Contents Page
Page 2- Introduction & Methodology Page 3- Vision & Goals Page 5- Current Market Page 11- Consumer Segmentation Page 17- Branding & Marketing Strategy Page 29- Business Plan Page 42- Summary
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Introduction & Methodology Whilst researching in the stage one project, I focused on consumer purchasing habits in regards to sustainability and whether their buying habits would change to support British produced garments. Along with slowing the rate in which they are consuming fashion garments, to support slow fashion. The key findings from stage one can all be categorised under three recurring themes; education, support and emphasis of quality. Education is vital, in the sense of educating consumers, informing them on the damaging impact the fashion industry has on the environment, so they know why and how they could change their ways to become more sustainable. Moreover, encouraging British designers and educating labourers in the skills of manufacturing of clothing garments, so production can be sustained in the future, of this currently ageing industry. Gaining support from the government and influential brands is vital, they can invest money into the expansion of British production along with training and educational programs. Furthermore, with the support of influential brands and figures, consumers are likely to follow and help support British manufacturing. However, consumers are becoming increasingly more cynical, so brands need to be completely transparent. Finally, the quality of the garments is key and is important to emphasise. As garments made in Britain often can't compete on low prices, but can offer superior quality of manufacturing. Moreover the look of the products often fit into the 'heritage' style associated with british brands. In result of stage one, I have found the vast majority of consumers questioned were willing to change their shopping habits to support sustainable fashion, progressing into stage two with such findings is very supportive. I propose that the implementation stage of this project is going to be based upon setting up and marketing a retail outlet which sells garments of clothing and accessories manufactured within Britain. From stage one findings, e-commerce is also the future of fashion retailing, so propose that it is launched as an online brand. Once I have defined my vision and goals, research into the current market was required to position the brand amongst competitors. From here I have defined the target consumers, researching which demographic they are and what they want from the brand. I found this out by surveying a vast selection of people to gain a valid cross section representing consumers of the UK and then held a focus group with my defined target consumer. From these findings I have created a marketing strategy, reflecting what consumers want, creating an effective communication strategy and brand essence which consumers can identify with, gaining their trust in the brand and loyalty as a consumer. This will also be reflected in the business plan, which will include such things as a business model, brand range and financial forecasts. Both the marketing and business plans will include key models, such as PESTLEs, SWOTs, and a long term 3 year plan.
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Vision & Goals The vision is to create an online brand, exclusively retailing clothing and accessories manufactured within Britain. This report is a detailed marketing and business plan, ready for a possible business launch in the near future. The business will retail a selection of clothing garments and accessories from a multitude of independent brands who all manufacture in Britain. Offering ranges for both men and women, who will be defined more specifically in the consumer section of the report. The business will operate completely online, as e-commerce is an ever growing outlet, especially in the fashion and apparel market. Moreover it will be accessible to a larger range of consumers, whilst not having the expensive overheads of a bricks and mortar store. The unique selling point of the business is that it's the only clothing and accessories online retailer, specialising in products sourced from British manufacturers. There are many successful independent apparel brands, however no one has bought them all together in one retail outlet. By focusing on this fairly niche sector, I hope to specialise in this field, becoming market leader for homeland manufacturing. Establishing the brand online will take several years, but through an online marketing strategy, utilising social media, it will be successful. Creating loyal customers will also be a key goal of establishing the business; through creating outstanding brand experiences, helping to build consumer relationships, and a positive reputation. Also, with growing awareness, more independent manufactures will become aware of the business and may be stocked, increasing the range of stock and further building the brand reputation. Moreover, in the future the brand could expand internationally, exporting to countries who are interested in British culture and clothing. A prime example would be China, who have the fastest growing middle class economy and are becoming increasingly more influenced by western trends and cultures. Boulter, J (Online, 2013).
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Current Market
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Current Market Findings in the stage one research project show consumers are willing to change their buying habits to support British Manufacturing, however to make it successful “support, education and emphasis on quality.” Doman, H (2013) are all needed for a sustainable future. There are already a vast selection of independent brands who have much success from retailing garments completley produced in Britain. This ranges from heritage brands such as 'John Smedley' and 'Cooper & Stoolbrand', to new start-up brands including 'Antithesis' and 'The English Tee Shop'. Moreover, British manufacturing has gained a huge amount of media attention over the past 18 months “two influential people from the fashion industry, Mary Portas and Sir Philip Green, have been backing manufacturing in Britain.” Doman, H (2013). There has been much newspaper and online coverage about specific British brands and most recently the Bradshaw family, who are living totally on British produced goods for a whole year. This media buzz is helping to bringing it to the attention of British consumers. Further more, 2012 was a year to be 'proud to be British' with the London Olympics and the Queens Jubilee. With great patriotism still at the heart of many consumers, now is a great time to start a British orientated business.
