Avenue 23 Written Context

FINAL PROJECT

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA S00902077 FSM602 FINAL PROJECT 2 SPRING/SUMMER 2019 WORD COUNT: 4,922 (excluding quotes, graphics, references & appendices)

2

3

contents

FINAL PROJECT

1.

4.

CONCEPT GENERATION pg. 9

2.

INDUSTRY CONTEXT

MARKETING STRATEGY

3.

pg. 41

CONCEPT IDENTITY

5.

FUTURE GROWTH, CONCLUSION & LIMITATIONS

pg. 26

pg. 19

6.

REFERENCES & APPENDICES pg. 57

pg. 52

4

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

5

FINAL PROJECT

introduction

“There is a growing consumer appetite for luxury goods in the underpenetrated African market”

Coined in 2000, the phrase “Africa rising” has long been used to construe the growth in sub-Saharan regions with regards to the economy, politics, society and technology (Johnson, 2015). However, there are certain global industries that Africa have yet to adequately penetrate, such as the worldwide fashion market, with the luxury fashion industry being at the forefront (Kim and Ko, 2010). Deloitte (2018) stated that growth in the almost €500 billion industry has been due to the competitiveness and the “growing importance of non-western markets”, such as West Africa.

First-hand knowledge of this region allows there to be a level of awareness of the capability of their changing consumer behaviour, and big advancements in spending power in recent years, leading to research surrounding West Africa’s ever-growing commerce industry with regards to the luxury fashion market. This research was titled under “An investigation into the luxury fashion industry in West Africa: How can this untapped market impact, integrate and drive global sales?”, looking into things such as the existing market, their consumer behaviour, the growth of e-commerce and the current impediments that have prevented such growth already.

Avenue 23 will be introduced as a solution to those luxury West African consumers who struggle with attaining their luxury fashion goods with ease, or those that feel that these products aren’t marketed towards them, whilst introducing a personalised consumer experience that simultaneously allows them to connect to a network of like-minded individuals.

(Aitken, Rakic and Baldeira, 2015)

With the advancements in technology, and Africa seeing the largest rate of growth of the internet in the past year (Mumbere, 2018), Avenue 23 will be based digitally, with luxury brands making the move towards e-commerce and e-marketing in recent years, particularly for multi-brand websites (Berg et al., 2015), and aims to work with West African consumers to optimise their needs to successfully provide a one-stop destination for their global luxury fashion purchases.

6

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

7

FINAL PROJECT

1

concept generation

8

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

9

the problem the problem the problem th the problem the problem the problem the problem the problem the problem th FINAL PROJECT

Despite rapid economic growth, Western African consumers are still struggling to access luxury fashion items and have been made to mainly shop abroad for items they are unable to buy at home due to a lack of retail store options and the ability to order for delivery to their respective countries.

“My family in Ghana always make me get stuff for them whenever I come back from London”

“every time I flew back to Nigeria I would come carrying items that people had asked me to bring”

“Yeah, I literally couldn’t believe that they don’t ship to Nigeria it’s ridiculous!”

problem

(Appendix 2)

When interviewed, fashion blogger and social media influencer Ama Peters stated “Lots of things just aren’t as easy to get when I’m at home in Ghana as it is here in London”, a sentiment that was echoed in potential-consumer interviews, with participants saying “everytime I fly back after being in Europe I’m always sent a list of things to bring” and “I had my eye on these Valentino pumps for ages for a summer party, arrived in Lagos, only to realise that Net-A-Porter don’t deliver there”.

“I think it’s because brands don’t know how many customers they would have here so they don’t know if its worth the risk I guess”

“I hadn’t really thought about it before...but it is a bit ridiculous. West Africa is so underrated”

(Folayan, 2018)

Chris Folayan, global business strategist and recent CEO of his own company MallForAfrica, stated that he started his business because he noticed that there was a “strong demand for a service that would enable Africa’s growing middle class to shop from western retail stores”, before going on to discuss the issues he has faced at airports and denied boarding passes due to carrying too much luggage after he returned to his native country Nigeria, having brought back items from western countries for friends and family (Folayan, 2018).

“I can get some things, but with others it’s difficult unless I am in Europe. It should be the same - if not similar, everywhere”

(Appendix 2)

10

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

11

e opportunity the opportunity the opportunit the opportunity the opportunity the opportun e opportunity the opportunity the opportunit FINAL PROJECT

85%

E-COMMERCE

of luxury growth is driven by millennials and Generation Z consumers.

(Woodworth, 2018)

Chris Folayan’s company, MallForAfrica, connects mass Western retailers such as Amazon, eBay and Walmart, to Sub-Saharan African consumers, however, there is currently not a similar business that operates well that provides the same services for the luxury fashion market, of which research shows there to be an ample West African consumer base.

of surveyed West Africans identified themselves as luxury consumers for either themselves or someone else.

(Ishola, 2018)

63% of surveyed West Africans stated that they preferred shopping online for fashion rather than in store.

(Ishola, 2018)

86%

of surveyed West Africans stated that they would be comfortable making luxury purchases online.

