TEST YOUR INSIGHTS Emily Prior-Such, Fashion Communication and Promotion, N0623867
The following insights are all linked by the context of urbanisation. We felt that there was too much opportunity here to ignore and that it offered many gaps that our brand could potentially resolve. Urbanisation is a growing issue and so we wish to develop a brand that can be relatable both now and in the future.
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FIG 1.
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CONTENTS
6-11 Insight 1 Potential concept, competition, consumer and visual language
12-17 Insight 2 Potential concept, competition, consumer and visual language
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Insight 3
Potential concept, competition, consumer and visual language
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22-23 Final selection 24 References
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1
POTENTIAL CONCEPT FIG 2.
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he main insight behind our first potential concept is that 67% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050. We soon realised that this statistic is not urgent in the UK or US currently and so we looked to Asia as it is one of the most rapidly urbanising regions. Observations during trips to London and New York show how cities are growing. More construction work is taking place as we have no choice but to expand upwards to house the growing population. It is unlikely that many of these new small homes will have baths and our own survey suggests that people prefer taking showers over baths. Despite this, bath bomb giant Lush’s profits continue to grow. Therefore, there is greater need for space-saving products, particularly those that can be used in the shower but may have the same appeal of a solid bath product. We would like our concept to reflect modern living whilst also communicating the stress relieving qualities from busy city life.
Our main competition would be high-street retailer Lush due to their ongoing success and popularity. Our brand differs as it is driven by a serious developing global issue which is both relevant now and in the coming years. The product we shall eventually develop will be fit for a purpose whereas Lush products focus on being novelties not necessities. As well as this, Lush does not take into account the space saving aspect consumers are and will be facing as the majority of their products are large, taking up much needed storage space in the bathroom. Our product would be sold at mass market level, possibly supermarkets or pharmacies in Asia to begin with and follow suit in other regions when urbanisation demands. The price point would be under ÂŁ5 which combined with the mass market stockists demonstrates the emphasis of our product being an easily accessible essential for the space conscious.
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FIG 3.
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FIG 6.
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FIG 7.
“Women and younger adults show the most affinity to fragranced products.”
POTENTIAL CONSUMER -10-
1
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he potential consumer would be female from graduation age to time of child bearing as this is the period when women are busiest and most active in their careers. We plan to communicate a small and mighty outlook to the consumer, with focus on the strength of the fragrance and showering performance despite the small size of the packaging and product. As women are more likely to be fragrance users due to their heightened sense of smell, concentrating on the physical scent will be a major feature of our brand communication.
& VISUAL LANGUAGE
FIG 8.
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POTENTIAL CONCEPT W
hilst still focusing on urbanisation we turned to the fast-paced lifestyle within cities for our second insight. My primary observation whilst travelling on the London tube in the evening shows that inner-city workers have much longer days, often not leaving work until late. Our own survey shows that people do wear different fragrances for day and night but do not currently reapply throughout the day, indicating that existing products are too big. This therefore shows a gap for another space-saving fragranced product that can travel with the consumer, taking them effortlessly from day to night without the hassle of going home first. We want this concept to communicate a sense
of ease for those with hectic city lifestyles. The main competition for our concept is the Escentric Molecule 01 fragrance which features the single ingredient Iso E Super, creating a scent unique only to the wearer which is strong enough to last all day, effectively eliminating the day to night concept. A trip to Liberty in London made us aware that this product is not practical for on-the-go use due to its size. Our brand differs as we are prioritising the busy lifestyle of the consumer, acknowledging the need for a spacesaving product that can travel and be versatile enough to match their day to night schedule. We would sell our product in mass department stores at an affordable price point retaining some exclusivity whilst not alienating potential consumers.
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& COMPETITION FIG 10.
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2
FIG 11.
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FIG 12.
FIG 12.
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POTENTIAL CONSUMER M
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y team’s second potential consumer would also be female, in their 20’s and part of generation Y. They have a busy urban lifestyle working long hours but still enjoy going out in the evening to socialise. Despite a graduate income they still indulge with impulse buys. We plan to communicate the brand as a faithful companion to the consumer, making the transition from work to play simple with our concept.
FIG 13.
“Likely to start their working lives paying off sizeable student loans...they still like to shop.”
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FIG 14.
