! Name: Jenny Supatcha Wongkuprasert Student ID: WON13407495 Course: BA(Hons) Fashion Marketing Final Year Final Major Project Fashion Marketing Development Project “Bridal for Christian Louboutin” Word count: 9675 Date: 4 May 2018
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l a d i r B for
Content page Contents
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Project Summary Rationale Smart Objectives Internal Analysis 7Ps Customer Profile Pen Portrait SWOT Competitors External Analysis Pestel Mood Board Artefacts Packaging Ansoff Matrix
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Contents
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Brand Identity Promotion Gantt Chart Customer Profile Competitors Costing Quantitative & Qualitative Risk & Opportunity Conclusion Appendices Bibliography
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Project summary This project explores Christian Louboutin, the designer luxury brand, and its current market situation. Although the label has achieved a significant amount of success with its tangible elements, it has been facing certain issues within the market, often struggling with elements such as copyright issues and a lack of product diversification. This project has analysed Louboutin’s current market and suggested that as a brand it would be highly profitable for Louboutin to venture into the apparel market, particularly bridal wear (a category which they already have a lot of expertise in for accessories). By venturing into bridal wear / couture with an exclusive capsule collection, Louboutin will not only be diversifying their product range into pieces they haven’t had the opportunity to explore before, but this capsule collection will also prove to be a great marketing tool, further reiterating the brand’s many tangible elements (such as the traditional red color and signature bold yet elegant aesthetic). Additionally, as the bridal collection also incorporates innovative use of technology, particularly in the realms of fashion, with the use of fibre-optic threads, the Louboutin bridal wear collection would be one line that would undoubtedly also further enforce the brand as a leading name in innovation and technology in the fashion industry, particularly when it comes to other bridal competitors, who take a more traditional and classic approach to fashion and bridal. This would further help instill faith and confidence in the Louboutin brand and design.
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If proven to be successful, Louboutin can fully diversify its brand and product line into bridal wear, tapping into a new global market, as well as also look at ready-to-wear as a potential future market.
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Established in 1994 by French designer Christian Louboutin, the eponymous footwear label (Britannica, 2018), has since been defined as the go-to shoe label for statement designer pieces that resonate elegance, classiness, glamour & sexiness all in one. Created with the aim to celebrate women, thus it comes as no surprise that the shoes are often worn by some of the world’s most inspiring women, the high & pointed heel ensures legs look slim, long and perfect.
! Famous for its red soles & extravagant use of decorative elements & embellishments, the Louboutin heel line up is both decorative and striking in its design. Often collaborating with other designers (the names include the & created limited, exclusive pieces, the brand has now gained major credentials in the design industry.
! In particular, one of the brand’s key strengths is the red sole, which have often been identified as a ‘subtle status symbol’ (Britannica, 2018) and embody a certain level of class, status & elegance.
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Rationale The ideas of this project is to introduce an exclusive 5-pieces bridal evening wear collection for Christian Louboutin to achieve them to increase brand sales in another product category within the luxury fashion market.
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Although Christian Louboutin has already ventured into footwear, accessories & beauty, this new product category will enable the brand to venture into a new product category which can not only further emphasize the brand’s identity, especially in a time where the brand is facing issues with red sole copyright, but it can also further push the brand as a luxury label.
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With the brand losing rights over a major brand identity element (KWHS, 2018), Christian Louboutin is currently facing a problem with establishing their brand signature and aesthetic, especially to reinforce the tangible elements to its customers. Thus, a new range of products incorporating the preexisting brand signatures can further reestablish Christian Louboutin’s brand identity and push the brand as an innovative design leader.
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Within the exclusive bridal collection, which will only be available in store in Christian Louboutin stores in France, one of the five dresses will also be incorporating a LED-like reversible element; which has been done through the incorporation of fibre optic technology. This show-stopping key dress will be a full-fledged bridal gown, however a layer of the skirt can be removed, leaving a led-light after-party dress. This versatility and dual-functionality will enable the brand to have an unparalleled bridal experience for its customers.
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Smart objectives ! ! !
In order to implement this new bridal evening wear line for Christian Louboutin, an array of SMART objectives have to be set which direct the brand’s identity and help achieve the overriding objective of pushing brand identity strongly amongst the target customer.
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The below objectives will be used and monitored for the first three months post the launch in September to observe how the brand functions with this new line and if it can be ventured into more countries and markets.
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-Increase brand identity recognition by 5% in the first three months.
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-Capture 0.2% of the French luxury bridal market by the end of the three month period.
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-Increase engagement to a minimum of 17% per social media post on the bridal collection.
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-Increase sales by 6% for bridal wear by the end of the three month period.
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Internal analysis In order to better understand Christian Louboutin as a brand & its strengths and weakness as a company, it is essential to do a SPICC analysis of the label (as seen below) to fully gauge the brand’s status.
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Suppliers
The Louboutin shoes are made using the finest textiles & manufacturing materials from across Europe (News, 2018), resulting in the pieces demonstrating a similar level of excellence in all elements of its production, much like what the branding emphasizes as well. Thus, Louboutin has maintained a standard level of high quality standard across the entire level of production.
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Publics
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Maintaining in-house marketing and PR teams, and a closely monitored relationship with all its stakeholders, Louboutin ensures it is constantly keeping all members of the Louboutin community happy and at the same level of high standard.
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Intermediaries
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Customers
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Competitors
Heavily publicised on prominent fashion websites and esteemed magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, both locally & internationally, Louboutin has an impressive set of intermediaries in the form of press and even influencers who support and push the brand in every respect; enabling the brand to reach the much needed esteemed position in the market and design industry.
As a high-end, designer luxury label, it is essential for Louboutin to take into account their customers and their satisfaction as a key aspect of the label. As observed in this Vanity Fair article (Foxley, 2018), ‘the label is immune to a bad economy’, thus demonstrating the brand’s power as a designer label & a particular strength in ability to keep their customers satisfied and with retention.
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The main competitors Louboutin has in the direct luxury footwear industry include the likes of Manolo Blahnik and Roger Vivier, but the brand is still able to create an unparalleled branding and reputation, thus not letting the competitors take away any of their market share.
7Ps of Christian louboutin Place
! Christian Louboutin Flagship Stores : !
UK ( London ) - Knightsbridge Motcomb street, Dover street, Harrods, Selfridges , Mayfair Mount Street, Heathrow Airport
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France ( Paris) - Saint-Honoré, Rue-Jean Jacques Rousseau, Boulevard Haussmann. Rue de Grenelle, Bon Marché COO : Product mainly handmade in France with resources exported globally
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Online website : Net-a-poter , Browns, MatchesFashion, Selfridges website, Christian Louboutin Website with worldwide delivery
! ! Suppliers : ! •
Supplier information was difficult to accumulate, however one can deduce that as the shoe is made of very high standard and quality materials. The pieces are handmade, and the suppliers tend to be mainly European, who provide the best in the material range they have been asked to deliver to the brand’s company.
V + M and stores environment :
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Louboutin’s VM displays are mainly focused around the signature color schemes with the emphasis on signature shoes in an overall simplistic approach. The brand signature colors of red and black are used to emphasize brand identity and theme. This is done to keep the attention on the shoes and branding, without taking away from either. The store environment is also based around the brand identity guidelines, encompassing an overall elegant, sophisticated and classy approach as a fashion retailer.
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Both the VM display, merchandising and store environment reinforce brand identity and guidelines, which is important to note, because it demonstrates that Louboutin takes great pride in their signature style and brand heritage.