Image 1- Topshop Made in Britain
There are many external factors which effect the current British manufacturing industry, for example the current uncertainty of the economy. Consumer are lacking in confidence and still spending carefully, so when making purchasing decisions on such things as clothing garments, they may opt for cheaper commodity options from discount stores. As opposed to luxury options, which many of garments of clothing produced within Britain fall into the category of. Further more, there are many conflicting opinions whether the British government are helping to support homeland manufacturing. The Prime minister visited a British manufactures 'David Nieper' factory in April 2012 (Fig 1-PESTLE). Along with Ed Miliband quoted saying “There are three words we do not hear enough. Those three words are made in Britain.” (Fig 1-PESTLE) However there are many conflicting opinions about this showmanship, as many believe there is lacking support and understanding of the current British manufacturing industry “Politicians are deceived by manufacturing success stories which do not bear close examination.” (Fig 1-PESTLE) By not truly understanding what problems there are within the industry, from poor supply chains to the aging workforce, they are unable to effectively support and build a sustainable future. On the other hand, there has been great support from a range of influential figures in the fashion world towards British manufacturing. Fashion bloggers, such as 'Fashion Editor at Large' along with designers such as Victoria Beckham and J.W. Anderson openly supporting British manufacturing. 6
Within the current market I can identify only a few direct competitors to my brand. These are 'Made in these Isles', 'Private White V.C' and 'Asos'. 'Made in these Isle' are a relatively new brand, founded in 2011. They retail a selection of clothing and homewear all produced within Britain. However, they only stock a small selection of brands, many of which are outerwear and accessories; not offering a large selection of clothing or brands. Moreover they have gained very little media attention and consumer awareness, with a very small following on their Facebook and Google+ pages, not having a presence on other social media sites. The second competitor brand 'Private White V.C', offers a traditional range of mens clothing, mainly own brand product. But also stocking a few other brand such as 'John Smedley' knitwear and 'Cheaney' footwear. The brand has a strong history, dating back to the first world war, which is represented in the logo design, which uses 'Victoria Cross', identifying it as a truly heritage brand. What is more, they have a very strong consumer following on both Facebook and Twitter, however they only use these form of social media and a blog to communicate with consumers. The final brand I have identified as a competitor is Asos, who retail a selection of brands who manufacture in Britain. Such as 'The Orphans Arms', 'Kinky Knickers' and 'Grensons' footwear. They are the leading online fashion retailer within the UK for both men's and women's fashion. However they stock over 1,000 different brands (Fig 4- Asos Profile), so finding these specific products may be very difficult for consumers.
Image 2- John Smedley
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I have identified Asos and John Smedley, as two incredibly successful brands within their field, as you can see in the positioning map (Fig 6- Positioning Map) They both have high perceived brand awareness. The success of Asos is down to their great understanding of their target market “We know that twenty-somethings are the most avid fashion enthusiasts, no matter what part of the world they are in.” (Fig 4- Asos Profile) and by knowing how to successfully communicate with them through social media. They were the first brand to retail garments directly from their Facebook page as well as utilising Google 'hang outs' (Fig 4- Asos Profile) to talk directly to the consumers. Identifying and understanding my target market are vital for the success of the business, moreover knowing what platforms of communication are the most relevant to them are vital for knowing how to reach them. The success of John Smedley is down to the strong heritage the brand portrays, along with being an incredibly ethical and sustainable brand, which are two intertwining factors. “John Smedley has been ecologically friendly for over 200 years. In the Victorian era, we devised ingenious solutions to create the best possible working conditions in our Derbyshire mill.” (Fig 5- John Smedley Profile) By creating a brand which is relatable, with a strong personality is key for success. Furthermore being transparent and honest are vital for building a strong relationship with the consumer.
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Fig 6- Positioning Map
As you can see in the perceptual map, there are many independent companies who offer ranges of clothing and accessories. However they differ vastly in 'perceived brand awareness' ranging from 'Kinky Knickers' and 'The Cambridge Satchel Company' who have both been promoted by mass media, too smaller brands such as 'Jo Gordon' and 'Izzy Lane' who are both relativity new knit-wear brands. There are also two brands on the positioning map 'Still Made in Britain' and 'Make it British', who are both websites promoting British manufacturing. Although they do not directly sell products, they have databases of the different brands, linking to their websites, helping to promote sales. I have identified a large gap in the market, for a brand to specifically retail clothing and accessories manufactured in Britain, which will be the brands expertise. Along with a carefully planned marketing campaign I aim to gain high brand awareness, positioning the brand at point X on the positioning map.
