PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY
96 Social is a creative agency specialising in social media marketing and brand strategy for local independent business owners and content creators in the South West who are working within the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries.
CONTENTS
OUR AIMS KEY MARKETING OBJECTIVES UNIQUE SELLING POINT CUSTOMER PROFILE TONE OF VOICE PERSONAILITY VISUAL LANGUAGE BRANDING SWOT ANALYSIS MARKETING MIX KEY COMMUNICATION CHANNELS PRESS / PR PLAN DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN PROMOTIONAL FUNDING COSTS ANALYSIS
OUR AIMS
To share our passion and enthusiasm for social media with businesses owners to help them find, establish and grow a presence in the ever-growing social-sphere. To help content creators such as bloggers and influencers who want to turn their hobby into a career. Through brand strategy, understanding audience behaviours and the importance of having a strong USP (unique selling point) to stand out. To give our clients the tools and techniques needed to become successful through tailored plans and expert advice. Helping them achieve goals and exposure.
KEY MARKETING OBJECTIVES: Establish 96 Social as a creative agency in the South West through social media / networking / client reviews Build and create relationships with clients Creative an easy to use, fully responsive website that is a reflection of the brand Grow social, increase engagement and interaction Launch new product services
UNIQUE SELLING POINT: As an agency, 96 Social not only is South West exclusive but offers a social media and brand focused platform that allows clients to establish, grow, manage and maintain an effective online presence at a competitive and affordable cost. I am self taught in social media marketing and brand, everything I know I have learnt myself… So there has been a lot of trial and error along the way but that’s the best way right? I am a keen learner and always up for a challenge so let’s talk, think big and invent. Being 22 (at the time of writing), a heavy user of social media user and local business supporter. I like to think I have a clear understanding about what the 18-25+ consumer group engage with and what they like. Meaning I can give not only personal opinions but also market opinions.
CUSTOMER PROFILE As a social media management and brand strategy agency, 96 social has a wide variety of potential clients who are working / wanting to break into the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries. 96 Social aims to target two specific consumer groups, the local independent businesses and content creators who want to turn their hobbies into a career. Therefore we can split these into primary and secondary customers.
THE PRIMARY CUSTOMER - LOCAL INDEPENDENT BRAND Described on its website as a social space, Pink Moon the newest kid on the block in Exeter’s Queen Street. More than a restaurant, this space is an Instagrammer’s heaven, whether your taking pictures of the mouth-watering food or the perfectly pink decor, it’s got it all. Although a restaurant / social space Pink Moon would fit into the lifestyle category of the agency as it has been set up by a team of young people who are “passionate about sustainability, health and good quality products, which is why we’re striving for a zero waste, and reduced single-use plastic operation” Alongside it’s fabulous food, decor and it’s passion for the environment, Pink Moon also works with local DJ’s to create the most youthful and vibrant experience so you can go from dining to dance in a matter of seconds… because who doesn’t want to have a boogie while eating a taco?
WE’VE CHOSEN PINK MOON AS A CASE STUDY FOR THE IDEAL PRIMARY CUSTOMER AS IT’S: Youthful, Fresh, Authentic, Lively Different from anything else in the city Sustainable Ran by a team of young people in the same age group as myself Amazing decor that resonates with 96 Social I hope to make contact with Pink Moon to discuss an opportunity to collaborate.
PINK MOON - EXETER
SECONDARY CUSTOMER THE CONTENT CREATOR Poppy*, is 21 and from Exeter, Devon currently she is a a full-time fashion communications studying in Nottingham. Alongside University, Poppy works part-time at Topshop although is keen to put more into her hobby as an Instagram Influencer. In her spare time Poppy attends festivals and events across the world her favourites being Hideout, ABODE, Elrow and Parklife. If it’s not an event she’s at she’s living her best life in Ibiza with friends. When festival seasons’s over you’ll find Poppy chilling in bed with a pizza. Described as a vibrant, outgoing, fun loving and confident Poppy resonates with her audience well. With just over 200k followers on the platform Poppy could be considered as a micro-influencer. Her Instagram feed focuses primarily on outfit pictures, with hints of lifestyle and beauty. Poppy, often engages with her followers through Instagram Stories where she talks about life, clothing and answers questions sent by her followers that are usually on the topic of festivals, boys and outfit advice. From the outside Poppy has strong engagement with her followers who frequently like, comment and engage with her page. Poppy is keen to turn this into a career after university but is stuck on how to build her following. Her main goals are too: Turn Instagram into a paid job making the transition from a hobby Gain exposure Take on paid work from brands
*Customer profile based off the accounts of these influencers. Names and follower count changed.
Images from Instagram Influencers @holliemparsons and @leighwoodz1
TONE OF VOICE
96 Social was created by someone who loves to talk (me) therefore the agency has a relaxed, friendly and chatty tone of voice… Think of it like you’re talking to a friend. It’s been proven that customers, clients, social media users (pretty much everyone) engages better if the tone of voice is personal and not like it’s been written by a robot… It drives for higher engagement and makes your brand approachable and that’s what we want… So let’s chat.
