Exhibition journey book by janeberry0709

BRAND JANE LOUISE BERRY The journey

Contents Introduction

Pages 6-7

Brand me

Pages 8-37

360 campaign

Pages 38-53

Final major project

Pages 53-81

Sketch up

Pages 82-87

Design choices

Pages 88-91

Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction 4

Introduction

Inside this exhibition book explores my branding journey. This begins at brand me and explores who I am as a person and as a brand. Without this self exploration the next step moving forwards would be made less clear, the real turning point for me within my branding was the 10 words I found to best describe myself as it allowed me to think about parts of my personality I may have not accepted before such as naivety and that I my market level will always be high street at heart. My mind changed throughout many stages in the process of moving from brand me to my 360 campaign and even changed from my 360 campaign to the final major project. These changes have brought so much inspiration for where my project has come to its end and has helped me to gain the best possible result.

Overall I feel this project has really opened my eyes to where I want to be within the industry. Brand me explores who I am as both a person and a marketer which was why I felt that this was so important to have within this exhibition book as without this research and knowledge my work would not have taken shape in the same way. The 360 campaign is where I first considered where I wanted to take the information I collated from brand me this explores visual merchandising within lingerie companies including Marks and Spencer where I performed my second year placement. This also looks into different thing that could change about visual merchandising which more of my consumer (generation Z and the alpha generation) care about such as; body diversity and health/veganism. Moving on from this comes my final major project this has changed from the initial plan of where I wanted to take my ideas based on my 360 however this book also explores these changes and why I took a slightly different direction. My final project explores 2D and 3D digital ideas which have aided in expanding my skills as well as creating new concepts and ideas. Doing this in a digital way has given this project more depth and a final outcome which I never initially pictured.

AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M AND ME BRAND ME BRAND ME BRAND M 8

10 words to describe me

After collating my summer research which allowed me to looks at things I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t normally question such as what colour I am, which I always knew would result with the colour pink, and what my life would be like if money was no object. It also made me question why I love the things I love which I portrayed through the images starting my summer research. This is something I have never really had to think about before as I have always just loved the things I love and hate the things I hate with not a lot of second thought or questioning. This for me was very eye opening because it has helped me to find my strengths and weaknesses which will aid me when it comes to knowing myself better both as a marketer/communicator and a person. I feel that knowing myself in this deeper level has given me more confidence to just be who I am. I also found this research interesting as I also found out how other people in my life view me from family to both lifelong friends and work friends and how I see myself in comparison.

Pink is the colour that I found was me when researching what colours mean and looking back at the colour I have always been most drawn to when it comes to my clothes, nails and even the way my bedroom is decorated. I am a baby pink and I found that this ties in with a lot of the other words that I have used as pink is a feminine colour and being a baby pink opposed to a more vibrant pink links in with a childlike innocence.

PINK

Adidas is my favourite brand and therefore I thought was important to include as one of my 10 words. The reason for this is I like the aesthetic of the brand and the more high street commercial side is where I feel I sit within the brand. I also like the celebrity collaborations they have done with Kylie Jenner as their ambassador bringing out her own athleisure style which is what I purchase from Adidas for and work they have done with Ariana Grande for women's empowerment. I think the brand for me is a comfort thing and leaves me feeling free and confident even when I just wear it for simple things such as sitting at home.

ADIDAS

Romantic is because I am a hopeless romantic, I choose to see the best in relationship and always wish for the happily ever after. This has always been the case for me, growing up watching and dressing up as the Disney princesses at every given opportunity I have always loves that happily ever after at the end of the story. At the age of 6 I was taken to Disney land and the main memory I have from that experience is the magic that I felt being there and being able to meet what I believed at the time were the real life princesses with their real life fairytale lifestyle. Even going back at the age of 20 it was still that magic experience for me as I went for the Christmas Disney princesses. Romantic films are my favourite choice and give me a sense of promise that things do work out in the end which although is very cheesy is how I want to believe in the magic fairytale of romance.

ROMANTIC

Feminine is a part of this as although I love my sports/athleisure wear at heart I still remain very girly this ties in with my pink and romantic as well as my butterflies as I love all things girly but not over the top kind of girly like you would see in the likes of mean girls, I love simple natural femininity.

