of fashion is a digitally innovative and sustainable value chain. This report demonstrates how consumer attitudes and behaviors have shifted due to external factors and how AlphaOmega London should use digital marketing to gain a competitive advantage.
Image by AlphaOmega London (2021), p.3
AlphaOmega London (AO London) is a luxury footwear and accessories brand, specializing in unique, bold designs and sustainability. The brand collaborates with local manufacturers and craftspeople to curate a socially, environmentally, economically, and culturally sustainable product line of shoes.
AO London halted its launch of AO Gen 3000 bags due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so using social media marketing became imperative for building the brand and launching its products. With a majority of sales stemming from offline selling of pop-up stores, boutiques, and retail stores, the pandemic had a huge impact on its original marketing strategies. AO London must market to a new target market comprised of Gen Z and young Millennial consumers who grew up in the technological age through social media. As an intern for AlphaOmeha London, I acquired an exclusive, first hand look at the brand’s mission and how it is truly functioning within the industry in its current climate.
Focusing on AO London’s new target market, Made-To-Order service, digital marketing strategies, and the implementation of such strategies against its competitors, will benefit the launch of its new bags. With the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit having an impact on sales and strategies, this report discusses a new way to target customers in a digital space, and build the brand’s soul through social media marketing, while also preserving the authenticity, sustainability, and uniqueness built into the brand’s core values.
With the problem of social media reach, compared to competitors, the effects of the pandemic on the industry and its consumers, and building brand presence on social media, significant secondary and primary research had been conducted in order to consult on impactful strategies for AlphaOmega London. Secondary research included reports from Mintel, EDITED Retail, McKinsey & Co, and WGSN, which helped to identify the current market to launch products, target Gen Z consumers, and the impact of COVID-19 on the fashion industry and purchasing habits. Primary research such as AO London employee interviews, social media performance tracking, and personal work experiences adds to the validity of the current market analysis and recommendations to the brand for social media optimization. Research on how the brand should position themselves in the market based on competitors, new target consumers, and the internal and external environment created a need for an enhanced marketing strategy for AlphaOmega London.
Limitations when conducting this report includes:
» Limitations of internship- A 6-month internship only allows to understand the brand briefly and in its current market within limited inperson events, selling, and a remote work environment.
» Pandemic restrictions- With the UK easing lockdown restrictions, the environment is constantly changing, whether or not consumers will continue to purchase in-store or feel safer shopping online and influencers and industry professionals will attend in-person events or stick to marketing online.
» Financial limitations- Because AlphaOmega London is a small business, recommendations and implementation of such suggestions may be limited in the financials of the brand. However, spending money with a specific and consistent marketing strategy will prove to be effective.
With the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact on shopping and the fashion industry, brands are now looking to innovate its supply chains, marketing and sales strategies, and finance allocations. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a conscious consumer with the population actually seeing the environmental impacts of their habits, once lockdown halted travel, shopping, and waste (see Appendix 2). With consumers now at home, new opportunities like the digitalization of fashion had risen. For example, digital showrooms, runway shows, and virtual launches create a unique, eco-conscious, and innovative shopping experience for consumers (EDITED Retail, 2021a). With the majority of Generation Z’s population using social media, the pandemic has fueled the rise in social shopping especially with the launch of Instagram’s new shopping feature (EDITED Retail, 2021c). The pandemic has motivated brands to build relationships with their consumers online, and therefore expanded the boundaries for ways to forge authentic experiences.
The average AO customer is thirty-three years old, and almost half are married or have kids (See Figure 2.2). With this bag launch, AO London is targeting the future generation of Gen Z and younger Millennials (See Appendix 5.3). According to Mintel’s report (2021a), Gen Z consumers prefer “a brighter, louder aesthetic that matches how they see the world” (See Appendix 2). AO London has authentically built sustainability, self-expression, and empowerment into every aspect of the brand and its products which is why the post-Covid era is the perfect time to relaunch the AO Gen 3000 bag (See Appendix 1). The top social media platforms that Gen Z utilizes are YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok (See Appendix 2), so AO London needs to focus on these platforms in order to position itself correctly for this launch. This new target customer likes to build genuine and meaningful online relationships with the brands it buys from (See Figure 2.1). For example, “live stream videos surged in popularity across social media platforms, with at-home workouts, Q+A sessions and virtual events all noteworthy community-building strategies” during the pandemic, which proved beneficial for building brandcustomer bonds (EDITED Retail, 2021c). Generation Z adults and teenagers and the younger Millennial population grew up with technology, so integrating innovation and sustainability into marketing strategies, while cultivating a genuine connection with these consumers will be an effective way to generate hype for the virtual launch.
Figure 2.2: Customer Profile of AlphaOmega London’s customer base (AlphaOmegaLondon, 2021, p.11)
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While the pandemic halted AlphaOmega London’s bag launch (Douglas, 2021c), the impact on consumers and the environment had shifted the priority of the brand into thinking more about the service they provided. AO London previously cultivated relationships with consumers and generated a majority of its revenue through pop-up shop collaborations, AO boutiques, and retailer website sales (See Appendix 4). However, after having to focus on a more online community, AlphaOmega had to create and replicate the in-person experience, which brought on the ‘World of AO’ to sell products with content creation, like blogging on its website and the Fashion Vanguards podcast.
