RESEARCH FILE PART TWO
BRAND MANAGEMENT LIBBY CHAMBERLIN
AD6606 BRAND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH BOOK LIBBY CHAMBERLIN
Reflection On reflection of my visual campaign up to this point I am happy with the direction in which it is heading, however I believe I need to add more depth in order to make it more successful and effective. When re visiting the learning outcomes for my final major project it was clear that I hadn’t fully completed two of these aims to my best ability. In order to improve my visual campaign I need to analyse, synthesise and critically reflect. As well as this it is important I critically evaluate and assess the synthesis between research, analysis and appropriate branded visualisation of my concept. In terms of my visuals including my photoshoot I have decided that my choice of models didn’t fully reflect the messages I was trying to convey. Moving forward I will complete another photoshoot using all female models to represent my campaign more successfully. In order to develop my visual campaign I need to test out different styling techniques. Styling will help me to communicate the messages behind my work and also a method of storytelling. Styling isn’t something I have previously done to my advantage so moving on I will complete various styling testing. Moving forward from this I will continue to develop my social media campaign in a way which will reflect my brand values and messages on a deeper level.
My Aim: To create an accepting community for women in the streetwear market.
TARGET CONSUMER
VISIBLE is aimed towards females who are part of Generation Alpha. I have gathered a great deal of research to be able to understand my consumer and their needs and wants from a brand. From the very start of this journey it has been crucial to consider my target consumer. Generation Alpha represent the future and provide an insight into the next decade. Although we don’t know a great amount about this generation yet we do know that they are linked to their millennial parents. Generation alpha are seen to be influenced by millennials and their brand loyalties, however they also have their own goals and values. It is expected that generation alpha will have brand loyalties, passed down from their parent’s beloved brands. Generation alpha’s already stand out from Gen Z in their worldliness and brand awareness. Generation Alpha are unapologetically themselves, disregarding gender stereotypes and cultural norms but still considering how others see them in their online presence.
CONSUMER PROFILE
My target consumer for my social media campaign is a girl named Tilly who is 12 years old, born in 2010. Tilly is one of the first individuals of Generation Alpha and will be entering her teenage years in the next few years making her the key demographic age for my brand. Tilly comes from a diverse family in terms of race, ethnicity, structure and finances. Growing up Tilly has been taught the importance of acceptance, equality and what is morally right. When Tilly reaches her teenage years she will start to become more interested in expressing her own style and understanding social matters such as diversity and women empowerment. As a Generation Alpha individual, diversity and acceptance is embedded within her generation and influences. As an Alpha, Tilly is unapologetically herself, disregarding gender stereotypes and cultural norms but still considering how others see herself in her online presence. Mia has a high level of digital skills due to being brought up in the prime of the digital age. Since a little girl, Tilly has been surrounded by technology and has access to social media at her fingertips. As Tilly reaches her teenage years, as well as spending time with friends she also loves spending time on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Tilly loves staying up to date with the latest trends and what’s popular at the time. Tilly has gained a strong passion for fashion, and has been able to express herself through how she dresses. Through influencers she follows on Instagram and her own style changing she has been more and more interested in streetwear. As the industry of influencers increases Generation Alpha are more motivated to buy clothing they are promoting. Tilly will be more inclined to buy luxury pieces of streetwear clothing. However in her teenage years she only has a part time job doesn’t earn enough for the top end luxury brands. Tilly wants to have material items of clothing which suit her style and shops from the accessible luxury market.
CAMPAIGN
Pro’s of Social Media Campaigns: -Builds Brand Awareness and Recognition. -Generates Conversation Around Your Brand. -Helps Understand Your Target Customers’ Interests. -Provides Platforms to Tell Your Brand’s Story. -Helps You Gather Data About Your Audience. -Helps Provide Responsive Customer Service.
WHY A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
I decided to create a social media campaign for my final major project as I believe it is the most effective way to convey my brand purpose and messages of creating an accepting and positive space for women. As well as this, a social media campaign best suits my skill set and capabilities in order to successfully execute it.