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Consumer Segmentation
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Consumers In stage one I carried out primary and secondary research into consumer habits, focusing on consumer's changing feelings towards sustainability. In research stage one, 'Chapter 1- Sustainability' I stated “British consumers have started to become more thoughtful about the environment, trying to be greener, more ethical consumers.” Doman, H (2013) Which was supported by primary research in 'Chapter 4- Consumer Insight' where I asked participants to explain what sustainability means to them “the majority answering such things as “quality”, “responsible use of materials and labour”, “long lasting” and generally how “green” products are” Doman, H (2013) Which is very supportive of their understanding. Furthermore, ethical consumer spending is set to increase to £76,7000M by 2016, which is an 40.5% increase from 2012. Bishop L (2012) P 15. From these very supportive findings, it is now down to retailers to influence and change consumer buying habits, as they are “uniquely positioned to be able to influence and improve consumers’ approach to the sustainability of clothing.” Goworek, H. (2012) P 948. Which is a key consideration when creating a marketing strategy. However, when researching into marketing theories of sustainable consumers, I found “ethical consumerism, theory development is in its early stages.” Goworek, H. (2012) P 141. There are many consumers who would rate themselves as ethical or sustainable, with all the best intentions, however there is still a great difference between what “they are going to do and what they actually do at the point of purchase” Goworek, H. (2012) P 141. A key point issue raised in stage one is brand transparency, “brands are having to prove what they are doing, instead of making claims they are sustainable or source production ethically.” Doman, H (2013). As consumers are becoming cynical towards “green washing” evidence is needed before investing in ethical brands. From the primary research questionnaire, the participants answered several questions to help define my target demographic, focusing on how much they are influenced by fashion trends, ethical fashion and British manufacturing. First of all I asked “Do the current trends & fashion greatly reflect what you wear/purchase?” I found in the youngest female categories of 18-21 year old 44% disagreed with this statement, in contrast to older female consumers, in which 75% of 41-55 year olds females and 100% of 56-65 year old females questioned disagreed. However I found males in general are far less trend-led, with the majority disagreeing over all age categories. When asking participants “Do the ethics of the brand sway your purchasing decision?” findings revealed the majority of younger consumers, of both genders care less. 68% of females aged 18-21 and 71.5% of males aged 18-21 disagreeing with this statement. Whereas consumers of both genders in the 41-55 age group and females in the 56-65 age group strongly agree with this statement.
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I have also found a similar pattern of results, when asking participants “Would the fact a garment is produced in Britain sway your purchasing decision?” In the younger age categories there is a fairly even split of opinions, with females disagreeing slightly more the male participants. From the 41-55 age category I found 75% of females and 100% of males agree with the statement, further more 100% of females in the 56-65 age category also agreed with the statement. These findings will help me to define my target consumer, as from these results I am able to define the key demographics who care most about ethical clothing and British manufactured clothing, to be consumers over the age of 40. However I shouldn't completely rule out younger consumers, as many 18-21 year olds showed interest in British manufacturing. On the other hand, the majority of clothing manufactured within Britain is of a classic style, not necessarily trend-led. Which reflects the results of the older demographics, and their clothing preferences.
I also looked into the frequency of consumer spending along with how much their average spend on a clothing garment is, this is a key factor as many clothing garments produced in Britain are more expensive, luxury garments. Furthermore, I looked into the promotion of 'slow-fashion' within my last project, which emphasises purchasing less, but better quality clothing. Making the consumption of fashion less disposable. From the survey, I have found many of the younger respondents shop on a more frequent basis, with the majority of consumers age 18-21 and 22-30 purchasing new garments monthly, with many even shopping weekly. However no consumers over the age of 31 shop on a weekly basis, finding the majority purchasing clothing garments seasonally. When looking into spending, the majority of younger consumers, in categories 18-21 and 22-30, spent between £20-£50 on average, with many also spending less then £20 per garment. Yet once again, no consumers over the age of 31 spent less then £20, with the majority spending on average £80-£100. This may be reflective of two things, first of all their larger disposable income, along with their less frequent spending patterns, opting to by less, but more expensive garments of clothing.
Image 3- Research Findings
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From consumer segmentation and research into sustainable consumers, I am able to define my target consumers. As I found males are equal to female consumers when it comes to caring about ethical and British produced clothing, I am going to define my target consumers as a couple. The couple is aged between 40-45, with one teenager and one young child. They live in a village, in a fairly rural area and enjoy an 'outdoor' lifestyle, walking their pet dog and growing vegetables in the garden. The husband works full time as a manager in the local town, while the wife works parttime at the local primary school. They have a combined income of £75,000-£80,000 per annum. As stated before, they enjoy the outdoors, going on bicycle rides in the summer, and skiing holidays in the winter. To relax and stay healthy she also enjoys yoga and pilates classes. They care about environmental issues, and have made changes to their every day lives to become 'greener'. They drive an eco-car, recycle and re-use as much packaging and reducing wastage as much as possible. Along with fitting solar panels to their house to fuel their hot water and heating. They try to support local business, by purchasing groceries at the local farm shop and butchers, as well as opting to eat and drink at independent restaurants and cafés. As a family they try to keep up with the latest technology, often told about the latest trends by their teenage child. They both own smart-phones, which allows them to stay connected to each-other, as well as colleagues at work, extended family and friends. They also use them to connect to social media sites. She prefers Facebook and Instagram, where she posts pictures of her life, and follows friends lives along with brands and celebrities she admires. He prefers twitter, as it is a faster moving stream of information and keeps him up-to date with the latest news, as well as Linkedin, which he uses to connect with people and brands professionally. The way they dress is not particularly trend-led, opting for comfortable, classic styles of clothing. They do not shop often, but when they do, prefer spending more on good quality garments which will last for a few years. She enjoys brand such as 'White Stuff' and 'Joules' who produce classically beautiful garments of clothing, in a heritage style. Where as he enjoys brands such as 'Howies' and 'Finnisterre' who produce quality out-door, environmentally conscious clothing. As they are fairly loyal to certain brands, they have become more accustomed to shopping online with them, as they know their sizing and delivery is reliable, along with being more convenient to shop online in the evenings when it suits them.