FEMININE

Sensitive in this term doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stem from me being overly sensitive or me not being able to handle myself as that is something I can do as I will always stand up for myself and those I care about. Sensitive in this term comes from the fact that I will always top other peoples feeling before my own and when I feel that I have upset someone I care about it leaves me with a sinking feeling of guilt. I always want to be able to help those who surround me in the same way that they do for me.

SENSITIVE 21

Butterfly comes simply from my absolute adoration for butterflies. I think they are the most beautiful creatures and they keep the optimism alive in the sense that something so small can turn into something so beautiful with a bit of time. They are naturally beautiful and although they are fragile to touch they give me the feeling of strength.

BUTTERFLY

Naive is defiantly there as I am gullible/innocent. I always like to believe the best in everything and everyone I meet and I think this stems from my believe in romance and romantic films. Although as I have got older I realise things are not that black and white I do think there is a lot of things that I lack in judgement.

NAIVE

Natural is another of my words because I like to be more stripped down and natural. In terms of fashion I do not generally wear a lot of makeup if any my outfits are normally simplistic and even when dressed up for a night out my outfits do not go over the top. I do not like the fake look girls now are so influenced by the perception of how they see others on social media that they choose to change themselves to fit in with this but this look is just not me, take me as I am or not at all. Natural also reminds me of the beach and it is one of the things that relaxes me the most any time of year and brings me the most joy.

NATURAL

High street is the market level I believe that I sit at because to me luxury is too overdramatic based on the things you see on the catwalks and the designs of clothing, I prefer the more natural look as I have looked at in terms of me being natural. High street is also what I have always been brought up around it was what all my friends and family have worn and what I have always stuck with and felt most comfortable with.

HIGH STREET 29

Athleisure gives me freedom. This comes from the freedom of movement you get from things such as gym leggings or tracksuit bottoms that you just do not get with jeans or skirts. It is like my home comfort when it comes to fashion as it is what I remember my parents predominantly wearing growing up and it is what I always stick with when I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like myself.

ATHLEISURE 31

Original branding concept Based on the words that I discovered to best describe myself and my future career path of wanting to go into visual merchandising, the original path that I wanted to go down was changing visual merchandising based around Adidas. This is where the croquis to the left is based around as my initial starting point when thinking about styling for this new merchandising. I also considered a backdrop which when collaborating with the gaming students from west cheshire collage would be animated to allow the butterfly to move around the backdrop for the display for the image shown to the right (read more about the gaming collaboration on page 36). These concept ideas were to fit within my feminine branding. However after a lot of consideration around how this would move forwards this was not how I could envision my brand moving forwards. Therefore I took a step back and considered how I had chosen these parts of my branding and I realised through this problem solving that I wanted to use more of the feminine side of my branding which does not collaborate well with Adidas branding. Moving forwards it was clear I had to go back to what drove my passion when working within merchandising for my second year placement which was lingerie.

What motivated my branding change?

This is where my branding has originated from however, after a lot of thought, development and research the way I want to take my branding has moved into a different direction. After looking back over my ten words, as well as the journey I have taken through university to help me develop the knowledge to go into the fashion industry one thing that has really stood out to me is my second year placement. When I first started university my aim job role for graduating was to go into Merchandising and this placement gave me one of my first real tasters of this job role through a variety of departments. I worked in the new Marks and Spencers store near Cheshire Oaks which is the biggest store in the UK outside of London. Throughout this placement I learned the day to day job of the Visual Merchandising team on Womenswear, Menswear, Kids, Home and Foods. My favourite department was Lingerie which I think stems from the more romantic and girly side of my branding, and this is where my idea for where I want to take my branding has stemmed from. In terms of marketing Marks and Spencers are currently on a slight downfall with footfall dropping therefore I think it is time for them to make a change and try and market to the up and coming consumer which is Generation Z and Alphas. Marks and Spencers sit within the market level I feel that my brand would sit at and therefore I would like to be able to help re-merchandise the lingerie department to help move a younger generation to be able to start shopping there. In order to do this I will move forwards with my 360 to be able to look at the way other brands around the same market level are promoting and how things can be changed in order to take a step forwards into the new generation of consumer. 35

Gaming collaboration Based on my new lingerie direction I created my starting croquis which is what I wanted creating as part of the gaming collaboration. For this the brief I set was that I wanted my croquis (shown to the left) to be shown in 3D this would mean that I can see this in a 360 view. The response I received is shown to the right for what was created based on the croquis I have sent over and the additional information on my target consumer and where the concept has stemmed from. We kept in communication throughout this process so that I would be able to ensure the best possible outcome.

CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPAIGN 360 CAMPA 38

360 campaign. The plan.

For my campaign I am hoping to create a series of case study books looking at the decline of the high street stores such as Marks and Spencers and Victoria Secret and how the new generation of Generation Z and Alphas are impacting this with their values and consumer behaviour. This will then be finished off with a magazine which will show the future of Visual Merchandising and how VM can be changed based on the research from the case studies in order to boost footfall to the high street once again instead of technology taking over and everything becoming ordered online opposed to being physically bought. This will also incorporate how I plan to help change the way that Marks and Spencers lingerie is merchandised in store with display images to show this and why this is the best way to move forwards with the new consumer. This campaign will be primarily aimed at Generation Z with them being the up and coming consumer to spend in the high street. This is a market level that I feel brands such as Marks and Spencer need to take more notice of as less and less of the current consumer shopping there have the disposable income to spend on clothing. Therefore it is important to consider those already shopping there as well as encouraging a newer generation to shop with them as a brand to help remove any stigma attached to them such as being a brand which only the older generation typically shops in.

Case study one. Victorias secret and lingerie. What has happened to Victorias Secret? The show wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go onâ&#x20AC;Ś

Victorias Secret used to be one of the biggest lingerie brands and now it seems to be dropping more rapidly each year. One of the case studies I produce will be surrounding the change in opinions towards this brand. Some of the research I have already produced shows how the Victorias secret fashion show has been cancelled with the uprise of Fenty underwear bringing a more diverse range of models in to to the brand to be more inclusive to every type of consumer. This has taken a hit on Victorias Secret angles as they are all super skinny models with no inclusivity of body positivity. Therefore this case study will research into how this body positivity has come about as well as how it has taken storm. Is this a FAD trend or will this stand the test of time? This will then lead me onto where this leaves Victoria Secrets and will the brand have to make a change? They have already brought in one â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;plus sized modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; however this could be too little too late for them as a company as they have tried to do this too late in comparison of the other lingerie brands. I think looking at how to rebrand Marks and Spencers merchandising for lingerie this is an important step in terms of research, as this will how me both how an online brand (Fenty) can cause part of the downfall of the Victorias Secret fashion show, and how the message and storyline behind the brands differentiate creating the different strengths and weaknesses within the brands. I also plan to look at the physical Victorias Secret stores and how they currently use merchandising as a form of promotion to encourage the consumers walking past to come into store compared to their online platforms promotion such as social media and the website and find the correlation between the message in both. Once this date is collected I will look over Fenty underwear website and social media to find how they are using this idea of diversity as a promotion to the brand and the stock which is then produced. This will give a better idea towards the direction that lingerie is being marketed towards generation Z as Marks and Spencer are not currently hitting this consumer which I hope to change throughout this campaign.

Case study two. Marks and Spencer As part of my final major project I will look back on my time which I spent in Marks and Spencers as a Visual Merchandiser as part of my second year placement. Throughout my time there and research I have found based around the sales targets of M&S they are not currently performing at the rate they could be. With cutbacks being made annually I think it is time for them to take more notice of the more up and coming consumer which will be Generation Z followed by the Alphas. Looking at the current desires and values of these two consumers I have found that diversity plays a big role as they are impacting society currently even with things such as plus sized models being incorporated in more fashion brands than ever, as well as the acceptance in terms of the LGBTQ community.

During my time at Marks and Spencers they were sent in the plans for each shop floor display and window from head office. With some more difficult to achieve than others based on in store stock levels this left me with the question should every shop be the same? Should each display be as similar as the last? I think there needs to be some more differentiation between not only each store display but the things they show in these displays. Could this come from a change in mannequins, or a change in style from the companies current one. Therefore I am planning to go back to Marks and Spencers to interview the Visual Merchandising team which I worked with to find out their feelings towards how things could be changed in order to reach the new consumer. I then plan to use this information alongside back up research on Marks and Spencers to transform the Lingerie department. This will be a case study which I will transform into a book with visuals to match up how I think the department could be most appropriately changed. These images I plan to either use photoshop to digitally change the store and the best approach to change the high street stores to prevent further decline or actually set up a display in store at the larger Cheshire Oaks store in order to see this physically. These will depend on a variety of factors such as if the store has the floor space for the display and how the images will best be produced. I think a case study on Marks and Spencers will fit in well with my final major project as I am high street and I want to find a new way to merchandise to Generation Z and the Alphas. However, I want to be able to stick to a more pink, girly, romantic side of my brand me which is where the desire to place my research into the lingerie department comes from.

