Marketing Strategy Report
Katie Calvert Fashion Communication Promotion Major Project THD 1101
UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD
School of Art, Design and Architecture Department of Design
Final Major Project
Katie Calvert
A Major Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
BA (Hons) Fashion, Communication and Promotion. Module THD1101 Fashion Communication Promotion Major Project
The candidate confirms that the work submitted is their own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others.
The University of Huddersfield School of Art & Design Department of Design Huddersfield West Yorkshire ENGLAND
13.05.15
Introduction
T
his report outlines the market position of Fashion Vanguard; its closest competitors; the way in which it is promoted and the promotional materials used to garner attention; the cost of producing a bi-annual supplement and daily online content; advertisers; and Fashion Vanguard’s target audience directly explained with a customer profile. An outline description of The Guardian, its style, content and readership explains the feasibility of publishing the bi-annual supplement with the Saturday edition, which carries the Weekend supplement and also explains the focus of the majority of online content.
Facts and figures for The Guardian Print Edition Circulation (average daily sale): 185,429 Source: BRAD, between 29.12.14-25.01.15 Readership (average issue readership): 744,000 3.94 people to one copy Source: BRAD, between 01.11.13-01.10.14 Guardian Weekend supplement Readership: 1,004,000 Source: BRAD, between 01.04.13-01.03.14 The readership of the Weekend is a vast increase on daily readership. This is a popular supplement. As Fashion Vanguard becomes a twice yearly read, it will initially take advantage of this increased readership and create a further increased readership on Saturday. Online Edition Monthly total Unique Browsers: 106,700,074 Monthly Page Impressions: 644,921,240 Source: BRAD, as of 31.12.14 These statistics demonstrate the importance of online publication. Whilst the print publication is still a staple of the newspaper, online is fast growing and fast moving, available to people on their home computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones on the go.
When combining Guardian News and Media (GNM) their daily reach, as of February 2014, is 2.2 million, with a weekly reach of 7.1 million and a monthly reach of 12.7 million. This is above other quality news brands, Telegraph, Independent/i, and Times (does not include traffic to m.guardian or the apps) Source: NRS PADD and The Guardian, 2014c
Gap in the market
A
voice that openly discusses important issues regarding women and fashion, without sounding patronising, balanced with the more fun and frivolous element of fashion, is currently missing in the fashion publications market. So too is a publication for all women, not just for a set target age of women. Fashion Vanguard is inclusive of all ages and its formation fills this gap in the market. Fashion as an academic subject is regarded more highly nowadays, women’s rights are gaining ground in the current political climate as the Internet gives more people a voice, but none of this is clear in the majority of fashion publications. The fashion industry is still not treated with due respect, even though it is a multi-billion pound industry in Britain, and it’s focus is too much on body image. Fashion Vanguard will work towards changing this image, filling another gap in the market that has been left open for too long. But in order to gain momentum and respect, the attachment to The Guardian, an established publication, is invaluable. All manner of content is widely available online. It is instant and gives people of all backgrounds and ages the opportunity to comment and discuss important issues. Currently, the market is oversaturated with the aggression comments made by ‘trolls’ regarding a whole host of issues, including those related to women and fashion. Our online space is a home for discussion in an intelligent and open-minded manner. Because we have created online content and a print publication we are filling two gaps in the market and making our market position very clear. The print publication can be passed to other individuals, reaching people that we would not reach online. However, online content is, for the majority of the population, quick and easy to access.
SWOT analysis Strengths – affiliated with a liberal newspaper; target audience are educated, interested and progressive Weaknesses – finding the right balance of serious and frivolity; keeping it clearly linked to The Guardian/ using the correct Guardian tone; the possibility of belittling the importance of subjects such as fashion and women’s rights in a patronising tone; making sure that we continue to strive to be inclusive to all ages, religions and political beliefs. Opportunities – emerging gap in the market, not widely discussed Threats – subject matter is gaining momentum, there is the possibility of direct competition sooner rather than later; possibility of alienating male readership by excluding them totally from the important issues highlighted in Fashion Vanguard.
