Lena Abo-Rashed
MARKETING REPORT LOUIS VUITTON X STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
01 Executive summary 03 Collaboration report 04 Collaboration research 05 Consumer profiles 07 Brand onion 08 Positioning map 09 Questionnaire and data 11 Meet Vanessa and Sofia 13 Collaboration designs 15 Digital outcomes 16 Evaluation
INDEX
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY My proposal is to make a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and strawberry shortcake. I have decided that this would be a good combination as it is obvious that louis Vuitton hasn’t done a collaboration with a toy before. My aim is to create a collection of items that will encourage the brand to branch out from mainly women and men and target a much younger audience. Although, the collection will be aimed at younger people it would mostly need to be targeted at the parents to encourage them to buy the items. I believe that this collaboration would be a good idea because it would fill the gap in the market, between exclusivity and affordability. I want to make it affordable by using as little fabric as necessary as the items would be smaller. Louis Vuitton is known for using all the scraps of fabric, that is why on one side of the bags the print is upside down. I think that the age range will make it more exclusive as it is focusing on the younger generation which is something louis Vuitton hasn’t done before. This collection will be aimed at mainly girls between the ages of 5-10 as strawberry shortcake is considered a girl’s toy. I’ve decided to do this age range because LV hasn’t done a child/toddler range before. I also want to do the 2003 version of strawberry shortcake as it was what I grew up with and it’s the one I know the most about. However, I would still need to do some research into the toy; what it looks like, other possible characters and so on. I would also like to research into Louis Vuitton and see what products they have already made and with who, by doing this it will enable me to see what I can do to add to what they are missing. I want to keep the prices as low as I can, with the exception of a few items which would be slightly pricier. I am thinking of keeping it between £50- £200 although it may change over time. The way that I may decide to make this and how much detail I add may change the price range at the end. At the end, I would like to have a full collection including clothes and accessories (most likely bags) I aim to do this by creating many designs and playing around with the placement of different features. My main goal is to maintain the Louis Vuitton essence and make it obvious that it is an LV collection however with the twist of strawberry shortcake.
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COLLABORATION REPORT All three collaborations had different target markets not just because of the clothing that they released together but also due to the prices. Some items could have been for teenagers, yet they had the price that not even some adults could afford, others were cheap considering how high end the clothes were and who they were made by.
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The lobster dress made by Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali was made for the socialite Wallis Simpson who would go on to marry the former king of England, prince Edward. The dress was especially made for Simpson so there was no price to be found. It is obvious that the target market for this dress was only one person; a middle-aged woman who was known for taking risks and not caring about what the public thought of her. The dress was worn more as a statement rather that an item of clothing and at the time it was considered very controversial . Comme des garcons x supreme collaborate almost annually to create amazing and different pieces of clothing, however I believe that the target market stays the same or very similar throughout the years. Both brands focus on making common garments that almost anyone can wear, I think that the age range would be somewhere between 16-30 as it seems as if the clothes were made for more of the younger generation than the older one. The collection is very popular among many teens, but they would probably have to save up for it as they come with a hefty price tag. Most of the items over the years range from $55- $1000, it seems like a lot of money to be spending on mostly tops and jumpers. The cheapest being a classic shirt and the most expensive item is a leather jacket with patterns on it at a price of $998. Its easy to see that the collection is popular among the trendier celebs as they have enough money to buy the clothes, although those who are less fortunate than the celebs will most likely have to save a great sum of money before that can invest in these items .
Finally, we have H&M x Versace, for those who don’t want to waste so much money on clothes but still want to look good- this collection could be for you. The price range on this collection isn’t the smallest but its to be expected when a Highstreet brand collaborates with a fashion powerhouse, such as Versace. Items cost between $40-$400, this collection doesn’t just include clothes it also has many accessories and shoes so there are many items to choose from without spending all your money. I think that it is actually quite strange that the collection is so cheap as many of Versace’s items can cost over $6000, I believe that this is the reason why it was so popular when it was first released as people were able to buy items made by Versace for almost half the price. The only problem with this collection would be the target market. As the collection features many patterns and colours it is safe to say that only people who are comfortable wearing clothes that are quite out there would actually wear them, that isn’t to say that people would still buy them just to say they own something from Versace. Overall, I think that the best collaboration would have to be H&M x Versace, as they catered for almost everyone and their clothes were at a reasonable price. I think that if Schiaparelli and Dali made a whole collection it would still be loved today and I personally would want to buy one of their items, the lobster dress is probably my favourite item from all three collaborations as it has so much history behind it and it’s a really beautiful dress. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the collection by Comme des garcons x supreme as I think it was quite bland/ boring as there wasn’t much going on and to have the prices so high seems like extortion to me. In the end, I think that the target market directly links to the prices of the collection because no teen is going to pay hundreds of dollars for a jumper. I believe that the best collaborations are the ones that have a decent price range for the items sold, I think that the most successful ones are the ones that fit somwhere in the gap in the market.