Christian Louboutin stores in London
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Christian Louboutin beauty counter at Selfridges London
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7Ps of Christian louboutin Product Christian Louboutin’s product range for the key product of shoes is divided into three categories; Basics, Seasonal & High Fashion. The basic is the signature Chritstian Louboutin product which is available throughout the seasons and available in a neutral color palette of basics. Meanwhile, the seasonal pieces are a play on the basic with different colors and embellishments. The high fashion pieces are key limited edition exclusives
HIGH FASHION
SEASONAL
Dorothy Swarovski! £ 1595.00
Keopump Veau! £ 965.00
Twistissima Strass £ 895.00
BASICS So Kate Patent! £ 495.00
Decollete Patent! £ 525.00
Above figure demonstrates the products that Christian Louboutin currently keep in their store and footwear range.
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7Ps of Christian louboutin Shoes : Within the primary product range of shoes, Christian Louboutin has various different kinds of footwear available from pumps, sandals, wedges, platforms, sneakers and boots. Within each of these category, the three categories of basic, seasonal and high fashion still apply, alternating for the different type of footwear.
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Price Category: High-End / Designer Luxury
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From Christian Louboutin website Pumps
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Classic (So Kate, Pigaelle in Plain Color) : Range of 495-595 GBP
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Seasonal Print / Spikes / Glitter : 700- 1095 GBP
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Flats: 665 - 895 GBP
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Weges: 545- 595 GBP
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Sneakers : 475-895 GBP
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Boots : 695 - 1600 GBP
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Bridal : 495 -2595 GBP
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Beyond footwear, Louboutin also varies into other accessories such as leather goods in the form of handbags and wallets. Mainly creating products in the categories of totes, shoulder bags, backpacks, clutches and wallets, the handbags work on the same brand aesthetic as the shoes, emphasizing the brand identity.
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7Ps of Christian louboutin Leather good: Totes, Shoulder bags, Backpack, Clutch, Wallet
Cabata Tote Bag
Sweety Charity Mini Chain Bag
£ 1,045.00
£ 1,045.00
! Panettone Wallet
Vero-Dodat Clutch
£ 545.00
£ 895.00
! Recently, beyond just accessories, Christian Louboutin also ventured into beauty products which similarly emphasize brand identity and the signature aesthetic. Creating nail polish, eye liner, lip color and perfume in statement bottles and products, the Louboutin beauty range draws on signature brand elements, all whilst maintaining the brand’s reputation for high quality.
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7Ps of Christian louboutin Christian louboutin beauty product
Rouge Louboutin nail polish £ 38.00
Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin Lip Color £ 70.00 Rouge Louboutin Œil Vinyle Luminous Ink Liner £ 58.00
Bikini Questa Sera Perfume
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30 ML
£ 115.00
80 ML
£ 215.00
7Ps of Christian louboutin ! Packaging Much like any other aspect of the Louboutin brand, the packaging too is streamlined and maintained with a specific aesthetic to reinforce brand aesthetic and identity in the minds of the customers. - Light beige color shoes box with the brand signature logo
! - Shoe box created to suit shape of shoes ! - Signature cloth red shoes bag ! -
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Logo embellished upon the box and bag
7Ps of Christian louboutin Packaging for beauty product such as nail polish, lip color and perfume
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7Ps of Christian louboutin Promotion Amongst the key marketing strategies used by Christian Louboutin, the digital media mix is of great significance, especially as the fashion industry is becoming more and more digital. Amongst this digital media mix, Christian Louboutin mainly relies on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube to share and emphasize its content. On Instagram, Christian Louboutin has a strong following of 10.6 Million followers, and mainly relies on posting streamlined brand campaigns and imagery. Similar is the case with Facebook, which is used as more of a platform to push content from other social media platforms in one streamlined channel. Youtube also proves to be particularly important to Christian Louboutin’s digital media mix, as it is through Youtube, the brand creates engaging videos to give the customer a more tangible and immersive brand experience. Social media analysis Christian Louboutin Instagram ( @louboutinworld )
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7Ps of Christian louboutin Christian Louboutin Facebook Page (@Christianlouboutin )
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Christian Louboutin Youtube Chanel (Christian louboutin )
7Ps of Christian louboutin Promotional Print Advertising
As a brand, Christian Louboutin also heavily relies on strong campaigns, which they can use for both their print advertising in high fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar internationally. Additionally, these campaign images can then also be used for the digital media mix, to create a streamlined and comprehensive brand image.
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7Ps of Christian louboutin People
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Designer & Founder: Christian Louboutin Bruno Chamberland, CEO Henri Seydoux, Director Alexis Mourot, COO Factory visit: -Skilled & expert craftsmen -Research + development team http://www.coolhunting.com/design/factory-visit-christian-louboutin-aurelie Process Research + Development -Craftsmen team to develop shoes and go through the process of production for each shoe to ensure it meets the designer standards and quality check -Scientific process to maintain the shoe quality and create resistance Customer After-Service -Christian Louboutin offers a product care category on its website to give customers insight into the different ways they could protect and preserve their Louboutin shoes from the beginning to give them longevity and resistance (Louboutin, 2018). -Additionally, Christian Louboutin also offers to its customers various leather-specific ateliers they can revert to if there is an issue with the product, or if the product needs to be preserved or cleaned (Ferrarini, 2016).
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! !
Customer profile
Name:
Miss Sofia
Age:
27 Years old
Gender:
Female
Relationship status: Inc Single Occupation: Income: Location: Hobbies: Interests:
Fashion Editor 18000 â‚Ź / London, United Kingdom Taking photos, Yoga Travel, Party, Shoes collector
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Pen portrait Meet Miss Sofia, a twenty-seven years old fashion editor, based in London. Sofia acquired a job as a fashion editor at Vogue magazine UK. Sofia now lives in London with her sister, Silvia. Her annual earnings are 18000 €. She likes to spend her free time exercising. She indulges in hot yoga on a weekly basis. She believes that exercise is a way of not only working out, but also meditating and relaxing, thus she also practices yoga breathing to rejuvenate her senses. Apart from that, She also interests in taking photos and contemporary arts. As a part of her job, Serena gets to meet and interact with lots of different people, and thus spends the majority of her time partying or grabbing a drink at the latest, most fashionable bar. Her social interactions keep her busy on both weekends and weekdays, and her personal and work schedule is often too full. Sofie’s style is very elegant and chic, and she likes to wear body con dresses, crop tops and lots of high heels. Her love for shoes is so vast especially high heels that she owns over a 50 pairs of shoes and is continuously adding to her collection. Sofia also like to travel during holiday and every summer vacation she likes to go to the beach with her friends to visit the beautiful destinations such as Santorini , Ibiza. Whilst currently Sofie’s life is very busy and hectic, she hopes that her career continues to grow over the period of the next ten years, after which she would like to take time out from her career, to date someone and start a family.
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Swot & Analysis Strengths
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Strong social media following; 10.8 Million Followers on Instagram
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High quality product (Louboutin, 2018)
- Strong brand equity and signature aesthetic ( (Louboutin, 2018) -
Consistent brand identity & messaging
Weaknesses
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Limited brand range (accessories & beauty); not enough brand product range to entice different group of consumers, particularly in the luxury segment
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Increasing number of competitor brands
! ! ! Threats
Opportunities -
Rising Luxury millennial market; particularly in countries such as India & China Brand still has a limited product range, thus the brand has the opportunity to expand into new categories and increase their brand reach
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- Loss
of red sole copyright; a key element of the branding and brand heritage.