(Ishola, 2018)

PERSONALISATION SOCIAL MEDIA & INFLUENCERS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OMNICHANNEL PLATFORMS

Full survey: Appendix 1

98%

CONVENIENCE CONSUMERS

12

INCLUSIVITY SOCIAL COMMERCE INCREASED TRUST SELF-SUFFICIENCY CULTURAL EMPOWERMENT IMMEDIACY CHANGING ATTITUDES

When looking for how to accurately propose a new brand/company, the gap in the market can only be fit when it attends to both the market drivers and how consumers are behaving currently. In 2019, the market trends that are driving sales are based around the development of digitalised omnichannel marketing and commerce that utilise personalisation by way of AI, diversity amongst brands, influencer marketing and convenience. Consumer behaviour at the moment revolves heavily around the idea of inclusivity - the idea that the diversity amongst brands makes the consumer feel like they are represented on a wider scale, sparking cultural empowerment. This is followed by increased trust of digital platforms allowing for social commerce to take place, as well as a millennial need for immediacy and self-sufficiency - a constant want for anything and everything right away, all accessible from one place (usually the internet).

Considering this, Avenue 23 feels that there is an opportunity for the gap to be filled, bringing together all of these elements.

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

opportunity

DIVERSITY

market trends

of luxury purchases made in London by Africans were made

by Nigerians, which has since increased.

(KPMG, 2015)

Africa holds the world’s fastestgrowing middle class that is primarily made up of high networth millennials - growing at twice the rate of their Asian counterparts.

(Kebede, 2015)

consumer behaviour

46%

x2

13

the solution the solution the solution the the solution the solution the solution the solution the solution the solution th FINAL PROJECT

With the problem faced here, and the gap in the market that is evident, a solution arises for a West Africa-specific, global luxury store. After researching the issues with brick and mortar luxury malls; not enough investment, no guarantee of regular footfall consumers in one specific city, and the excessive research into the vast growth of e-commerce in West Africa, the idea for Avenue 23 was conceived. A digitally-based luxury store hosting brands worldwide, that market towards, and cater directly to West African consumers, particularly millennials.

(Afolabi, Boyinbode and Ibam, 2018)

solution

MARKET

The question arose, which digital interface would be most appropriate?

Research shows that the use of mobile apps and browsers have greatly increased in the region in the last two years, even more so in the last year alone, with 61.8% of users, the majority percentage, gaining access to the internet through their phones (yStats, 2018). Primary surveys show that the majority of West African luxury consumers feel comfortable shopping online, with 63% actually preferring it to shopping in-store, however, not all of them are regular e-commerce app users, with only 35% saying they regularly use apps to aid their online spending habits (Appendix 1), so producing only an app wouldn’t seem to be the most beneficial for the target consumers.

Therefore, in interviews with potential customers, after being briefed on the idea, it was asked: ‘Website, app, or both?’

“I’d probably say both. I know people like the versatility”

“Apps are handy, but I prefer shopping on websites. They feel safer”

“Buying on an app if it’s connected to, like, Instagram is cool. Apart from that, web 100%”

“I lean more towards an app to be honest.

But a website is good for backup”

EXISTING

NEW

EXISTING

The e-commerce rate of Africa is growing at a rate that is at least 9% higher than the rest of the world

PRODUCT

MARKET PENETRATION

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

NEW

ansoff matrix

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

DIVERSIFICATION

Avenue 23 falls into the ‘market development’ sector as it is applying the growth strategy of selling existing products but to a new market. This should increase sales in luxury fashion by bringing a whole new group of consumers to a lot of existing brands. This strategy relies on innovatively marketing directly towards this new market to gain their attention and draw them towards the new company.

Avenue 23 looks towards similar concepts that operate within existing markets in order to remain true to the brands they represent whilst also being aware of competition, whilst also gaining and using feedback from potential customers to inform and accurately market the company towards the target consumers.

(Appendix 2)

Results from this primary research showed a varied response, leading to the conclusion that both a main website and a mobile application that functioned at the same high level, would be most appropriate for Avenue 23.

14

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

15

FINAL PROJECT

final concept

“Luxury goods brands can,..., benefit from the evolution of the African consumer”

Avenue 23 is a newly-developed socialselling digital platform, accessible to its users via both web and mobile application. It works as a multi-brand e-tailer hosting luxury fashion brands from all over the world, catering directly to the West African market.

The first of its kind, Avenue 23 primarily markets themselves towards the ever-growing, tech-savvy millennial generation, with core beliefs in the idea that a person’s geographic location shouldn’t limit their ability to easily access luxuries from all over the globe.

(KPMG, 2015)

mission statement

To bring the world’s luxury to the heart of West Africa.

16

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

17

FINAL PROJECT

2 industry context

18

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

19

FINAL PROJECT

e-commerce: digital luxury

luxury online retailers:

concept positioning map

Avenue 23 operates within the industry of digital luxury with regards to e-commerce. Online luxury has been a market that has only seen exponential growth in recent years, with especially multi-brand e-tailers being seen as the most successful (Berg et al., 2015). Their projected success over the next number of years shows that the e-commerce of digital luxury is a market area that is a viable path for Avenue 23 to take, as well as survey results showing that there are a large number of potential consumers from West Africa that would use a platform operating within this industry.

“Online luxury sales are expected to triple as a proportion of the total global luxury market sales by 2025, reaching USD $91 billion�

80% All stats (Woodworth, 2018)

73%

of respondents to a McKinsey survey said that they visit multi-brand luxury online stores to look for personal items, more than any other option including social media, department stores, and brand own stores.

of all personal luxury purchases are influenced by online as of 2018

Figures obtained via Google

Avenue 23 is essentially the first company of its kind, and therefore it is difficult to draw any direct competitors, as these brands that operate a similar basic system are not region specific, nor have they a high-functioning social and commerce app that includes a personalised aspect to their brands. Therefore, this positioning map has been produced within the market context of the luxury fashion e-commerce market, featuring all companies and brands that stock multiple international brands on their online stores.

