Fashion Marketing Research Journal by gabriellemai

COS NURSING WEAR Gabrielle Riley 1

WEEK 1 First week back in third year and I am looking forward to creating my final marketing major project. Initially, I am trying to think of a marketing idea frantically, however, I realise it is best to think strategically, researching past marketing campaigns, the current Zeitgeist and macro and micro trends to then determine where the gap in the market is and where I should go with my idea. I began by looking at the awards for 2017 and 2018 and the campaigns who won and were nominated. After researching into different marketing campaigns of 2018, it is apparent that each brand has their own marketing strategy which works along with the brand ethos - a statement I must keep in mind when determining my own marketing strategy, whether that be for a current brand or creating a new one. A personal favourite from the awards was the Missguided campaign featuring Baddie Winkle. This campaign won Best fashion Marketing Campaign at the Drapers Awards, this is due to the innovative, fun, ironic yet diverse feel of the campaign. Using celebrity endorsement, Baddie Winkle an Instagram personality, who beats the stereotypes surrounding her age represents that age doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop you having fun and dressing in whatever you want. The diverse theme of the campaign taps into the current macro trend of diversity, and a flat age society which relates well with the Missguided consumer - the majority are generation Z- an age demographic who promote a diverse and liberal culture. 3

WEEK 1 MIND MAP

In the seminar we began to brainstorm any initial ideas, themes or Zeitgeist we want to explore. I usually find this stage the most difficult when starting a project as knowing where to start and linking ideas can be challenging. Creating a mind map is a good way to visualise the ideas you may have. I began to look at current themes in society such as the gender fluidity movement impacting on genderless dressing, the feminist movement impacting on the ‘free the nip’ and ‘women should be allowed to breastfeed in public’ movements mainly endorsed by social media. This impacts the fashion industry through, young feminists wanting to wear more revealing clothing to make a stand as well as the ‘underwear as outerwear’ trend. I also looked at body positivity and diversity which fashion brands make more of an effort to incorporate into their campaigns, also originating from feminism. From this, I began to look at what is missing and think where the gap is in the market. 4

INNOVATIVE OR CREATIVE THINKING?

At this point, I am not sure which thinking strategy I will take or research method I will use to approach my marketing strategy. Covey (2012) Reactive thinkers tend to focus on problems and look for reasons why we can’t do something, they then tend to ignore the things which we do have control over, (Unsuk, 2018). Juxtaposed thinking is a proactive thinker, they focus on situations that they have control of, therefore their circle of influence increases (Unsuk, 2018). I hope to take Proactive approach to this marketing project. Innovative and creative thinking are two strategies of equal importance when creating a marketing strategy and looking at the macro environment. Isaac Asimov’s 1959 essay on creativity concluded: “One way of investigating the problem is to consider the great ideas of the past and see just how they were generated” (Collins, 18). Bryan Collins has three strategies to develop innovative thinking, to seek out inspiration as “innovative ideas come from happy accidents”, combine similar ideas and solve a problem (Collins, 18). From this I will use both approaches by researching current and past brands marketing strategies as well as looking for inspiration among the current Zeitgeist, the macro and micro-environment to inspire my idea for my marketing major project starting with my mind map. 6

WEEK 2 PESTLE PESTLE ANALYSIS OF THE MACRO ENVIRONMENT POLITICAL - Another no-deal for BREXIT - Aim to create a healthier society - the sugar tax ban

ECONOMIC

- Patisserie Valerie financial crisis - RBS pays first dividend in 10 years - Consumer growth - ‘young people have the spending power’ - Self employed avoiding tax

SOCIAL

- Topshop dismantles feminist pop up - Diverse marketing hype- body positivity - Mental health issues rise as society puts more pressure on people today - Rise in people shopping gender blurred collections -30% of JW. Andersons collection is unisex - Immaterial fashion - need for sustainable, ethical fashion - Certified wellness - need for a fit, healthy lifestyle - The flat age society - age is irrelevant -National mental health day - Sharing breast milk with other mothers -What does a modern women wear on maternity? - Is makeup for men the next big thing? - Children’s clothing not becoming age appropriate - Children’s clothing becoming gender blurred eg. John Lewis - Pregnant models walking runway and being featured in campaigns

TECHNOLOGICAL

-Facebook shuts ‘spammy’ politics pages - Amazon scrapped sexist ‘AL’ tool - Rise in online shopping and shopping on apps - Rise in contactless payments - Dating apps make people feel more down - Beauty technology - new developments

ENVIRONMENT

- Is your Netflix habit bad for the environment? - Global warming crisis - Flexitarian diets can limit future risks

LEGAL

-’The Nanny State’ - healthy eating legislation backlash - ‘Stop Period Poverty’ - Jamie Oliver - We should ban 2 4 1 Pizzas.

WEEK 2 MACRO ENVIRONMENT

“The macro-environment refers to the wider situation impacting on all business’” (Posner, 2016). These factors are outside of a company’s direct control , I analysed these variables through the PESTEL analysis, I looked at articles from The Guardian, The Telegraph and BBC News. From all three publications, they all had similar articles, topics and headline although some were contrasting. By looking at the macro environment I found a number of emerging trends. There was a clear health concern trend among politics and legal with ‘the sugar tax ban’ , policies from Jamie Oliver on how to create a more healthy society due to a rise in child obesity. However this has created backlash from ‘the nanny state’ as people are saying these laws are extreme and unnecessary. Juxtaposed against the rise in obesity, there has been a rise in athlesiure and ‘keep fit’ regimes as young people try to remain to have a healthy lifestyle linking to the rise in athlesiure and escapism emerging trend. Many working people among society find the pressures of work getting to much and plan to spend their spare time in the country side, going for walks, weekends away, escaping from reality. However, the trend which caught my eye the most was the amount of articles that were discussing what Megan Markhle was wearing as she had just announced her pregnancy , implying what a woman wearing still is such a social importance, no matter what stage in life she is in.

BODY DIVERSITY

An emerging macro trend which has not only affected the fashion industry but most aspects of society. As a society we now live by ‘political correctness’ where only certain words are allowed to be said when describing certain races, or disabilities for example, as well as being inclusive to all genders, race, sexuality, age and class in all aspects of society. For example many terms are now completely frowned upon where as about five to ten years ago they were totally accepted which shows the rapid affect of the political correctness. In the workplace a positive discrimination approach to recruitment is often used to make sure the work force are diverse, companies such as Skanska use this often deemed unlawful approach (Bartlett 2018). However, using positive discrimination allows minorities a chance at a position they may not have had the chance to achieve due to social constraints. Statistically, the middle class white male holds the top position in companies at 89%, positive discrimination is a way to reduce this statistic, but it is not approved by everyone, it is often mislead as the ‘token woman’ or ‘token ethnic minority’ if recruited instead of praised on merit (Bartlett, 2018). Politics and finance are areas which gets backlash of the lack of female representation in the industry. However, is the push for diversity because people want it or because political correctness says ‘we have to’. From the 2018 PWC survey corporate boards reveal that 94% agree that boards diversity brings a ‘unique perspective’ to the boardroom, and 84% argue this enhances performance (Marcus, 2018). However, 52% just argue it is a push from political correctness and shareholders worry too much about diversity (Marcus, 2018). 12