Could take away signature brand aesthetic - Volatile
times, particularly for luxury industry with decreasing sales & revenues
globally (Paton, 2017)
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- Luxury
market finding it difficult to appease to new market segment of
millennials(Paton, 2017).
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Swot & Analysis As observed in the above table of SWOT analysis, as a label, Louboutin has several strengths in the form of strong branding, equity & following. This is of particular importance as it means that as a label, Louboutin continuously makes an impact upon consumers (even those who may not be the label’s target market), thus creating an unparalleled position in the luxury market. Furthermore, the consistent brand messaging & equity translation in the form of tangible brand elements such as the red soles, means the brand has its own unmistakable identity.
! However, the brand’s limited product range, comprising of accessories & beauty pieces, can actually constrict the brand’s growth in terms of what it accomplishes with its position within the luxury market.
! The same brand product range can also be an opportunity to find growth in the future, as the brand can push through new mechanisms to push itself further amongst the luxury market. This, coupled with rising markets in the form of India & China can further accelerate the brand’s growth.
! The brand must however, be wary of elements of threats such as market volatility and copyright allegations, which could enable the brand to lose their key luxury status.
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Competitors ( Current market ) Competitor Analysis Table
Brand / 3Ps Jimmy Choo
Price - High Price Points
Product - 21st century accessory label - Excellent italian craftsmanship - Glamorous but strong women - Contemporary
! Manolo Blahnik
- High Price Points
Roger Vivier
- High Price Points
Renee Caovilla
- High price points
- Flagships - International Stocklists
(Vivier, 2018)
- Focus on quality & luxury - Handcrafted manufacturing - 38 steps to make one shoe - Historical significance - Trend driven pieces each season - USP: ‘unrivaled quality’
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(Sherman, 2017)
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- Flagships
(Bischof, 2018)
- Artisinal work - Feminine elegance - Celebrated french embroidery houses - Celebrating talent of extraordinary woman
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- Flagships - International Stocklists
(Choo, 2017)
- Unfussy, elegant - Commitment to quality & comfort - London-based
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Place
- Flagships - International Stocklists
Product positioning map High price Manolo Blahnik Roger vivier Christian louboutin
Rene caovilla
Jimmy choo
Low quality
High quality
Low price The product positioning map above take the four competitors from the competitor analysis , to compare price versus quality.
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Competitor Social Media ( Instagram)
Jimmy Choo 7,6M Followers ( https://www.instagram.com/jimmychoo/?hl=en)
Manolo Blahnik 2.3M Followers ( https://www.instagram.com/manoloblahnikhq/?hl=en)
Roger Vivier 370K Followers ( https://www.instagram.com/rogervivier/?hl=en)
Rene Caovilla 223 K Followers ( https://www.instagram.com/renecaovilla/?hl=en)
As observed in the above tables, compared to its main competitors, Louboutin has a high Instagram following, supported by high engagement as well. This results in a greater awareness of the brand and demonstrates its strong and well-established positioning amongst the competitors, further solidifying its strength as a luxury brand.
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DRIP:
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Taking into account the above customers, the DRIP model can be put into place to better understand the customer journey for each of these models. Operating on a similar basis for each one of the brands, as they all have high, luxury price points, the customer initially interacts with the brand’s social media page, follows it, is further exposed to the brand message through the social media posts, which often leads the customer to the brand website, where after much research and inquisitive investigation, the customer buys the product and adds it to the cart, leading to the persuade stage.
Differentiate Social Media Page
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Reinforce
Inform
Social Media Post
Website
Persuade Add to Cart Section
Current Customer : French luxury customer
! Market Segment : Luxury millennials ! -18-32 years old (KPMG, 2017). -Highly digital (KPMG, 2017).
-Luxury orientated & great shopping capacity (KPMG, 2017).
! Strengths 70% of luxury purchases are influenced by online interactions ( WGSN, 2018)
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- Craftsmanship, superior quality and design (Wilson, 2018)
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-Youthful, edgy approach to luxury - done well by Gucci Looking for a luxury experience (Gustafson, 2018) -
! Tech savy (Gustafson, 2018) ! ! -
Weakness - This consumer base is less loyal to traditional luxury brands, is over-connected to social networks, favors experience, comfort and wellbeing instead of appearance and is more politicised than the previous generation.
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Opportunities
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The noticeable emergence of millennials
- Spending dominated by older age (Roberts, 2014)
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"The millennial customer is less interested in the country of origin than they are in design and innovation, so there's a push for new, innovative and quickto-market products that are priced right and designed well, regardless of the origin.� (DASWANI, 2015)
These consumers, Bain reckons, will account for 45% of luxurymarket consumption by 2025\ (DASWANI, 2015)
Millennials are set to outpace spending of baby boomers by 2017, according to a study by Berglass + Associates. (Shih, 2016)
Millennials want to participate in the luxury industry, not just consume its products (Amed, 2018)
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Threats
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External analysis
! - Market Size - French Luxury Market sales at 42.6 billion euros ! - Market Growth ! - Organic growth of 12% in one year
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Pestel P
E
S
Political
Economics
Social
- The new law will allow employers and employees to agree new terms on a company by company basis.
-Key rise in online shopping; Although internet retailing continued to account for low value share, the channel was the main contributor to the positive value growth of overall sales of luxury goods in 2017 (Doran, 2014).
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- French luxury sales on a rise (Doran, 2014).
- The French government resorted to the controversial Article 49.3 of the French constitution, to introduce controversial new labour laws that provoked huge demonstrations by unions and agitation in many French high schools.
- Controversial political situation (Doran, 2014)
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!
! -
-
- Though
both no doubt enjoy France’s historically low interest rates, low purchase costs and assured rental return prospects (Lucking, 2018).
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The French economy is slowly improving, with slow growth and slowly falling unemployment (Doran, 2014).
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The continued financial support and success of large French conglomerates looks set to protect and bolster the local manufacturing economy, as Made in France continues to represent a seal of quality in luxury around the globe (Doran, 2014).
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- France is the most visited country in the world, welcoming a reported 82 million tourists each year according to the report.(Lucking, 2018)
- Luxury market age segement is gearing more and more towards older luxuriance
! Third biggest luxury market in the world ! - High income population ! 34, 028 million euro market value (Statista, 2018) ! - Key luxury manufacturer (Doran, 2014). ! - One of the biggest produers and exporters globally !
The European luxury sector employs approximately one million workers directly, and at least a further 500,000 workers indirectly.
- A drop in local wealth has done little to dampen luxury consumption in France. In 2013, retail sales of luxury goods totalled â‚Ź16.8 billion and at least a further 500,000 workers indirectly (Doran, 2014).
France was plagued by terrorist attacks, with incidents in Paris, Nice and other parts of the country; a lot of social anxiety and unrest (Euromonitor, 2018)
!! !
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- Emerging market consumers will continue to favour the destination and purchase their French luxury goods in the capital (Doran, 2014).
! - France is the ninth largest economy in the world and the third biggest in Europe. With at least 79m foreign tourists per year (Doran, 2014).
Pestel T
E
L
Technological
Environmental
Legal
18 % of our survey participants had downloaded a luxury brand’s mobile app in the previous year, compared to only 4% in a 2013 survey by McKinsey (Shih, 2016)
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- In 2018 Savvy brands will nevertheless find and opportunity for growth thanks to the rise of digital technology and social media (Amed, 2018).
- Greater sustainability laws being implemented for food (Schroeder, 2018).