The parameters of the map are contextual to their general product offering and therefore their general target audience, for example mass and niche referring to the accessibility of Selfridges to the average entry-level luxury consumer, in comparison to FarFetch, who operate a much more niche type of product and consumer, relatively, due to the way in which they internationally source their items for their online store.

Relatively and contextually also, are the classic and contemporary parameters. Harrods is well known to be a luxury store of heritage, in comparison to DSM who stock and cater to a very different type of consumer. All these about companies however, bring global luxury to different regions of the world - just not (all of) West Africa.

Yoox Net-a-Porter, a company operating in a similar market to Avenue23, saw 20% increase in sales in 2017 alone.

20

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

21

FINAL PROJECT

Figures obtained via @melissaswardrobe (Instagram, 2019)

target consumer

“Online

luxury sales are expected to triple by 2025”

MELISSA, 27 ¤¤ born in Ghana, lives in London, travels between the two often ¤¤ works as a fashion stylist and social media influencer ¤¤ socio-economic group A/B, enjoys shopping luxury ¤¤ likes to travel, wants access to the same resources all over the world ¤¤ avid user of digital plaforms ¤¤ utilises e-commerce sites often due to busy schedule

(Woodworth, 2018)

When considering market segmentation, the luxury consumer spans a wide range of person type, with a vast amount of ages, interests and personalities. For the purpose of the Avenue 23 launch, the company will be focusing the majority of its efforts in marketing towards the West African millennial luxury consumer. Melissa is an example of the type of consumer that Avenue 23 would be targeting, as she embodies what the brand is, as a person. International, resourceful and stylish, she often has to bring items back home to Ghana with her on every trip. Accustomed to her busy western life, the ease and immediacy is something she requires when she is in West Africa, and her comfortability with digital platforms allows her to navigate through the AI-powered omnichannel facilities effortlessly.

22

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

23

FINAL PROJECT

concept research interviews When conducting primary research, a number of people were contacts for a variance of reasons.

Specific social media influencers from West Africa were contacted as they firstly, understood the world of luxury fashion, as well as travelled between the region and the western world and so understood the struggle, as well as being contacted as they would be the brand ambassadors that Avenue 23 would look to hire, and so their opinion on the concept would mean a lot.

“with a growing middle class... brands have definitely been successful”

Industry professionals were contacted in the form of people working at a high level in international distribution, for their expertise, to luxury store sales associates who witness international sales on a regular occurance.

Lastly, also contacted were potential consumers, who fit the target customer of Avenue 23.

Seeing how they would really interact with the brand, whether they actually would find it useful, and listening to their notes is helpful for making improvements.

Esther, 31 - Social Media Influencer “Yeah of course, I’ve definitely had problems before. I’m from Nigeria but I was visiting cousins in Togo - I had brought so many things [shopping] from London, my luggage got held at the airport”

Ama, 22 - Social Media Influencer & Blogger “Lots of things aren’t as easy to get when I’m at home in Ghana as it is here in London. In general, the idea is good and I think it will have a positive impact on people from West Africa finally feeling a part of the commercial side of the world”

Jadésola, 23 - Potential Consumer “I honestly think its’ such a cool idea.

Especially the app. I would defo [sic] use it when I’m back in NG. I know my sisters would love it too. Then I can tell all my aunties to stop bothering me for things when I come from London”

Phil Likeman - International Distributions Director, Arcadia Group

“I have witnessed [other emerging markets] become the most lucrative international markets in the world for many brands”

Vanessa, 26 - Sales Associate, Selfridges

“Definitely do both a website and an app. It will be

easier for people that aren’t as good with tech that still use the internet to buy stuff, as well as people that find apps easier”

“I remember just before Christmas, I had a lot of families here, all from Nigeria [they told her], and they bought so much. I couldn’t believe it ”

full interviews available in appendix 2

24

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

25

FINAL PROJECT

3

the name

When developing an identity for this concept, the name did not come easily. When coming out with a company/brand name, an effective thought process is often one that leads to a name that is both clever and memorable.

A name that can be difficult to understand by being too complex, can negatively affect the business with Marketing MO (2019) stating that “poor name can also limit your opportunities if you expand into other markets”.

Before doing so, a brand’s personality must be determined and from there a picture starts to build. This can be seen overleaf in Avenue 23’s branding prism and Aaker model. Avenue 23 came about when trying to find a name that both described what the function of the company was, as well as being engaging to the area it relates to. This, whilst remaining clear enough to be understood worldwide, was difficult for some time but in the end came to a natural conclusion.

As a globally-connected brand, ‘avenue’, representing a street that one would go shopping on, was chosen as it is a word used in a multitude of countries, as opposed to words such as ‘boulevard’ or ‘parade’ that are more regionspecific. As a physical location used to describe a shopping area with a lot of different brands, this word then translates to a multi-brand e-tailer that is memorable to an audience, whilst also having the popular abbreviation ‘ave’, which is useful when looking at other manners of visual branding.

concept identity

The ‘23’ was chosen as the international dialling tones of West Africa are majority (+22_) and (+23_), and after taking opinions from peers, it was decided that 23 sounded slightly better and it looked better also, when drawing up potential logos and branding options. Keeping the number related to the region puts a specific connection to West Africa with a globalised brand, but it also adds an element of wit as the meaning behind it is not something that everyone would pick up on.

The overall name Avenue 23 has been described as “traditional, yet clever” and “classic” (Appendix 4), something that reflects the luxury brands that the company would be representing, placing a company related to West Africa in established ranks, whilst also remaining slightly contemporary.