The socially conscious consumer has become a majority of the shopping population, pushing brands to place an emphasis on innovative ways to be sustainable. AlphaOmega London has reinvented its supply chain into a Made-to-Order service. According to Nazinna Douglas, the Creative Director, this new supply chain will minimize the brand’s carbon footprint and reduce waste (See Appendix 5.3) by creating every bag ordered in a two-week consignment period at the same time. In addition to this sustainable manufacturing process, the bags are created using eco-inks, recycled leather, and pineapple leaf leather. The digitally designed prints allow for a customized and vast array of designs by manipulating and changing colors on the computer (Douglas, 2021c). The Gen Z consumer wants to see a self-aware brand with personalized experiences with its customers in order to build a relationship with a company (See Appendix 2).
Image by AlphaOmega London (2021) p.15
T he Gen Z consumer’s, main form of communication is social media, 99% are social media users (Mintel, 2021a). This is important for fashion companies to understand in order to create effective marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage. With AlphaOmega London’s biggest competitors being brands with larger social media standings, strategies to build an authentic, niche customer base are heightened with the brand’s emphasis on sustainability (See Figure 2.3). Tevin Gongo, a Marketing and Sales Consultant, explains that social media is often neglected and used as a hard-sell resource. Instead, it should be used to cultivate relationships with customers, as individuals rather than just purchasers (See Appendix 5.4). With AO’s Fashion Vanguards podcast, this gives the brand a unique and advantageous way to build relationships with young consumers to give them a platform for discussing things of real significance, value, and relevance (See Appendix 5.3). According to Amed et al. (2019), “nine in ten Generation Z consumers believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues.” AlphaOmega London from inception has had sustainability and social issues at the heart of every decision, which is different from most of its competitors. With the integration of these topics discussed in AO’s podcast, the sustainable supply chain, and bold designs, the brand has placed itself in the market as an essential brand, even if customers aren’t buying products. Using social media with the targeted customer to express the brand’s value and message is imperative which is a disadvantage compared to their main competitors (See Appendix 3).
Image by AlphaOmega
(2021),
AlphaOmega London’s current marketing strategies consist of posting stories on Instagram and Facebook, promoting the Fashion Vanguards podcast on Pinterest and Facebook, and sharing inspirational quote on all platforms (See Appendix 6). Every post aims to build a soul for the brand of the values AO London and its customers have, even if the subject matter is not product-related (See Figure 2.4). According to the social media tracker and summaries provided to the social media team weekly, the most engaged platform is Pinterest, then Instagram, and lastly Facebook with barely any engagements or insights (See Appendix 6). AO London is currently posting podcast promotional material, quotes, and occasionally reposts from someone who tagged the brand in a story. Gen Z likes to see transparency and behind-the-scenes content of the brand, which shows a genuine and authentic business model. While interning at AO London, I observed and assisted with a lot of collaboration planning for the post-launch content. Thes include an Instagram live session with a sustainable blogger, a styling game challenge with models from the photoshoots, behind-the-scenes interviews with the models, and more collaborations for the launch itself.
To further the brand’s genuineness and originality in the sustainable fashion field, the Fashion Vanguards podcast discusses sustainable fashion, mental health in fashion, and other innovative fashion concepts. The podcast gives the younger population a platform to express its opinions on such matters (See Appendix 5.3). AO London also communicates to customers through its interactive newsletters; which discuss upcoming podcast episodes and the current happenings of the brand, sometimes with special product offers (See Figure 2.5).
AlphaOmega London is successful at building a soul for the brand through the Fashion Vanguards podcast and social media posts, which paint the brand’s values and mission. In order for the AO Gen 3000 bag launch to successfully resume post-pandemic, the brand needs to create a community and be more innovative in creating a digital space for customers. Weaknesses identified in a SWOT analysis (See Appendix 1), pose a threat to the brand because the social media reach compared to its large-statured competitors is much smaller. Building the brand for the bag launch should include focusing on social media platforms that the target customer will use and what kind of content they want to see. According to Tevin Gongo, a marketing consultant, devising a strategy for marketing to the AO customer on social media of when to post, how much to post, and where to post, will be most beneficial for optimizing the brand’s social media marketing engagements (See Appendix 5.4). With the financial limitations of a small business, collaborating with other small brands and influencers that align with AO’s values can generate content for the targeted consumer that builds a community and an innovative space for shopping.