FEMALE EMPOWERMENT THROUGH BODY DIVERSITY

From creating my PESTEL analysis and researching into the body diversity trend I decided to focus on a deeper understanding of how it has affected the fashion industry and how this is empowering to women. I looked into this years fashion week and found that pregnant woman represented on the catwalk such as Lily Aldrige for Brandon Maxwell seem to be a ‘fashion first’ celebrating the female body and normalising natural body change. I found this a positive impact of the body diversity movement empowering woman and liberating them from the body ideologies that the fashion industry usually pushes. However, has the fashion industry consciously been trying to be more inclusive only due to political correctness and being pushed by social pressures to be more diverse? Probably, but I personally believe this side of political correctness and diversity has a positive impact on woman and the way people now look at the more inclusive fashion industry. With the news of Meghan Markel announcing her pregnancy this week I noticed many articles focusing on her wardrobe, connoting that female’s are pressured to still remain fashionable during pregnancy - although, there doesn’t seem to be a wide variety of clothing available which is on trend and fashionable for many young mothers to be. However, regarding fashion week it is good that the fashion industry is still booking and representing pregnant models, which is hopefully a step closer to the ‘glass ceiling’ effect that once women have children, or go on maternity leave they find it hard to remain in their position at work and work up the progress ladder. I find this would link to the fashion and modelling industry as pregnant models or models after pregnancy are rarely represented or put under strain to get ‘their body back’ . This is negative aspect of the fashion industry which the body diversity movement and representing pregnant models will hopefully change this ideology. This diversity among the industry has been pushed by societal change and consumer attitudes to the exclusive advertising of the past, 71% of women agree that models in retailers advertising should reflect their age of consumers, 75% of women 55-64 agree with this statement (Mintel, 2017). Brands are finding that consumers are now seeking brands which have a more genuine approach to marketing, hence the rise of brands including body diversity in campaigns as well as age, class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity due to meeting consumers expectations. 14

FEMALE EMPOWERMENT THROUGH NORMALISING BREASTFEEDING

By researching into body diversity, female empowerment and the macro trends of today I began to find a increasingly amount of articles linked to the ‘normalising breastfeeding’ trend which also links to the stigma around pregnancy, body changes, breastfeeding being lifted and liberated. The normalising Breastfeeding trend has actually been a society since the 1970’s however has been empowered more in recent years (Simmons, 2018). Many celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Chrissy Tiegan, PINK, Candice, Julia Bowen, Black Chyna and many more celebrities have joined the movement by posting pictures of them breastfeeding with the #Normalisingbreastfeeding. This hashtag has now went viral, first being used in 2007. Many women share there stories of breastfeeding in public and the negativity it has brought, when it should be celebrating a positive natural process of feeding a child. Breasts are not a sexual organ but have been sexualised by society. From looking into the normalising breastfeeding trend I began to think of how the fashion industry could promote this through a diverse product range. A fashionable range which was accessible for woman to easily breastfeed in public through the design elements of the garments, while being on trend in the latest fashions. I plan to research into my consumer and market to see if there is a gap for a functional yet fashionable nursing collection or if the market is too niche and it is already readily available. 16

SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS -Female body diversity is featured in the fashion industry - Empowering to women - Shows natural body -The normalise breastfeeding trend could build more awareness -Positive Discrimination WEAKNESSES - Still many aspects of diversity that are not represented - Industry still puts pressure on woman to look a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;certain wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; -Inequality in society and workplace OPPORTUNITIES - Possible gap in the market to explore gender and female body diversity - Gap to further maternity range/nursing range - Opportunity to build THREATS - Niche market of pregnant or breastfeeding women

WEEK 2 GROUP FEEDBACK

This week in the seminar we shared our PESTEL and SWOT analysisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as a group. We each gave each other feedback on market segments that they could go into. I found this helpful to see what ideas and trends each of us had gone into as we had all looked at different market segments from the ageing population to sustainability to luxury market consumer trends. Going into this seminar I was slightly confused as what my market segment was and how I could narrow down the macro environment, and focus on one emerging trend. I went back and analysed my PESTEL analysis and decided to focus on female body diversity and how in the last year brands have made a conscious effort to not only represent different female bodies regarding size, such as plus size, petite and tall concessions but also represent pregnant models on the runway. Many feminists are also empowering the female body and changes by taking to social media to normalise breast feeding in public. By considering this factor and creating my SWOT analysis I found that a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nursingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collection could be a potential gap in the market to further the female diversity trend. 19

WEEK 3 POTENTIAL MARKET

Behavioural

Key Demographics

-The main age range for my potential market is 20-40, woman who have just had children. -My potential market will be for woman only - No race in particular although will be sold in the UK and western markets - My consumer will be a family woman and family values are important to her - Her income will be at ÂŁ25-ÂŁ30,000 as a career woman, however may be on maternity leave

-My potential consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shopping behaviour is high shopping on average every month to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends. -As a single woman her disposable income went on fashion and socialising however now in a relationship with a new baby my consumer does spend less on clothes than she used to. -My consumer online shops more now than she used to as she finds it easier. - Social media is an every day activity for my consumer as she uses it to keep in touch with friends and family as well as looking at the latest news, photos, trends and celebrity gossip. - Her brand preferences are Mango and Zara as they are minimalistic, on trend, affordable fashion yet good quality products.

Psychographics

-This woman is a on trend fashionable woman who likes to shop in Zara, Asos, French Connection and Mango. She regularly shops every month as she likes to keep up with the latest fashion trends -As a Vogue subscriber she is usually influenced by the current trends and fashion influencers in the latest issue then finding affordable copies on the high street. - My consumer usually shops from the high street to middle market. - As well as shopping she likes to socialise with friends, buy baby clothes, take her baby out for the day and family trips. - Her favourite purchases this month are her mango snakeskin boots and jumpsuit from Zara. - My consumer as a career woman in marketing and PR likes to keep up with current affairs, as well as keeping up with the latest fashion trends. She regularly reads the newspaper and watches the news, with an avid interest in politics and a conservative voter. - Family is very important to her and Sundays are her family activities day - Socialising with friends is also very important and she tries to see them all as much as possible although it is harder now she has had a baby.

Geographic

-My consumer lives in the UK and prefers the city life of London, Birmingham,Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle for example. - Places of purchase will be around shops in the UK

WEEK 3 POTENTIAL MARKET

Location of Market: International - I believe their is a gap for a stylish nursing collection for new mothers internationally as big online retailers such as ASOS have a maternity range but not a nursing range Product Category: My product category will be apparel - specifically a nursing collection which will consist of tops and dresses. Who is the Product for My product will be for a niche market, specifically for new fashionable mothers, looking for a collection they can buy from that allows them to breastfeed easily while looking on trend. Product Type My product type will be tops and dresses only, possibly jumpsuits also, however in a range of casual, formal and evening wear so woman breastfeeding have a range of tops to wear that allow them to breastfeed at any occasion they are attending at ease. Market level My market level will be fast fashion at mid market or value level so that fashionable on trend nursing wear is accessible to all women. 22

CONSUMER PEN PORTRAIT Meet Sarah, 28, a new mother from London. Sarah works in beauty PR and has a busy day to day life at work. She likes to maintain her social life with her friends as well as spend time with her fiancé Brad who she lives with in her home in London. Sarah has recently had a baby girl named ruby and is currently on maternity leave. As a fashion lover she finds it hard to maintain being on trend in the latest fashion styles while finding a top which is easy accessible to breast feeding. Sarah openly breast feeds in public and believes woman should be able to feed their baby whenever their baby needs it no matter whether they are out or at home. She is behind many of the feminist lead articles and social media appeals of woman having the right to breast feed in public. As a fashion conscious female, usually shopping from her favourite brands such as ASOS, Mango, Cos and French Connection, Sarah has found it hard to maintain her style when out now she is breastfeeding Ruby, she is looking for a brand which has a fashionable nursing collection. When Sarah is not at work or socialising she spends most of her time with Ruby and Brad out on day trips, shopping, going for walks and going for food. The brands which are important to her are not only the fashion brands that she shops at but brands such as apple as she uses their technology at home and at work. Another favourite is OXFAM as she likes to be sustainable as well as donating to charity and giving old clothes to charity shops. Again, Fairtrade as Sarah believes in equality and ethical standards in the workplace. Sarah also tries to be as sustainable as possible and thinks of ways to save the environment in her everyday life such as having a ‘flexitarian’ diet , care sharing to work, recycling and cutting down on purchasing plastic. 25

THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE NEW MOTHER I decided to get to know my consumer further I would have to have an idea of what a day in the life of a new mother consisted of. 6AM: Baby wakes for first feed of the day, although I’ve been up numerous time, after 30 mins, he falls back to sleep. 8AM: Baby Rome wakes again - this time for good, there’s no getting back to sleep. After another feed and a change we get up. 10AM: I decided to go for a walk as it is a nice day, I haven’t had a moment to myself since he got up as Rome has cried all morning - hoping this will settle him. 10:30AM: Decided to get a coffee while im walking and I can sit down and breastfeed Rome inside. 12PM: I got home, changed Rome gave him another feed and hes sleeping. Decided I will do some housework while I can. 1PM: Trying to make lunch with a baby is not easy - All I have time for is a sandwich or a quick tin of soup! 2PM: Rome is crying for another feed, think we will both try and nap after! 4PM: The girls have asked if I fancy going out for dinner. I’ve said yes me and Rome will, I have no idea what to wear, and I hope he behaves. 5PM: Meeting the girls at 6pm, but right now I can’t be bothered, I will quickly feed Rome, change him get myself ready and leave. 6PM: Made it on time for once! I will just stay for a quick meal and catch up then get home. 7PM: Rome’s crying for a feed in the restaurant, I’ll be leaving soon after that. 8:30PM: I’m back, and my husband is home from work - he can have Rome for the rest of the evening while I have an early night. Luckily for him Rome is fast asleep. 9:30PM: Making some bottles up for Rome in-case he is hungry during the night. 10PM: I am fast asleep - hope my husband does all the feeds tonight! (Broadbent, 2017)

MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS I decided to use the Maslow Hierarchy of needs theory to make sure there is a gap in the market for a nursing collection for a high street brand for the modern day working women. I decided to think about ordering my consumers priorities using the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs theory. It is argued that in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern society we have a basic psychological need for clothing ,especially with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations to keep up with fast fashion (Posner, 2015). This is due to consumer expectations being motivated by desires, social belonging, gaining approval and self esteem. These psychological factors are important to many women at any stage in life, therefore I believe a fashionable nursing collection will be important to many new mothers. 1. SELF ACTUALISATION Individual style is very important to many people, more so woman as they are the most active shoppers. Consumers purchase clothing for different occasions however want to express individual style. A fashionable nursing collection will allow this for new mothers. 2. ESTEEM Self esteem is very important, for a new mother she may have low self esteem and body confidence, and clothing is a way which can boost self esteem. As many women may struggle to shop freely when breast feeding as they are restricted to certain styles this may affect their self esteem when out. A fashionable nursing collection from an established, stylish brand would be important to new mothers to have a choice of style. 3.SOCIAL BELONGING With social pressures it is important to many women to stay stylish - if many styles are limited, you may not feel the same belonging for example, when out with peers. However a diffusion line for COS would allow women to remain the same status. 4. SAFETY, SHELTER, PROTECTION, SECURITY Having financial security, being able to pay bills and being comfortable is very important to the modern day women who has just started a family. Clothing may not be her first priority, therefore the collection will be an affordable price. 5. PSYCHOLOGICAL - BASIC LIFE NEEDS, FOOD, WATER, SLEEP Main priority to my consumer is basic needs for her and her child such as food, water, and sleep. However, a nursing collection will be important to her so she feed her child comfortably when out.

GENERATION X VS GENERATION Y? Researching into my consumer demographic further is important as my consumer could go between potentially two consumer generations. Therefore this could affect political, economic, social and cultural situations as well as generation traits which impact the way consumers shop and loyalty to brands (Posner, 2015, P112). Generation X There is still debate around which years mark the generations. However Thatcher and Reagan decided generation X consisted of people born between 1980s and early 1990s. These consumers would be my initial target who are most likely to be having children now (Posner, 2015, P114). As this age group is a more established mature age range their commitments are focused on family and work life. With family as a main value they are the ideal consumer for a nursing range. Also referred to as ‘Yupsters’ are now considered as creative professionals - again an ideal consumer for this product range in mind (Posner, 2015, P114). They maintain an “intricate set of contradictions but have hip individual fashion style, business minded but independent and entrepreneurial spirit” (Posner, 2015, P114). However, from an article from the telegraph generation X is described as born between 1960 and 1980s, again this would cover my consumer demographic (Wallop, 2014). Generation Y My consumer could span over two generations. Generation Y who are also known as millennials are born between 1980 and 2000 (Wallop, 2014). Generation Y is coined by Strauss and Howe, two sociologists. This generation is described as the selfish selfie generation (Wallop, 2014). Again this generation could also be my consumer, especially the beginning of the generation (Wallop, 2014). This generation is the cohort which came out of a global financial crisis as well as watching the rise in digital technology, referred to as “digital natives” (BBC, 2017). Generation Y are a generation who are more likely to stay on in education than generation X as graduated doubled in numbers from 1984 to 2013 (BBC, 2017). As my consumer is an educated career women, generation Y would most likely fill that criteria. 30

THE VALUE PROPOSITION CANVAS GAIN CREATORS

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

My products and services create customer gains by producing a practical product which will make a women feel more comfortable, boost self esteem, good quality and have a long life span due to elasticated qualities. Therefore will create positive emotions, serve a purpose as well as be fashionable, be affordable and save money. COS is the brand I am going to create a diffusion line for, there products are known for good quality as well as manufacture, fabric quality and colour fastness. The functional qualities of the garments will make a new mother feel more comfortable breastfeeding in public as her clothing is suitable.

BUYER Serves a functional serves of stylish wear that is breastfeeding friendly. This satisfies functional needs to help mother and baby feed. Not many high street brands offer this service with such a product range or fashionable, innovative qualities CO CREATOR Products and services of functional breastfeeding and weight-loss adaptation qualities will benefit the consumer. TRANSFERRER Products - Functional garments for post pregnancy, these can be bought in the COS store and online store. Next day delivery and free returns is offered to the consumer. In store you can try the garments on before buying. COS products are of good quality and quality assurance will be taken seriosuly from the manufacture process.

PAIN RELIEVERS This product will create a positive experience for women breastfeeding, especially in public situations. Fashionable nursing wear is not a product which is readily available on the current UK market. With this collection cos will provide a wider range of garments for women to choose from which is an affordable collection. This will be a feel good range making women feel comfortable that their clothing is practical to breast feed, as well as a flattering collection which will make them feel good within themselves. The elasticated quality of the garments will make the garments last longer as they adjust to loss of weight after pregnancy. This collection will be available to all women as COS is an affordable high street retailer. Many women when breastfeeding in public do get negative comments, however with the normalising breastfeeding movement, a collection which tailors to this will help raise awareness as well as make women feel more comfortable and at ease.

CUSTOMER SEGMENT

GAINS Having a range tailored nursing which is a very important time for mother and baby will normalise breastfeeding and build awareness. This will make my consumer feel content and more comfortable when breastfeeding. After birth women go through a lot of body changes, so feeling good when out is important as well as having clothes which adapt as your body loses weight. These clothes will be of good quality and good value for money so will also not be a worry. The style of the clothing will be on trend and the functions of the product will be subtle, therefore the garments can be worn after breastfeeding.

CUSTOMER JOBS The functional job is to provide garments which are easily accessible to breastfeeding. This will help mother and baby satisfying the babys needs and helping mother do so. The buyer (the mother) will be buying the product to not only look good but the functional qualities as an accessory

PAINS Having a baby is an emotional, and one of the most important time in your life. I am aware that fashion will not be the number one priority to my consumer, which may have been a high priority before having a child. However, it is still an important factor and makes a women feel good when she is dresses well. Having a baby adds new expenses and the disposable income will not all be spent on fashion, which is why the collection will be affordable. Negative ideologies and stigmas around breastfeeding in public may be a worry to new mothers, hopefully a collection tailored to this process will help give new mothers confidence by normalising it.