26

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

27

FINAL PROJECT

kapferer’s branding prism PHYSIQUE Modern yet simultaneously classic

tone of voice

classic confident passionate reliable luxurious real elegant authentic sophisticated new necessary

PERSONALITY Sophisticated, mature, fashion-forward, luxurious

CULTURE West African, international, sophistication, liberation

RELATIONSHIP Reliable, secure, confident

visual branding

focus group

SELF-IMAGE A confident, stylish millennial - always travelling

REFLECTION Contemporary yet elegant

A focus group was conducted to determine the general visual branding of Avenue 23. Here, some colours were discussed as well as a few basic colour schemes were shown to a group of six millenials who fit the general criteria of the company’s target consumers; luxury consumers who use e-commerce platforms. Two non-West Africans were also included in this focus group as earlier primary research showed that there were no significant differences between millennial consumers from western locations than those from West Africa. It is also thought that the mix of participants would keep their opinions slightly more objective, and not as personal, as they would not necessarily be the customers purchasing from Avenue 23, and would therefore be focused on what colours actually looked the best. This also ensured that Avenue 23 would visually be inline with their western competitors in the digital luxury market.

Following this, participants were also asked their individual opinions on the brand name ‘Avenue 23’.

aaker model • • • • • • • • •

Contemporary Up-to-date Secure Confident Upper Class Glamourous Smooth Reliable Luxurious

Using Kapferer’s branding prism and the Aaker model gives a good representation of the keywords that define the identity of Avenue 23. On the prism, the phrase ‘Modern yet simultaneously classic’ sums up the overall look of the company, and what hopefully will relay to the brand’s audience. The words here to the left were the ones that align the most with Avenue 23’s identity, reminding people that although it is a company based on luxury brands, with all the glamour that entails, it also is a secure e-tailer with integrity, that is reliable and trustworthy, as previous research has shown these are the main reasons West Africans have failed to use e-commerce sites in the past. Avenue 23 looks to also be a conversational brand; sophisticated and fashion-forward as it is, the company draw attention to the overwhelming lack-of in the region of West Africa.

Before all questions began, participants were briefed that the concept in question was a new global luxury multi-brand e-tailer for West Africa, and all seemed interested and engaged.

28

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

29

FINAL PROJECT

focus group Q1.

colour scheme options

“The most common colours in West African flags are Red, Green & Yellow. If you were to pick one, based on the colour schemes shown here [alongside white, black and grey], which would you say is the most visually impactful/attractive? And why?”

“Personally I prefer the green one, I think it’s not as garish as the red, and I don’t think the yellow stands out really”

“I agree, and I think green looks more trendy”

“I would quite like a combination of both green and red, red is fun and green is crisp”

“I quite like the red, but it’s my favourite colour so I’m probably a little biased”

“Either one but not the yellow I don’t think”

“Love the green. It shows like newness and young people love things that look fresh”

full transcript available in appendix 3

BASE THEME TONES

After introducing the topic of Avenue 23, the focus group participants were shown three basic colour schemes based off of the most common colours found in West African flags. These colours; red, green and yellow, were mixed as shades into other tones from the base colours; black, white and grey, and participants were asked to identify which one they thought had the most visual impact, or attracted them the most. They were also asked to state why they had chosen their answer.

OPTION 1

OPTION 2

OPTION 3

The results varied and opened up a discussion on what colours represented to them, with their being varied responses. The most varied response was for the red colour scheme, as some participants thought it was fun, whilst another participant stated it was “garish”. The varied answers and lack of majority meant that it was no longer considered, as was the yellow which was none of the participants favourite. The green colour scheme came out on top with a majority vote, with some answers describing it as “fresh”, “crisp” and “trendy”.

Along with the focus group results, green was also chosen by Avenue 23 as it can be seen to represent new growth. The premise behind the brand is to showcase older, bigger brands with heritage, and boost their sales by injecting a new, growing consumer base, and green feels to be the colour that can accurately communicate this whilst also remaining unisex which is key for possible future brand extensions.

30

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

31

FINAL PROJECT

focus group Q2.

Q3.

“For a base when it comes to logo, website, etc, do you think white or black is more effective? What words come to mind when you see [whatever colour chosen]?”

After stating that the colour scheme would undoubtedly involve black, white and grey, it was next to be determined what the dominating colour would be. As to not only look into personal preferences, the participants were asked to say words that come to mind when they think of either white or black, and what they think is overall more effective in branding. The answers resulted in a varied split, with reasons to back up each opinion. White was described as “cleaner” and “minimalistic”, which black was seen to be “more fashionable” and “classier”.

The decision then came down to what felt more appropriate for the overall style of Avenue 23. Although white is seen to be clear and neat, and from a branding point of view can be seen to be more easily adaptable, the decision in the end was to go with black. When looking at our brand personality, Avenue 23 doesn’t identify with minimalism, however it does identify with fashion, glamour and confidence - all things which can be seen to align with the colour black.

full transcript available in appendix 3

“I like minimalistic stuff so I prefer white”

“When you look at a brand, what do you think of gold/silver accents? If one was used, which of the two do you prefer?”

“Gold looks more classic. I don’t mind it in branding but not all over, then it looks tacky.”

“A lot of brands these days use, like, black fonts on white backgrounds but I prefer the other way round, white makes me think, like, “Black looks boring”

classier to me, white looks cleaner I think. It depends what vibe you’re trying to go for I guess”

focus group

“I like it, and I personally prefer silver.