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! ! ! - 10% reported making their most recent luxury purchase online, citing that saving time and finding the ! best price were their main motivators. Others said that they found the store atmosphere ‘intimidating and ! 2016) scrutinizing’ (Shih, !
- Greater shift towards sustainable fashion for french brands, with companies such as Kering leading the way (Wright, 2018)
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Although currently faced with political and social turmoil in the form of political instability, France still appears to be a strong market for luxury products and brands with continuous growth and an undeterred rise in luxury products. As one of the world’s largest economies and with a population with a high income, France, also the home country of Christian Louboutin is still a great market for the brand. With a greater inclination towards online spending and luxury spending in particular, France is a strong contender for Christian Louboutin to release any collection successfully.
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Mood board
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Artefacts
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“Bridal collection”
The chosen artefact for this project is a look book encompassing the 5 designs being used by Christian Louboutin to introduce their 5 piece ready-to-wear luxury, bridal line. Through the look book, a customer can fully visualise the final product in the collection, its quality, composition, as well as how it is reinforcing the beand identity for Christian Louboutin. As observed in the sketches in the artefact, each sketch incorporates the brand’s signature red color in the form of red zips and embroidery, which further enforces the classic red sole’s brand identity into a ready-to-wear piece. Pushing the brand to create pieces which resonate with the customer’s perception of the brands, especially in a time where brand identity is diminishing, Christian Louboutin can reach out to its customer for a successful ready-to-wear line up which emphasizes brand aesthetic. The key statement piece of this collection is the show-stopper bridal gown, which is the fifth piece. Serving as a versatile and multi-functional dress, this bridal gown serves as a mermaid-silhouette gown for the actual event, however the trail is detachable, allowing the bride or wearer to have a led-instilled effect, light up dress which can serve as the perfect statement piece for an after-party. This dress gives the wearer two different styles in the price of one. The light-up effect is caused by the incorporation of fibre optics in the gown which emphasizes the light-up factor, particularly in the dark. This is a new and innovative approach by the brand, who tends to keep their designs a lot more traditional in terms of craftsmanship and production.
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!
Look book Look 1
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Photo courtesy of Supatcha Wongkuprasert
Look 2
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Photo courtesy of Supatcha Wongkuprasert
Look 3
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Photo courtesy of Supatcha Wongkuprasert
Look 4
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Photo courtesy of Supatcha Wongkuprasert
Look 5
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Photo courtesy of Supatcha Wongkuprasert
Look 5
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Photo courtesy of Supatcha Wongkuprasert
LOOK 1 Red zip
Production ID = CL 01
fabric Red embroidery
Red zip Garment care : Dry Clean Only
In order to better understand the collection and project proposal for how bridal wear will be implemented for Christian Louboutin, it is imperative to understand the artifacts depicting this collection in the form of the actual ready-to-wear bridal pieces. In order to do this, a mock-up of the five gowns being presented as a part of this collection were presented as the artifacts, as a part of this fashion marketing plan’s components.
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In order to better depict each of the gowns, a sketch of each was created which in turn could give the project reader a better understanding of how the concept would be implemented into real-life gowns or dresses that one could wear. The sketches give emphasis to the silhouette, cut, and materials as well as tangible brand elements that could be incorporated into each design to make it that much more striking and impactful. As these are bridal gowns, the immaculate attention to detailing and craftsmanship is also emphasized through these sketches to give the viewer an understanding of the time and effort put into these pieces to make them one-of-a-kind and truly unique.
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The first look, a red billowing gown, plays on the traditional red color which is a signature Louboutin colour. The idea of this gown is to reinvent traditional realms of bridal wear, giving the bride something fresh and innovative to wear, whilst simultaneously also drawing upon the brand’s heritage and signature elements. The base material used is a shiny tulle, which can easily fit in with the brand’s aesthetic, as Louboutin often uses sparkly and shining statement materials in their accessories. The tulle gown skirt is full-length, which gives a major statement effect, all whilst embodying an understated luxury & elegance. The bodice silhouette is kept very minimal with a deep V-neck and a low scoop back to add a touch of skin, which gives the traditional gown a more sexy and glamorous approach, reflecting Louboutin’s signature brand aesthetic. The gown is also fit with the brand’s red zip signature, which is a key component of the current bridal collection.
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LOOK 2 Production ID = CL 02 Red zip Sequin
Lace fabric
Red zip Ombre effect
Garment care : Dry Clean Only
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The second look or gown in this collection is a strapless white piece. The use of the traditional white color gives a more classic feel to the collection’s pieces, offering buyers with the opportunity to purchase something a lot more authentic if that is what they are looking for. However, the incorporation go the sparkly and shining material, once again adds that understated Louboutin statement factor to the gown. The shiny fabric also has a lace layer, giving it a more traditional feel. The gown comprises of a strapless bodice extending out into a full-bodied skirt. The transition of the bodice into the skirt is further enhanced by an ombre effect which just adds that much more enhancement to the gown, making it more flattering and empowering for the wearer. The bodice is also enhanced with sequins which further add to the statement sparkle factor that Louboutin pieces often incorporate to make it that much more exciting and statement, particularly when it comes to the bridal wear. The low back again adds to the modern day bride aesthetic, further resonating the brand’s signature glamorous & fiercely fashionable aesthetic. All of this is complete with the bridal line’s signature red zip; a feature which is synonymous with the brand’s red heel.
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LOOK 3 Red zip
Production ID = CL 03
fabric
Red embroidery Red zip
Garment care : Dry Clean Only
The third look or piece created for the Louboutin bridal wear stems out from the traditional bridal gowns with a more contemporary take on bridal wear. The one-sleeve, cascading gown, focuses less on the full-bodied gown, but rather on a more modern silhouette, that almost rivals a party gown than that of a traditional bridal gown; for more contemporary brides. This gown is again created in the brand’s signature red colour, giving it a true Louboutin flavour, which is further enhanced by the shiny and shimmering fabric. The material is consistently sparkling throughout and is also emphasized by red embroidery, which adds an extra touch of sparkle and glamour to the piece. The bodice is kept well-fitted and is draped with an one-shoulder effect, which has a much lower back cut towards the back. The bodice is well fitted on the waist, accentuating the waist and hips, but then cascades out to create a more voluminous and full-bodied cascading skirt. The cascading ruffles are extended out throughout the gown, giving the silhouette a lot of volume and and flares. The cascading ruffles also give the gown a different look, compared to those usually employed for wedding gowns, adding that statement factor which is so often synonymous with Louboutin’s traditional brand values and aesthetic, thus making the gown very different from the norms of bridal wear. The gown extends into cascading ruffles towards the end, with a small trail, further adding to the overall impact of the gown. This gown has been added to the collection as a significantly different statement piece to the other pieces in the collection, giving the wearer something completely different to rely on. The piece is also complete with the collection’s traditional red zip, which is almost hidden in this design, but still maintains an element of the collection’s traditional tangible elements. The idea of this gown in particular is to push forward the collection to non-brides as well, and more for people attending a wedding, creating a broader scope for the collection.