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Now I have defined my target audience, I need to specify how these consumer make purchasing decisions. I have taken five relevent key stages from the '10 steps to consumer purchasing decisions' from the book Luxury Fashion Branding, these are 'when consumers buy', 'why consumers buy', 'where consumers buy', 'how consumer buy' and 'how often consumers buy', to apply them to my own topic of sustainable fashion. I asked the participants of my focus group these questions to gage a better understanding of their purchasing habits. When asked why do they buy ethical and sustainable goods. The answers tended to be 'by accident' or if their were two products that are similar, the edge that it is ethically produced is the sway point for purchasing. When asked 'when' and 'where' do they buy products, their answers were generally in high-street stores in town, but these trips are planned, due to their busy lifestyles. “If I'm going shopping it's never really spontaneous, it's always planned in.” Robertson, M (2013) along with browsing on the internet. Which leads me on to the new question, how do they prefer to buy? “Normally on the web” Henderson, H (2013) due to convenience of it. More over, with faster delivery services, consumers are now able to purchase products and receive them the next day. The final question 'how often they buy products?' was more difficult to define an answer. “Not often” Henderson, H (2013) was a fairly resounding response, many factors need to be taken in account “depending on what my bank balance looks like, and depending on if i've got something coming up that i've got to get something in-particular to wear.” Seasonality also needs to be taken into account, with most purchases being at the start of the season.
Image 4- Consumer Profile
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Branding & Marketing Strategy
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Branding & Marketing The name of my brand is 'The British Clothing Company' (TBCC), I decided to keep the name simple, it is also a fairly traditional sounding name, which fits the ethos of the brand. I have also bought the company name 'The British Clothing Company Ltd' along with the domain names 'thebritishclothingco.co.uk' and 'thebritishclothingco.com', several social media pages and email account, so in the future I can launch it as a fully viable business. I have also decided on the tag line 'Purveyors of the finest British made clothing.' which adds a traditional element to the brand. Image 5 are the final brand logos. Before finalising on this logo choice, I looked at other logos for inspiration, deciding a logo that is primarily text based would suit the brands visuals best. I then researched into a vast selections of fonts and graphic ideas, picking a selection of traditional style fonts, many of which were sans-serif, giving a traditional aesthetic. From here I tested out the most fitting fonts in different layouts, sizes and graphic designs; from which I created many different initial ideas. I then picked 9 of the strongest logo ideas, making sure there was a selection of different styles, to gain feedback from the focus group, of which designs they have preference too. Resulting in Image 5 being the final chosen logo, with and without the brand tag-line.
Image 5- Brand Logos
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Brand Vision "To be the premier online retailer, exclusively selling garments and accessories designed and manufactured in Britain."
Brand Mission "The British Clothing Company mission is to retail to, as well as educate and inspire consumers about
the wide selection of garments produced from a variety of brands in Britain. Teaching consumers fashion can be sustainable, for the environment and their local economy."
Brand Values -To educate consumers on where and by whom their clothing or accessories are being produced, allowing them to create a more emotional attachment, by understanding where their purchases originates from. -To encourage consumers to value their purchases, looking after and cherishing them, allowing them to have a longer lifespan. -To support and retail brands of all sizes, from heritage to start-ups. As long as they produce high quality garments in Britain. -To practice what we preach, by using as little paper or packaging as possible, using recycled materials where possible, and recycling as much as possible after use. -To focus on precise stock management, retailing all garments of clothing. Never allowing any products to go to waste.
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Brand Essence Attributes The British Clothing Company champions British manufacturing within the fashion industry, supporting all the independent brands, creating an inspiring and educational destination for consumers who want to assist the growth of this industry.
Personality To create The British Clothing Company's Brand personality, I have looked at Jennifer Aaker's 'brand personality model'. Which includes sincerity, excitement, competence and sophistication and ruggedness, the later of which I have decided to change for ethical at this is more applicable to my brand. Aakers, J (1997).
Sincerity- Honest, transparent, and friendly.
Excitement- Original, unique and forward thinking.
Competence- Reliable, confident and hardworking. Sophistication- Intelligent, luxury and quality. Ethical- Sustainable, eco-friendly and moral.
Promise The company promises to deliver a wide range of products from a variety of brands, who all produce to the highest quality in the British Isles. To offer an informative and helpful service, connecting consumers with garments and accessories, all delivered to their doorstep.
Source of Authority The British Clothing Company specialises in a niche market. Having strong brand relations between all the suppliers, understanding how and where all the products are manufactured and promising they are all produced sustainably, enhances the brand authority. More over, as this is the area of specialities, the brand is well informed of any trends within the market, offering the latest and widest range of products.
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Marketing Mix Product All products retailed are carefully selected from brands who manufacture in Britain and are of the highest quality. Examples of brands and products that will be retailed are 'Retro Satchels' who produce a range of satchels and leather goods, 'Izzy Lane' who produce women's knitwear garments from their own flock of sheep, 'Anthony and Brown' who design and manufacture casual men's wear and Lavenham Jackets, who specialise in quilted jackets for both men and women.