Social media platforms are a great way to increase a brand’s visibility and enable you to reach a wider audience, globally. As well as this it allows you to engage with your audience and build an effective social presence which in time creates positive interactions. I hope for my social media campaign to create a sense of community where my target audience can feel accepted and inspired. Lastly, in order to target my desired audience of Generation Alpha I need my campaign to resonate with them therefore this is the best way to reach them. From my research I discovered Generation Alpha are heavily influenced by technology and more socially connected than any generation before. Creating a social media campaign will allow Generation Alpha to feel engaged and part of the brand. As Generation Alpha grows up they will shape the social media landscape and become the most technical savvy generation to date, therefore social media being the best way to share my campaign.
VISIBLE VISIBLE
Although I had decided to create a social media campaign, I still needed to decide which platform I would use. There are many social media platforms I could have chosen from including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok however I needed to decide which would suit my campaign the best and which would be most beneficial. I chose Instagram as my platform of choice. Instagram is an extremely popular and effective platform which allows you to grow and reach your audience. Instagram is also extremely popular with younger generations who are growing up surrounded by technology. As well as this, I use Instagram every day and therefore believe I have enough knowledge to successfully execute a campaign on this platform.
#VISIBLE
According to SocialPilot more than 1.15 billion people actively use Instagram every month and 90% of all users on Instagram follow at least one business account (Gaurav Sharma 2022). Not only is there less competitors on Instagram, compared to Facebook it also gives you a larger scope of marketing success. Another beneficial tool to use in my social media campaign is the use of hashtags. Hashtags will be a great way to expand my audience and enable me to reach more people. By using hashtags in my posts it will appear on the page for that hashtag meaning it will be seen by more people. People who don’t follow me could even see my posts in their feeds by following my hashtag. This tool will enable me to create a sense of community and hopefully motivate my audience to engage with my campaign. I will use the hashtag #VISIBLE in my campaign.
TIKTOK The Generation that uses TikTok the most at the moment is Generation Z, as Generation Alpha will be the most digital native generation they will soon overcome Generation Z. I thought it would be beneficial to see which streetwear brands (if any) are currently on TikTok. From my research I realised there are not many streetwear brands with TikTok accounts, however I found that the following are.
GUCCI OFF-WHITE LOUIS VUITTON PRADA
WHY IS THERE LIMITED AMOUNT OF STREETWEAR BRANDS ON TIKTOK? From my research I have found that the selection of streetwear accounts on titkok is very limited. From my previous research into streetwear I found that streetwear is based off suberting agaisnt trends and finding unconventional ways of creating art and fashion through breaking rules. This has led me to believe the reasons for streetwear brands not being on tiktok is because it is heavily based around trends which is something streetwear isn’t principled to. I believe another reason why streetwear brands may not be seen widely on tiktok is due to their exclusivity and how their consumer value status symbol. Maybe streetwear brands think that being on tiktok will make their brand less exclusive.
HOWEVER... -TikTok For Business Makes Marketing Easy. -Choose From a Wide Range of Ad Types. -Redefine Influencer Marketing. -Reach the Audience That Matters. - Hashtags Infuse Life Into The Marketing Campaigns. ...
Having said all this, I believe TikTok is an sxtremely effective way of promoting brands and spreading a message. TikTok is one of the most frequency used social media platfroms therefore my campaign will be seen my many people allowing me to educate a wide audience.