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LOOK 4
Production ID = CL 04 Red zip
fabric
Red and gold embroidery Red zip
Ombre effect
Garment care : Dry Clean Only
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The fourth look in the collection reverts back to the the traditional full-bodied gown sphere, however this time with a completely different twist. The fourth gown incorporates a strapless bodice extending into a two-tiered full-bodied gown. This gown again incorporates Louboutin’s signature red colour, adding to the brand’s more statement and fiercely glamorous take on traditional white bridal wear, and truly providing something different and innovative for the modern-day, fashion-forward bride. Unlike the other gowns in this collection, the fourth gown combines two types of materials, one non-shining, matte fabric, and one shining fabric, to give this piece a completely new and innovative edge. The contrasting fabrics paired together give a very statement effect, which is unrivaled and makes for a very aesthetically pleasing piece within the collection. The gown incorporates a sleeveless bodice which has a low v-neck, which adds to the Louboutin glamour effect, which the brand is trying to push out there. The bodice is created in a red matte fabric, which makes a statement of its own without drawing too much attention. This matte red fabric is then bordered with a gold sparkly lining, which mirrors some of the brand’s most successful shoe combinations; particularly those party ones. Additionally, the gold lining tone also further accentuates the waist, flattering the wearer’s shape and body more. This bodice then ventures out into a full-bodied matte gown, complete with flares and a trail. This creates an overall statement impact, however the true statement factor of the collection is the double flare fabric which extends from the bodice in a cape-like manner. This is created in a combination red and gold shiny, shimmering fabric, which is further enhanced by detailed embroidery. The start of the cape has a lot more shine, which extends down into less shine as the cape finishes. The effect then makes the gown that much more statement and adds an unrivaled glamorous and sexy peek-a-boo effect. This gown, too, is complete with a signature red zip, which adds to the overall gown effect.
LOOK 5 Red zip Production ID = CL 05
Fibre optics fabric
Red zip
Garment care : Dry Clean Only
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The final piece in the collection, the fifth look, is the most statement out of all the pieces. This is because this gown is a twoin-one statement piece created for the collection in the form of both a party dress and a bridal dress. At first, this white bridal gown looks like a one-sleeve, full-bodied gown with a slit, however the trail can be detached leaving the wearer with just a gown effect. The gown is created in a white colour, making the most statement piece of the bridal collection more traditional in that sense, as white is the most associated bridal colour. The bodice of the inner gown is tight and well-fitted, accentuating the body, and is further assisted by the one-sleeve, which gives a glamorous peek-a-boo effect to the gown. The bodice then stems out into a tightly, hip-clinging gown, which eventually flows out into a mermaid shape with both a glamorous slit and trail. This material is shiny white, and adds an understated luxury aesthetic through the shimmering glitter, which is almost hidden in the white colour. This is then coupled with a red zip, which is striking against the white colour, truly giving the zip the same reputation as the red sole of the heels, which make an unparalleled statement factor for the label, particularly drawing upon the glamorous feel of a bridal gown. This inlay dress is then coupled with a full-bodied, voluminous skirt, which is detachable. This skirt is created with special fibre optic-implemented fabric, which makes the dress glow-in-the-dark and shine in the light. This particular implementation of material gives the gown a technological innovation factor as well, something which changes the realms of the bridal wear industry, particularly considering how this gown is the statement piece of the collection. The trail can be detached and added, giving the bride the option to have both a bridal gown, as well as a dress for the after-party as well. Through the incorporation of this gown, Louboutin is demonstrating a dedication to craftsmanship, innovation and edgy fashion.
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Fabric Fibre optic fabric
Silk
Sequin , Embroidery
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This page shows the colour scheme and materials that will be used for the range.
Additionally, as a part of the Louboutin bridal wear collection, customers will have the opportunity to purchase some of the brand’s classic wedding shoes, which will be created with the same fabrics and materials as the gowns, giving the consumer a one-of-a-kind, special piece, that not only mirrors the gown, but will also remain as a treasured keepsake in the wardrobe of the wearer.
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Size For the collection, the sizing implemented will mostly be based using the below standardized dress sizing chart. However, as the pieces are bridal & limited edition, Louboutin will be offering a personalized customization service to alter pieces to make the ‘made-to-fit’ and give consumers an unparalleled feel and fit, which further add to the exclusivity and brand elements for the newly implemented collection.
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Packaging As a brand that relies so heavily on its branding & tangible elements to translate its identity to its customers, the bridal wear for Louboutin collection also requires strong packaging that can translate a similar sense of branding, especially as the product line is so exclusive and limited edition. The below images are examples of the packaging, which will resonate with traditional Louboutin packaging, but adding a bit of a twist to translate a different sense of luxury & unparalleled edge for the new collection.The only truly different factor for the collection is the gold logo, which adds a bit of twist on the logo for the limited edition capsule collection.
! -
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Classic plastic shopping bag with Christian Louboutin logo Bridal dress cover Congratulations card from Mr. Louboutin Gold, White, Red, Black Colors
Ansoff Matrix
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Ansoff matrix ! Product development Creating new products for existing customer and new market
As observed in the Ansoff Matrix above, through this project, Christian Louboutin is aiming to venture into the product development aspect of the matrix by developing a new product range in the form of bridal wear for their existing customer and segment. This development of the new product range is largely based around three ideas. Firstly, Louboutin is ensuring the new bridal line is closely associated with their current product range of shoes & accessories, as well as beauty products, resonating the label’s signature & tangible brand elements, such as the use of the classic red color and general aesthetic. Secondly, the new product range of bridal wear matches the current customer segment’s purchasing habits, which mainly comprises of customers looking for inventive, luxury pieces with a designer twist, particularly in the form of bridal wear. Thus, these various elements ensure that the new range exhibits a strong viability for the label, thus proving to be a successful venture, which brings both financial & branding-wise success. This coupled with the brand’s already strong social media performance can truly help catapult the brand to new levels of success.
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Place, Physical environment Place
!
Special for people who visit store because they need to measure the right size. however its gonna be available to see the look book on the website and if people want to delivery globally is possible
! Christian Louboutin Flagship Stores : !
France ( Paris) - Saint-Honoré, Rue-Jean Jacques Rousseau, Boulevard Haussmann. Rue de Grenelle, Bon Marché Online website : Christian Louboutin Website with worldwide delivery
! COO : Product mainly handmade in France with resources exported globally ! Suppliers : ! •
Supplier information was difficult to accumulate, however one can deduce that as the bridal dress is made of very high standard and quality materials. Every pieces are handmade, and the suppliers tend to be mainly European, who provide the best in the material range they have been asked to deliver to the brand’s company.
V + M and stores environment : •
Louboutin’s VM displays are mainly focused around the signature color schemes with the emphasis on signature shoes in an overall simplistic approach. The brand signature colors of red and black are used to emphasize brand identity and theme. This is done to keep the attention on the shoes and branding, without taking away from either. The store environment is also based around the brand identity guidelines, encompassing an overall elegant, sophisticated and classy approach as a fashion retailer.
•
Both the VM display, merchandising and store environment reinforce brand identity and guidelines, which is important to note, because it demonstrates that Louboutin takes great pride in their signature style and brand heritage.
•
One of the Key piece from the bridal collection going to be on the window display ….
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People, Process People
!
Designer & Founder: Christian Louboutin Bruno Chamberland, CEO Henri Seydoux, Director Alexis Mourot, COO Factory visit: -Skilled & expert craftsmen -Research + development team http://www.coolhunting.com/design/factory-visit-christian-louboutin-aurelie Process Research + Development -Craftsmen team to develop shoes and go through the process of production for each shoe to ensure it meets the designer standards and quality check -Scientific process to maintain the shoe quality and create resistance Customer After-Service -Christian Louboutin offers a product care category on its website to give customers insight into the different ways they could protect and preserve their Louboutin shoes from the beginning to give them longevity and resistance (Louboutin, 2018). -Additionally, Christian Louboutin also offers to its customers various leather-specific ateliers they can revert to if there is an issue with the product, or if the product needs to be preserved or cleaned (Ferrarini, 2016)
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Brand identity & USP The Louboutin bridal wear collection is based around the idea of emphasizing already existing brand elements, with an added touch of exclusivity for the newly implemented collection. Thus various elements of the brand identity will be incorporated into the gowns. For example, each gown will have a red zip, much like the brand’s signature red sole. The red zip will reflect the red sole, further emphasized by beautifully incorporated red embroidery as well (further emphasizing the brand’s signature color and tangible brand elements.