Building a community for customers is crucial for launching products, specifically AlphaOmega London’s AO Gen 3000 tote bag. Many brands are targeting the woke Gen Z population with sustainable, socially aware launches (Amed et al., 2019). The Gen Z and Millennial population want to see transparency and authenticity, which AO London has already built into the brand. However, posting more on the platforms that this market uses, like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok will improve customer reach (See Appendix 5.1). A report by EDITED Retail (2021c) says to, “consider using polls to let your audience inform and drive your content. Customer reviews are also essential for fostering trust – make sure you take on board and reply to group comments, and let customers know when you have made a change based on their opinions to make them feel valued.” Using Instagram and Facebook stories to drive traffic to your page through the interactive features like polls, quizzes, questions, and countdowns allows followers to feel like they are a part of the brand. To further traffic to the already established social media platforms, optimizing influencer and user-generated content is proven that “62% of consumers are more likely to purchase if customer videos and photos are available” (EDITED Retail, 2021c). Having influencers market the brand and products will give a genuine response and attitude towards AO London, which will ultimately drive sales (See Figure 3.1). Popular video platforms for this generation like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram posts (as opposed to just stories) can be used to show the supply chain process, the people behind the scenes of the company, and events hosted by the brand. Focusing on building this kind of authentic, sustainable community through transparent marketing strategies and user-generated content will be successful when trying to launch new products in the age of COVID and social technology.
While AlphaOmega London uses advanced technology for the whole supply chain process, the brand should integrate that same ideal into its marketing and selling strategies for this launch. Building a digital, immersive experience is a new and innovative way to for customers to shop product launches, brought on by lockdown and minimized in-person spaces. Suggestions like dynamic product videos, 360-image rotations, and digitalized showrooms are advanced approaches to selling product for consumers born into the technological age. EDITED Retail (2021a) explains, “A vital benefit of a digitalized space is the opportunities to expand your reach by acquiring new consumers on a global scale. A digital showroom allows new and returning customers to shop with your brand while allowing them to experience a sense of escapism through your brand identity, regardless of location.” To implement this idea into AO London’s strategies for targeting Gen Z with this product launch, the brand could collaborate with other companies, like the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF). The company uses AR/VR technology to build an inclusive, advanced, and immersive shopping experience. The Institute of Digital Fashion
has collaborated with Machine-A recently to develop an Instagram filter that allows you to use your physical space to learn about Machine-A and visualize their products (Rogers, 2021a). AO London can collaborate with IoDF to show that the products are digitally designed and can be customized (See Figure 3.2). Digital showrooms not only expand eco-fashion boundaries by minimizing waste, “the advantages experienced through streamlined processes and the need to no longer be required in a physical location will be favored among buyers and will support an easy purchasing process in a competitive market.” (EDITED Retail, 2021a). Further divulging into technology for omni-channel shopping, “The rise of QR codes, seen during the coronavirus outbreak, will play an important role in helping retailers cater to Gen Z’s desire for a more blended and interactive in-store experience.” (EDITED Retail, 2021b). AlphaOmega London’s sales thrived on pop-up shops in pre-COVID times (See Appendix 4), and after the AO Gen 3000 bags are digitally launched, implementing QR codes, apps, and virtual gift incentives for shopping will create an immersive shopping experience for the future of consumers.
Figure 3.2: Image stills of a shoe slider GIF to show the design process of AlphaOmega London’s shoes, created by Emily Freund
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the fashion industry shifted its priorities to be more customer-centric and sustainable. AlphaOmega London has already implemented this into its core values as a brand, so the footwear and accessories brand needed to focus on its marketing strategies. With the pending launch of its new AO Gen 3000 bags, creating a community through social media had proven to be imperative for building the brand presence for an advantage against its competitors. In this report, extensive secondary and primary research was undertaken to prove the need for an enhanced marketing strategy towards a new target market and a post-covid era for a new product drop.
An analysis of the current market and its consumers included research into the Gen Z and Millennial consumer behavior, successful marketing strategies and its importance for a brand and its customers, sustainable supply chain management in the post-covid era, and an analysis with the brand’s largest competitors and how the brand positions itself against such brands. Primary research furthered the study of the market through social media trend tracking, interviews of AO employees and a Marketing and Sales Consultant, Tevin Gongo, and an overall internship learning experience. Through all this research, suggestions of how to build the brand for a product launch in the era of social and innovative technology and the coronavirus were explored and implementations were proposed for improved marketing strategies.
Further research would include surveys of Gen Z adults and teenagers and younger Millennials for a greater understanding of what the target market is exactly looking for. For extensive primary research, a focus group of a multitude of ages would demonstrate not only the need for sustainable fashion goods in the post-covid age, but also the importance of digital marketing on consumers and their purchasing habits. While AO London’s current target market are older, working woman with families or prospects of families, the focus group would show the differing opinions between the current target consumer and the new market for AO’s product launch. Because of limitations such as the temporary nature of internships, financial limitations, and covid-19 restrictions, such thorough research would be difficult and time consuming to endeavor.
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Figure 2.2:
AlphaOmega London (2021) ‘Influencer Collaboration Presentation’, p.11 [PowerPoint presentation]
Figure 2.3:
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Figure 2.5: Douglas, N. (2021d). Just Landed - Exclusive New AO London Bags. [E-Mail].