& VISUAL LANGUAGE -17-
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he third concept is led by the effects of urbanisation on people’s health and wellbeing. Last year 440,000 cases of work-related stress were recorded in the UK but the increased interest in mindfulness indicates a desire for a healthier lifestyle. From this we identified a need for a product that could potentially help people to feel calmer and reduce any anxiety felt from the overcrowded, busy cities they live in. Our concept will communicate feelings of relief and help consumers achieve a moment of calm despite their surroundings. L’Occitane are currently the go-to brand for aromatherapy-type products, using only natural ingredients. Our brand will differ as we are taking into account the reasons why consumers are feeling stressed and offering a solution as part of a particular lifestyle. We would want our product to be as far reaching as possible in order to help the large numbers of current sufferers, a figure that is continuing to grow. Therefore selling it at a mass market level at an affordable price makes it accessible for our consumers.
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POTENTIAL CONCEPT FIG 15.
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FIG 16.
& COMPETITION FIG 17.
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FIG 18.
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ur third consumer would again be generation Y, living in the city. We plan to communicate to this consumer with unbiased gender promotion. Not that our eventual product would be considered as genderless but we understand that both men and women suffer from stress and anxiety and so both would benefit from the help our brand would be offering.
“‘giving your brand a scent that is linked to a positive emotion can enforce your emotional branding’”
POTENTIAL CONSUMER -20-
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& VISUAL LANGUAGE FIG 19.
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A
FINAL SELECTION
s a result of my analysis, I recommend Insight 1 to be the basis of Task 3. I consider this to be the strongest insight as it has the most valuable research behind it, reflecting factors that lie outside of the fragrance industry. There is a real need gap in the market for a brand that can remain relevant to the growing issue of urbanisation now and have longevity until its peak in 2050. I have strong reason to believe that the brand would be a success overseas, firstly in Asia where urbanisation is currently at its greatest and as other cities are predicted to grow further there would clearly be a need for our brand and potential product in other regions too. Having a good understanding of another market outside of the UK would also give our team a different perspective to focus upon and would ensure that we truly understand how to cater our future product to a specific consumer.
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ILLUSTRATIONS REFERENCES COVER Unknown, (2014), City Scape [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www. scentmarketing.org [Accessed 18 March 16] FIG 1. Team edited image, 2016 FIG 2. own image, New York, 2015 FIG 3. team survey, 29/02/16 FIG 4. own image, Lush Nottingham, 2016 FIG 5. own image, Lush Handbook, 2016 FIG 6. own image, positioning map, 2016 FIG 7. own image, streetstyle, 2015 FIG 8. own image, moodboard, 2016 FIG 9. Unknown, (2016), London Underground [ONLINE]. Available at: https:// uk.pinterest.com [Accessed 18 March 16]. FIG 10. own image montage, Liberty and Molecule 01, 2016 FIG 11. team survey, 29/02/16 FIG 12. own image, positioning map, 2016 FIG 13. own image, streetstyle, 2015 FIG 14. own image, moodboard, 2016 FIG 15. own image, infographics, 2016 FIG 16. own image, L’Occitane Nottingham, 2016 FIG 17. own imahe, positioning map 2016 FIG 18. own image, streetstyle, 2015 FIG 19. own image, moodboard, 2016
Burn-Callander, R, 2015. Lush defies currency turmoil to post sweet-smelling profits. The Telegraph, 20 February. Health and Safety Executive. 2015. Work related stress, anxiety and depression statistics in Great Britain 2014/15. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.hse.gov. uk. [Accessed 17 March 16]. Khanom, R, 2015. The Consumer - What You Need To Know. Fragrances UK, [Online]. Available at: http://academic. mintel.com [Accessed 01 March 2016] Libby, C, 2016. Attitudes Towards Bathing. Mintel Soap, Bath & Shower Products UK, [Online]. Available at: http://academic. mintel.com [Accessed 01 March 2016]. Mentalhealth.org. 2015. Mental Health Statistics: Anxiety. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/ mental-health-statistics-anxiety. [Accessed 17 March 16]. Posner, H, 2015. Marketing Fashion Strategy, Branding and Promotion. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King United, Nations, 2014. World Urbanization Prospects. Economic and Social Affairs, [Online]. Available at: http://esa.un.org
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