Place
The business will retail through the main website when the brand initially launches, giving consumers one main shopping destination. Shortly after the business launch, a m-commerce website will follow, allowing customers to shop from their mobile devices, such as smart-phones and tablets. Over time, as brand awareness increases, a brand 'App' will be launched, which will allows consumers to find out information on sustainable and British manufactured fashion. Along with being able to shop the current collection.
Price The price-point of each individual product will vary greatly, depending on what it is and the brand. However the products are all luxury, high quality products, which will be reflected in the price. Furthermore the products retailed are price inelastic, meaning demand won't decrease by slight price increases. There will also be additional costs for delivery, from ÂŁ3.50 for delivery within the next 3-5 working days and ÂŁ10 for next day delivery.
Promotion
As the brand is completely online, the promotion should be coherent with this. Utilising social media will be a large aspect of the marketing campaign. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram and Tumblr blog will all be platforms consumers can engage with the brand. Search engine optimisation is also key, to bring the brands website to the top of searches for relating topics, helping to create as much traffic to the page as possible. The final aspect of online promotion, will be contacting influential bloggers and website about the launch of the brand, increasing potential consumers. The only offline promotional material will be 'look books' which can be sent out to customers on request. Or to new brands who wish to sell through the website, allowing them to get a feel for the brand.
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Voice of the brand The tone of voice used by the brand to communicate with consumers needs to have continuity through all channels of communication. The voice also needs to reflect the brands personality, being sincere, sophisticated, but not passive. Primarily the brand needs to be friendly and approachable, whilst showing sincerity; wishing customers a 'good day' or a 'hope you're well' on social media statuses and emails. The language used should also be intelligent, never using slang terms or colloquialisms, in grammatically correct English. As well as proving competence in the field of British fashion, using the correct terminology and appropriate language. However, the tone of voice needs to be well balanced, sounding human, including emotional and descriptive language, helping to emotionally connecting with consumers. Finally the tone of voice still needs an element of fun to it, as boring blocks of text are not appealing to read.
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Image 6- Facebook Page
Social Media Social media is a key aspect of modern marketing plans, utilising it in an appropriate way to connect with target consumers. Although updating statuses and sharing images is a very quick and easy process, “they can have a pronounced impact on business and their influence can echo far beyond a simple post or retweet.” Steinberg, S (Online, 2013). From the focus group, I found that my target consumers use Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Pinterest, along with being interested in using Instagram. From secondary research, I have also found 17.5% of UK facebook users are aged 35-44 years old and 11.1% of users are 45-54 years old. Fanalyzer (Online, 2013). Along with “35-44 and 45-54 age groups each make up around 20% of the Twitter population.” Rose, K (Online, 2013) And 42% of pinterest users aged between 25-34, with the second biggest age group being 35-44, followed by 45-54. Which is supportive of the target consumer demographics. However during the focus group, I found that quite often consumers of this demographic are more sceptical about following or liking brands on Facebook. Reasons for use “tends to be friends rather than brands.” Robertson, M (2013). With similar findings on their use of Pinterest.
“I tend to prefer to look at individuals Pinterest or artists or photographers, rather then brand's. I'm not a brand follower.” Robertson, M (2013) This is a key consideration when communicating with consumers, as although many social media users follow brands, sharing images, messaging and making the most of this modern form of non-linear communication. It is not necessarily the most effective way to connect with my target demographics. Taking into account the comment about following photographers and artists, if the brand were to collaborate with or have images taken by an independent photographers, which would be shared on their social media sites, this would extended to and appeal to a wider range of audience. The different social media platforms which will be used are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr, as stated before. By using such a broad variety will allow consumers to connect with the brand in a greater selection of ways. Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram are all visual based, and allow consumers to 'like' or repost any images they enjoy, also with these all being image based, the same selection of images, whether from seasonal look books to individual product shots, can be used on all of them, giving a coherent visual message of the brand. Youtube is video based social platform, which can be shared on the Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr blog pages. Creating short videos about TBCC and the brands stocked will be a fun, yet informative way to connect with consumers, along with helping with the transparency of the brand. Facebook and Twitter are mainly text based forms of social media, so by integrating these two platforms would keep continuity in the brand's tone of voice. Moreover, these platforms allow nonlinear communication, which means consumers can address compliments or criticisms directly to the brand, in full view of all other brand followers; further increasing the brands transparency.
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“Historically, companies were able to control the information available about them through strategically placed press announcements and good public relations managers. Today, however, firms have been increasingly relegated to the sidelines as mere observers, having neither the knowledge nor the chance or, sometimes, even the right to alter publicly posted comments provided by their customers.� Kaplan, A et Haenlein, M. (2010) P 60. When given praise the brand should reply graciously to the consumer, giving thanks to them for their purchases. However, complaints are more delicate to reply too. Some brands over-come these problems by being witty and others chose to ignore them, which can lead to further problems. However the essence of The British Clothing Company is to be honest and transparent, along with being intelligent. So replying to each query or complaint individually should reflect this. By openly answering to any problems, being polite, as well as offering as much information and assistance as the consumer requires. Consideration may also need to be made when promoting the independent brands retailed on the website, as many of these have their own social media pages. I would need to reflect how they communicate with their consumers. For example 'Izzy Lane' promotes animal rights pages along side the promotion of their clothing, and 'Antiform' promote general production of goods within Britain, sharing articles with followers. These shared interests of ethical promotion need to be reflected through my own social media pages, however they will need to be carefully selected, not making extreme political statements. The tone of voice may need to be altered slightly when promoting certain brands, to reflect the specific brand image. The key objectives of social media are; to increase brand awareness, from consumers sharing and liking the page, generating interest from their peers and a broader scope of possible consumers. To allow direct communication with consumers, connecting with them in an honest and personable way. Finally, in the future an objective will be increasing sales, through retailing on social media page.