Case study three. Diversity and transgender. After researching into Generation Z and the Alphas I have found a main aspect of their consumer values is diversity, this stems from acceptance of different races, body types, sexual orientation and even gender/transgender. Becoming one of the most accepting generations yet will have an impact on the fashion industry as they are looking for more and more diversity and inclusivity within the brands that they shop for. This will build the basis for another case study, this one will incorporate more in depth research into where this acceptance has stemmed from as I am interested to find out how a generation deemed as snowflakes for being so easily offended/ upset have got this strength to gain acceptance in society.

I am also hoping to explore if this is a macro or a micro trend moving forwards, is all of this up raw for acceptance and body positivity within brands going to uphold the test of time or will it become a passing fad. This is important to understand as it will build a basis for where the rest of the campaign will follow as if this really is where the generations are going and this will stand the test of time then it is important when thinking about the visual merchandising side of this that I incorporate this throughout. If this is just a passing FAD then I hope that this research will lad me to where this desire started so that I can forecast where it will go once this has gone over such as how big veganism is becoming. While doing this case study I will also look at my fashion forecasting module from second year as this was based around the LGBTQ community and this as a colour trend moving into the high street for 2020 as the research that surrounds this will give me a deeper understanding of where this now fits in. I think it is important to look back on what I have already found surrounding this subject compared to the information which is accessible a year later in order to see if it is growing a trend or fading as this will be a good indicator if acceptance in diversity and transgender is growing. This will then layout for me what diversity really looks like as all of these things have become so important within peoples values that it is impossible for the fashion industry to ignore these factors. Is diversity different body types? Races? Sexual orientations? This is a massive basis for what I will need in order to re merchandise the lingerie department of Marks and Spencer as without this information I will never see where generation believe that true diversity really lies as it is important for branding to show that they are not exclusive to a particular consumer as the aim of my final major project is to be able to draw the attention of the generation Z consumer for Marks and Spencer lingerie department. However, it is also important to find out if this will become a trend which will stand the test of time as if it is not then it will effect they way that my final major project will pan out as if the trend is a phase in the fashion industry then I will not want to create such a short term solution when looking at the bigger picture of my 360 campaign. However, when thinking about all of this it is important to remember that if Fenty can be a partial cause to the downfall of a Victorias secret fashion show then is the angels well and truly out of fashion? 47

Case study Four. Future of health and veganism in fashion. This case study will be one of the most important in terms of direction to take my final major project as Marks and Spencer currently promote on how sustainable they are as a brand particularly in their new large store on Cheshire Oaks with things such as the toilet water coming from the rain which is filtered into store. This case study will give me a better indication on if sustainability/environmental issues can work hand in hand with veganism in order to create a larger campaign which will look at promoting how both of these topics can work together to help promote a brand to a generation which are more conscious about this than any generation previous to Generation Z. 48

Veganism is slowly but surely taking its own influence over the fashion industry with there being plenty more options in vegan friendly clothing than every before. It is a case of out with the old and in with the new for vegans! This case study will look at the impact that heath and veganism has had on the fashion industry. This is an important aspect to look at as the BBC conducted a study which found that 42% of consumers think that if clothes are vegan or not is a massive influence into if they will purchase a product. In the last year Dr Martens have has a 300% rise in sales on the vegan style of the traditional Dr Marten boots. This case study will look at some of the reasons that vegan clothing has become so popular such as growing consumer awareness as Generation Z are a braver generation wiling to challenge the ethics of their favourite fashion brands if they do not think something is right. This could also be impacted by technological developments as there is a rise in innovative fabrics that can be used such as lab made leather which can give you the leather jacket or bag you want without using actual leather to do so. The minimalistic attempt in using plastics is also changing the way things are done as the less plastics that are being used the more plant based alternatives are being used which leads to a build up in more vegan fashion pieces. One big thing I plan to look at throughout this case study is also how the media is effecting this trend with a vegan fashion week in Los Angeles becoming a huge hit has this trend stemmed from the emerge of vegan brands and influencers? This is a question that I will definitely need to address as this could change the way that this side of fashion is going as the use of influencers can be the difference between a macro and micro trend so it will be interesting to see how far forwards that veganism will stand the test of time when it comes to the fashion choices and decisions that we make. This case study will also look at the other side of veganism in the fashion industry as although it is seen to be more ethical is it as environmental as Vegan leather can use gallons more water to produce than normal leather so although it can be seen as ethically the right decision to make is it the right way forwards in terms of sustainability and trying to help save out planet.