Competitors
T
he Guardians main weekend supplement is called ‘Weekend’. Fashion Vanguard would be markedly different because Weekend, alongside some regular columns and features, discusses a wide range of topics, whilst Fashion Vanguard is concerned, primarily, with fashion, women and politics. Weekend is a competitor for its fashion content. However, Weekend focuses on highlighting trends not writing serious articles about fashion. The aim would be that Weekend would transfer some of this fashion element to Fashion Vanguard’s online section. However, on a weekly print basis Weekend would still include its fashion section since Fashion Vanguard is bi-annual not weekly, and readers expect fashion to be featured in Weekend. Fashion Vanguard’s main competitors are in direct association with The Guardian. The Guardian’s main competitors are The Independent and The Financial Times for their liberal stance. Other broadsheet newspapers worth mentioning include The Daily Telegraph and The Times, although these are both centreright/conservative newspapers. Fashion content of The Guardian currently features a mix of high-end high street and designer, thus fashion competition comes from the glossy magazines, such as Vogue. Glossies do include plenty of articles around fashion and women, however, their style of writing is often less serious in tone and somewhat patronising, their manner implying that serious matters such as politics are not the domain of women. Fashion Vanguard’s tone will be inclusive and not patronising. Many weekend newspapers include a more fashion driven supplement but the majority are populated with celebrity and popular culture. Fashion Vanguard’s main fashion supplement rival is The Sunday Times Style magazine. But, again, this does veer towards celebrity and popular culture.
Online, there is a multitude of websites available to read about fashion and women but bringing them together under the mantle of The Guardian online is different. The Guardian already has a fashion tab, and, under the lifestyle tab, it has a women tab. The Fashion Vanguard tab, as a voice of progression, would combine these features.
Competitors will always exist but Fashion Vanguard has a unique position fashion wise, by combining it successfully with politics.
The route to market
A
s a supplement of The Guardian and a tab on their webpage, this gives Fashion Vanguard an instant route to market.
Where is it stocked?
B
ecause Fashion Vanguard is sold with The Guardian newspaper it will be packaged with this and all other Saturday supplements, including Weekend, in all of the newsagents and supermarkets that The Guardian is currently stocked.
Costings & Price
B
ecause the supplement is acquired with The Guardian’s Saturday newspaper and only bi-annual (although depending on popularity this is subject to a review) the cost to the purchaser is nil and the cost of printing it will be achieved through the newspapers budget. The price will increase by a small amount but the expectation is in increased sales and revenue from advertising. The Guardian’s Saturday newspaper is more popular than its daily readership, because of the Weekend supplement. The hope is that the popularity of Fashion Vanguard when sold bi-annually will increase sales for those Saturday editions of The Guardian. The online content of Fashion Vanguard will be free, as is most of The Guardian online, articles within the supplement will be also be available online, again, like most of The Guardian.
Potential advertisers
F
ashion Vanguards advertisers will be varied but suitable for women and The Guardian’s target audience. High fashion and trendy high street stores will advertise, also ethical brands, beauty brands, brands associated with travel and appropriate food advertisements. Examples include Stella McCartney, Cos, Anthropologie, People Tree, Guardian Travel, Waitrose. The first print edition of Fashion Vanguard includes advertisements for fashion, accessories, perfume, food, travel, interiors and homeware.
R O W A N The Art Of Knitting
www.knitrowan.com
Arezzo - mag 57.indd 1
12/01/2015 10:27
Promotional material
F
ashion Vanguard will be promoted via The Guardian print newspaper and supplements as well as online, and in the run up to the launch an advertisement (see example on right) printed separately will be slotted into certain editions of The Guardian newspaper and Weekend supplement, as well as being sent to Guardian email subscribers. Online banners and smaller advertisements will routinely appear on The Guardian online with the Fashion Vanguard logo. Social media will also be a tool used for promotion, through a dedicated Twitter page, Instagram and Facebook. These pages will routinely be retweeted, regrammed or shared by The Guardian’s official pages to highlight them to current Guardian readers.
We warmly welcome you all to the launch of Fashion Vanguard, a bi-annual supplement and online hub, celebrating and exploring women and fashion, mixing the creative with the political. Progressive and passionate individuals rejoice!
Find out more online at guardian.com/fashionvanguard
Available with The Guardia newspaper, Saturday 21st March
facebook.com/fashionvanguard
instagram.com/fashionvanguard
twitter.com/fashionvanguard
Target audience
T
he female target audience of Fashion Vanguard is directly related to the target audience of The Guardian.