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Advertising & Further Promotion To further promote the brand online, I will contact influential bloggers, who have authority and knowledge of British manufacturing and sustainability in fashion, sending them a press release on the launch of the brand. (Fig 11- Press Release) For example 'makeitbritish.co.uk' promote all brands who support British manufacturing, so coverage on a website like this would be invaluable, as it has a very loyal following. Along with sustainable fashion bloggers, such as Christine de León www.verynicethreads.com. As mentioned before, the 'truly British' Bradshaw, family, who are only purchasing good manufactured and sourced in Britain, also run their own blog, and are on the search for British produced brands. So coverage by them, and their large media following would be valuable for brand awareness. The final form of online promotion will be mail-shots, or email marketing. This was one of the most popular ways to be contacted by brands from results at the focus group. However it is important not to spam the consumers with emails. When referring to brands, one participant stated “I don't want to get in bed with them...or be contacted by them every day.”Robertson, M (2013). These emails should only be sent out a maximum of twice a week, only when there is enough relevant information to inform customers with. This includes free postage or other promotions, when new stock from the supplier brands are online, or to inform customers of end of season sales. I will obtain these email addresses through online promotion; through the social media sites and website, offering promotional discounts or free delivery in return. Offline promotion will consist of sending out look books, printed onto recycled paper to reflect the sustainability of the brand. These will be sent to customers who specifically request them via the website, or to brands who currently retail or wish to retail through TBCC. The promotional images used within the look books should be taken by select British photographers, reflecting the comment made in the 'social media' section. For the first season, the Sheffield based photographers, India Hobson, will be photographer of choice; for her beautiful images, full of natural lighting in inspirational settings. Using natural outdoor spaces within the rugged British countryside would reflect the honesty and transparency of the brand, along with promoting the 'Britishness' of the products. Word of mouth is also a key aspect of spreading the brand, so offering outstanding customer service is an important factor. For example, when goods are posted to the consumer they should be packaged neatly by hand, in recycled brown paper parcels, including promotional materials such as care instructions and a business card of the brand, image 7.
Image 7- Business Cards
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Image 8- Marketing Timeline
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The three year marketing plan can be seen in image 8. There is great continuity running through the plan; after launching the initial social media sites, they will regularly be updated. Along with seasonal launches of new collections and brand books twice a year. There will also be promotions to collect new email addressees for mail-shots annually; from which emails will be sent out weekly. There will be two additional launches, both of which will co-inside with the launch of autumn/winter collections of clothing. The first will be the mobile site launch, and the second will be the launch of the brand 'App'. Currently 58% of the UK population own a smart-phone and 19% own a tablet, these are figures which are set to increase. In addition, 69% of tablet owners and 29% of mobile make purchases through their devices. Moth, D (Online, 2013) So creating a mobile site would allow time-starved consumers to purchase on the go. This also supports the launch of a shopping 'App' being released in the third year, “creative app design have enabled new ways for shopping to be done and payments to be made� West, C (Online, 2013). This will be an easier, more secure way to browse and purchase products, along with having interactive features and information about sustainability and British manufactured fashion, continuing on the brand values. These launches will create a buzz , which will coincide with the release of the new collections as it will also be new ways to shop the brand. I have decided to have one core marketing plan, instead two specifically targeting male and female consumers, which is a strategy of online brand such as Asos use. This is because the target market is already specific, and I will post in a gender neutral way, showing a selection of products for both consumer groups, having a neutral brand image and tone of voice.
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Business Plan
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Market Assessment Before launching into a new market, it is important to analyse the strengths of the market, assessing competition and positioning the business. Using 'Porter's 5 Forces' model has allowed me to asses this (Fig 7- Porters 5 Forces). The biggest risks of launching into the British manufacturing and sustainability industry are the power of the suppliers and the threat of substitution. As there are only a select number of brands who produce in Britain; their products are incredibly sought after, also being of high-quality. This means they can demand high price for their products, which may lose price sensitive consumers, meaning it could drive down the businesses profit margins. Moreover, many brands have their own online stores, meaning they can run promotions and offer a more competitive price directly to the consumer. On the other hand, there are many advantages into entering this market. It is a relatively unestablished industry, so TBCC would be an early adopter of this trend. Furthermore, sustainability and the demand for locally sourced production is growing in popularity, which over time will increase the amount of consumers, reducing buyer power. Finally there is very little competitive rivalry from other brands specialising in the same field.