How these will be presented. Magazine

One way I am hoping to promote this is through creating my own magazine. This will explain my research findings from my variety of case studies and then progress into how this has lead to my final display idea. This magazine will link to my branding and website as it will have the same name as my website (Jane Louise Berry) and follow with the same branding colours (pink). This magazine will be a cross between a high street level fashion magazine such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour as they look at the fashions which are up and coming in the current and next season as well as keeping the magazines light hearted and fun. As well as an architecture magazine as it will also include the structure of the way that the Marks and Spencers store should look based on the research and conclusions that have come from the case studies I will produce. Creating a magazine will also allow me to think about how to engage my consumer (generation Z) through this platform too as I think in order to create a well thought out campaign all basis need to be covered so by looking at social media and website marketing through Victorias Secret and Fenty and then creating this in store/window display for marks and Spencers followed by a magazine to conclude everything will allow me to think about this in a more open way. As Marks and Spencer are already aimed at an older generation this may also help keep the appeal to the consumer they are already selling to, as they are a generation who are not as clued up on social media and technology so it is nice to have something physical to go along side all of the digital to get people to go into store for the lingerie department. I will also need to consider layout for fashion magazines so I will look both online and in stores to find different layouts of the magazines that will fit in with my consumer market as well as the market I sit at within my brand which is high street. This will then give me inspiration to ensure that I will promote my magazine in a successful way. These will be within a section of my research in order to show my development as well as how and why I have chosen to do things they way that I do even down to the choice in font and page colours.

What is my plan based on these case studies?

From these case studies I am hoping to create a new Visual Merchandising display to change the way that Marks and Spencers market to the consumer. After collating all of this research one example of the way this would work is based around the theory of evolution. However, this will be done in the form of the evolution that the fashion industry has taken, particularly in terms of lingerie and looking at body diversity. This will be an out with the old way of thinking and in with the new. This will be promoted to also be inclusive of veganism with this being incorporated either through props or signage. And instead of the mannequins just standing holding their waist or hands straight down this display will use body language to display emotions. This will be excitement, happiness and power. These mannequins will also not be the typical skinny size that you see now in most stores on the high street they will be a diverse range of body types and sizes. Linking this back to what I have said perviously this idea will either be done digitally using a variety of images I will take in store altered or it will be a display I will try to produce actually in store where I completed my second year placement based on in store availability to do something like this. A plan like this would then be used for both in store displays as well as window displays to really capture the attention of the consumer. Therefore, there will be examples of both of these within my final major project. There will be a total of four case studies to back my display up as well as a research book for how my magazine will be produced.

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Context, how my plan changed.

Following on from my 360 campaign plan I decided to take a slightly different route with my books. Book one will now be based around the high street crisis. I have chosen to do this as I feel if this is aimed to change the high street it is important to first understand the issues that currently surround the high street so I have a better understanding on how to fix these changes. Book two will now explore my consumer and how technology in merchandising is emerging from them being such digital natives. I chose to take this step as understanding the consumer is critical when moving forwards with any campaign therefore it seemed that not having this book within the collection would mean that the series would not have the base and understanding in order to move forwards. Book three will link my plans for my original book one and two together and will research into different lingerie brands who are both on the high street and online only promote their products as well as what the brand message from these companies are. This is where my plans from book three in my 360 will also link as I will have within this brands who are already considering body diversity and acceptance within their message as this is an important step following on from my consumer research. Book three will also incorporate Marks and Spencers and what I learned about them as a brand based around my placement. All of this information should then be able to help me move forwards with the final project. Book four will now be a styling book where the research from the previous three books will come together and what changes I have made in order to merchandise M&S in a new way to generation Z and the alpha generation with body diversity. The reason I have chosen to do this rather than looking into health and veganism as well as all of this is that I felt it would leave my work too broad in context as there would not be one set answer or route in order to collaborate all of the different aspects therefore I have chosen to research more into the body diversity and more lingerie brands instead as my research has taught me that my consumer want inclusivity from brands so I feel this plan is what will give this inclusivity to them. 57