Figure 3.1: AlphaOmega London (2021) ‘Influencer Collaboration Presentation’, p.17 [PowerPoint presentation]
» Authenticity built into brand through social media posting of inspirational quotes, socially and environmentally aware opinioned posts, and transparency of manufacturing
» Products are designed and manufactured sustainability through digital printing, the use of recycled and eco-leather, and eco inks
» Fashion Vanguards podcast discusses different topics around sustainability in fashion, whether it’s eco-conscious supply chains or mental health in fashion
» Pop up shops are successful and get a lot of sales
» Products are digitally designed with different colors for the same pattern of a shoe, allowing for shoes to be customized but also be more economically and environmentally sustainable with less waste
» Opportunity to expand into TikTok and other platforms like Youtube. Create videos explaining the practices of the brand, behind-the-scenes of events and shoots, launch promo material, collaboration material
» Collaboration with Krista Kim on creating NFTs for fashion
» Collaborations with other innovative, sustainable brands like Institute of Digital Fashion
» Collaborations with more renowned Influencers on Instagram like Emili Sindlev
» Social media reach- Instagram doesn’t get high engagement numbers but has slowly been increasing, Facebook is barely getting any traffic, Pinterest is consistently getting great engagement amongst audience on the platform and is steadily increasing
» Search engine optimization- when you look at AlphaOmega London on different platforms like Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, the first few links are for Alpha Omega medical devices, fraternities, and computer designers.
» Hires only interns who are mainly students, which means no one is a professional in their respective fields and they are learning as they work
» Smaller brand than competitors, less money to put into projects and the building of the brand for expansion
» Competitors are bigger brands with more money to spend on campaigns, advertising, and PR marketing
» Covid-19 poses a threat as globalization of travel has diminished immensely, meaning we can only have models and collaborations with people within England and shipping products has become a longer, more difficult process
» Possible customer attitude changes when “Made to Order” campaign launches, and customers have to wait for a period of time for their items
» Brexit, higher taxes on imported and exported goods, custom taxes for shipping outside the country
» The UK government has come up with the Resources and Waste strategy which “incorporates eco-design principles and offer incentives for design for recycling, design for disassembly, and design for durability. It should also set up a new investment fund to stimulate markets for recycled fibres” (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019)
» The Environmental Audit Committee proposes that the UK government “should facilitate collaboration between fashion retailers, water companies, and washing machine manufacturers and take a lead on solving the problem of microfiber pollution” (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019)
» Use of AR/VR technology in the fashion industry is the future of fashion
» NFTs to sell art and fashion without having to buy physical pieces, wear virtual fashion
» “Almost all (99%) of Gen Z adults and teens are social media users. This makes social media a necessary form of communication for brands to connect with Gen Z consumers. The top platforms Gen Z consumers use are YouTube, Instagram and TikTok” (Mintel, 2021a)
» COVID-19 left some of the population with more money as they worked remotely and didn’t have many expenditures, while the pandemic also increased unemployment and therefore making some of the population’s finances tight (Mintel, 2021b)
» “Younger consumers have been hardest hit by job losses, while Older Millennials Generation X comprise something of a squeezed middle where consumers have a range of financial commitments and responsibilities” (Mintel, 2021b)
» Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK Government has created the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which allows for employers to furlough their employees yet still cover some of their wages (HM Government, 2021)
» Covid-19 limits amount of people in a room- makes it harder to have a launch events
» “…with the proportion of consumers buying clothes in the last three months falling from 47% in February 2020 to 28% in March 2021. As the pandemic has put a stop to many socializing activities, cancelled travel plans and seen more people work from home, consumers have had fewer opportunities and less need to buy new items.” (Mintel, 2021b)
» “Gen Zs are turning Millennial minimalism on its head, preferring a brighter, louder aesthetic that matches how they see the world. To achieve this themselves, brands can communicate their offerings with humor and selfawareness. Customizable products can keep Gen Zs coming back to create new editions of old favorites” (Mintel, 2021a)
» Because of Brexit, UK companies that import goods must follow the “Satisfactory quality requirement – only statements made by importers to the UK will have a bearing on this standard, rather than importers into the EEA” (Turner, 2021) which makes it more difficult to have outsourced factories, fabrics, etc. for fashion business brands in the UK
» Fashion companies must abide by the taxation and tariff laws and regulations when importing and exporting goods from any country
» COVID-19 has created negative impacts on the environment with excess medical waste and pollution of the environment with the disposal of masks, gloves, etc. On the other hand, COVID-19 has had positive impacts on the environment with decreased travel pollution, resource consumption, waste disposal, etc. due to lockdown (Rume and Islam, 2020)
» NFT’s can have negative effects on the environment through increased carbon emissions, however digital fashion sold at NFTs reduces waste and pollution from the production, manufacturing, and shipping process of physical fashion (Calma, 2021).
» Recycling and reusing fabrics that have already been created, reduces textile waste in landfills
Total revenue from 31st December 2017 to 31st December 2020 saw a 21% increase largely due to offline selling through the medium of temporary/ pop up retailing. With a total of five short-term pop-up shops across the UK within the same the period, the low cost incentive of pop-up retailing enabled the brand to; acquire new customers, build brand loyalty, diversify product ranges and test new product launches.