Co Creator Aesthetics and functions will be important. Transferrer A product which will help consumer as well as be aesthetically pleasing.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

ASOS Size: UK 6 to UK 20 Products: Maternity dresses, Maternity Tops, Nursing Bras, Nnrsing tops - 110 products in total. Prices: Average ÂŁ30 Channels:DirecttoConsumerthroughe-commerce. Promotion:Promotionisnotneccessarilyavailable Services: Provides a service for pregnant woman for fashionable stretchy clothing USP: That Asos sell their own brand as well as being a retailer. Online shopping is easier and can be sent straight to the door. Objectives:Toprovidepregnantandbreastfeeding womanwithaccessibleclothingthatisfashionable - however the collection is very basic

MANGO Size: S/M/L Products: Jumpers, Jeans, Dresses, Tops, Shirts, Dungarees in maternity wear however no nursing wear. Only 17 items in whole collection. Prices: Lowest - ÂŁ14.99 Highest - $59.99 Channels: Brick and motor as well as online shopping. Promotion: Not widely promoted Services: To provide fashionable clothhing for pregnant woman USP: Good quality fashionable clothing for pregnant woman who want to remain on trend Objectives: To provide fashionable maternity wear

H&M Size: XS/S/M/L/XL Products: Nursing Bras, Nursing vest tops, Ponchos, T shirts, bras and dresses - 75 items in collection. Prices: Lowest - ÂŁ9.99 Highest - ÂŁ39.99 Channels: Brick and motor as well as online shopping. Promotion: Not widely promoted Services: A practical product range. USP: A range which is specifically for breastfeeding woman not under maternity wear, which are on trend and practical. Objectives:Toprovidepractcialclothinggorbreastfeeding woman.

NEXT Size: 8-22 Products: Have a maternity and a nursing wear collection. Only 22 items in nursing collection mianly tops. Prices: Lowest - ÂŁ12.00 Highest - $39.99 Channels: Brick and motor as well as online shopping. Promotion: Not widely promoted Services: To provide fashionable clothhing for breast feeding woman. USP: Abasiccollectionwithclothesneededwhilebreastfeeding. Objectives: To provide functional nursing wear

TOPSHOP Size: 6-18 Products: They have a maternity collection and only 2 items have a nursing feature. Prices: Lowest - ÂŁ22 Channels: Brick and motor as well as online shopping. Promotion: Not widely promoted Services: To provide clothing which fits while on maternity as well as accessible when breatfeeding USP: Abasiccollectionwithclothesneededwhilebreastfeeding. Objectives: To provide maternity and nursing wear

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS From researching these brands I found there is a clear gap in the market for a nursing collection on the high street. Maternity wear is clearly available however a nursing collection is more of an ‘add on’ when it is in-fact a separate product range as it for post pregnancy, for example Topshop only had 2 nursing items. It was hard to find many high street brands which cater to woman post baby at all. As well as this, the nursing collections which are available are basic, staple pieces which weren’t on trend in fashion, with innovative design. Many new mothers want fashionable clothes which are functional. As well as breastfeeding rapid weight loss should be considered. Maternity wear caters to woman gaining weight through their pregnancy in relatively stretchy fabrics. Nursing wear should cater to the weight loss that woman lose rapidly in the first few weeks of becoming a mother. The sizes from these brands were mainly generic S/M/L I feel these should have elasticated, adjustable qualities. I also found that maternity an nursing collections aren’t ‘pushed’ or marketed like the other collections available, this may be because they aren’t necessarily new products, they aren’t updated regularly and aren’t featuring the latest fashion trends - they are a staple collection to fill a niche market. 39

BRAND POSITIONING MAP

PRESTIGE PRICE

MASS MARKET

LUXURY

AFFORDABILITY

BRAND POSITIONING Here I analysed my competitors through using the brand positioning map. I split my map into mass and luxury market, as well as price points from affordable to prestige. I placed H&M as the most affordable, mass market brand due to price, availability and quality of the products. NEXT and Topshop are still widely available to the mass market,however the price points are higher as they have mass and middle market collections and price points. Asos is the highest as their brand itself is affordable fashion however they are also a retailer and stock high fashion brands such as Versace, Vivienne Westwood and Calvin Klein which are of a middle to luxury market. Cos and Mango are both middle market brands, they are affordable however have a higher status than H&M and there price points also range from mass to middle market. 41

PRESENTATION AND FEEDBACK This week we had our presentations. I hate presentations, and I was nervous to present my concept so far in-case the market was too niche and my idea wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t strong enough. However, I felt this experience was very helpful. The feedback from Sara and Unsuk was positive which made me feel more confident over any doubts that I had about my product concept. At this stage I am not 100% on which brand I will be creating my diffusion line for, however COS is a favourite. They agreed that COS would be a good brand. From my feedback Sara told me to analyse maternity wear compared to nursing wear which I will do next. Unsuk told me focus on my product range and development. These are the aspects which I will focus on throughout my journal. For the next presentation I will hopefully have a more clear idea of my concept and aims to present. However, I felt this presentation was a positive experience, which I will work on their advice in the upcoming weeks. 42

MATERNITY COLLECTION VS NURSING COLLECTION By researching into brands through my competitor analysis it became apparent to me that nursing collections were not readily available for woman, like maternity wear is. However, some maternity wear collections were also very limited. I decided to compare the maternity process and the nursing process of a new mothers life. There are a vast amount of collections available from a variety of brands when a women is in need of maternity wear for 9 months of her life - mainly in her last 6 months of pregnancy. However, UNICEF recommend that a baby should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their life, then for the next two years to be breast fed along with solid food (Thebreastfeedingnetwork, 2014). Although not all women choose to breastfeed for a number of reasons, a high percentage do. Therefore, potentially a woman could need nursing clothing for two years of her life. However, there are a limited range of clothing she can wear in this time period. Items such as shirts and oversized tops are an option, which don’t necessarily need to be deemed as ‘nursing wear’ however, for many women who are fashion conscious wearing the same styles of garments and struggling to remain stylish while going out and planning on breastfeeding your child in a functional way, while still looking on trend is an important factor. Breastfeeding is important for the health of the baby linking to “fewer health problems, greater cognitive functioning and better communication skills than children who aren’t breastfed” (Vitelli, 2018) as well as positive impact for the mothers such as “lower risk of ovarian and breast cancer and fewer problems linking to post-partum depression and fewer difficulties bonding with their child” (Vitelli, 2018) as breastfeeding is such an important time for mother and baby, there should be more clothing readily available for new mothers to enjoy this time without worrying what to wear. For many women what they wear helps with self esteem and feeling good. This factor could potentially put woman off breastfeeding, as well as the stigma of breastfeeding in public, which the ‘normalising breastfeeding trend’ is working on abolishing. The fashion industry could help raise awareness to this movement through fashionable yet functional collections for woman. Maternity wear also provides clothing which is functional to the female body as it gains weight. In the first days to the first year after giving birth women drop weight rapidly, therefore buying clothes that fit perfectly will be hard. The nursing collections that were available which I analysed on my competitor analysis did not consider this factor. Therefore, this project will produce a nursing collection that is not only fashionable and function-able for breastfeeding, yet has subtle elasticated qualities which can be adjusted due to weight-loss after giving birth. 44

MARKET OPPORTUNITY - ANSOFFS MATRIX To help decide if there is an initial market opportunity for a fashionable, yet functional nursing collection for women, I have used Ansoffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Matrix. Here I will look at four potential scenarios for opportunity which COS could use to achieve growth with this collection (Posner, 2015, P103). MARKET PENETRATION As this nursing collection will be fashionable and on trend, it will essentially be penetrating the market through selling an existing style within an existing market. However, the market will niche as it will be only to new mothers, in an innovative function nursing design. This will essentially improve the market position of COS as it will increase the number of customers by interesting new mothers to the brand, as they currently do not offer a maternity or nursing wear. It will therefore increase average spend as they will be one of the only brands to offer this product in such a wide range on the UK high street, this will therefore increase profit margin and improve the product mix and range plan by creating a whole new extension line to the brand. MARKET DEVELOPMENT COS will be achieving growth through market development as they will be introducing a new product and extension line to UK women who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have nursing wear readily available - especially that is on trend, functional and tailors to weight loss. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT This market opportunity is essentially the main opportunity I will going down by creating a new product for an existing market (The breast feeding women) through a diffusion line to their brand. Therefore, I will use the brands existing target consumer and expand their product range to meet consumer needs. DIVERSIFICATION This market opportunity will not be used for this particular collection as I am not developing a new product for a new market.