Book one

This book is part of a series which looks into the problems facing todays high street and looking for a conclusion moving forwards in order to change the way that merchandising is currently done. There will be four books as part of this collection and as each one is developed it will show you the journey from the initial problems to the solution which I have decided upon in an imagery based book based around Marks and Spencer. I have decided to do this after having my second year placement there, working closely with the Visual Merchandising (VM) team I can already see some of the changes that need to happen to start appealing to the younger generations. This series starts here, looking at the issues that the high street currently faces, this will introduce you to the crisis that is currently hitting local hometown shops and how these problems have arisen. Understanding these current issues is a major part of being able to solve the problem as without this background information then you can solve an easy problem however this may not be the underlying bigger issue. I have also planned out a questionnaire which will look into the reasons people shop online vs in-store. I am hoping this will give me further insight into the positives and negatives of shopping on each platform. I am also hoping to use this to find out how many people already know about this crisis from the survey and what they believe has caused this. I believe this information will be important moving forwards as it will not only show how clued up the consumer actually are around how shopping habits effect the way businesses run but also what changes people actually want to see to move back into physical shopping.

The questionnaire This questionnaire will answer the questions of what the different generations do and dislike like about both in store and online shopping. As well as finding out what they believe has caused this high street crisis and what in store changes they would like to see. I Believe this information will be interesting to see as I will be able to see how it collates with the secondary data I have previously found. After sending this survey out via Facebook and Instagram I gathered 114 responses. After analysing all responses I looked at the causes that were mentioned most by tallying these and then once I had all this data I put it into a pie chart to see the variation of answers.

This questionnaire was really crucial to the direction that I chose to take my work in as it allowed me to see first hand how people view the way that they shop as well as how people feel about shopping in store vs online this change in generations was also made more clear with online shopping being preferred by more of the younger generations than the older generations. In terms of my work this information will carry through as I hope to be able to establish a new way to bring generation Z back to the high street rather than online shopping. These findings follow on from the research that I have put in to create book one as the rest of book one explores the reasons for the high street collapse and this questionnaire results found similarities between why the research finds the collapse of the high street and why the consumers I had results from would not shop in store or the changes they would want to see to be more inclined to return to in store shopping.

Book two

Following on from the current high street crisis and the changes that people wanted to see based on a questionnaire I produced, this book will move forwards in order to show who my aimed consumer is and what they are looking for when it comes to high street shopping as well as what values they hold. This will start to build up ideas on how this market is best to be upheld and re merchandised to attract more people to shop on the local high street. For this project my aimed targeted consumer is generation Z moving forwards in the future to the up and coming alpha generation. The reason I have chosen to focus on this generation is that they are the generation which will soon be coming forwards who will have the most disposable income for shopping. As the baby boomers begin to retire and arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spending money the way they used to on the high street it is time for businesses to start marketing to those who are spending more time there. Generation Z and the alpha generation are big on their values and beliefs so it is important to consider this when thinking of how best merchandise to them.

Generation Z and the Alphas Digital values Consumerism values 64

What is visual merchandising? This book also looks into what visual merchandising actually is as this is what my project is based around as well as different technologies which are currently being used in the promotion of different brands and within visual merchandising currently. The reason behind this is generation z are such digital natives it was important to be able to find ways that relate to them when thinking of new ways to visual merchandise.

Book three

Following on from who my consumer are and what is happening with technology developments the next step in my research is to establish which aspect of visual merchandising I am hoping to change. As my plans in my 360 campaign explain this change in merchandising will be based around lingerie in Marks and Spencer I believe it is important to first understand what the brand are already doing in terms of merchandising, as well as what other lingerie brands are doing successfully and unsuccessfully as this gives a better idea surrounding what is currently working and what needs improvement in this department. First understanding lingerie as a department is very important as it will set a basis for the direction that I take this final project. This requires looking at brands that operate both online and in store such as Victorias secret and Ann Summers and brands which are on an online basis only such as Savage X Fenty and Lounge. Understanding both the online market and the in store market is important as my consumer are so technology based I will have to have a clear understanding of what the brands are doing which draws this consumer to shop online with them rather than in-store shopping. Once I have this understanding of what is working and what needs improvement within lingerie brands this look will progress to look at Marks and Spencer, what they are currently doing with their lingerie department and what I am hoping to achieve moving forwards.