Looks newer”

“When I think of gold I straight away think, like, old luxury”

“I think black makes stuff stand out more”

“There’s something about gold that just seems more glam than silver.”

“It’s a nice added detail.

Silver looks cheap though”

“It can look good as long as it’s not overdone, and defo not both at once.

I’d pick gold to be honest...I just think it looks better”

To amp up the colour palette of Avenue 23’s branding, the decision was made to include an element of metallic colouring; either silver or gold. These metal colours often are down to personal preference, so a mixed response was expected. These two were chosen to be discussed as silver is often known to represent sleekness, with a side of high tech, whilst gold often emulates wealth and sophistication, all things that Avenue 23 aim to represent.

“When I think of black I immediately think, like, confident...oh and fashionable”

Although a mixed response was expected, the results turned out more in favour of gold. This was a little surprising but also could also be seen to be because in previous questions, there was already grey in the colour schemes shown. Gold represents elegance, status, value & quality, and alongside the young brand that Avenue 23 is, all of those aspects are what the company want to show through hints of branding.

“Black! 100%. I immediately think it’s, like, cooler”

Later, the decision was made to bring to the main colour palette to even Overleaf the mood board for the the final base colour palette for

32

gold and bronze tones through out the warm-cold base of it. colours is seen as well as Avenue 23’s visual branding.

full transcript available in appendix 3 YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

33

FINAL PROJECT

colour mood board

34

colour scheme

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

35

FINAL PROJECT

focus group Q4.

logo development

“Shown here are examples of serif and sans serif fonts, what do you prefer when it comes to a luxury brand? Why?”

“The one without the bits [sans serif] looks cleaner and more contemporary but both are nice”

“Sans serif is way more modern and it would attract me more”

“Yeah same, I think serif is classic and always look good”

“Serif fonts are way more luxurious I feel.

They feel like they have heritage”

“I’m not sure, a lot of brands today use san serif and it’s becoming a bit boring”

“I like these ones [sans serif], it would make me feel like a luxury brand is new and young”

full transcript available in appendix 3

original logos

The choice between a serif and sans serif font proved to be the most difficult one of them all, and split the focus group down the middle. Opinions changed throughout the discussion backwards and forwards, and no ultimate conclusion was come to, other than, that they were both good options.

The original logo designs were mainly to see about the placement between the word(s) and the numbers. Both stacked and length-wise seemed to gain attention, but the font was described as a little “art deco”, which was not the intention.

There were good points made regarding the fact that serif fonts made the brand look older, but this had both positive and negative connotations. Avenue 23 wants to be recognised as having a level of contemporaneousness to it, but it also wants to appear established, and this seems to be totally viewer dependent.

Sans serif, on the other hand, were seen to be the way to go if wanting to show how modern the brand is, but it also came across as “a bit too simple”, with another participant commenting on the amount of brands that have made the move to sans serif typography in their branding and how it is “boring”.

Following this, more logos were developed, with different fonts and in a horizontal layout. Feedback then developed these further with different types of fonts, both serif and sans serif, due to the responses from the focus group.

Also experimented with was the numbers, an idea was formed about having them handwritten to juxtapose the rigidity of the word ‘AVENUE’. Some actual handwritten attempts were made, but for branding purposes it made more sense to use a typography style that can be replicated. There were a couple different outcomes, of which one was the favourite, and was subsequently used for the next round of logos.

logos round 2

In the end, logos were developed with both typographic styles to later be evaluated by Avenue 23 and a peerbased focus group, as well as external opinions, to evaluate which would be the strongest logo design-wise.

36

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

37

FINAL PROJECT

logos round 3

last picks The final logo that was chosen is a combination of the final two that were selected, with the sans serif font of the second but with the capitalised letters of the first, with the numbers mainly the same but positioning and size adjusted to fit the new lettering.

The lettering at the bottom saying ‘West Africa’ was then switched to a serif font to accommodate the switch also.

On conducted primary research amongst peers and potential customers, the final logo was described as “balanced” and “effective” (Appendix 4).

final logo

WEST AFRICA A mini focus group was then held to pick the best logos of this group, and two of them were pretty much unanimously chosen by the majority of participants, shown at the top of the next page.

38

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

39

WEST AFRICA

A LT E R N AT I V E L O G O

WEST AFRICA

MAIN LOGO

SUBMARKS

PAT T E R N S

FONTS

ELEMENTS

C O LO U R PA L E T T E

Didot Bold

final branding board

FINAL PROJECT

Praktika Light

4

marketing strategy

40 YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

41

FINAL PROJECT

integrated strategy: visual, digital & print

visual content: photoshoots For visual content for the company, Avenue 23 use editorial style imagery to be used for promotional content through both their online and offline communications.

For this promotional strategy, the three types of shoot that are used are studio, close up details and on location.

The most important aspect of the photography are the models. Being West African is highly important to the consumers viewing the images as it gives them a sense of representation, and rarely, if ever, would they have seen an all-WestAfrican model group shooting in luxury fashion. The models selected display a variance of skin tone, hair type, and body shape, adding to the market driver of diversity whilst being in keeping with the consumer behaviour trend of inclusivity.

For these photoshoots, three types of shoot were decided on; a close up jewellery shoot, a studio fashion shoot, and an on-location shoot.

The imagery from these shoots can be used as individual editorials, placed on billboards to attract attention and interest, as product shots on the website, or even as advertising on social media.

65%

of visual content is retained by consumers compared to just 10% of written content (Smith, 2018)

Therefore,making producing good quality visual content a key promotional strategy.