One of the key financial objectives to maximize profits through minimizing long-term liabilities (by reducing stock which increases liquidity and cash at the bank) as well as reducing fixed overhead costs has been achieved. At year end 31st December 2016 the brand was operating at a loss of -£20,525 (partly due to asset investments, and R&D spending on new biomaterials for new product ranges) as a result the brand’s strategy focused on reducing its net liabilities whilst employing low cost selling methods ahead of new product launches and ranges.
25% of sales revenue is reinvested back into the brand to develop and grow effective marketing strategies that can support the e-Commerce function.
Turnover for Q12020 was down by 76% when compared to the same period in 2019. The reason was largely down to the pandemic and the impact it had on the anticipated online bag launch and pop-up store events. Forecasted sales are expected to reach pre-Covid levels by Q32022 once government guidelines allow for the reopening of non-essential retail and the removal of social distancing restrictions. The objective would be to bolster e-Commerce sales with a number of well-timed pop-up retail events whilst developing online marketing and sales strategies and campaigns which would grow brand awareness and acquire new customers.
By adopting an MTO strategy it will see the brand further reduce it’s liabilities and improve liquidity. The effectiveness of MTO will be largely based on the quality of our supply chain and improving relations with all of our suppliers and manufacturers.
Q. What is your job title?
A. Digital Marketing Assistant
Q. What are your duties and responsibilities on the AO London social media team?
A. Mostly creating ads and doing graphic work, video editing, and all of that for social media and sometimes pitching in ideas for ideas for campaigns
Q. What do you think of the current social media activities? How could they be improved for optimal customer reach?
A. We’re posting a lot on stories, but I think we need to just start posting on the feed and as often as possible during a week, I think that will help the reach grow.
Q. Do you work full time or part time? Are you being paid for your time?
A. Full time, nine-to-five, five days a week and I’m not being paid for it because it’s a part of my masters course, so I’m with AO London for 3 months full-time as an intern
Q. What university do you attend? What course are you in?
A. I’m studying at Instituto Marangoni and I’m doing an MA in fashion promotion and communication in media.
Q. What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned of your time at AO London?
A. Firstly, learning 2-3 editing softwares that I didn’t know how to use before and it’s also organization in a way, when we have to organize our posts and our commentary for all of that.
Q. What’s one thing you could change about the company if you could?
A. Maybe if they were open to adapting more in trend strategies, in a way there are certain restrictions. But I just think that’s also because {Nazinna} has a vision for the brand so that’s okay.
Q. How is working at AO London different than working in another organization?
A. I feel like Nazinna is really really nice and she’s not always on your hair and she’s very understanding. Whereas on the other hand, this is my assumption, I feel like if I was in another organization I would feel a lot more pressure, but here I feel like she’s open to suggestions and really understanding
Q. In what ways would you like to create value for the customer as an intern? How would you go about implementing your idea(s)?
A. Maybe I would communicate more with the customers on the social media platform
Q. How has working remotely during a pandemic affected you?
A. I feel like I would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if I got the chance to get out of the house because we’re at home the whole day, 5 days a week. You can zone out and it can get a little boring, apart from that I think it would’ve been a lot more fun to have human interaction throughout the day.
Interviewed Shivani Patil, Digital Marketing Assistant at AO London- May 20th, 2021, PhoneQ. What is your job title?
A. Digital Marketing Assistant
Q. What are your duties and responsibilities on the AO London social media team?
Q. How is working at AO London different than working in another organization?
Hosting
Background
My
Aim
As an employee at AlphaOmega
FAQ
How much time will be
Approximately 4 5
How will the data and information collected be
the
I will use it in my business report as primary research into the mind of another AO London employee
Will the outcomes of the research be published?
They will informally be published to TurnItIn
Will my name or the name of my company appear in the research report?
Yes
“I have read the Information Sheet and have had the details of the study explained to me. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and understand that may ask further questions at any time.
understand have the right to withdraw from the study at any time and to decline to answer any particular questions. I agree to provide information to the researcher on the understanding that my name will not be used without my permission. (The information will be used only for this research and publications arising from this research project.)
A. Assisting with managing the brands social media accounts and podcast channel. Contributing interesting ideas for social media content. Assisting with developing and executing strategies to increase social media presence. Building relationships with key bloggers and influencers.
Q. Do you work full time or part time? Are you being paid for your time?
A. Part time. I am not being paid
Q. What university do you attend? What course are you in?
A. Coventry University, International Fashion Business
A. Working for AO London is distinguished by the ease of communicating with the owner which creates good environment for working and learning.
Q. In what ways would you like to create value for the customer as an intern? How would you go about implementing your idea(s)?
A. I would like to contribute to identifying important areas where the operating process might be improved in order to create better content for customers.
Q. How has working remotely during a pandemic affected you?
A. Screen time is due to the pandemic and remote working significantly longer, which sometimes is fatigue. However, remote working gave me many possibilities as well.
I agree/do not agree to the interview being taped.
My name can be mentioned in this research study X
The name of the organisation work for can be mentioned in this research study X
X
understand that have the right to ask for the audio/video tape to be turned off at any time during the interview. agree to participate in this study under the conditions set out in the Information Sheet.