PRIMARY MARKET RESEARCH SURVEY RESULTS

I decided to do my own primary research to see if consumers would buy my product. I used survey monkey and distributed it out on social media channels. My survey consisted of 10 questions which got 63 responses. 35% of my respondents were 50-59 and 30% were 20-29. 95% of my respondents had previously had children, which 80% had breastfed, however 66% said they would breastfeed in public and 33% said they wouldn’t. 72% of my respondents stated that when they were breastfeeding they found it hard to find a nursing collections which links with my competitor analysis and lack of nursing collections on the market. I also asked “Post baby, would elasticated clothing of been useful to adjust as your weight changed? 92% stated that they would of found this useful. Question 7 was “Did you find it hard to buy fashionable on trend clothing which was practical when breastfeeding?” 79% answered yes they did find it hard. 90% of the women who answered stated that they do have an interest in the latest fashion trends. For question 9 I asked “If you were breastfeeding now, would you buy from a nursing collection which was practical, fashionable and affordable?” all of my respondents said yes apart from one. Finally I asked “Would you like to see more nursing clothing readily available on the high street for new mothers?” again all replied yes apart from one respondent. This proved to me that their a market for my product concept and consumers would shop the collection. 48

PORTERS FIVE FORCES As I am starting to gather my ideas together, I have used a number of theories to assess the market. I have used the Porters five forces analysis to assess pressures within the competitive business environment. This model identifies the five main forces which impact the competitive power and profitability of a nursing collection within the current fashion industry (Posner, 2015, P70). THE BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS The bargaining power of suppliers may be low. As a nursing collection is not seen as a current trend which most brands are creating and needing then the suppliers will not be able to demand a higher price for their products. However, the nursing collection may use extra fabric and properties which may put the supplier price up for fabric, work and time. THE BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS The buyers for the high-street brand, for example COS will have their own suppliers and supply chain. The buyers for COS will want to get their products at the best price point possible. As COS will be buying a nursing range in bulk as they have stores worldwide as well as online and for their own collection, this will be favourable when negotiating with the manufacturers. RIVALRY BETWEEN COMPETITORS IN THE MARKET There will be rivalry between other high street stores, however rivalry will not be too high as since analysing my competitors it is apparent that nursing collections are not popular among high street stores. However, if COS bring out a fashionable, functional nursing collection which has a wider range than their competitors, for example, Mango, then other high street stores may compete with COS by redesigning their own nursing collection and competing with their existing price points. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS ON THE MARKET As stated above, their is not a vast threat amongst competitors for a fashionable nursing collection as this is not widely available. However, other brands may start to copy which would threaten the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection. This would be quite a few months after the collection was released so wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t impact the COS collection initially. Competitors that already exist such as H&M could start to improve their original product line by creating a wider range of styles and products. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES If brands do start to improve their original nursing collections or start to create more nursing collections this could be a potential threat for a COS nursing collection, especially if these garments are available at a lower price point. However, COS has a particular target consumer of the modern working woman who would hopefully remain a loyal consumer. 50

SWOT ANALYSIS OF PRODUCT CONCEPT I have decided to create another SWOT analysis, I was slightly confused when first creating my SWOT of the macro environment. Hopefully by creating another one while I have a better understanding of my concept it will further my understanding. STRENGTHS - To create a garment which provides function able qualities; one practical when breastfeeding, adjusts to weight loss with the use of elastic, remaining on trend WEAKNESSES - The market is very niche, however as assessed, women wear maternity for less time than they breastfeed, yet maternity wear is more readily available OPPORTUNITIES - To push the normalising breastfeeding trend with the fashion industry creating more awareness THREATS - Competitors creating a similar collection at a better price point.

THE MARKETING PLAN Here I decided to gather information focusing on my marketing plan using the Situation analysis, Objectives, Strategy and tactics and sales forecast from the Posner 2015 book. By using this method I will make sure I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t missed any steps out when researching the current market. SITUATION ANALYSIS Through using my SWOT and PESTEL analysis I analysed the current state of the market. In my PESTEL there were current themes that were noticeable such as athleisure, sustainability, feminism, body positivity and escapism were themes which jumped out to me by researching into current headlines from The Guardian, The Independent, BBC News. OBJECTIVES The market opportunities are clear that body positivity is essentially a macro trend and stemming from that is the normalising breastfeeding movement which is also making an impact through the news and social media as well as celebrity endorsement. However, they have not yet used the fashion industry to raise awareness for the movement - an affordable nursing collection would achieve this. STRATEGY AND TACTICS I will create a diffusion line for a current high street retailer creating a practical nursing collection which is fashionable and affordable. Currently the store I have in mind is Cos as it is a shop which does not have this collection available but is also a favourite to my consumer demographic. There will be a strong promotional campaign to support the new product line. SALES FORECASTS PREDICTED COSTS AND BUDGETS I will stick to a similar price range that COS has however make it slightly more affordable at around the ÂŁ35 mark. Fabric choice and production properties will have to be considered as this could make the price go up, as well as the fabrics COS use as they are high quality.

MARKET TRENDS

I must consider the current market trends and fashion life cycle when researching into my marketing concept. I had an idea of trends by looking into my PESTEL analysis which looked into the current macro environment. However, to gain a deeper understanding of the current market I will look into the current market trends to make sure their is a gap for my concept. The emerging global markets need to be considered, currently I am thinking of UK only for my nursing range, however I am going to look into other possibilities or competitors. According to Focus Economies, the emerging market economies in 2019 are China which is expanding for 6.3%, India which is expected to expand 7.3%, Russia is growing steadily at 1.7%, Brazil similarly growing by 1.7% however down by 0.2% as well as Mexico is predicted to grow stable at 2.2% (Focus Economies, 2018). As my product will be released in 2019 it is important to have an idea of the emerging global markets forecasts as this could effect the UK market and certain brands. E-commerce VS Bricks and Mortar E-commerce has been taking over the retail industry with 1,700 chain shops closing in 2017 due to people online shopping instead of heading to the high street (Butler, 2018). 5,855 Outlets closed on the UK high street in 2017 which averages at 16 stores a day (Butler, 2018). The same is happening this year with department stores struggling the most, Debenhams this year is closing 60 of their stores, M&S is struggling and Bristish Homestores has already closed. With online shopping and shopping apps taking over the industry I will make sure my collection is available not only in store but online too. 56

FASHION TREND LIFECYCLE

WHY THE NORMALISING BREAST FEEDING TREND NEEDS AWARENESS FROM THE FASHION INDUSTRY

According to a PHE (2015) poll which had 2393 respondents that were mothers stated that 1/3 women feel uncomfortable breastfeeding outside of their own home and 6/10 women take steps to hide it when they breastfeed in public (Community Practitioner, 2017). Women are often shamed publicly when breastfeeding in public, in one case a mother in Liverpool hospital was told by a nurse to stop nursing her son as it is “sexual” and makes others feel uncomfortable (Community Practitioner, 2017). This stigma is something that the normalising breastfeeding movements is trying to remove. 1/10 mothers ho originally chose not to breastfeed were influenced by the worry of not being able to breastfeed outside the home (Community Practitioner, 2017). Breastfeeding is good for mother and baby to bond as well as has positive health impacts for the baby - society should not influence a women’s choice of feeding her baby naturally when this is a natural process that society has sexualised. Therefore, if nursing collections were more readily available on the high street it would normalise breastfeeding and show women they don’t need to hide while doing it as well as make them feel more comfortable. Dr Tim Kurz , Psychology lecturer at the University of Bath carried out research in public health where one topic was infant feeding. He described this as a “paradoxical situation” as new mothers are advised to breastfeed their child however feel guilty whether they do or don’t (Community Practitioner, 2017). Women have the right to choose whether breastfeeding is right for them, each choice is good and shouldn’t be made to feel guilty. However, the stigma around breastfeeding in pub-

lic shouldn’t worry new mothers that much that they don ‘t want to try breastfeeding at all. Social standing also seems to be associated with which women breastfeed and which don’t. In the UK, middle class women tend to breastfeed more, and breastfed children tend to be healthier. However, is that because they were breastfed or middle class parenting (Community Practitioner, 2017)? If breastfeeding gained more awareness and was normalised, more women would feel more comfortable to breastfeed therefore, the stigma would eventually decrease.

THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENT I wanted to make sure I covered every aspect of the marketing environment; internal, micro and macro. As the market is now a global environment many aspects have to be considered which can influence the marketing environment such as social, cultural, technological and economic factors (Posner, 2015, P68). My SWOT and PESTEL analysis is also considered when looking at these factors. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT For this I will use the brand COS. COMPANY STRUCTURE Cos is owned by H&M however operates independently. It has grown since 2007 to opening stores in 167 locations and30 markets worldwide (Budd, 2016). FINANCE COS grew from 1% to 3% H&M’s total revenue from 2009 to 2014 according to the Business of Fashion (Budd, 2016). This represents an sales increase of $132 Million to $625 Million, the main expansion period for the brand was 2015 as they opened 39 new stores and expanded into 4 new markets for example, moving COS to the states including LA and New York (Budd, 2016). RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES COS releases two collections a year - spring summer and autumn winter, similarly to luxury fashion brands, although with lower price points, however higher than H&M (Budd, 2016). Their styles are understated and minimalist known for their silhouette, material and details being of long lasting, good quality. Originating from Sweden Gustafsson says “We believe everyone should wear good quality design” (Budd, 2016). MICRO MARKETING ENVIRONMENT CONSUMER “Our consumer has an interest in art, architecture and design. They read blogs, go to galleries and is important in their life” (Budd, 2016). The COS consumer is a career women who lives a cosmopolitan lifestyle, she is loyal to shopping at COS. COMPETITORS Direct competitors such as Mango could copy the nursing collection which would therefore be a direct competitor, however for now the nursing collection isn’t promoted and product ranges aren’t very wide from competitors. This is more clear in my competitor analysis. SUPPLIERS AND SUPPLY CHAIN COS has a team of 20 designers and 20 pattern cutters which come from around the world, each with their own speciality (Budd, 2016). The brand originates from Sweden, as they have stores across different global markets this could affect prices, garments, distribution differently in each country. However having an in house design team allows greater control. THE MACRO ENVIRONMENT This is impacted from societal conditions such as political, economic, social, cultural and technological factors. I analysed the macro environment through my PESTEL analysis. Sustainability, feminism and Brexit seem to the three common denominators when looking at current news articles. This week many articles were released urging people to become more sustainable, people are outraged over a rape case in Ireland who used a 17 girls knickers as evidence and Brexit no deals are still making the news daily. From when I first done my PESTEL analysis these three themes stood out to me and are continuing too 6 weeks on.

DIFFERENTIATION AND THE MARKETING MIX

I must make sure that my product concept is different to those that are already on the market. Differentiation is an important factor to consider when developing, marketing and promoting my product so that I can compete with the current competitors which are on the market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ultimate aim of differentiation is to achieve competitor advantageâ&#x20AC;? (Posner, 2015, P58). Therefore, by achieving this I will be able to provide a range which is greater value to consumers than what is already on the market, from this consumers will be more willing to pay more for the function and service provided as well as provide credibility for my brand by building awareness to the normalising breastfeeding movement (Posner, 2015, P58). I will make sure I achieve differentiation by going through the 7P marketing mix (Posner, 2015, P58).

PRODUCT My product range will designed purely for new mothers who are loyal consumers of COS. This collection will be fashionable, minimal linking to the COS style, however functional and practical for breastfeeding. This will also have an elasticated element which can be adapted as women lose weight post pregnancy. This will be linked to the normalising breastfeeding trend by using the fashion industry to build awareness to the movement. The products will remain to COS’ high standard of manufacture, design, fabrics and quality as well as keeping their on trend minimal aesthetic. Their will be a wide range of products on offer. The first release of the collection will start with AW19 with 30 pieces in the range. The visual merchandising of the products will remain in line with Cos’ usual visual merchandising techniques. This will achieve differentiation through the product design as their are no competitors on the high street, fast fashion market which already sell this range, nursing wear is available however very basic and limited. This will achieve competitive advantage from competitors through innovation as well as value for consumers as the range is affordable, fashionable and practical.

the stigma which surrounds breastfeeding. However, the aim of this collection is to also raise awareness for the normalising breastfeeding trend therefore I will use a strong promotional strategy when releasing my collection. I will create a new campaign using a diverse range of women breastfeeding in public places which women have had negative experiences of and have shared on social media, for example a women who was shouted at on the tube in London for feeding her child. This story went viral. The women will be wearing the collection. The campaign will consist of a promotional video as well as a commercial shoot, however will be done in an editorial way keeping the minimal COS identity. This will again achieve differentiation by creating a campaign which is empowering for women and diverse in a way which hasn’t been done as well as lifting negative stigmas around breastfeeding.

PLACE This collection will be available to buy both in store and online in the COS stores and websites. The launch of the collection will be UK only both in store and online. However, after the debut the collection will be available to buy at all cos stores and ship worldwide. This is purely because the normalising breastfeeding trend is clear in the UK however, I have not researched into other values and cultures to take this collection worldwide as of yet. This may not achieve differentiation worldwide, however would in the UK.

PEOPLE Their is room for staff to be able to move and be promoted to different roles around the store, for example sales assistant to visual merchandiser. As sustainability is such a big issue and important to consumers I will make sure the production of the garments is ethical and as sustainable as possible. This will again add differentiation and competitive advantage value to the product, increasing consumer value.

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE The store will remain in sync with COS’ usual visual merchandising layout, which takes a minimal approach. However the swing tags will have “COS Nursing Wear” on, the COS brochure will have the nursing campaign images in. The online website will have a “nursing wear” section in the drop down box under PRICE ‘womenswear’ as well as the campaign images visible. Hopefully the camCOS’ price points are affordable however higher than some competitors paign will feature in fashion magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan as on the high street such as H&M who have nursing collections. Although, well as a big online and social media approach to promote the new collection. COS products are better quality and have higher longevity compared to garments in H&M. A top in COS can range from £17 - £150 depending on PROCESS materials and manufacture, I will aim for the lower end of this spectrum This collection will take the same process as COS’ other collections. The colto make sure the collection is affordable at approx £30, however not all lection will be both in store and online. In store changing rooms are availagarments in this range will be the exact same price. This will achieve dif- ble to try on the products as well as a return policy in place. Online their is ferentiation by creating an affordable range of high quality and on fash- a two weeks return policy or you can return to the store. All products will ion, which also serves a purpose that other brands have not yet creat- be machine washable and easy aftercare. This will be of value to consumed, therefore creating competitive advantage and value for consumers. ers as ease of aftercare is an important aspect, especially for new mothers.