! In terms of the collection itself, the incorporation of special fabrics and unparalleled exclusive designs, similar to what the brand does with the shoes, will give consumers a special bridal dress like no other resulting in an USP. Additionally, making the collection or piece further special, each piece will have the wearer’s name embroidered inside, depicting how special it is. Additionally, a personalized signed card from the designer himself will add to the exclusivity around the piece; retranslating the hours and time spent making this special dress.
! Finally, the incorporation of an ‘one-off’ piece such as the LED-lead dress, demonstrates the designer’s dedication to art, design and craftsmanship, creating pieces which are unrivaled in the luxury bridal wear domain.
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Promotion As per my understanding from my research, Christian Louboutin, as a brand, does not include too many advertising strategies. This could be a result of their need to maintain a sense of exclusivity and an elite target audience. However, for the introduction of this new bridal line, I will be hoping to incorporate new advertising strategies. Much of their advertising is done using print; using contemporary art concepts to create photographic visuals which intrigue the viewer.
! Social media use is limited, with a lack of active involvement in media platforms and collaborations with bloggers and designers to engage the interest of the audience and draw attention to new product ranges. Competitions and games are also not included.
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Promotional Strategies Social + New Media
A key aspect of the promotional strategies is the use of social and new media. To promote the bridal wear range, Christian Louboutin will focus on improving their social media awareness. This will be done by increasing the number of posts on Instagram and Facebook. Special images and videos of the range will be released through social media , application and on the Louboutin website. The brand will also collaborate with celebrities and bloggers. The celebrities and bloggers will be asked to share photos of their looks of Louboutin or special image from the bridal collection on their social media sites. Also, to make social media more interactive, Louboutin will ask consumers to share photos of their looks on Instagram and all other followers will vote for the best look. The winner of best look will receive a 50% discount from the shoes collection as a complimentary gift. There will also be a Social media movement for everyone to win a beauty range even they do not purchase the products. All events and other promotion will also be put on social media websites, like editorial pictures on Facebook and Instargram.
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Special for people who purchase the Christian louboutin bridal shoes range will receive a complimentary 15% for bridal wear range of the brand. This campaign will be only for the first month that the bridal wear start and will be announce in store, online website and etc…
Promotional Strategies Advertising + Print
Whilst Louboutin already has print advertising, through the introduction of the range, the print advertising will be further expanded. Print advertising editorials will feature the campaign shots of the collection in an advertorial format. There will be about 4-5 images editorials, with the models wearing the clothing in Parisian sites. They will be photographed in front of the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, to further resonate the branding’s heritage and dedication to Parisian craftsmanship. The editorials will be distributed to feature in various glossy fashion magazines, such as Vogue and Elle. The campaign will be a double spreadsheet, with lots of factors that remind the person who reads it of the brand identity and guidelines. Furthermore, the images will be made popular on social media as well. By posting on Instagram and Tumblr pages.
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To make editorials more interactive, behind the scenes footage will also be released with the editorials.
!
!
!
!
Promotional event !
In order to introduce Christian Louboutin’s luxury bridal wear line, a special promotional selling event will be organised, inviting some of Christian Louboutin’s top clientele and a selection of VIP celebrities and influencers. Organised as a special luxury dinner at the Ritz, Paris, this personal selling event will introduce the bridal wear to the exclusive guest list, giving them the opportunity to buy the pieces, if they so desire.
!
Set up in the brand’s signature red aesthetic, with strong fancy, floral decoration, this personal selling event will not only emphasize brand identity, similar to the objective of the luxury bridal line, but will also create Instagram content which can be pushed towards the target customer’s social media.
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Promotional Strategies - PR - Press Release As part of the promotional strategies, a distinctive range of PR activity will also be deployed to further push the brand. As a company, as Christian Louboutin already has a strong PR team, thish would be employed for the purpose of this bridal collection launch as well. The PR’s work will be to make the market aware of the various promotions and the work of the brand in this new market sector, particularly push the news through press releases like below.
! !
Press Release:
!
Louboutin Expands Its Reach Into Bridal Wear
!
5th August 2015 - London, U.K. As of September 2018, The Pairisian Louboutin ateliers will be selling the new range of exclusive Louboutin bridal wear Starting off as a small range of five limited edition pieces, the collection has all the attributes of the Louboutin brand; classy, sophisticated, elegant and sexy. The collection comprises of a very signature color scheme, built upon the classic red, black and white with gold and silver detailing, particularly drawing reference to the brand’s many tangible elements.
!
The clothing is made of fine materials which are of the highest quality. The materials involved include cotton, silks and sequins, which are delicate and smooth. The size-to-order & limited availability make these pieces different and unique, particularly in the realms of luxury bridal wear.
!
The highlight piece of this collection however is the LED-dress, which transitions into both a party & after-party piece all with the aid of an easy-to-remove skirt, that will instantly make the wearer feel special. 58 Loyal customers can also be expected to be invited to the personal selling event, cocktail evening night.
Gantt Chart August
September
October
November
PR Activity
X
X
X
X
Social Media Marketing
X
X
X
X
Influencer Marketing
X
X
Event Promotion
X
Design
Advertising / Editorial Features
Launch of Collection
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X
X
X
X
X
Gantt Chart As observed in the Gantt chart above, the PR & marketing activity around the launch of the Christian Louboutin bridal wear collection will be maintained throughout the months leading up to the collection launch, as well as for the entirety of the season post the launch. The idea is that there is always some form of marketing taking place to entice customers into the brand and particularly the bridal wear line. The brand will continuously want to maintain interest amongst the target customer group, without ever letting the interest subside, but similarly not letting it overpower the brand either.
!
The launch of the brand will take place in September, however the PR, social media marketing & advertising editorial activity will take place a month prior to build a buzz about the brand prelaunch, resulting in enough traction pre-event to generate sales.
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Customer profile
Name:
Miss Kimberley
Age: Gender:
Female
Relationship status:
Engaged
Occupation:
Marketing manager
Income:
48,000 â‚Ź / Month
Location:
Paris, France
Hobbies:
Yoga, Shopping
Interests:
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36 Years old
Fashion, Restaurant hopping
Pen portrait
Meet Kimberley, a thirty-six years old marketing manager at Grazia, based in Paris. Kimberly now lives in Paris with her entrepreneur boyfriend, Tom, who she plans to marry soon. Her annual earnings are ₏48, 000. However, all of her expenses are paid by Tom, so she can use her earrings to indulge in her hobbies & buying conspicuous goods. She likes to spend her time off on weekends indulging in some power yoga & aerobics to unwind, as well as loves to take the time out to enjoy good cuisines. She particularly enjoys pasta, and thus spents a lot of time trying out the latest restaurants & cafes in the city. She also enjoys spending some time with her friends at different cafes, particularly at places like Angelina, indulging on Mont Blanc pastries and coffee. Kimberley’s style is very elegant and classy, however she is also very trend-orientated and knows what is in vogue. She likes to wear dresses and lots of high heels, and amongst shoe labels, Louboutin is her go-to, with her owning over 20 pairs of both classic and limited edition pieces. Particularly, recently, Kimberely has spent a lot of time planning her wedding to Tom and the entailing details for this event. Kimberely would like to wear a beautiful dress, but something unbelievably different to what the people around her would normally wear. However, she is still looking for luxury & designer. Additionally, Tom and Kimberely would like an extravagant destination wedding, with their closest friends and family. As the wedding will be taking place next year, much of Kimberely’s year will be spent on researching and planning the perfect event that she & Tom will remember forever.