PERSONAILITY
96 Social was born through my love of the 90’s, pink and the year I was born (wow, so creative and ingenious) therefore a lot of my personality is already installed onto the brand. ASIDE FROM 96 SOCIAL BEING A REFLECTION OF MY OWN PERSONAILITY IT AIMS TO BE: PASSIONATE For all things social and brand IRREVERENT Serious about our services not serious about ourselves AUTHENTIC Always keeping it real
VISUAL LANGUAGE
Visually, 96 Social will be bright, bold and in your face (‌but not too much). While researching competitors it was seen that many agencies specialising in Social and brand where quite simple and minimalistic using white, grey and beige as primary colours, while graphic design and Muti-creative agencies as bright bold, funky colour schemes. As 96 Social is based of the 90’s aesthetic and pink‌ Graphics, typography and photography will adhere to the colour scheme on both the website and social media channels.
LOGO
I worked with Graphic Designer Char Allen to create a logo that represented my 90’s aesthetic and theme. Further brand developments and moodboards can be found in the innovation portfolio. The heart, is a graphic that can be used as an email sign-off and to add charcater to promotional material.
FONTS AND COLOURS HEADINGS - BERTHOLD BODY TEXT - HELVETICA NEUE LIGHT Body Text - Helvetica Neue Light
#FCD0EC
#FD4DA3
#FF243F
BRANDING
Instagram | Mobile Website | Desktop Site
96 Social Business Cards
Newsletter
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
• Fresh new ideas - different approach to marketing as my ideas come from consumer point of view
• New business with no well known clients
• Within the target age group of most businesses / strong understanding of the 18-25+ market • South West focused • Focus on Social Media Management and Brand Strategy • Focus on Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle • Self-taught with two years industry experience and a degree in Fashion Media and Marketing • Funky, exciting bold branding - different from competitors
• Small following = limited exposure • Although I have two years industry experience and a degree my methods and techniques are not as advanced as others in the industry • Young, so clients may see me as free labor to get clients / not as good as bigger agencies • One man band - There’s only me to make everything happen! • Small budget for resources
• New business so services are at a more affordable / cost-effective price OPPORTUNTIES
THREATS
• Positive recommendations from clients = more work / bigger clients
• Competitors such as WeekendIn and upinlights digital who are based in Bristol and are an agency for businesses and influencers to network
• Potential to build / establish a well known specialist agency within the South West • 96 Social becomes a full-time job with a liveable wage • Launch new products / services • Hire freelancers in graphic design, web, content creation etc to offer clients more services • Learn new skills / expand on existing • Opportunity to meet new people and network
• Clients e.g. local independent businesses not having the budget for social media / brand • Not being able to charge what I need to cover business costs • Working for free to gain clients and not being able to cover business costs e.g. tax • Invoices not being paid on time from clients • Putting in the work and not getting the exposure as too much competition to larger more established agencies
This SWOT analysis looks at my personal and professional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats by doing this I am able to identify points within my agency model for improvement in the future. It also allows me to identify my USP and how I stand out against my competitors.
MARKETING MIX
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PRODUCT 96 social will be offering a service rather than a product but as it is a service that is paid for by the consumer it could be considered as a product for the purpose of this analysis. A a creative agency, 96 social will be offering the following services to clients: Social Media Management - enable brands to establish, grow and maintain a strong social media presence Brand Strategy - for new businesses, existing businesses, content creators wanting to rebrand / target new consumers Depending on the success of the initial services there is room for expansion into web development, graphic design and content creation that can be carried out through freelancers employed by the agency who are experts in those mentioned fields.
PRICE
96 social will be offering a service rather than a product but as it is a service that is paid for by the consumer it could be considered as a product for the purpose of this analysis. A a creative agency, 96 social will be offering the following services to clients: Social Media Management - enable brands to establish, grow and maintain a strong social media presence Brand Strategy - for new businesses, existing businesses, content creators wanting to rebrand / target new consumers Depending on the success of the initial services there is room for expansion into web development, graphic design and content creation that can be carried out through freelancers employed by the agency who are experts in those mentioned fields.
PLACE The services offered through 96 social will be sold through the website as the main point of sale / contact. Although there is no physical product to be sold, interest from the client can be expressed via a contact form on the website that will get sent to a a specific business inbox where I as the business owner will contact the client to arrange a meeting to discuss a potential partnership. Alternatively, clients will be able to email me directly as my email and social channels will be displayed throughout the website.
PROMOTION 96 social will be promoted via a range of channels from social media, to faceto-face promotion. This is further outlined in Key Communication Channels.