Fig 7- Porters 5 Forces
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Key Partners Bank To help financially support the new business, a bank loan will be needed for initial start-up costs. The Business Bank of choice would be NatWest, who offer a vast range of support for start up businesses. Including small loans, ranging from £1,000- £25,000, with competitive interest rates and benefits. Moreover, the banking can be done online or in branch, so is very flexible and can be managed easily. Delivery The Royal Mail will be used as logistics partner. They offer the most competitive delivery prices for guaranteed next day, first and second class delivery, starting at £3 for parcels. The Royal Mail also offer online business support and advice, where you can manage your account online, and as the business expands they offer collections services. Insurance It is vital to insure against loss or damage of goods, especially when retailing online and delivering stock. An estimate for the first years insurance is £90, which would cover the start-up business.
Key Suppliers The most important aspect of TBCC, is the fact it specialises in retailing products which are designed and manufactured in Britain. To have a range of products the brand can stock, I have contacted a large range of businesses and have successfully agreed with the following businesses if their brand launches into a fully functional business, they would be interested in The British Clothing Company being a stockist.
Image 9- Brand Table
There are many more brands who can be contacted to be future suppliers, after the business is established. To comply with selling through The British Clothing Company brand, they will also have too pass the accreditation process. (Fig 10- Accreditation Form) Proving their production and ethics meet with the businesses standards, ensuring brand promise to the consumers. 31
Range Plan From the thirteen different suppliers, I have created three range plans, categorising their products into Fig 8-Women's clothing and Fig 9- Men's & accessories. As the brand is trying to promote 'slowfashion' and sustainable consumption, the products selected are not specifically trend lend, opting for more classic styles of clothing, or 'run ons'. For example Lavenham Jackets offer the 'Shotley' and 'Boxford' jackets, in both male and female cuts, but keep the same colour ways each season. Brands, including Antithesis, Sunspel, Huit Denim and Retro Satchels also offer the same run-ons each season; these will form the core range for The British Clothing Company season after season. Brands such as Albam, Antiform, Eribe and M Hulot, offer new ranges each spring/summer and autumn/winter season, so products from these brand will need to be selected each season, chosen to reflect what consumers are demanding and are slightly more trend-led.
Key Activities The key activity will be distributing goods through the businesses website. For some of the brand's stocked, TBCC will become a principle distributor, so keeping a strong brand images in vital. Another key activity of the brand, is utilising social media and the website, to educate and inform consumers of sustainability within fashion. Showing where and how products are produced, along with supporting campaigns for sustainability and ethical fashion. In line with the brand's personality and values, TBCC will be built on trust and transparency. Actively having clear and open communication with consumers, through all channels of communication. This will include the website, all social media platforms,emails and look books. What is more, quality assurance of the products will be guaranteed to consumers, working along side the supplier brands and using the accreditation process. (Fig 10- Accreditation Form)
Key Resources The products retailed through the website, will all be sourced from the previously stated supplier brands. They have all been evaluated, and have similar values to those of The British Clothing Company, their production and resourcing of materials are sustainable and empathetic to the brand's image. The bank loan will be the key financial resource, to help the cash-flow of the start-up business. This monetary asset will pay for any fixed overheads and cost of initial stock, it will be paid back over time as the business makes a profit. The delivery partner will also be an important resource, as delivering stock from suppliers, and then delivering onto consumers will be vital for the logistics of the business. The website is the most important online resource, along with all the social media platforms and email. These are important for sales of goods, along with direct communication with the consumers.
Customer Relationships All sales of the business go through the website, as an automated service. However, it is important that the website is easy to navigate, with purchasing and payment sections self explanatory and simple to use. The customers are able to create an account, which will keep all their details private and information secure. Also offering secure online payments, either directly through their banking or Paypal service is important to gain trust from customers. 32
The Website As the business is an e-commerce retailer, a vital part of the business plan is designing and creating a functional website. When researching into the key aspects of website design, I found the layout and navigation to be the most important factors to make it functional and appealing to use by consumers.
Image 10- Topshop Homepage
For the main page, 'feature, search and browse' are the key elements of design. Searching and browsing “go hand in hand as two ways to find the desired items” Tidwell, J (2011) P 31. Moreover, a feature is needed to “engage incoming users immediately by giving them something interesting to read or watch.” Tidwell, J (2011) P 31. When looking at largely successful online retailers, they have also followed this theory on their homepage. In image 10, Topshop's online store clearly has a selection of different browsing options across the toolbar, along with a clearly labelled search bar. They also use a rolling image feature to visually inspire the consumers.
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Image 11- Website Homepage
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When designing the website for TBCC, I have followed this structure. Image 11 is the websites home page; keeping the layout simple and easy to navigate, with stimulating imagery of product shots as the feature. Having continuity between all the website pages is key, so the main toolbar will appear on every page, image 12.
Image 12- Website Toolbar
For page continuity, sitemap footers are also vital. However it shouldn't encroach too much on to the main page, similarly to the toolbar. “Placing secondary navigation to less important areas of a website is also a great way to utilise the footer, as it can help de-clutter the main navigation, which in turn aids usability.� Davis, N (Online, 2013). Information on social media, brand values, contact details and company information are all included on the website footer designed, image 13. As well as emailing sign up for mail-shots from The British Clothing Company.