WOMEN CAMPAIGN INSPIRATION ADIDAS ORIGINALS BY PHARRELL WILLIAMS ANNOUNCE NOW IS HER TIME COLLECTION
Pharrell Williams launches Now Is Her Time, a campaign aimed at female empowerment across the world through the power of representation and bold voices. Pharrell's latest collaboration with adidas Originals is told from the point of view of females from different backgrounds and the allies who support them. Honing in on the zeitgeist of our times, Now Is Her Time is a call to action for the 21st century. The campaign utilizes Pharrell’s platform to amplify the voices of women making waves across a number of issues and perspectives. The women featured range from activists to artists and the topics they champion are rooted in gender, sexuality, sexual rights, race, and equality. The campaign is lensed by legendary photographer Collier Schorr, whose portfolio of work explores the themes of gender, sexuality, and identity. Featuring changemakers such as Patrisse Cullors, community organizer and co-founder of Black Lives Matter; Nadya Okamoto, nonprofit leader and founder of period.org; singer-songwriter Syd; writer, director and broadcaster Reggie Yates; architectural technologist Iddris Sandu; surfer Keala Naihe; filmmaker and human rights activist Sunny; models Isabela Rangel Grutman, Sara Cummings, Kadija Diawara; and dancers Sheena Cain and Sophia Parker. The adidas Originals by Pharrell Williams‘Now Is Her Time’ pack is a new unisex collection of apparel and shoes for adults, juniors, kids and infants that stand for women's rights — featuring a democratic offering that promotes choice and options for individuals. A depth of color-ways like never before, the range includes favorite silhouettes, Solar HU, NMD, BYW and the Adilette, a new silhouette to the HU collection.
I felt really inspired by this campaign as it isn’t something you see often, a range of women in the streetwear market feeling empowered and represented in a bold and beautiful way.
I have used inspiration from these campaign images and tested using my own images in the same style.
KIM JONES X FENDI ‘PIONEERING WOMEN’ “The first collection feels almost autobiographical. What i’m referencing feels really personal”. (Singer,2021)
Inspirations: -Feminism -Empowerment
WHY? This is an example of how clothing can celebrate a gender and make consumers feel empowered and connceted to a brand. This is something I aim to create with my brand. I want to create emotion throughout my 360 brand campaign for females in streetwear. My campaign will have the same personal approach as Kim Jones has had with his Fendi collection. I belive Kim Jones has expressed his feelings effectively and his personal approach allows women to feel empowered and relatable.
DIGITAL ZINE WHY HAVE I CREATED A ZINE?
After reflecting on my brand I decided tthe best way to present my brand and to show the concpets and messages would be through a digital zine as well as my social media campaign. A digital zine will not only showcase my work in a future proof way but will also help shape the narrative of my brand. Creating a digital zine as part of my final project will also be effective as it will appeal to my Generation Alpha consumers as they tech driven and growing up in a fully digital world. From reflecting on my initial zine I have decided that I need to add more depth in order to shape the narrative of my brand in a more effective way. In order for my zine to educate and inspire other women I need to add more text and context. Since creating my first zine I have researched into successful pre existing zines to see how I can make mine more effective. From various selection of fashion magazines to research I decided to look further into Dazed as this is a fashion magazine which I believe best relates to my brand. As well as relfecting culutre, Dazed creates it. Dazed magazine provokes a change of consciousness and has become a manifesto for an audience that wants to be informed and inspired.
DAZED LAYOUT EXAMPLES
As well as looking at Dazed’s page layouts I have also looked at their front covers to gain inspiration. In my Concept Development and Process book you will be able to see my experiments of creating zine front page mockups.
Most of Dazed front covers as shown here are bold and vibrant with the tutle of the magazine in large text. The iamges on the front cover are close up shots which fill up the whole page.
MAGAZINE MOCK UPS
Meanings behind logos Semiotics is an investigation into how meaning is created and how meaning is communicated. Its origins lie in the academic study of how signs and symbols (visual and linguistic) create meaning. It is a way of seeing the world, and of understanding how the landscape and culture in which we live has a massive impact on all of us unconsciously (Sign Salad, 2022).
Semiotics within streetwear Your clothing’s logos act as a reflection of the brands you purchase, and by wearing them, you essentially “become” those brands (LR, 2022). When you wear a certain brand’s logos you are expressing the brand’s messages through your choice of designers.
Different brand’s logos and their meanings
Nike
Connotations:
The checkmark in the Nike logo may be taken to mean approval. Nike might want their customers to feel smart for choosing to wear their clothing, as well as validated when they wear it. What does the logo actually mean? The movement-filled arch that resembles a check mark is meant to symbolise quickness and fluidity. similar to the advantages of their attire. Nike, the Greek Goddess of triumph, is also the source of Nike's name. It is said that the Goddess inspired warriors to defend their homeland. Because of the Goddess Nike's'swoosh'-named wings, the check mark is sometimes known as a swoosh (source: designhill).