Name: Marta Śron
Signed Date: 23.05.2021
Interviewed Marta Sron, Digital Marketing Assistant at AO London- May 23rd, 2021, E-mail
Q. What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned of your time at AO London?
A. How to come out of my aesthetic comfort zone and challenge my graphic design ideas.
Q. What’s one thing you could change about the company if you could?
A. I would expand online advertising.
Q. What do you think of the current social media activities? How could they be improved for optimal customer reach?
A. Social media activities of AO London is consistent, especially on Facebook and Pinterest. More engaging content posted on Instagram wall could improve the customer reach.
A. The idea of empowering the consumer into be lieving that we produce products that they are able to use to help further their creative self-expression. I think if any thing it’s more sort of the values and the message that the brand emits, which is far more inspiring and aspiring than the actual product themselves. The products, through the act of creating, it kind of reflects the true values of the brand which are all about self-expression and feeling empowered and celebrating one’s uniqueness. It’s the idea of liberat ing people from social norms and from the sort of social mindset of striving towards mediocrity for the sake of social acceptance which I think is inherently wrong. Any sort of nuances that we have, we fail to celebrate because we are afraid of how that will be received by others. I think what the brand does, through artistic design and creative products is that it celebrates that and the fact that we’re conscious as well. Producing conscious designs, I feel creates a sense of consciousness and how that filter throughs, whether you’re talking about sustainability, or sort of environmentally friend ly materials or components. A lot of people say ‘okay what’s the general response from customers’, and you often feel, or they tell you that when they wear the shoes or very re cently the bags how it makes them feel, and they just feel so confidence and they respond to how people respond to the products as well. I mean it’s very seldom that you would not get anyone that responds to the shoes. I have customers that have picked up dates because a man has commented on their shoes. It strikes up a conversation, so you get the real sense that the products actually evoke the same sort of emotions that align or represent the brand itself, which is that feel good feeling, feeling really empowered. So that’s always been the feedback. And then obviously being proud of the fact that these products are made and created holistically from start to finish. Even from conceptualizing designs all the way up to the finished product. For me it’s what encap sulates the very essence of what it is that we do and that’s
just fantastic, so I’m very proud of that. And just going for so long, I think proud of the fact that we’ve managed to stay pretty much true to what it is that we do. Not for the sake of financial pressures to augment the structure, the business model in a way, where in order to survive we would have to switch to a mass appeal i.e., mass producing or whether it’s to mass medium or mass market. Which just means that our approach is to focus more on collaborations as opposed to producing products on a mass scale which is almost the way a lot of brands that scale in a direction which is more focused on the actual product itself as opposed to the service and what it is that they’re trying to achieve. We don’t necessarily see ourselves as footwear or bag designers, we’re actually thought leaders, so we feel that we can diversify into any sort of artform and collaborate on any sort of basis and that’s what we open ourselves up to, as opposed to the pigeon holed. I’m proud that we sort of keep the real essence of the brand, making it niche, and catering to a niche audience.
A. I think Millennials and Generation Z, I sort of feel that they are augmenting the very landscape of the industry and the creative sector as a whole. They have new needs, needs which I feel will and are changing the industry and they’re less about consumption and more about conscious ness. It’s very difficult for existing brands with existing struc tures to cater to that particularly if they’ve not focused on their messaging and their core values. Just providing a prod uct because there’s a demand for it shouldn’t really be the core essence of many businesses or brands, but it is. I think you need to delve deeper. Generation Z are far more intelli gent when it comes to consuming than previous generations, so I feel that they are more in tune, they pretty much are the exact target of the brand. You know, very conscious, very in telligent, not swayed by popular opinion, self-expressive. So cial media in itself, which is a great platform when used in the
right way, has helped to democratize the industry. Before, it was really those who held positions of power and nep otism that would often open doors to certain individuals, which meant that the industry to some degree was closed to many individuals and creatives unless they had access to influence. And now with social media, and anyone from anywhere can make an impact and be incredibly influen tial and incredibly successful. If we looked at how social media first came onto the scene, if that next technological advancement or innovation were to continue that, then that would be great, but I hope it wouldn’t continue where social media kind of filters off which is an abyss of com mercialism and not really a safe space for young people to express themselves. It’s become incredibly censored, and those things are really important to young people. I feel that we do have a responsibility to nurture the next gener ation and give them the tools and opportunities to further innovate the industry, but they can only do that if they have the freedoms, the access and the resources to do so.
A. I’ve talked about previously working with Institu to Marangoni and the universities and on the podcasting side. I’m so excited by that because I adore working with young people and as I’ve been saying to give them a safe space to express themselves and the one thing I love about the podcast which initially was to create a platform where we could essentially in the audio form, demonstrate the value and message of the brand and further promote the values and message of the brand through discus sion and talking points of different subjects matters that are socially related and spoken about by young people. I realized that actually what society doesn’t do is give young people a platform. Yea you have it with social media, but I mean a real platform where they’re discussing things of real significance, real relevance, and real value that can
change the world for the better and just realized how that made them feel. SO it’s the same response from a cus tomer wearing the product, a panelist, a young person on a panel, expressing their views on a subject matter that they feel very passionate about, I didn’t realize how much it would evoke so much emotion and a sense of empow erment. I just thought that is amazing, but not only that but when people hear and witness young people speak to the levels and depths that they are on the podcast, it gives them the inspiration to do the same or share the same views and they’re not made to feel like they’re aliens. That collaboration is great because it will for sure open up a greater platform which universities should be more inclined to further explore with their student cohorts.