Image 13- Website Footer
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The lay out of each of the individual pages needs to fit the same structure and be successful “manipulating the user’s attention on a page to convey meaning, sequence and points of interaction.” Tidwell, J (2011) P 131. The four main considerations of the page layout are density, how close together visuals and text are, from looking 'sparse' to 'heavy'. Position and size of visuals and text, as larger objects draw more attention. Background colour, if it contrasts and creates attention to the objects. And finally rhythm, which is the grid layout and the use of white-space, helping to draw the eye.
Image 14- Asos Annotation
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By dividing the page into a grid you can have continuity of the visual flow. The simplest way is to use implied diagonal lines, from the top left corner down to the bottom right corner, which helps draw the viewers eye most effectively. As you can see in image 14, Asos have used their logo in the top left corner, with text centralised, and a feature in the bottom left corner. I also use this on the shopping pages, image 14.
Image 15- Website Shopping Page
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A key element of the brand's promise is to inform and educate consumers on the products, where and how they are produced, being as sustainable and ethical as possible. The page shown in image 16, is an example of this promise, being an interactive map, showing where each product is made. There will be other information pages to help educate consumers on sustainability and British manufacturing. These will include facts on the impact the fashion industry has on the environment, tips to reduce and re-use products and cutting wastage, history of British manufacturing, and a selection of youtube videos about TBCC and supplier brands.
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Image 16- Website Interactive Page
Website Promotion The use of ad-words is vital for promotion of the website, and as Google is the most widely use search engine, purchasing Google Ad Words would be the most effective method. So when consumers search terms such as 'British Clothing' or 'Made in Britiain' the companies website will appear new the top of results page. Moreover you can create sponsored adverts on relating results pages. 'Ads can be placed as sponsored ads on a Google search engine results page.' Charlesworth, A (2007) P 7. Although these cost to purchase, using the sponsored ads are only 'pay per click' so the costs are aligned to the websites traffic.
KPI's Key performance indicators (KPI's) are important for measuring objectives set for a website “Quantifiable measurement that can be tracked and evaluated a KPI must be associated with what the organization want to achieve from its web presence.� Charlesworth, A (2007) P 146. An example is 'Google Analytics', which allows you to look at the size and where the traffic flow is coming from; it can inform you on the most engaging pages, if they consumers are using social media pages, along with the conversion rate of website traffic to sales.
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Finances The finances have been calculated and are shown in fig 3, cash flow forecast. As the business is a start-up, and initial £10,000 loan will be required from the bank, alongside a personal investment of £2,000. The initial start up costs will be £1013.99, which includes a quote for a website construction, purchasing the domain name and registering the business. The annual costs will be recurring every year, including payment of the bank loan, drawings, insurance and website up keep, which should stay the same year-on-year. There is also £8,000 allocated for purchasing stock, at wholesale prices from the supplier brands. Along with £500 for marketing materials. These figures are more likely to change as the business expands, but for the first year it gives a total outflow of £21,374.84. Sales revenue could potentially be £19,200, based on retailing all the £8,000 stock at the 2.4 mark up costs on wholesale prices. Making the business a net profit of £9,825.16 and after tax profit of £7,860.13.
Fig 3- Business Model (Cash Flow Forecast)
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Objectives & Milestones The business will grow organically over time, with a growing loyal customer base alongside an expanding range of brands who will retail through the website. With this growth TBCC can benefit from economies of scale, for example being able to order larger amounts of stock at lower pricepoints. Growth can also be measured by the increasing 'follower' on social media sites, along with Facebook measuring how many people are 'talking' about your brand. With the growth of the business, turnover should also increase proportionately. By the end of the first three years of trading the business should be highly profitable, at which point expansion into international markets may be possible, and a long term objective.
Image 17- Product Image
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Summary In summary it is proposed to launch The British Clothing Company. - As an online retailer, sourcing products from brand who manufacture in the UK. There are already thirteen independent brands who would like their products stocked on the website, with many more brand being potential suppliers. --Consumers are starting to change their buying habits, being prepared to pay a premium for good quality or sustainable products. This is furthered by a growing awareness of environmental issues, with many consumers wanting to support change. -The brand has strong values, personality and brand essence, being honest and transparent with consumers, informing them of the sourcing and sustainability behind all products. -The marketing strategy will reflect the brand by having a strong online presence. Social media will be the main platform of communication, allowing the brand to express its values, along with allowing consumers to communicate directly with the brand. Sustainable fashion bloggers and websites supporting British Manufacturing will also be used to raise brand awareness. -The business will be launched into a growing market, with very little competition. Being an early adopter of this trend has many advantages and give the bran a source of authority. -The website will be launched, being the main shopping destination for consumers. Furthermore it will be used as a platform to educate and inform consumers on sustainability within the fashion industry and how they can change their habits to become a more responsible consumer. -All key costs have been taken into consideration, including bank, wholesale stock and insurance, which will initially be supported by a start-up bank loan and a personal investment. Everything has been calculated as accurately as possible and supports the launch as a feasible venture.
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