Their readers are predominantly of the ABC1 demographic, thus lower middle class up to upper middle class, 86% of the ABC1 demographic are Guardian readers, compared with a total of 54% of UK adults (The Guardian 2014b). Women make up almost half of the readership. Though this varies year on year, as of 2013 it was 48% female, just short of the 51% female UK population (The Guardian 2014b). Fashion Vanguard does not exclude men but our primary target audience is women. Over time the supplement could expand to include men’s fashion and articles focused on the serious issues surrounding men, such as high suicide rates in men. Around half (45%) of The Guardian’s readers work full time, and 66% have a degree or higher. This is staggeringly high when compared with the UK percentage of 23 per cent (The Guardian 2014b). Fashion Vanguard’s intelligent and mature tone entices and embraces these readers. As for the age of Fashion Vanguard’s female, educated, working, middle class audience, The Guardian reader is fairly universal. As of 2013, from the age range of 15-24, up to 65 + the percentage for each differs only by a few percent, the highest at 21%, the lowest at 14% (The Guardian 2014b). This sweep across the board demonstrates that Fashion Vanguard can assimilate passionate readers and contributors of all ages.
Details Firstly, they are stylish and like to dress well. As ABC1 readers they have expensive tastes but are also heavy online spenders. The interactivity of having articles and features online enables possible links to other sites. “The average Guardian reader spends £94 on shoes and £84 on handbags every year and are 20% more likely to be very interested in reading about fashion and clothes in newspapers than the average GB adult” (The Guardian, 2010b). This explains the viability of launching Fashion Vanguard, illustrating a want for fashion information. Secondly, they are progressive. They are forward thinking and curious about the world around them, embracing change and technology (The Guardian, 2014e). They aren’t defined by simple demographics, such as age; rather they are defined by their attitudes to the world around them. Importantly, they are information hungry, and vocal and voracious media consumers (The Guardian, 2012b). Fashion Vanguard is a progressive publication, aimed at broadening people’s perceptions and getting them to think about liberal points of view. Furthermore, Guardian readers are described as a key audience for spreading word of mouth (The Guardian, 2012a). This is key for Fashion Vanguard. These voices could be the voice of change that Fashion Vanguard wishes to incite.
Consumer Profile 01 Gender: Female Age: 21 Demographic: ABC1 (the demographic of her parents) Occupation: University student studying history at UCL. The history of dress and how this affected society is particularly interesting to her. She is active in the politics society. Income: £3,000 per annum through a part time job working in retail, primarily supported by physician practicing parents. Marital Status: Single Education: Higher education Politics: Liberal, centre-left. She intends to vote for The Green Party Media: i Paper almost daily because it is cheap but still contains the news in an unbiased way, and The Guardian on a Saturday for the supplements. She receives Harpers Bazaar on subscription, a Christmas gift, and purchases i-D herself, enjoying the articles that give a voice to young people as it tries to redefine social stereotypes. Hobbies/Interests: She keeps active when she can with swimming and running. As a member of the politics society at University she keeps very up to date with all major political parties and is very passionate about politics. She visits art galleries in her spare time, and loves browsing the shops on Oxford Street, occasionally splurging in her favourite high street stores. She is active on social media, posting on most days. Her preference is for Instagram and Twitter, but she is on Facebook and Snapchat. Style: Her style is mostly casual but she tries to give it a twist so that it isn’t always just jeans and t-shirts, for instance she’ll pair trainers with skirts. Fashion: H&M, Topshop, Asos, People Tree, Zara, Urban Outfitters, vintage markets. Predominantly high street and online, the vintage markets give her one off pieces which mix up her style. Trendsetter/trend follower/other: As someone who tries to dress for themselves and do her own thing regardless of what others thinks, she wouldn’t consider herself a trend follower, however, she will follow trends if she likes them, for instance the current trend for flares is one that she’s experimenting with. Staples or bargains: As a student she always has to consider the cost of clothing, but certain items in her wardrobe, such as her winter coat or a favourite heels are staples that she has spent a little more on and will work from one year to the next. She aspires to buy more expensive clothing. Favourite fashion item: This changes on an almost weekly basis but currently it is her new Zara flares Style icons/influencers: Alexa Chung and Kate Moss are obvious answers, but she also admires the style of Isabella Blow.