Adidas
Connotations: The logo could be seen as a simple triangle, which denotes strength because it is the world's strongest shape. Adidas might want their clients to feel confident and strong. Or perhaps Adidas' triangular emblem represents the Illuminati. What does the logo actually mean? Adidas aimed to make this emblem the most significant of all their designs. As a metaphor for their consumers pushing themselves past their limitations as if they were climbing a mountain, they designed their 3 bars logo to resemble a mountain. To ensure that the image they had already generated with the 3 stripes would still be recognised, they preserved their distinctive 3 stripes with the intervals between the black bars (LR, 2022)
Comme des Garçons PLAY Connotations: The heart might represent love and the eyes being placed on the heart could be because the ‘heart is always watching’. The brand might want their logo to elicit strong emotions and feelings. Additionally, CDG might want to convey how much they 'love' and care about the people who wear their goods. What does the logo actually mean? According to artist Filip Pagowski, the logo's creation simply "happened simultaneously" as he was watching one of Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo's fashion shows. This logo is only intended to be "a sign, a symbol, a mood" that people would know and associate Comme des Garçons PLAY with. It has no deep significance.
Semiotic Analysis of Streetwear Pieces Connotation
Denotation The image above is of a black hooded sweatshirt which is also called a hoodie which was first made in the 1930s by a sportswear company called Champion sportswear although hooded attire goes back to the medieval times when monks wore them and in the 19th century when farmers wore them. Hooded sweatshirt started to become really popular during the 1970’s as graffiti artists wore it to hide their identity from cameras and the police in addition to that during the 1970’s and 1980’s hooded sweatshirts became more common this was due to its popularity with the hip-hop culture and films like Rocky where Sylvester Stallone is portraying a boxer and during his training montage he is wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Hooded sweatshirts were not just popular in the hip hop community but also the punk community with these two communities wearing hooded sweatshirts on an everyday basis hooded sweatshirts became mainstream to the point where hooded sweatshirts were worn by almost even people in white middle-class suburbia.
From the time the first hooded sweatshirt was made in the 1930’s by champion sportswear its symbolism has changed overtime from being something that was made for sports and then associated being associated with hip hop, punk music and graffiti artists and then from those three categories the hooded sweatshirt became a symbol for danger and trouble as gangsters and criminals adopted the hoodie as one of their garments as it hides their faces from cameras and other people from looking at their faces. In addition to that Hoodies have continued to get a bad rap in some countries more than others especially in the UK as two Prime Ministers have tried to tackle the Hoodie issue in the UK as former Prime Minister Tony Blair ran a campaign to ban hooded tops and baseball caps in public places and current Prime Minister David Cameron’s party the labour party came up with hug a hoodie day after David Cameron gave a speech on Hoodies where he said “we the people in suits often see the hoodies as aggressive the uniform of rebel army of young gangsters but for young people hoodies are often more defensive then offensive there a way to stay invisible on the streets”. Another thing to do with hoodies in the UK would have to be the 2011 riots where people rioted on the streets due the death of Mark Duggan who was shot by police and the majority of the people who took part in the riots were wearing hoodies this was just another incident which make hoodies seem dangerous and trouble. On the other hand hoodies are also known to be worn for comfort as they are made out of a soft material, people where hoodies for protection as when they feel when the hood up they our protected from the world and in a impenetrable bubble that no one can disturb. Hooded sweatshirts have got a bad rep now to the point where a 17 year old in America called Trayvon martin was shot dead as he was wearing a hoodie and the reason why he was shot dead was because of the fact a man George Zimmerman found him a threat because he had his hood up.
https://bigblackdrawings.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/semiotic-analysis-of-a-hooded-sweatshirt/
Slogan’s and Logo’s The importance of logos in fashion When it comes to fashion, a logo is more than just important, its role within the brand/company is imperative as lots of brands actually rely on the logo to sell products in more ways than one. People recognize a brand logo and associate it with good things, quality garments and reputation. Some even buy a branded items just too proudly walk around in an item of clothing with the well-known logo on. Wearing a recognized logo can make the wearer feel confident. Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion designer and creative director at Chanel when discussing the importance of logos states ‘“Logos and branding are so important. In a big part of the world, people cannot read French or English–but are great in remembering signs” which truly emphasises the universal importance of a good logo.