Ann Summers Victorias Secret

Fenty x Savage Lounge Underwear

Marks and Spencer The reason I have decided to base this project around Marks and Spencer rather than any other lingerie company stems from my second year placement where I worked for the brand aiding the visual merchandising team. I worked across all departments of Womenswear, Menswear, Lingerie, Home, Kids and Foods. This experience to me was eye opening as it was one of my first glimpses into this job role full time and has helped me realise the direction I hope to take post graduating. While I worked there I spoke to the team and they agreed there was a gap in the market in terms of marketing to an up and coming generation. I hope to change this gap using the information I have found around other brands and what I already know about how Marks and Spencer have the visual merchandising set out. I originally planned to have an interview with the VM team in order to find out their views however with the current crisis of Covid 19 and lockdown I was unable to receive any response as the team are not accessing the work emails at this time however I believe this would have been interesting to see first hand. As this was planned I have included the questions to show the things I was hoping to learn by doing this.

Book four

This book will show the decisions that I have made as well as the ways that I have digitally progressed. My initial plan for this book was a photoshoot which I would have done in the Marks and Spencers store where I did my second year placement in. However, with the current crisis I have modified and adapted my work in order to create something digital rather than physical. This book will show the journey of were my research has directed this project as well as the finished product. The research gathered from book one and three has shown me the gap in the market in which the creation of this book challenges as well as the research from book two to find what the consumer actually want from their high street experiences. All of this combined is what has aided in the design of each croquis which this book will now walk you though up until the final product. These croquis shown below were the first set in which I created. The message I hoped to send was being able to accept your own body type and make people more aware of the different body types however as this has been done before I decided to use this as inspiration and move forwards to find a new way of showing body types through croquis.

Croquis x body diversity For this set of croquis I really wanted to be able to make a statement in a new way thinking outside the box to create something more dramatic. The butterfly on this image stems from brand me as it was a logo look that I wanted to be able to keep the aspects of the femininity within and incorporates the 10 words that inspired my brand me to be able to develop onto my 360 campaign. The layering of lingerie stems from the concept of being able to change the body shape of a mannequin in order to create more diverse models using lingerie alone. I found this to be an effective way of showing body shape/type without creating something which has been done before and is outplayed. For the ones with the grey butterfly heads I have only used lingerie which is sold from M&S as I believe this is an important step moving forwards as it is to re merchandise them as a brand to generation Z and the alphas. I chose the underwear that I did as I hoped to be able to use a variety different styles and colours as this would make the design stand out. I changed the butterfly used from pink to a smaller grey as I felt that I would be more effective if used with the other croquis in a display as the butterflies will then not distract from the outcome of the display as the other is a larger array of the butterflies. The colour I changed to grey for this butterfly as this also meant I was able to incorporate my other branding colour as pink and grey are the two colours for my personal branding. The designs also incorporate a variety of different textures which is created with the different styles of lingerie. This is something I really like about the designs as it gives the overall look more depth.

As part of a collaboration with West Cheshire College we worked with gaming students in which we set a brief for what we wanted creating based around our brand me. My brief was to have a model similar to my second croquis made 3D where the mannequin would spin and see all sides of this. With the current crisis I never received the final copy I just received a 2D version without the lingerie detailing such as lace that it needed. Therefore, I modified this myself in order to create the look of the final outcome that I wanted. The mannequin itself was based around the brief that I set and I added the desired detailing. In order to make this more futuristic I also added my butterfly for a face which also links it back to my other croquis and brand me as well as the eyes as this look of the eyes on the butterfly is something different compared to usual expectations of mannequin faces. The use of the lace on the sides stems from the initial styling that I created at the start of third year as I loved the concept of the wing that I created for this that I wanted to be able to use this within my work.