In order to market effectively to Avenue 23’s target audience, a combined, integrated promotional strategy is to be implemented. This is in order to create a seamless experience of marketing for the consumers to enjoy and interact with through multiple channels. This allows the brand to have a unified approach to consumers, instead of having different types of promotion across the different parts of marketing communication.

At Avenue 23, the main focal point is the visual content. The strong imagery is what steers the rest of the promotional campaign, and although being approached through both online and offline communication methods, Avenue 23’s consumer won’t feel that they are being hounded as the marketing message and content is consistent throughout.

42

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

43

FINAL PROJECT

shoot 1

final shoot content sample

Location: Studio & Monument, London Models: Ore, Jadésola & Michele Clothing: N/A - assorted accessories Lighting: Studio soft lighting, direct sunlight Content: Close-up product focused shots African’s are known for their love of jewellery, close up product shots can be very effective in editorials.

shoot 2 Location: Studio Model: Ore & Jadésola Clothing: Bright coloured clothing, multiple outfits Lighting: Studio soft & harsh lighting Content: Single model shots & multiple model shots, from distance and close Fashion-based shoot, centred around wearing multiple outfits in bright colours, for editorial content.

shoot 3 Location: Sky Garden Models: Michele & Methmi Clothing: White suit, white dress Lighting: Day - Late morning Content: Single & multiple model shots, close up and from a distance Botanical-themed shoot, meant to emulate the new growth of Avenue 23. The white and green are heavily associated with West Africa also as they are the colours of the flag of Nigeria, the biggest country in West Africa.

44

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

45

digital content: website

HOME LANDING PAGE

FINAL PROJECT

online communications Social interactions are always changing due to the constantly evolving field that is social media, and Avenue 23 aim to integrate that into their consumers’ shopping experience. Avenue 23 will use influencers and content creators to be brand ambassadors online, showcasing the way they use the website and the app to ease their shopping habits, as well as promoting the website and app functionality.

For millennials especially, online communications are very important, as studies show it is the most effective way to market towards them, especially social media, which is said to have the biggest influence on their e-commerce (Shaoolian, 2018).

The Avenue 23 website is designed to be extremely easy to navigate, with a horizontal menu bar along the top with all the sections for the consumer to shop under. The colour scheme of the website remains the same as the general colour scheme, keeping a strong visual identity. If you have allowed this security setting on your device, as soon as you return to the website, you are logged back into your account. Your account holds your country location, currency settings, and if allowed, your purchasing details also. This means that the user can freely browse a multitude of international brands in his/her respective currencies, with shipping information already taken into account, and can purchase through your personal checkout with your details stored. Artificial intelligence makes informed decisions based on your browsing and purchasing history, and creates a ‘Top Picks’ section for you, which is right at the top of your account.

ACCOUNT HOME

60%

ITEM PAGE

Through both the website and the app, there will be a social messenger section, where customers with accounts are able to connect with others who use the site in a similar way, whilst also connecting their other social medias to the platform, such as Facebook and Instagram; the two most popular social media sites for millennials (Shaoolian, 2018). These extra details make the shopping experience easier and more fun, for you as the consumer, standing out from Avenue 23’s competitors.

‘TOP PICKS’

of all millennial purchases are now made online (Melton, 2019) 46

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

47

FINAL PROJECT

92%

of young consumers “prefer print marketing when considering purchases” (Alliance, 2018)

print content: magazine

offline communications

final magazine content sample

One of the most vital indicators of successful marketing is the ability to keep a strong brand identity both online and offline. Producing a form of offline communication is important as it shows a way of keeping Avenue 23’s identity prevalent throughout other channels, other than digitally, which is a key selling point with consumers.

As Avenue 23 is a completely digitally-based business, it is integral that there is a piece of tangible marketing that consumers can hold and look at to get a feel for the brand. Something as small as the feel of the paper, can tell a consumer more about a brand than if they were only able take in their online marketing.

COVER

Produced quarterly, the Avenue 23 Magazine takes on more of the form of a lookbook. This is due to research stating that “65% of visual content is retained by consumers compared to just 10% of written content” (Smith, 2018), and as it is only made four times a year, Avenue 23 would rather their consumer remember them for their great visual content.

Due to it s rare production, this piece would take on more of a ‘collector’s item’ stance, and sits as a square magazine rather than a standard document sized one, perfect for a coffee table.

Highly visual, the piece contains mainly editorial images of that upcoming seasons collection, modelled by West African models that would have featured in earlier advertisements of that season, giving a sense of continuance to the campaign.

Research shows that “92% of young shoppers prefer print marketing when considering purchases, and digitally inclined shoppers find print marketing the most trustworthy”, another reason why this piece was chosen to be printed, rather than distributed online.

The Avenue 23 lookbook would be distributed with every first order made after the company goes live, as well as being given out at the PR launch ahead of time, to the brand ambassadors. This would then be repeated each season with the newest edition, following on from an advertising campaign.

INSIDE DOUBLE SPREAD SAMPLE 48

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

49

FINAL PROJECT

aida model

INSIDE DOUBLE SPREADS SAMPLE

A I D A

50

Awareness: A PR launch with brand ambassadors; West African social media influencers and notable socialites from the region who are known to be a fan of luxury brands, where they are introduced to the concept. Advertising imagery without a lot of detail, displayed on billboards in the capital cities/highest populated/area of highest GDP and spending power of the 16 West African countries to create buzz. The imagery used would be a small selection of imagery that would be part of a larger campaign shown in the first Avenue 23 Lookbook/Magazine.