KEY COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
96 Social will be communicated across a wide range of multimedia channels. Our website will be our primary method of communication to our clients as this is where they are able to find out information regarding the brand, costs, clients, client work and how they can contact us. Secondly, we will be promoting ourselves through social media with Instagram being our focal point for this. As a social media agency, it’s important for us to choose the right social media channel that resonates with our audiences and through research, Instagram comes out as the top social media network. As it allows for engagement with competitors, potential clients and allows us to repost, share and like other peoples work that compliments our brand. In addition, as content creators are a huge factor to our brand it’s important to us that we understand their space and as Instagram is seen as the ‘home of the influencer’ it would be crazy not to have it, right? Thirdly, we will be promoting our brand through a monthly newsletter that features: • •
Industry News - What brands need to know to stay in the know? Top 5 Social Media tips for the month - each with a different theme such as, engagement, establishing a brand and how to maintain followers
Local Business of the month / who to look out for? This newsletter can be signed up for straight from our website and will be delivered to your inbox. I decided to do a newsletter as another form of promotion and to show clients that I know what I am talking about. I also will use the newsletter almost like a mini-blog where I can showcase the brand’s personality and showcase my writing skills.
PRESS/PR PLAN
Social Media will be the core method of promotion alongside the website but in addition to this I will be going round to local independent businesses in Exeter and what as a starting point. To hand out business cards and to speak to them face-face about my project. Hopefully this will lead to local clients and increased word of mouth. TARGET STORES EXETER: Lorna Ruby - Clothing Crede - Designer Clothing Shop Sancho’s shop - Clothing Pink Moon Cafe - Social space / cafe / restaurant / bar Aromatika - Beauty Sancho - Clothing TARGET STORES PLYMOUTH: Identity Fashion. - Clothing Gosh & Absolutely - Clothing Shabby Chic - Lifestyle and home The Roundabout - Social space / restaurant / bar Rakuda - Social space / restaurant / bar Rewire Clothing - Up-cycled clothing
DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN
THE PURPOSE AND GOALS OF OUR DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN IS TO: •
Increase the following of 96 Social on Instagram to 500 by June
•
Increase engagement, likes and comments on posts (monitored via Instagram for Business page metrics - allows you to look at page visits, impressions, engagements and reach)
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Gain a minimum of two clients from Instagram by June via sponsored posts
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Get 50 signups to the newsletter by June (promotion via website pop-up banner and Instagram
FURTHER GOALS SPECIFIC TO INSTAGRAM: •
3 Instagram posts a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) with a minimum of 30 likes and 6 comments on each post
•
Share content created by other creatives that fit brand aesthetic, colours and vibe this is good for exposure and supporting other creative work Needs to be fully credited
•
4 stories per week - sharing updates, sneak peaks, what’s to come (build hype around the launch)
•
Monitor and maintain Instagram through buffer.com - a platform that allows you to post, schedule and monitor posts from a laptop rather than a smartphone device, shows you optimum times to post for maximum engagement and reach
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Use ‘Display Purposes’ to generate relevant and engaging hashtags that are specific for each post to boots engagement and increase followers
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Engage with likeminded brands / agencies through likes and comments to build relationships and reach
GRAPHICS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA In addition to producing my own content for social media I am working with illustrator Poppy Almond who specialises in bold comic illustration and typography. Typography will be light-hearted, fun and engaging this will boost engagement, likes, comments and shares. • • •
Content examples include: Client Testimonials Industry Facts e.g. local business and content creators
POPPY ALMOND - ILLUSTRATOR
COMISSIONED GRAPHICS
PROMOTIONAL FUNDING COSTS
The promotional costs are show below as expected at time of writing, a contingency of £100 as been put in place for any additional charges that may apply. •
Website - £60 a/year. Due to needing a custom web domain and having interactive features on my website such as a live chat. It was paramount that I had a paid website. I was lucky at the time of purchasing as WIX wHere offering 50% off.
•
Sponsored Instagram posts - To sponsor a post is dependent on the target audience, locations (how many) and budget.
As an example: If the audience range is from 18 - 45 with one location selected the cost is outlined below. To sponsor one post for 6 days with a budget of £5 a day will cost £30 and will reach 3,700 - 9,800 people In addition to sponsor the same post for 6 days with a budget of £1 a day will cost £6 and reach 620 - 1,600 •
Social Media Typography / Graphics - £40 for 3 posts
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Business cards: £28 for 50 cards from moo.com
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(possible cost for the creation of newsletter, templates etc) - £20
ANALYSIS
I will be monitoring the success of the social media through Instagram Business tools as by setting up 96 Social as a business account I am able to see how well my posts are doing and what posts are being engaged with better than others, how many profile visits I am getting per week. Instagram also allows me to see my reach and my impressions as well as my audience although the audience feature isn’t enabled until the account reaches 100 followers. I will also be monitoring Instagram via Buffer - A social media management tool that I will use to schedule posts at optimum times for engagement. In terms of clients, web page visits, promotion and targets I will keep an updated document that I will update monthly that will analyse my current targets and their effectiveness while also setting new goals.
Emily Stephenson BAFM303: Creative and Professional Conclusion