Consumer Profile 02 Gender: Female Age: 33 Demographic: ABC1 Occupation: Lawyer Income: between ÂŁ40,000 and ÂŁ55,000 per annum Marital Status: Married but childless Education: Masters, one day she hopes to study for her PhD Politics: Liberal, centre-left, she voted Liberal Democrats last time but is currently undecided between Labour and Lib Dem. Media: On a daily basis she reads The Guardian, occasionally buying The Independent but often only at the weekend. The Financial Times is a weekend buy as well, when she has time to sit to read all the papers in the morning whilst enjoying a long breakfast. Fashion is an interest of hers, since she must look professional for her job, so she takes inspiration from a number of glossies including Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and Elle. Hobbies/Interests: On her commute you can find her reading classic fiction, if she is not reading documents associated with her job. Her occupation is intrinsically linked with politics, which means she is actively engaged in what is happening with the main political parties. She makes sure that she is actively exercising at least three times a week, as a stress reliever and as a chance to meet up with friends through running and tennis. She loves to shop, relying on high-end high street and the occasional designer garment predominantly bought online or in Selfridges to keep her looking great at work. She is an avid user of Twitter and Facebook. Style: On a day-to-day basis she dresses professionally, with a feminine touch, smart jackets, heels and so forth. At weekends, she will experiment more, switching from mannish styles to dressing up for a cocktail party. Fashion: Zara, Cos, Joseph, Reiss, Acne, Paul Smith Black. Stella McCartney, Jil Sander and Burberry for special events. Her day-to-day outfits are predominantly bought online, but she always buys designer in store, taking time to try everything on before spending high sums of money. Trendsetter/trend follower/other: She prefers to stick with current trends but she has a number of items in her wardrobe that are staples and barely change from season to season. Staples or bargains: Most definitely staples, she does not scour shops for bargains, but looks for quality instead. Favourite fashion item: She is still wearing her AW13 camel coloured coat from Whistles Style icons/influencers: Stella McCartney for her ability to balance home and work whilst still looking incredible in an array of styles. Rachel Weisz is considered by her to be beauty and style personified.
Consumer Profile 03 Gender: Female Age: 62 Demographic: ABC1 Occupation: Retired, her career for 40 years was as a managing director Income: Pension of ÂŁ40,000 per annum, no debt Marital Status: Married, with 2 grown up children Education: Degree in English. She would like to take on an Open University degree at some point. Currently undecided, her preferences are for Art History or Museum and Gallery Studies. Politics: Liberal, centre-left. She voted Liberal Democrat in the last election, but is likely to vote Labour this time. Media: On a daily basis she and her husband read The Guardian and The Financial Times. She also buys plenty of monthly glossies such as Red, Vogue, and Harpers Bazaar. She has read Vogue for most of her life having always taken an interest in fashion and her appearance since a young age. Throughout her career she used it as a tool of self-promotion, making sure that her attire was always correct. Hobbies/Interests: Now that she is retired she spends far more time socialising. Activities include shopping, yoga, Pilates, gallery visits, reading voraciously, mini trips to European cities and one major holiday a year with her husband, also retired. Finally, she has always actively sought to find out what is happening in politics, especially business and the representation of women in business and politics. She has a Facebook account and has recently discovered the joys of posting her holiday photos on Instagram. Style: Retiring has relaxed her style, but for years it was predominantly professional. Fashion: Reiss, Whistles, Jaeger, Joseph, Anthropologie, Vivienne Westwood, Marni. Largely on the high street but sometimes online, and she likes to buy clothing and accessories on trips abroad. Trendsetter/trend follower/other: She wears what she is comfortable in; as you age, she believes, you care less about following trends. Staples or bargains: Staple pieces, she has always chosen to spend money on one quality item of clothing rather than spend less on a lot of garments, a product of her generation, she imagines. Favourite fashion item: The tiffany bangle given to her on her 25th wedding anniversary, from her husband Style icons and influencers: Charlotte Rampling and Helen Mirren for retaining their beauty and style without adhering to Hollywood stereotypes and going under the knife. Bianca Jagger is another influencer and style icon because she is still actively protesting whilst looking great.