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Competitors
Venturing into bridal wear, it is important to consider the various luxury designer competitors Louboutin will have in the new domain. Brands such as Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Jenny Packham & Ashi, will be serving as Louboutin’s competitors. As these brands already have a strongly established position in the bridal market, they will be major competitors, which will be difficult to overcome, but with an innovative edge and point of difference, Louboutin can easily translate their branding into this market, especially with their strong, tangible brand elements and social media following and presence.
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Elie Saab : 6.4M Instagram Followers (https://www.instagram.com/eliesaabworld/?hl=en)
Fairytale couture Ornate fabrics and embellishments Elegance & Classic
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Social dressing Iconic Ready-to-wear & bridal
Jenny Packham : 282K Instagram Followers (https://www.instagram.com/jennypackham/?hl=en)
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Zuhair Murad :4.4M Instagram Followers (https://www.instagram.com/zuhairmuradofficial/?hl=en)
High fashion Ancient heritage with modern aesthetic Bridal, haute couture focus
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Luxurious fashion Timeless and modern elegance Meticulously hand crafted design
Ashi Studio : 730K Instagram Followers (https://www.instagram.com/ashistudio/?hl=en)!
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Product positioning map High price Elie Saab Zuhair murad
Jenny Packham Ashi Studio Christian Louboutin
Low quality
High quality
Low price
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Costing The pricing is set based on the prestige value of Christian Louboutin as a brand, as well as the exclusivity of the collection.
!
Promotional Tactics Costs / Budget Calculations:
!
Personal Selling Event Total: 105, 000
!
Food & Beverages: 50, 000 Euro Branded Goody Bag @ 300 x 100: 30, 000 Euro Technological Aid (Screens & Projector): 5, 000 Euro Print Editorial Distrubution: 20, 000
Print Advertising Total: 50, 000 Euro AD costs @ 10,000 x 5
!
PR Agency Hire: 50, 000 Euro
!
Social Media Marketing: Influencers: 1, 000 x 10 = 10000 Euro
! ! !
Budget =215, 000
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! ! !
Financial / Profit Calculations
Projected Pieces Sold Design
September
October
November
Design CL01
8
9
3
Design CL02
5
7
8
Design CL03
6
4
4
Design CL04
7
7
9
Design CL05
2
3
3
28
30
27
Total
Projected Sales September Sales ($)
October 269000
Total
November 285000
263500 818500
Projected Costs Design / Cost Design 1
4250
Design 1
4000
Design 1
5250
Design 1
5250
Design 1
6250
!
*Using a markup of 50%
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Projected Product Costs per Month: September Project ($)
October
134750
November 153750
131750
Project Profit per Month: September Project ($)
October
134750
November 153750
131750
Projected Total Profit: Sales
818,500
Costs
420, 250
Total Profitablity (+)
398, 250
Total Profitability = 183, 250
!
Brands competiitors like Jenny Packham sell their pieces at a price of around 1,120 GBP however it must almost be noted that Jenny Packham would not earn the same market position and brand prestige as Louboutin would.
! Summary of costing for implementing your development proposal: ! Design / Price
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Design 1
8, 500 Euro
Design 2
8, 000 Euro
Design 3
10, 500 Euro
Design 4
10, 500 Euro
Design 5
12, 500 Euro
Financial Objectives The financial objectives for this project aren’t intensively significant to the business, however when indulging in a project, any brand would like to ensure they are able to recover the costs of the project and create a successful endeavor, thus the financial objectives for this project are: ! -Recover all direct & indirect costs to the project in the first season ! -Make a profit of over 10% by the end of the first season ! -Achieve an ROI of at least 50% of the collection by the end of the first season ! -Achieve sales which are competitive with the sales of competitor labels
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Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation Also in order to assess the success of marketing plan, the campaign will be assessed from the factors below as well
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Number of people who visit website of bridal selection increase both shoes and gown range
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Followers increase on new Instagram pages @louboutinbridal
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Lots of people like and comment Photo from the announcement of bridal wear collection
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Personal selling event success
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Editorial campaign feature in Magazine like Vogue, Elle, Harper bazaar’s
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Column about bridal wear on wedding news website , magazine website
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People know more about brand
-
More people purchase bridal shoes collection from the brand
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PR gets attention of target customer
-
More press
-
More photos liked on Instargram and share on Facebook
Risk & Opportunity Risks:
!
Amongst many risks this project could pose to Christian Louboutin as a brand, the most significant risk to the brand would be the fact that the brand is venturing into some form of apparel. As a brand that doesn’t really venture out of accessories, apparel in the form of evening wear and bridal wear could be a major market step for Christian Louboutin and thus it is essential that the brand remains successful in this. If the brand is not successful, this could prove to be a tarnishing stain on the brand’s reputation, which could particularly pose to be a risk as Christian Louboutin is venting into this project to further instill confidence in the brand and strengthen the equity.
!
The key elements for the brand would be maintaining brand equity, tangible elements and signature aesthetic by ensuring the product is of the utmost quality, mirrors the brand’s signature elements and does not impact the brand reputation in any way.
! ! !
Opportunities:
!
If proven to be successful, this project can be the starting point for Louboutin as a brand to venture into ready-towear, and thus grow their market size immensely. This could be a key opportunity to either venture into a bridal / couture niche like the proposed competitors of this project, or even set the tone for venturing into projects like bigger ready-to-wear ideas.
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! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ☁️
Suns and Clouds Matrix:
Risks
Big
1. Tarnishing brand reputation
1 ☀️
2. Low quality product
!
3. Low sales
!
4. Poor critical reception
3 ☀️
5 ☁️ 1 ☁️ 4 ☀️ 2 ☁️ 3 ☁️ 5 ☀️ 4 ☁️
!
5. Unsuccessful promotion
! ! !
☀️ Opportunities
1. Future apparel market
!
Small
Medium
2 ☀️
Impact
!
2. Strengthening brand equity
! Low
Medium
High
3. Greater social media coverage
!
4. Tapping into new target market
Likelihood
!
5. Venture into couture
!
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As observed in the sun and clouds matrix, there are an array of both risks & opportunities for Christian Louboutin transitioning into this market. The key issue, for both opportunity and threat, can be how the brand reputation, identity and equity is impacted. The goal is to always ensure this is never tarnished and continuously maintained. In regards to opportunities, they are greater than risks, enabling the brand to truly tap into a new market, eventually leading to greater sales, customers and brand recognition.
Conclusion Overall, based upon the primary and secondary research conducted for Christian Louboutin as a brand, and the kind of luxury market it is operating in, it makes sense that the brand introduces a capsule bridal wear collection, in the form of couture ready-to-wear, for its target customer, giving giving the brand an opportunity to infiltrate the current target market, as well as a new customer base as well.