Q. What is the supply chain process of designing and producing AO’s products, specifically with the Made-ToOrder Service?
A. The products are made with a made-to-order basis, your product is made when an order is submitted with a delay when it comes to the delivery aspect of it. What we’re trying to do is minimize our carbon footprint and reduce waste through collectively manufacturing orders as opposed to single orders. The idea will hopefully create a much more streamlined production and delivery process where you take away the kinks and the pains of producing to order. So, once a customer hypothetical ly orders, they will be given a time period of when they should expect to receive their order and throughout that time they’re sent notifications on the very stages of where their product is in the production stage. Once the order is ready, they will receive a notification that it’s complete and it’s ready for delivery. From the backend, we will allocate 2 weeks to try to fill a consignment slot of up to 30 orders, so within those 2 weeks we will be looking to get up to 30 or 50 orders, depending on what consignment amount we’re looking to achieve and the bandwidth and how busy
our suppliers are. Once we receive those orders, it then gets sent to the printers. After those 2 weeks, we close the consignment ordering window, and then we will proceed with making those 30 orders all at once, all at the same time. So, it goes to our print manufacturers who are based in France, once we receive the print pieces, then they go to the manufacturers in the UK, and this takes a bit of time to manufacture all those pieces, so we’ve sort of made a lot of contingencies. So, after we’ve spent about a week or 2 weeks with printing, we give it a contingency of another 2-3 weeks of manufacturing, so really when we ask to wait for their order to be received we’re giving them a window of 8-10 weeks. What that does is It manages expectations, overrides any huge delays, and takes into account devi ances in time and order production, so it’s a much easier process to manage. There’s also transparency as well, be cause throughout the whole process you’re communicat ing with the customer and giving them real time account of where their product is in the manufacturing stages
A. By being really hands on, there’s no sort of management course I’ve been on, but I know it’s what like to not be motivated, not feel as though I’m not good enough. It’s always through positive affirmations, it’s always good to respond to a person’s weakness as opposed to their strengths because responding to someone’s weak ness once they overcome certain challenges, it gives the ability to be able to feel more confident. Confidence and your psychological motivation are one of the key aspects of what can drive you and help you achieve many things even beyond your expectations. Being hands on, positive affirmations, always important because we all need it and sort of creating a safe environment where you can make mistakes and learn from them, and just creating a team where everyone encourages and celebrates everyone else’s victories.
Interviewee name and
Tevin Gongo Tevin.gongo@arenamagnamarketing.com
Hosting Institution: University of the Arts
College of Fashion
My business report is about the company, AlphaOmega London and the internship have undergone for the past few months. am interviewing an expert on marketing management to gain a better understanding of opinions surrounding the brand itself and its marketing strategies.
Aim of this research
As a marketing consultant for brands and at AlphaOmega London, this interviewee will give me primary insight into marketing and AO’s strategies in this field.
FAQ
How much time will be involved?
Approximately 5 7 minutes
How will the data and information collected be used? will use it in my business report as primary research into the mind of a marketing consultant for AO London and other brands
Will the outcomes of the research be published?
They will informally be published to TurnItIn
Will my name or the name of my company appear in the research report?
Yes
Consent
“I have read the Information Sheet and have had the details of the study explained to me. My questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and understand that I may ask further questions at any time.
understand have the right to withdraw from the study at any time and to decline to answer any particular questions. agree to provide information to the researcher on the understanding that my name will not be used without my permission. (The information will be used only for this research and publications arising from this research project.)
Agree Not Agree
A. Marketing and Sales Consultant. Usually, peo ple go to marketing or sales but in the personal posi tion that I had before I had the opportunity to actually work deeply with both marketing and sales, it’s really rare to have an understanding of both industries. The difference is that marketing is the way to get as much exposure as possible, to get your product, your service as much service as possible, but this is only half the battle. Because once you get the exposure, sales are a science, it is really about how can you entice people who were exposed to your service or product to buy or understand that you’re solving an issue that they have.
personal interests, I [have] a lot of clients in the wellness industry. But most specifically in the fashion industry, brands that I have been working with are Feedelon, otherwise I work with more individuals in the industry that need more consulting, but Feedelon is the brand I work with the likes of AlphaOmega.
agree/do not agree to the interview being taped.
My name can be mentioned in this research study X
The name of the organisation I work for can be mentioned in this research study X
understand that have the right to ask for the audio/video tape to be turned off at any time during the interview. I agree to participate in this study under the conditions set out in the Information Sheet.