When creating my logo I needed to make sure it would stand out from other streetwear brands but also fit in the streetwear market therefore I tested it amongst other streetwear brand’s logos and was happy with how it fitted in. For my logo, I wanted it to be bold and futuristic to cater for the future generation.
VISIBLE VISIBLE
https://www.mainlinemenswear.co.uk/blog/2013/fashion-debate-the-importance-of-great-logos/
Influential streetwear brands Palace Palace is a London based clothing brand established in 2009. From starting out selling t-shirts in only a handful of London stores, Palace has turned into one of the biggest streetwear brands in the world. The USP of Palace is its sporty aesthetic. Palace is very well known for not sticking to the rules and traditional regulations. Palace has been putting the UK firmly on the streetwear map since 2010. In this short time the brand has achieved a level of hype not dissimilar to its transatlantic doppelganger, Supreme. Apart from the clothing I am influenced by the brand as it isn’t too serious, they like to be humorous and light hearted. Palace also aren’t afraid to clap back at negative comments on their Instagram posts. Palace uses every new release as an opportunity to take the piss and use their online product descriptions to insult their customers in a jokey way. There is also a lot of depth to the backstory of Palace beneath their obnoxious exterior.
PALACE LOGOS As Palace has been an influenctial brand for my work throughout this process I wanted to look further at their logo designs. In many of their pieces they use logos all over their clothing. This is something I wanted to experiment with as a way of storytelling. I experimented with using meaningul words all over the model’s garments to tell a story.
PALACE TRI-TO-HELP Palace's Colorful "Tri-to-Help" Tees Benefit Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust Aiming to create a more inclusive society for all
Last year Palace released a run of tees which will help raise money for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Centered around its signature motif, the new range strays from Palace’s usual release pattern by scheduling release for mid-week. Comprised of 10 colors in total, the classic Tri rendered in baby blue, green, orange, light pink, lilac, fuchsia, red, yellow and turquoise, all printed atop black bases. All profits from the sale of the tees will go directly to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, a London-based charity set up in the name of Stephen Lawrence—who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993—to help tackle inequality and to help to transform the lives of young people with an aim to seeing everyone succeed regardless of race, ethnicity or background (Jacob Davey, 2022). I think this was a really effective and positive way that Palace can continue to try and make a difference in the world and spread awareness for such important matters. This collection relates to my brand concepts and messages as it was aimed to create an inclusive society, and to make everyone feel feel accepted in society, no matter their race or personal image. This also links very well to my brand messages of acceptance. As well as this, the branding also links well with my branding by the use of monochrome, simple t-shirts with a hint of bright colours which connotate happiness and youth. Moving forward I will take this collection into consideration and possibly create my own t-shirt range to add to my campaign.
https://www.complex.com/style/2020/09/palace-tri-to-help-stephen-lawrence#:~:text=California%20Privacy-,Palace%20Launch%20'Tri%2DTo%2DHelp'%20Tees%20To%20Raise,For%20Stephen%20Lawrence%20 https://hypebeast.com/2020/9/palace-skateboards-tri-to-help-tees-release-stephen-lawrence-charitable-trust
PALACE X NHS Palace Aims To Raise Money For Healthcare Workers With New ‘NHS Tri-To Help’ Collection
The 'NHS Tri-To Help' capsule was released in 2020 of gratitude for all the hard work made by frontline hospital workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The collection consisted of crewneck sweatshirts, t-shirts and hoodies with classic Palace branding, but with a blue and white, NHS twist (Complex, 2020).