Gaming modification 76

For the actual window display I have used photoshop to create a room which could be used to display the croquis I have created. The top image shows this concept using the first array of croquis which I liked for the body diversity concept. This design is more simple and uses the image for the walls in the display to say the message I am trying to promote. This is a 2D rendering and uses the grey flooring as it links it both to M&S as well as my branding colours. The bottom image uses my gaming modification and as this is something which is designed to look 3D I have also edited the room which it sits within to give the while thing a more 3D aesthetic. This meant that I changed the flooring to give more texture while keeping within the grey and make the backdrop look pulled forwards to give it a 3D effect. The reason the back wall is pink is to bring in the femininity and other colour which links my branding together.

After creating my croquis and using the designs from them to modify my gaming and creating my 3D digital store I still felt something was missing from my work. This is where these further croquis developed have come from as stands are not just full body in stores thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different sizes such as just bust, just bottoms, 3/4 mannequins so I believe this is an important thing to consider within my work. Therefore I created two different colour ways using underwear sold in M&S in order to create a bust mannequin. These types of mannequins can be used in the same way as the full length stands in windows or middle of store displays however can also be used on high shelf stands above the lingerie that is being used to display it as a selling point.

Developing croquis.

Imagery book

I created this extra book to sit along side the rest of my work as I thought it was important to be able to show the imagery I have created digitally without anything else in the book as this will make the images more impactful. Overall I liked the way that this turned out as it was a way to finalise everything that has been shown through these books as it was important to find a way to not leave my work in a way which felt abrupt.

SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT SKETCH-UP RESULT 82

Sketch-up introduction.. As I could not do the physical photoshoot as I originally planned I looked into ways this could be done digitally and the way I found most interesting was sketch-up. The reason I chose this concept is that I liked the idea of being to create something which was 3D digitally.

Sketch-up was a completely new skill to me as its a software I have never used before however the experience was one that was worth while as it allowed me to create my vision. It was interesting to learn and took a lot of patience however I enjoyed being able to learn this skill to be able to develop my physical image to a digital image.

Using sketch-up I have created my own digital store to show what the croquis I have created will look like in a window display as well as in poster form for the outside of a store. This window display incorporates the wall coverings I designed for my photoshop prototype, the gaming collaboration modification, and a pink roof colour as this links my original brand me.

This kind of software could be used as prototype to see the way things will look in merchandising moving forwards with the digital generation however could be a way for online only brands to show a digital shopping store moving forwards.

Sketch-up..

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Choice of colour The colours for my branding as well as the colours that I have used in order to create my book series are pink, grey and white. Pink is used as it is the biggest part of my branding from brand me. It links almost all of my 10 words together such as feminine, romance, pink, sensitive and is the colour which has been my favourite all the way through my life therefore was important to me to bring this throughout my work. The shade of pink have chosen is a more bold shade of pink rather than a baby pink as M&S use a bold shade of green within their branding colours so I felt it was important to stick with this concept of having a bold colour when bringing my own branding into my work. Grey is my second branding choice colour as the other side to my initial brand me is the athleisure side of me that loves Adidas as a brand. Although I chose to follow the route of the femininity and thinking about my second year placement I still wanted to be able to keep this athleisure side to my branding within my work. The reason this correlates to grey is that it is a colour I associate to this aspect of my branding. I also chose a lighter shade as this meant it would not be distracting to the rest of the work as the pink is so bold. I feel this shade of grey also fits with M&S branding so will fit with the work that I produce when I comes to that stage. White is the colour I have used for the text in all of my book as I felt this colour fit best with the grey and pink branded colours. I chose this over black as I felt that my initial brand me was based around simplicity, femininity and being natural so I felt that white fit these specifications as black is more of a dark colour which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t match any aspect of my branding. White works well within my book as it also works with wanting to change M&S merchandising as white is also the colour which is used for their branding for the logo alongside the green. 90

Choice of text font SignPainter was the first choice of font as I wanted a font which showed off the feminine side of my branding. After looking at a variety of different text choices this was the one that I felt really matched my branding as I lived the way the lines curved however it was still readable as some curly fonts are more difficult to make out. I used this for the headings on my pages as I felt it allowed for them to stand out and I liked the tail it also added to the page.

SignPainter

Avenir Next is the font that I have used for the body of my books. The reason I chose this font is that it was a more basic style which again was easy readable. This font is similar to the base font that M&S use linking my font type to the brand I have focused my work on and I also felt that the block effect of this font allowed me to also link this to the athleisure side of my branding.

Avenir Next