As the greeting cards became more popular the franchise expanded and she was given the name strawberry shortcake. Along with the original strawberry shortcake, the brand also came up with some other characters that would be seen as hr friends, as well as a few animals as pets. All the characters were given food related names and were made to look like the food they represented, for example; orange blossom, blueberry muffin, plum pudding, lemon meringue and raspberry torte just to name a few. The pets were also given cute names such as pupcake (dog) and custard (cat). A classic louis Vuitton bag would be made from the best materials. Louis Vuitton has always used animal skin to make the leather they use for the bags, but recently the have been using leather that has been made in a strict and monitored environment. They are also trying to change the way they make all their items and how they make them, including the type of light bulbs they use in the factories. This is all due to the brand wanting to please the consumer as more and more of them are becoming more sensitive to the idea of using real leather. The hand-drawn typeface has remained the same for over 160 years which is said to be partly inspired by roman fonts, as they resemble roman numerals. he same print has been used since the brand was created, but over the years they have used them in different ways. The monogram placement is done in such a careful manner that it is always consistent on all pieces, it is never crooked or cut off. This is because each bag is made from one solid piece of fabric and the reason why you will never see a seam in the middle of the bag.
In the 1980’s a major toy range was released. However, in 2003 the company had a massive relaunch due to the sales dropping drastically over time. They decided to change the look and come up with a lot more characters then there was previously.
COLLABORATION RESEARCH
Strawberry shortcake originally started out as a character on a greeting card. Created by Barbi Sargent in 1973, she was first depicted as the ‘girl with daisy’ because she was holding one of the flowers.
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Brands they wear
Demographic
Ralph Lauren Valentino Chanel Dolce and Gabbana Dior
20-50 For the more sophisticated person with enough money.
Magazines
Cosmopolitan Elle Vogue
Trends they follow
They follow almost all trends as long as they think it is stylish enough.
Interests
owning many bags Stylish Into fashion Keeping with the trends
Fashion needs
Stylish clothes In trend Likes to try new things
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CONSUMER
Magazines Girl talk Girl guide Disney
Brands they wear
Most likely want to look like their favourite character
Demographic
2-10 Young girls who like dolls Girly girls
Where and how they shop
Most likely their parents will buy them clothes They may still ask for some items.
Interests
PROFILES
Dolls Cartoons/ Animations Dressing up
BRAND ONION 07
A brand onion is a simple way to breakdown the key characteristics of a brand/ company. Communicators use this method as it is quick, easy and allows them to understand the brand/ company in-depth. This brand onion represents what I think the characteristics of Louis Vuitton would be.
personality
values
Consumer needs
Stylish essence
Actions and behaviour
Bags Using less real lether
Original
Trying to figure out how to buy leather that is made in an ethical manner .
Same print (trademark)
Trendy
POSITIONING MAP PRESTIGE PRICE POINT Gucci x Disney
The positioning map is a helpful way to find where the gap in the market is and where the collaboration would need to sit to be successful.This represents where I think past collaborations sit on the spectrum.
Louis Vuitton x Supreme Moschino x Powerpuff
Supreme x Comme des garcon Moschino x Suprer Mario
H&M x Versace
MASS MARKET
Balmian x H&M EXCLUSIVITY
Pretty little thing x Little mix
It is clear to see that there is a gap in the market between affordability and exclusivity. This is why i want to try and create a collection that will fill that gap.
Boohoo x Disney
AFFORDABILITY
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QUESTIONNAIRE AND DATA 1. What is your gender ? Female Male
2. What is your age? Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
3. What is your income?
Under £15,000 Between £15,000 and £29,999 Between £30,000 and £49,999 Between £50,000 and £74,999 Between £75,000 and £99,999 Between £100,000 and £150,000 Over £150,000
4. Where do you live? major city small city countryside small town large town 09
5. Where do you shop? online high street shopping centres in town high end shops
8. What fashion brands do you like? 9. Do you own any high end fashion items? Yes No if yes, what ?
6. How often do you shop? Every day A few times a week About once a week A few times a month Once a month Less than once a month
7. How much do you spend on clothes a month? Under £20 Between £20 and £40 Between £40 and £60 Between £60 and £80 Between £80 and £100 Between £100 and £150 Over £150
10. Pick 3 high end designer brands that you like the most
versace Louis Vuitton gucci Balenziaga hermes supreme off white
how much do you spend on clothes a month?
pick 3 high end designver brands that you like the most
where do you live?