PROMOTION Through researching my competitors I have noticed that their nursing collections are not pushed through promotional strategies. This may be because of 63

PROMOTIONAL MIX COMPETITOR ANALYSIS MANGO PROMOTIONAL TOOLS Mango introduced a new business strategy in 2016 which improved their fast fashion supply chain by replenishing stock in their stores world wide every two weeks (Hendriksz, 2015). This started with their new Spring Summer 2016 collection, which will be translated through their new communication strategy (Hendriksz, 2015). They created a new advertsing campaign monthly, with a new role model featuring in each (Hendriksz, 2015). Similarly to instore, their online content also followed the same strategy. One promotional tool Mango have historically used was their catalogue which on average distributed 22 Million per year (Hendriksz, 2015), however, a digital copy of this is now available which reflects the current digital marketing era, as print media has been deemed a dying trade. Mango has also started to appeal to the the younger audience with their new pricing strategy by launching a cheaper casual wear aimed at younger shoppers, which is 15% cheaper than their other product lines, meeting price points with rivals such as H&M (Misiri, 2016). However, Mango do not promote their maternity line like they do other collections. Therefore for my collection I will make sure the promotional aspect of the collection is strong. 64

PROMOTIONAL MIX AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY Linking with another macro trend COS makes sure they take a sustainable approach to their supply and distribution strategy. COS has received the â&#x20AC;&#x153;C Labelâ&#x20AC;? which means they take a reasonable approach to sustainability however they could improve (Rankabrand, 2018). This is something I can think about on how to improve. The H&M group implement a range of policies to reduce climate emissions in their supply chain. About 10% of the H&M groups raw materials are environmentally friendly (Rankabrand, 2018) - again, this is something I could improve by using more environmentally friendly fabrics in my collection such as using organic cotton. My distribution strategy would be to use COS in house designers and manufactures which is of a team of 20. After that the pattern pieces and designs would be sent to mass manufacturer in a factory in England to save on transport and emissions being used, therefore more sustainable. The factory workers would be working under ethical UK laws and payment. The clothes would then be distributed to UK stores around the country via road transport. If you order from online they will be distributed via post from the warehouse. 66

PROMOTIONAL MIX 4 C’S OF CONTENT AND AIDA

4C’s CREATE CONTEXT CONVERSATION CONVERSATION “Content can create awareness that at the right time in the right context can generate interest that encourages conversation that can lead to desire and promote conversation and consumer action” (Posner, 2015, P176). I will bear in mine the 4C’s and Aida when putting together my promotional strategy. AIDA AND THE PATH TO PURCHASE AWARENESS I will build awareness to attract consumers attention and inform them of the products presence through advertising campaigns which will be then shared on social media platforms, print media and billboards. This is to spread awareness on the normalising breastfeeding trend as well as the nursing collection. INTEREST To stimulate interest their will be interviews about the new COS range with the head designer in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Normalising breast feeding page and Harpers Bazaar. This will further the message of the collection as well as promote the range.

TIMING AND EXPOSURE - SALES PROMOTION I will aim this collection to be released for AW19. To promote this I will release the collection though a strong campaign which has a clear message behind it which is to ‘normalise breast feeding’ with models from diverse backgrounds in public places feeding their baby wearing the COS collection. This is a different promotional strategy to COS as they don’t usually need to promote their brand in this way, however it will be done in an understated, minimalist way to obtain the COS brand identity as well as spread awareness. The promotional commercial still shots will be done in typical COS styling in a clean image, to promote the garments. This will be released before the campaign video, around end of August, the campaign video will then be released in September and the collection will drop end of September or beginning of October. This is to create awareness, interest and desire through the build up which will hopefully lead to action. The October issues of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Harpers Bazaar will have exclusive interviews with COS top designers talking about the new collection, what it entails and the message behind it. Paired with a 4 page spread of the campaign commercial images. This will also be shared on their website which portrays online articles. This will be then promoted through their social media sites which is a paid social media form. From this hopefully other magazines and blogs will pick up this collection, writing their own views on it and sharing it on social media which is earned social media promotion as well as free advertising. COS will also use their social media to promote the campaign on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook which will reach millions.

DESIRE As this collection will be for a niche market it will be desirable to new mothers and through aiming it at them directly create a desire that COS has also been known to put on conferences. Earlier this year in they need the product as this brand is the only brand that provides this London they put on a conference which was on psychology. I would product. also do a conference in London to raise awareness for the nursing collection and normalising breastfeeding trend. New mothers can attend ACTION to try on the collection and learn about the movement as well as reHopefully these promotional aims will make the consumer purchase porters being involved to give a write up about the event. the products. In store the visual merchandising will remain the same however to tell the products apart will have a subtle swing tag on which states “COS Nursing Wear”. 67

COS CAMPAIGNS

FINANCIAL ASPECTS

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT I aim to make my collection an affordable fashion range for women. To work out how much it will approximately cost COS to produce this collection I looked at three reports, the H&M Group report, however this groups all the stores in the H&M group. I also looked at the Next financial report and French Connection. I found the H&M and NEXT reports hard to retract the information I need from. However French Connection spent £84 Million on their cost of sales, this is for the whole collection however for a year. As for this will only be a brand extension (French Connection, 2018). The majority of the garments will already exist from COS current product line and will be adapted for a nursing collection, this will not cost as much. For COS it will be approximately £5 Million to create this collection. To create my own price points for the collection, I used the price architecture. I compared COS’ current price points to decide on which pricing I would use for my own collection. MARKETING AND PROMOTION I also looked at a competitor which is ASOS for their financial considerations. They spent £106.7 Million, this produced 4.4% of sales (ASOS, 2018). As this is the whole ASOS sales budget, my marketing price considerations will be considerably less. Based on my promotional and marketing strategy, I estimate that my marketing will cost £5 Million to produce from the campaigns, promotional video, paying models, and the pop up talk at Regent Street. LABOUR COSTS I also looked at ASOS regarding labour costs. Distribution cost them £380.8 M, payroll cost £193.7M, Warehousing cost £241.1M and technology costs were £43M. I have to bare in mind all the aspects which go into making a collection. However as my collection is a brand extension of COS it wouldn’t impact on these prices too much. There would be a cost for distribution which would be approximately £1M as well as warehousing. The costs should remain the same and shouldn’t be impacted too much. OVERALL COSTS Overall it would cost COS approximately £12Million overall to create, distribute and market this collection off looking into French Connection and ASOS financial reports. However, this would be benefitial for the brand as they would profit from the collection as well as promote the brand overall. This would hopefully boost all sales.

PRICE ARCHITECTURE

TOP PRICE PRODUCT

Cos’ highest price point is £125. My collection won’t be as high as this. The top price product of my collection will be £50. This product will be of higher quality

PREMIUM PRICE PRODUCT A premium price point of COS is £79. The premium price point of the COS Nursing Collection will be £40. These items will be of higher quality than the mid price market, however not as high than top price point.

MID PRICE MARKET

The mid price market will be of the price range of majority of the diffusion line for COS. This will be around the £30 price range. The items will be both good quality, functional and aesthetically pleasing. However, the quality won’t be as high as premium and top price product, and more readily available.

LOWEST PRICE MARKET

The lowest priced market will be tops in the range that aren’t of as high quality compared to mid, premium and top price. They will be highly stocked and readily available, they will be around £20. Bras will also be available and will be in this price range at £10. The aim of this collection is that it is affordable for the consumer, so all price points will be relatively low.