These capsules show how streetwear brands can create a story and spread awareness and messages for important causes through their clothing. This is something which I have found inspiring for my final project. I want my campaign and styling to reference my brand concpepts and messages such as acceptance and empowerment. I will continue to use my brand name ‘Visible’ on my branding as it is effective and striking.
https://www.complex.com/style/2020/04/palace-nhs-tri-to-help-collection#:~:text=Palace%20Aims%20To%20 Raise%20Money,NHS%20Tri%2DTo%20Help'%20Collection&text=Following%20their%20very%20recent%20collab,UK's%20NHS%20Charities%20Together%20regime.
STYLIST RESEARCH One stylist who i researched throughout this project was stlist, Robbie Spencer. Robbie Spencer is a London-based stylist and consultant also working as Creative Director at Dazed. Spencer also has on going collaborations with brands such as Simone Rocha, Y-Project abd Craig Green. Robbie Spencer has produced some of the most effective editorial imagery of his generation and has established a unique aestehtic. This aesthetic is a great reflection of our times and global community through its deep conceptual roots and diverse cultural references. I have been inspired by his creativity and experimentations with piecing different items together, clashig colours and patterns together. One part of his styling which interested me was his use of layering with different garments to create different silhouttes and shapes. This is something which I will hope to use and achieve in my own work to create interesting images. Something which I also like in some of his styling such as the two images below is the colour’s he has used. These looks are mainly black with splashes and accents of red which is something I hope to do in my styling with my brand colour blue.
REFERENCES
adidas News Site | Press Resources for all Brands, Sports and Innovations. 2022. adidas originals by Pharrell Williams announce now is her time collection. [online] Available at: <https://news.adidas.com/originals/ adidas-originals-by-pharrell-williams-announce-now-is-her-time-collection/s/d29a6746-3ac8-4114-99bdfc8ea7f50633> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Brands, B., 2022. Palace’s Colorful “Tri-to-Help” Tees Benefit Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. [online] HYPEBEAST. Available at: <https://hypebeast.com/2020/9/palace-skateboards-tri-to-help-tees-release-stephen-lawrence-charitable-trust> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Mainline Menswear Blog (UK). 2022. Fashion Debate: The importance of great logos. [online] Available at: <https://www.mainlinemenswear.co.uk/blog/2013/fashion-debate-the-importance-of-great-logos/> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Martínez, A., 2022. Kim Jones’s Fendi couture debut: For “Pioneering Women” - Arena Martínez - Boutique online. [online] Arena Martínez. Available at: <https://www.arenamartinez.com/en/blog/kim-jones-fendicouture-debut> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Complex. 2022. Palace Aims To Raise Money For Healthcare Workers With New ‘NHS Tri-To Help’ Collection. [online] Available at: <https://www.complex.com/style/2020/04/palace-nhs-tri-to-help-collection#:~:text=Palace%20Aims%20To%20Raise%20Money,NHS%20Tri%2DTo%20Help’%20Collection&text=Following%20their%20very%20recent%20collab,UK’s%20NHS%20Charities%20Together%20regime.> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Complex. 2022. Palace Launch ‘Tri-To-Help’ Tees To Raise Funds For Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. [online] Available at: <https://www.complex.com/style/2020/09/palace-tri-to-help-stephen-lawrence#:~:text=California%20Privacy-,Palace%20Launch%20’Tri%2DTo%2DHelp’%20Tees%20To%20Raise,For%20Stephen%20Lawrence%20> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. The Business of Fashion. 2022. Robbie Spencer is part of the BoF 500. [online] Available at: <https://www. businessoffashion.com/community/people/robbie-spencer#:~:text=Robbie%20Spencer%20is%20a%20 stylist,find%20beauty%20in%20the%20unexpected.> [Accessed 9 July 2022]. Ryan Simpson. 2022. Semiotic Analysis of a Hooded Sweatshirt. [online] Available at: <https://bigblackdrawings.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/semiotic-analysis-of-a-hooded-sweatshirt/> [Accessed 9 July 2022].
AD6606 BRAND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH BOOK LIBBY CHAMBERLIN