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MEET VANESSA AND
SOFIA... 11
The mother daughter duo that are dressed to the nines. Vanessa is a very stylish woman who likes to share her passion of fashion with her daughter Sofia, the pair tend to match in their outfits – not necessarily exactly matching. Vanessa, 35, is a self-made business woman who owns the luxury items people only dream of, she drives a range rover as it is big enough to be classed as a family car and still look stylish. She doesn’t splurge on clothes just because she can, Vanessa would only buy high end clothes for special occasions or if the item deserves the price tag. Her daughter Sofia is definitely a mummy’s girl, she loves to spend time with her mum. Although Sofia is a little fashionista, she still likes playing with her dolls and watching tv. Sofia is very grown up for her age, 5, as she likes to copy her mum. However, she is still young so she still enjoys the things other children like as well. Vanessa likes to have a full and balanced diet so that she can maintain her need for energy as she has to look after a very energetic girl. Although she is a very busy business woman she always has time for her daughter and often takes her out for lunch or dinner. Vanessa would normally shop at Chanel or Dior, especially if she has an important business meeting or fancy dinner to attend to. Vanessa doesnt just buy designer clothes for herself, she will also buy them for Sofia - mainly from Alex and Alexa as they have many designer clothes for kids.
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LOUIS VUITTON X STARWBERRY SHORTCAKE
COLLABORATION DESIGNS
I made a flyer that could be put on the counter at a Louis Vuitton store to tell the customers about the new collaboration they are doing with strawberry shortcake. If they were to be made, I would like them to be A5 and made from a thin card so that they stay nice and pristine.
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DIGITAL OUTCOMES
I also made an Instagram account for the collaboration; it is what I think the real Instagram might look like if the collaboration were to be made. I decided to take a few screenshots of the account on a phone and a close up of just one of the posts with the caption. Also, I took a screenshot of what the account would look like on a laptop or computer- just to see if there would be any difference.
EVALUATION To start off this project I researched into three different past collaborations to get an idea of what a collaboration consists of. I created a 500-word collaboration report detailing my findings and research into collaborations in the fashion world. I then used this knowledge to figure out where the gap would be in the fashion market to see what type of collaboration I would need to make, I realised that I would need to produce a collection that would sit in between the affordability and exclusivity range. After finding out this information, I then researched into three different designer brands to see if I could make a collection with their style. I researched into Versace, Gucci and Moschino but in the end, I decided not to use any of them as they have all had many collaborations in the past with a range of prices and different target consumers. I thought about other brands and came across Louis Vuitton, which hasn’t had as many collaborations as you might think. I mainly decided to pick Louis Vuitton because as far as I am aware, they haven’t collaborated with a toy, so I decided to focus my collaboration on that. Once I had chosen my designer brand, I then had to think about what toy brand I would want to pair it with. My original idea was to use Bratz dolls
but after some googling I found many images of Bratz related clothing and didn’t know if it was by a designer brand or not, so I just decided to try something different. I started to think about my childhood to see if there were any toys that I liked when I was younger and that hadn’t been done in a collaboration before. That’s when I came up with using strawberry shortcake – more specifically the 2003 version. It’s a toy that has been around since 1980, it has a lot of history behind it and I couldn’t find any clothes that are linked to it. As I had finally picked my final collaboration ideas I got started on the research of both brands and started thinking of ideas to combining the two together. I struggled with thinking of design ideas so I focused more on making my marketing report, hoping that it would give me ideas along the way, and it did. The parts that helped me the most were my consumer profiles and pen portraits because they both went into so much detail about the consumer and what type of things they would buy, it made it so much easier to try and figure out what type of outfits I should make. However, I still struggled to think of different ideas as I was making a children’s collection, which I haven’t done before. The hardest part about designing for
children is making sure that each item of clothing isn’t risqué or offensive/ inappropriate, I also had to remember that even though I was making the clothes for the children I still had to make them good enough so that the parents would want to buy it. Aside from the designing part of the project, I also had a hard time making the market report as it was a new concept to me, and I was struggling on how to lay it out. I know that the layout isn’t the most important part of the work but for this part it really mattered to me so a lot of the time I spent procrastinating about the outcomes of each page and wanting everything to be perfect. Apart from the layout the only problem I had was trying to get used to using InDesign but luckily, I managed to get the hang of it after a while. Overall, I think that the project has went well and that I have impressed myself with the amount and level of work I have made. I think that I should add more to my sketchbook such as some more samples and sticking in more evidence but apart from that I am happy with how it has gone.
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