FEEDBACK WEEK 8 VISUAL COMMUNICATION

This week we have focused on visual communication. I have decided to look back at the current layout of my research journal and see how I can improve it. From the InDesign refresher session I have learnt some tips and decided to add a grid to all my work. I will practice my layout techniques on this journal and focus on my visual communication more strongly for my portfolio next. I have to have my brand identity in mind when considering the layout for my portfolio and journal. I have decided on the brand COS which takes a minimalistic approach to design. Therefore my design layout shall be minimalistic. I will look at COS campaigns , look books, and catalogues for further inspiration. As well as this I will read on more articles which consider layout techniques and look further on how to use grids. My aim is to improve my visual communication techniques this week, as well as working on the final steps of my research journal. In the seminar this week we looked at each others journal layouts and gave feedback. Most of the feedback I received was to use more imagery. I went back and looked at my layout and added more images, trying to use them in a minimal way and to use COS images which I felt relevant to the page of research. I done this to practice a layout structure for my portfolio. I plan to start my portfolio in the week or next so having a layout plan is a good idea. I researched into using grids further using the 2nd edition of the Grids book, this will help me form shapes on my page which I will use for my portfolio and practice on this journal. The grid method is linked to artistic movements such as cubism, constructivism, and modernism which are strict on the use of structure (Ambrose and Harris, 2012, P38). 72

FINAL CONCEPT I have started to establish my concept for my marketing project after weeks of gathering information together,it is finally becoming more clear. My aim is to create a diffusion line for the store COS, this will be a nursing collection for new mothers who want to remain fashionable, however need functional garments to wear when out in public for when their baby needs feeding. I believe their is a current gap in the market for this product range. From looking at the competitors, or lack of competitors who are the mainstream brands on the high street, it seems nursing collections are a limited product range, especially in comparison to maternity wear. My survey also had a high response rate that women would be interested in a nursing range and want to see it more readily available on the high street. As well as providing a functional yet fashionable nursing collection, the weight loss factor and body change will also be considered in the design process which will incorporate elasticated qualities. This collection was inspired by the normalising breastfeeding trend and will hopefully build more awareness to normalising breastfeeding in public by normalising it through readily available garments visible on the high street. 74

“TO CREATE A DIFFUSION LINE FOR COS WHICH COMBINES PRACTICALITY AND FASHION REGARDING BREASTFEEDING. THIS WILL USE THE FASHION INDUSTRIES POPULAR POWER TO RAISE AWARENESS TO NORMALISE BREASTFEEDING” 75

TOTAL PRODUCT CONCEPT To define a clear explanation of my product concept I decided to use the Total Product Concept which is a model designed by Theodore Levitt which describes four different levels to a product. This allows me to think deeper into my concept (Posner, 2015, P42). Levitt pointed out “Consumers don’t buy products. They purchase benefits and emotional meaning” therefore I need to think of the service as well as tangible and intangible attributes (Posner, 2015, P43). THE GENERIC PRODUCT The generic product is a diffusion line nursing collection for COS mainly a range of tops which are fashionable, functional for breastfeeding yet in a subtle minimal style as well as incorporating adjustable, elasticated qualities for weight loss. THE ACTUAL PRODUCT The design features of the product will be functional in a minimal subtle COS styling. COS is known for good quality garments, this range will be of the same good quality. The price will be on average £35 however will differ slightly depending on features and garment. The packaging will come in the normal COS packaging however will have a swing tag stating “COS NURSING WEAR”. THE TOTAL PRODUCT COS is known for good value, good quality products so the same perceived value will be put on to the nursing collection. However, this collection has added value to new mothers as they will no longer have to compromise or struggle of items what to wear therefore having an emotional yet practical value. In store customers can try on products and their is a return and exchange policy. Online their is a 2 week return policy or you can return or exchange in store. THE POTENTIAL PRODUCT In the future the line could expand, building a wide range of products and further innovative functional qualities. It could end up expanding to maternity wear also. 77

BRAND ANALYSIS

I have decided to go with the brand COS at this point in my research, therefore I will look further into the details of the brand. “COS offers reinvented classics and wardrobe essentials for women, men and children” (H&Mgroup, 2018). Their collections are designed with quality, clean silhouettes, innovative techniques and timeless designs inspired by art, technology and architecture, therefore the garments are fashionable staples which can be worn all year round (H&Mgroup, 2018). The brand is part of the H&M group, based in London it started in 2007 with the first store opening on Regent Street but now available worldwide (H&Mgroup, 2018). INSPIRATION Art and design is COS’ main influence regarding designs and their store concept, from architecture,photography,textiles and ceramics. They share sculptures, architecture and designs on their social media and incorporate it into their campaigns and collaborations. Behind their collections they take a “modern functional approach” as their design philosophy. This is why COS is a perfect brand for my collection as functionality is very important. They garments are made to last not just for fashion as they “choose longevity over passing trends” which is a more sustainable approach regarding remaining fashionable without taking a fast fashion approach. They put craftsmanship, subtle construction and creative detailing first to create timeless designs. I will take all this on board when putting my product range together. 78

RANGE INSPIRATION - AW19/20

RANGE PLAN

PRODUCT RANGE I used WGSN to start thinking about my product range. I decided that my range will be released AW19 so I looked at the trend forecasts for that season. I focused on minimalist designs and forecasts that I thought the brand COS would use as inspiration. I also looked into materials, fabrics and patterns which I could incorporate into the design process. I took some flats from WGSN, some which I thought we could work in the collection and same which will need added to so that they would work for a nursing collection. However, at the moment I am focusing on silhouette and the garments themselves. After further talking with Maria she suggested instead of designing a new collection, I modify the current COS products to be functional for a nursing wear collection. I liked this idea and will look into the current COS AW18 range. I could also combining current COS garments adapted with new designs. I started to look into the current AW18 collection for COS and took some products which I thought I could adapt at the design stage to make functional for a nursing wear collection. For example, the T shirt with the oversized pocket. The pocket could unbutton so the design would be subtle and after breastfeeding the top will still be fashionable and wearable.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING

COS takes a clean minimal approach to their merchandising. They opened in 2007 and have picked their store locations carefully considering their architectural design (H&Mgroup, 2018). Cos applies their concept of preserving buildings original features as well as combining a welcoming space. This leads to “an eclectic mix of historical architectural influence combined with a COS aesthetic” (Cos, 2018) The COS consumer has an interest in art, design and architecture and COS apply this to their stores, garments and visual merchandising. Taking a minimalist, understated approach to all three aspects. Inside their stores they aim for a ‘calm modern space informed by a sense of minimalism” as well as combining their inspiration of contemporary art galleries to create an inspiring place to shop. I also used WGSN and looked into their trend forecast regarding visual merchandising. Their main analysis for 2019 store concepts are to create a calming sanctuary where shoppers can de-stress and rewind due to the increasingly anxious consumer (Dickinson, 2018). Spatial and emotive design are inspired from the benefits or chroma, helio and environmental therapies (Dickinson, 2018). The last main point is that store design and product displays should be subdued and unobtrusive therefore, this allows shoppers to engage or withdraw (Dickinson, 2018). I will take this WGSN analysis on board when considering my visual merchandising and store concept.

FEEDBACK FROM PRESENTATION

This week we had our second presentation on the module. Similarly to the last one in week five I was nervous to pitch my idea, however I had more research around my concept than I did the last one. I still wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t confident on the financial aspects of the project however Maria helped me after the presentation find a financial report which was more suited for my project. The feedback I received from Sara and Maria was to practice my presentation more by timing myself as I ran out of time. More feedback was to add another slide for my primary research instead of stating it. Maria also suggested I add to my journal the benefits of this collection for COS, go in more depth for my financial considerations and make my brand positioning map more specific. I will make these changes this week to further my research. 88

BRAND POSITIONING MAP 2

PRESTIGE PRICE

AVAILABLE NURSING COLLECTION

NURSING COLLECTION NOT AVAILABLE

AFFORDABILITY

BENEFITS FOR COS

The nursing wear collection for COS will be beneficial for the brand as well as the consumer and the movement. By providing a product which is not readily available on the current market it will attract a niche customer of new mothers. The brand will also be promoted through paid and unpaid media and social channels which will promote COS as a brand in general and their other products which will also generate sales. This collection will portray brand as a brand which is for empowering women, gender equality and for the normalising breast feeding trend. This will gain the respect of many women, again creating new consumers who may not necessarily be a new mother shopping for a nursing collection. It will also put the brand ahead of its competitors by creating a collection which is ahead of their competitors.

TIMELINE OF THOUGHT PROCESS

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APPENDIX