Name: Tevin Gongo
Signed Tevin Gongo Date: 29/05/2021
A. In the fashion industry, obviously any brand wants to sell as much as possible, but something that is quite particular in the fashion industry is that they also care a lot about the image. With the fashion industry, it’s about selling, but also about sharing the message. Also, something quite particular about the industry is because it’s a visual industry, you will have the use of a platform like Instagram, will definitely be used more in the fashion industry than in another industry. So, I will say that on one side there is really {inaudible} to share a message that’s something that’s really important about selling, but something specific to the fashion industry is the platform that’s going to be utilized, mainly social media and Instagram in particular.
A. For me, I have different kinds of clients. Be cause I am in marketing in sales, and my background before is in the software industry, so I have a lot of companies in that area in that industry. Because of my
A. What is the most important is also the most neglected is not so much about selling but it’s really “social” media platform, and people forget that it’s really about socials. It’s about creating a relationship with people, like your followers, to see them not as poten tial clients but to see them as an individual. The main challenge is really in a way to flip the script, instead of thinking “okay I’m need social media to sell, I will use social media to help as many people as possible, so I really need to understand them and see them as an individual”. It’s important for a business to remember social media is based on a social relationship.
A. That’s a little tricky because even if I mention about the social means or building a relationship, at the end of the day it’s really about sales. As a business, what they need is to sell more, if you don’t sell even if you have the best service or product on Earth, your business is going to die. The ultimate goal is really about selling, that’s something to take into consider ation. You don’t want to lead with a sales pitch, selling is important, but you need to be subtle and earn the right to sell, by developing and nurturing those
Q. What is the most effective way of targeting and engaging with consumers, specifically the Millennial and Gen Z generations?
A. It really depends on the industry, but a general rule is that before you start to engage, you need to have a good understanding and to know who your target is, and to know is not just to know that they’re between 20-25, it’s about going further than that. It’s like “okay for my particular service or product, with my ideal client”, what does that ideal client look like on an individual level. It’s about really knowing your audience and that takes some kind of research beforehand, once you’ve done that it’s much easier to interact and engage with them. You know them enough to know what their concerns are, what their ambitions are, etc.
Q. What is the best way to authentically advertise the sustainability efforts of a brand?
A. I think that’s really about being open and to not be scared to show what the brand is doing. Let’s imagine that the brand is talking about fair pay, good work conditions, so that would be really about showing examples and to not be scared to show what’s happening behind the scenes. People, now, can really appreciate what is normally hidden; show where the materials come from, what the process of selecting the manufacturer, the fabric provider, that kind of thing. So showing behind the scenes is some thing that will allow people to see that sustainability, it’s not just about a name, but the brand is actually living what they say.
Q. What is the best marketing advice you could give to AlphaOmega London to have a competitive advantage over its competitors like Amina Muaddi, Aquazzura, Sophia Webster, etc.?
A. I would say that AlphaOmega does some thing really powerful, you can really feel that there is a message behind the brand, there’s a lot of values. That’s something is really powerful because you don’t have that with a brand that can be or already mar keted. Brands that are [highly] marketed can rely on their existing exposure, but a brand like AlphaOme ga I would say that the product type, quality wise is great because it’s really about sharing the values of AlphaOmega, really thinking about building a com munity. I think that’s something that sets AlphaOmega apart. Even for example, the podcast, that’s some thing you don’t really have with other brands, that shows that when you’re a part of AlphaOmega the brand, AlphaOmega World, it’s kind of a social state ment, a political statement. In the industry, I think this could set AlphaOmega apart because you have a message behind the brand.
Q. Suggestions for optimizing AlphaOmega London’s social media marketing.
A. To work with a strategy. A lot of other brands do marketing as a necessary evil, to be like “okay you know what it looks like everyone is using social media, so we’re going to do that” and they do that half-hearted, they’re not really happy with the results, and it gets into kind of a vicious cycle. For AlphaO mega London, my advice would be to have a kind of strategy. A strategy that is planned for a month, 3 months, 6 months, where you do things on a regular basis. It’s not really about the quantity, but about the quality. If the idea is to be “we’re going to post twice
in Instagram, twice on Facebook, we’re going to have one email per every other week”- whatever it is, it is to come up with that kind of a strategy and to stick to that strategy. But you have a complete strategy, even if you have a minimum, you say “Okay we’re going to post twice a week, and for that twice a week, I am go ing to post, make sure to reply to people, go to other people’s posts and follow the people that I think will be a good match and a potential client”. This is what I would do with AlphaOmega, to carry on with what you’re doing. You already have a good brand with a soul, but to really think we’ve already done the hard est, now it’s really to get as many people as possible exposed to your brand. In order for that to happened, we understand it’s not going to happen by accident, it’s going to be the result of a well-thought market ing strategy. We know that you don’t have the same resources as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc., but whatever resources we have, we’re going to take some of those resources and really apply it to marketing; post twice a week, answer messages, every single week we are going to try to reach out to people, we are going to look after the community. It’s really about creating a strategy and to implement that week in and week out.
Tracked Instagram engagements from start of internship (December 1, 2020)