Interest: Create content with these social media influencers where they start to reveal that all of their favourite designer pieces have been purchased through Avenue 23, promoted through their social media channels, such as Instagram.

Global brands begin to interact with Avenue 23 online, eg. by following them on social media, building a reputable follower base so consumers know the legitimacy of the service.

Desire: Have YouTube content creators and influencers record their experiences with Avenue 23, from ease of shopping to fast delivery straight to their homes in West Africa. Have a plug-in that connects the social messenger part of Avenue 23 directly to Instagram so users are able to find and connect with each other through the platform and share fashion ideas and tips. The newness of the brand creates desire and will attract millennials due to their ability to be heavily influenced by the ‘next new thing’ and always wanting to be the first to know about it.

Action: Affiliate links via the chosen brand ambassadors that take you straight to the iOs App store/Google Play store to directly download the app. Once downloaded, links to clothing on the brand ambassadors social media pages will take you directly to the products, ready for purchase.

Avenue 23 will start to be a google sponsored store for people in West Africa so when they search for items on the internet, the website is the first option that pops up.

The Avenue 23 Lookbook/Magazine will be distributed with every first purchase on the site, becoming a collectable that the new millennial era of consumers are attracted to due to the ‘death of print’ in recent times.

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

51

FINAL PROJECT

5

B2C

The consumers at Avenue 23 can purchase different luxury brands through the business website and app, at no extra cost to themselves. Keeping these consumers means that in the future, the attention needs to be focused on the offline communications in order to retain the online customers, remain on track with consumer feedback and service, in order to make sure the impressions convert into sales.

B2B

future growth, conclusion & limitations

In the near future, the B2B strategy to increase revenue relies on brands paying Avenue 23 for clicks onto their products. Establishing good connections with well-known brands is key in this growth strategy, and once the traction starts to increase, so does the rate of purchases, at which brands will be wanting to associate themselves with Avenue 23 and so-forth, for their ability to generate such high levels of luxury consumer interest.

52

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

53

FINAL PROJECT

Avenue 23 is a company that can continue to grow over the years, with KPIs such as downloads and click-through commissions to help measure the levels of success. The first three years of the brand will undertake three different stages of it’s being, the first being the year that new things are still being evolved.

year 1 - create

3

year growth strategy

In this first year, Avenue 23 will mainly be focusing on gaining as much possible attention, reach and engagement from its potential consumers, ready to turn them into a solid consumer base. After establishing partnerships with minimum 25 luxury brands, the digital platforms will have their kinks worked out, and Avenue 23 will be very much listening, reacting, and working on customer feedback in order to provide the most efficient service to them Seasonal promotional shoots will take place, as will the production of the Avenue 23 Lookbook/Magazine.

conclusion A vast amount of research revealed a need for accessibility to the luxury fashion industry for consumers based in West Africa. Looking into the existing market and observing the potential for growth through both primary and secondary sources, allowed there to be a platform from which this concept could generate from. Holding strong, core beliefs that a geographical location should not hinder one from accessing global luxuries, Avenue 23 aims to be a forefront leader in changing world views on West Africa; exposing the wealth they have to offer, and boosting worldwide sales in the luxury fashion sector. With the prospective outlook of luxury looking to become even more digitalised, and consumers becoming more and more globalised each day, Avenue 23 is a company stepping in the right direction for the future of both West Africa and luxury fashion.

Targets for the year would be directly consumer reach based; 200,000 website views, 300,000 social media impressions, 10,000 app downloads. This would all be to improve brand awareness, of which is the main goal of the creative first year of launch.

year 2 - maintain & refine In the second year, the main aim is to retain that large consumer base, but ensure that the engagement received is relative to click-through rate. A high level of impressions must relay itself in sales in order to maintain a successful business. The seasonal promotional shoots would now develop into having celebrity features, in order to gain even more traction, and the magazine could feature a new designer exclusive for loyal customers of Avenue 23.

Targets for the year would include increasing the brand portfolio by 200%, and increase both our social media following and our app downloads by 100%.

year 3 - expand In the third year of Avenue 23, expansion is the goal. The primary route would be through securing a big external investment, with possibly a large warehouse facility that stocked main pieces so that delivery time was cut even shorter, allowing for even better and more efficient service for the consumers. The app and website would be optimised for use on other devices such as tablets, and there may be an addition of a blog to the website. After celebrating 1000 days in business, Avenue 23’s first customers would be rewarded via a points system allowing them a small percentage off their clothing; enticing new consumers in light of future rewards.

Targets for the year would be to have a brand portfolio matching those of worldwide multibrand e-tailer rivals such as Net-A-Porter, have over 500k Instagram followers, with an engagement of over 35-45%, and be high up in the iOs and Google Play app store charts.

54

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

55

FINAL PROJECT

6

limitations The first limitation that can be observed over this research is the lack of existing published literature regarding the luxury market in Africa as a whole. Although based exclusively on West Africa, some academic research was used that referenced to sub-Saharan Africa as a way of contextualising the point on a greater scale.

The market segmentation of research mainly surrounds millennials, and Avenue 23’s main promotional strategy was aimed towards them. It should be noted however, that luxury consumers span a larger age range than just the millennial bracket, and the brand would, with growth, aim to be able to market towards other segments of consumer. The first primary survey as seen in Appendix 1, uses a sampling of luxury consumers of a varied age range in order to give a more realistic viewpoint to opinions regarding a development in the market as this. This has no real point of reference to compare to as, at time of publishing, there is not sufficient research that look into the luxury consumer as a whole, without the compartmentalisation of generation groups.