! The idea of the Louboutin bridal wear capsule collection is to create an edgy and different concept for the brand within the realms of apparel, giving the brand an unparalleled edge to its footwear competitors, especially since within accessories the brand is already synonymous with bridal wear and formal statement essentials. The incorporation of successful innovation implementation, glamorous designs and brand tangible elements, gives the Louboutin bridal wear collection an unprecedented edge to the brand, which is powerful and adds an edgy touch.
! Furthermore, with the current and strong marketing plan proposed and the financials attached, it is more than likely that this endeavor will prove to be successful for Louboutin as a brand.
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Appendices Appendices 1
Survey Monkey Questionnaire
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78
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As observed in appendices 1, in regards to the questionnaire conducted about Christian Louboutin as a brand, the main focus here has been to push questions about the brand and any potential collections that will be implemented. This gives the opportunity to the brand to see how people would respond to the label, especially if this would be in a positive or negative manner.
!
As the results of the questionnaire demonstrate, the red sole is considered a key, tangible brand element for Louboutin which almost everyone is aware of, connects with the brand and believes is essential to the brand’s core values. Almost all people surveyed had heard of the Louboutin red sole controversy and believed the loss of a trademark on the red sole would be detrimental to the label, thus further emphasizing its importance.
!
When asked about a new line for Louboutin, most people suggested they’d like any new product range Louboutin ventures into to be more niche, and almost everyone suggested it should be in the realms of clothing & garments.
!
When speaking about the proposal for a Louboutin bridal collection, most people suggested they’d be interested in knowing more about this new project of Louboutin’s, particularly on how they’d promote the label. The price point for this collection was expected to be high at an average of over 5000 GBP, with most people suggesting the likes of Zuhair Murad & Elie Saab to be the brand’s biggest competitors in this new market segment.
!
In totality, the above questionnaire helped give a brief insight into what the customers’ perception is about the brand, as well as any new venture it would be experimenting in, thus paving way for some of the decisions & research mechanisms that took place in this project.
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Appendices Appendices 2 - Focus Group Date: Tuesday, 6th March 2018 Time: 2:30pm Location: JPS Campus, London College of Fashion People Interviewed: LCF Fashion Business Students
!
Questions:!
!
1. What are your thoughts on Christian Louboutin as a label and its many tangible brand elements? 2. As a label, what do you think should be Louboutin’s next move to further reinforce its branding? 3. If Louboutin released an exclusive bridal capsule collection, what would be your thoughts? 4. What factors would be required by Louboutin’s venture into bridal wear? 5. How could Louboutin use marketing and promotion techniques to make the bridal wear collection successful? 6. Do you have any other questions, concerns or queries?
!
Key Notes:!
!
-Christian Louboutin is a label synonymous with feminine fierceness, understated glamour and statement pieces -The brand’s red sole and sparkling, glittering pieces instantly come to mind -The bridal wear by Louboutin seemed like an interested idea to everyone, however the way this would be implemented and incorporated into the brand would be they key defining factor for people as to how they’d feel about it -The notion is that if Louboutin does a bridal wear collection, it should instill the same tangible elements & aesthetic that can be observed in the label’s classic pieces -The idea is to create bridal wear pieces which resonate with the brand, but at the same time bring to light a new & contemporary take to classic bridal wear, as well -Social media marketing & emphasis on craftsmanship would be essential -Incorporation of red color is also a key characteristic people would like to observe
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Appendices Appendices 3 - Primary research // Store visit
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Appendices Appendices 4
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84
85
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Appendices Appendices 5 - PPD Planning, researching and writing my final major project has definitely been one of the most enriching experiences of my academic career. Initially, embarking upon this journey appeared to be daunting, as I felt like there was a major project I was undertaking, which would require a lot of time, effort and research, truly testing my organizational and project planning skills.
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I began the journey by briefly thinking of an idea and researching it further. During my foundation year, I had briefly worked on a project focusing on Louboutin womenswear, which had intrigued me, but at that time, due to underdeveloped skills and knowledge, I was unable to fully bring that project to life in the way I would have wanted to. Considering I now have a lot more knowledge, skills and a deeper understanding of the subject of fashion business, I now felt that taking on that project and developing it further would be the perfect step to test my knowledge and understanding, that has been developed over the course of the last three years.
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Once I decided that I would be venturing into a business plan project with garments for Christian Louboutin, I spent a lot of time researching the brand and the market around it. Through this research and analysis of the research, I realized that Louboutin was currently facing issues with copyright and product diversification, whilst simultaneously the bridal wear industry was on a rise and performing very well. Thus, I decided to take the brand’s weakness and this market opportunity to combine both and create a capsule bridal wear collection for Christian Louboutin as a brand.
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Once this was established, I spent time with my tutor, developing the FMP aims and objectives, which would set the tone for the rest of the project and the collection implementation. However, whilst the overall project structure and template was ready to be implemented on, my tutor, during our tutorial, suggested that I think of a way to incorporate an element of innovation into the concept, which led to the idea of incorporating some form of technology into one of the collection’s pieces.
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Once the overall project template and idea was decided upon, I spent most of my time researching, analysing and bringing together various components of the brand & market research to create the internal and external situation analysis. Once the overall situation was established, with an indication of where the market and brand’s weakness, strengths and opportunities were placed, I was ready to further expand my research through primary mechanisms, which included an intense focus group, as well as a survey questionnaire handed out to several individuals. This research further solidified my secondary research, giving the project a greater impact.
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At this point, the winter holiday was approaching and as I was traveling to Japan, I also took this opportunity to visit the Louboutin store in Japan and Thailand, to further reinforce primary knowledge of the brand’s aesthetic and several tangible elements.
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Once I returned back from the holidays, much of the focus was on the objectives of the project and the financial aspects. I spent a lot of time attending finance classes, as my mathematical and numerical skills were not that strong, and spent time developing the financial documents, such as a profit and loss statement, which would further assist the costing and financial analysis. Once this research was implemented and the costing was put into place, I spent a lot of time focusing on the actual capsule collection product development, creating the artifacts require for the FMP. This meant I spent a great portion of time creating mood boards, fabric boards and color theories of a capsule bridal collection, which would not only resonate with the brand, but also resonate with the target customer’s input on the current bridal trends and what they were looking for from bridal wear.
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Once the initial 4 dress sketches were implemented, I created one last bridal piece as the statement piece of the collection, fully integrating the innovative, design and research elements into one piece which stood out. Once the artifacts were complete and analysed, I felt a lot more relieved about the project and the path it was taking and the progress I was making.
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At this point, during my tutorials, a lot of focus with my tutor was on how to incorporate the date (both primary and secondary) acquired and how to make the work and the artefacts much more presentable and aesthetically pleasing. As a result, I spent a lot of time attending digital creative support classes, as well as quantitative research bootcamps during this period, to really ensure my final work would be of the highest standard possible.
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Whilst the FMP was coming along strongly, I also spent a lot of time attending digital creative sessions for the poster briefing for the graduate showcase, and brainstorming innovative ways I could incorporate the research and analysis of the report in a creative and intriguing way into the actual poster that will be available for everyone to see and assess my work.
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This led me to the easter holiday point, where majority of my work was almost complete, but I spent a lot of time refining the research, analysis and overall presentation of the work. Back home in Thailand, I spent time making sure the FMP was flowing well together and coherent.
! Once back from the holidays, I attended a few more digital creative classes for the final refinement of the project and poster. !
Overall, the FMP has been an incredible experience, giving me the opportunity to truly evaluate how much I’ve learnt over the past few years and to see all my knowledge and understanding come together. I’m proud of the work I’ve achieved and hope to use this knowledge in the future as well, to implement into real-life marketing situations and brand projects.
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