A limitation in sampling that was noted, was that due to the geographical location of the author at time of research, the majority of West African participants in interviews and focus groups are ‘westernised’ to an extent, as a majority of them spend or have spent a significant amount of time in either the US, the UK or Europe. This was attempted to be alleviated by survey questions posted in West African forums on sites such as Reddit, who host IP addresses from that geographical location. The westernised nature of the participants may slightly alter the opinions of some, but it should be noted that it is not thought to have skewed the overall opinions of the research.

references & appendices

56

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

57

FINAL PROJECT

references • Afolabi, M., Boyinbode, O. and Ibam, E. (2018). e-Commerce in Africa: The Case of Nigeria. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Game-Based Learning, 4(15), pp.1-20.

• Aitken, D., Rakic, M. and Baldeira, S. (2015).

Africa luxury goods market: Full of untapped promise. [online] Bloomberg. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/ blog/africa-luxury-goods-market-full-ofuntapped-promise/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2018].

• Alliance. (2018). 10 Print Marketing Statistics You Really Should Know!. [online] Available at: https://www.alliancebusinessservices.net/ resources/blog/10-print-marketing-statisticsyou-should-know.html [Accessed 5 Dec. 2018].

• Berg, A., Schmidt, J., Dörner, K., Schumacher, T. and Bockholdt, K. (2015). The opportunity in online luxury fashion. [online] McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey. com/business-functions/marketing-andsales/our-insights/the-opportunity-in-onlineluxury-fashion [Accessed 20 Nov. 2018].

• Deloitte. (2018). Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2018 [PDF] Deloitte. Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/ dam/Deloitte/at/Documents/consumerbusiness/deloitte-global-powers-of-luxurygoods-2018.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2018].

• Folayan, C. (2018). Chris Folayan: How I built an online platform to help retailers reach Africa’s consumers. [online] How We Made It In Africa. Available at: https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/ chris-folayan-how-i-built-an-onlineplatform-to-help-retailers-reach-africasconsumers/ [Accessed 10 Oct. 2019].

• Johnson, S. (2015). Slowdown calls ‘Africa rising’ narrative into question | Financial Times. [online] Financial Times. Available at: https:// www.ft.com/content/93d5c572-7bf6-11e5a1fe-567b37f80b64 [Accessed 18 Nov. 2018].

• Kim, A. and Ko, E. (2010). Impacts of Luxury Fashion Brand’s Social Media Marketing on Customer Relationship and Purchase Intention. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 1(3), pp.164-171.

• KPMG. (2015).

Luxury Goods in Africa.

[PDF] Available at: https:// w w w. a f r i c a n b u s i n e s s c e n t r a l . c o m / wp-content/uploads/2015/11/LuxuryG o o d s - i n - A f r i c a - A - M a t u r i n g - S e c t o r-

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

KPMG.pdf [Accessed 27 Sep. 2018].

Marketing MO. (2019). How to Choose a Great Brand Name | Marketing MO. [online] Available at: http://www.marketingmo.com/ creative-brand-development/how-to-choosea-great-brand-name/ [Accessed 21 Apr. 2019].

Melton, J. (2019). US millennials now do 60% of their shopping online, up from 47% in 2017. [online] Digital Commerce 360. Available at: https://www.digitalcommerce360. com/2019/03/26/millennials-onlineshopping/ [Accessed 29 Apr. 2019].

Mumbere, D. (2018). Digital in 2018: Africa’s internet users increase by 20% | Africanews. [online] Africanews. Available at: http:// www.africanews.com/2018/02/06/digitalin-2018-africa-s-internet-users-increaseby-20-percent// [Accessed 15 Oct. 2018].

Roy, S., Jain, V. and Matta, N. (2018). An integrated model of luxury fashion consumption: perspective from a developing nation. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 22(1), pp.49-66.

Shaoolian, G. (2018). How to Use Social Media to Get Millennials to Buy From You. [online] Entrepreneur.

Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/ article/323275 [Accessed 17 Apr. 2019].

Thomsen, L. (2018). 19 E-Commerce Statistics All Marketers Need to Know [2019]. [online] Sleeknote. Available at: https://sleeknote.com/blog/e-commercestatistics [Accessed 12 Apr. 2019].

Wedgbury, L. (2018). Why luxury brands need digital transformation - Econsultancy. [online] Econsultancy. Available at: https:// econsultancy.com/digital-transformationfor-luxury/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2018].

Woodworth, S. (2018). How High-End Multibrand Stores Dominate Online Luxury Retail. [online] Luxe Digital. Available at: https://luxe.digital/digital-luxury-reports/ high-end-multibrand-stores-dominateonline-luxury-retail/ [Accessed 15 Nov. 2019]. yStats. (2018). Africa B2C E-Commerce Market 2018, yStats.com. [online] Available at: https://www.ystats.com/ market-reports/africa-b2c-e-commercemarket-2018/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2018].

58

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

59

FINAL PROJECT

appendix 1: survey

60

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

61

FINAL PROJECT

appendix 2: interviews

2.3 - Vanessa

2.1 - Phil Likeman

2.4 - Ama Peters

2.2 - Estare Online (Esther)

62

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

63

FINAL PROJECT

appendix 3: branding focus group 2.5 - Jadésola

64

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

65

FINAL FINAL PROJECT PROJECT

66 66

YASMIN MICHELE ISHOLA - S00902077 - FSM602 - FINAL PROJECT

67

FINAL PROJECT

68