Christian Dior FMP research file by Olivia-Zara Burgher

History of the brand Primary Research Secondary Research PESTEL SWOT Survey Customer Profile

Luxury Market Past Crisis Competition Campaign Thought Process The Media Evaluation Plan References

Olivia-Zara Burgher BUR10350584

History of the brand Early years Dior was destined to become a diplomat in the eyes of his father, but he decided to venture into the art and design world; despite the family moving to Paris, his true home in Granville would eventually inspire him to create a name for himself which associated elegance, luxury and a celebration of the female silhouette. Dior designed under Robert Piguet, where he would design three Piguet collections and also working alongside Pierre Balmain and worked alongside Marc Bohan (who later became a successor to the Dior brand in later years). In 1942, Dior returned from the army, many men were called to service in the WWI and WWII; he joined Lucien Lelong, to then work as a primary designer with Balmain. For the duration of the WWII Christian Dior designed for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators; this was a way of designers like himself preserving French fashion industry for economic reasons.

Christian Dior, the Couturier and perfumer It was the year of 1946, where Christian Dior would begin his journey in the world of fashion, under his own name and backed by Marcel Boussac. He officially opened on the 8th December on 1946, but would be known for his first and most famous collection showcased in his salon on the morning of the 12th February 1947. The collection was originally named Corolle. The collection was positively received as it symbolized a transformation in attitudes of the female silhouette. The editor and chief of Harpers Bazaar Carmel Snow saw his vision, (and was an advocate follower of Dior and his designs since he was at Piguet) and her nickname ‘ The New Look’ simply replaced the name of the collection. The world was to learn quickly of Christian Dior and his ’New Look’.

The collection consisted of looks that remain signature to the DNA and overall make-up of the brand. The Bar suit number, and the legendary curves paid attention to the Bar jacket, the Corolle afternoon dress and Soirée dress alongside many more featured in the collection and would become the source of inspiration for many more designers who would take place as creative director when he was to depart in the next 10 years. The buzz and excitement around generated press lead the couture house to lead a ’return to an ideal of civilized happiness’ (Dior, Christian) which sparked relationships within Hollywood and famous people all over the world, including Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Olivia de Havilland, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco and many more. Later on, the fragrance, Miss Dior was established to compliment his collection. It epitomized the characteristics of his ideal and real woman, the Dior female, “Make me a perfume that smells of love” – he had requested. The notes within the perfume denoted a mixture of floral and spices which connoted features of his mother and favourite sister, Catherine, whom he named his ‘Miss Dior’. His passion for flowers was birthed from his Granville home garden, where he spent most of his days with his mother and her mesmerizing manor of blooms (Dior, Home -Fragrance and Beauty Fragrance-Christian Dior, Couturier-Perfumer, Unknown). Christian Dior was one of the first fashion houses to have arranged a type of license for his products; alongside with his business partner Rouët; they also licensed an array of luxury accessories. The brands current fragrances of the time, Miss Dior and Diorama completed the Dior woman look, a start of many beauty and fragrance products; with its beauty products like the Rouge Dior 1

lipstick in 1953, nail lacquers in 1962, masculine scent in 1966 and skincare products in 1986 that came along in the future (Vogue, 2012). Christian Dior took his shows outside of Paris, and was known to put on many private shows for the British monarchy in London, leading to its flagship store in Conduit Street, London.

Death and Legacy Just eleven years after opening his first store, Dior had a successful portfolio of clients both celebrity and members of various royal families, press affiliation, stores in New York and London, luxury accessories and many more achievements. Christian Dior died in the year 1957 in Italy, leaving his head assistant of two years, young Yves Saint Laurent to take over as head designer for the brand. Only lasting two years as he was called to service in the war, during his short-lived reign at Dior his designs presented a risky and far-fetched creation of the historical Dior characteristics. Marc Bohan, who took on a more conservative concept towards the brand, introduced collection like the famous spring summer of 1961 named ‘The Slim Look’ which actress Elizabeth Taylor ordered 12 dress from the collection at one time. During the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s the brand continued to venture into new fields, broadening their knitwear collection in 1968, a cosmetic collection in 1969, their first ready-to-wear fur collection in 1973 and including a range of watches in 1975. In the late 1970’s The Boussac Group, which backed the majority of the brand, had filed for bankruptcy and their assets were sold off. Later in 1984, the Dior label was purchased by Bernard Arnault and later becomes the managing director for the whole Dior Company.

1989 brought a new head of design for Haute Couture, Ready-to Wear and Accessories with Gianfranco Ferré replacing Marc Bohan, the brand also ventured out opening new boutiques in Hawaii, Tokyo and various parts of America. John Galliano was appointed as the new creative director and replaced Ferré, his background of costume design had brought a new perception to the brand channelling a more theatrical persona to not only the collections but also the interior design and make up of the shows. During his reign at Dior, Galliano had birthed the Lady Dior bag, which was presented to Lady Dior, Princess of Wales. Also, the arrival of J’adore Dior came about in 1999, a symbol of elixir and eternal beauty. The Christian Dior legacy was evidentially celebrated during Galliano’s reign as he partook in the 40th anniversary. An Inauguration of the Christian Dior home was made into a museum, the creation of Dior Joaillerie, worldwide exhibitions displayed in Shanghai featuring art based contemporary artists all celebrated the short lifespan, which Christian Dior had during his career. In 2012, after an unforeseen and tragic catastrophe, Galliano was dismissed (in 2011) and later replaced by Raf Simons (in 2012), who had come from his own brand and worked at Jil Sander.

Primary Research Interviews Store visit report Survey

Interview 1

Interviewer: Olivia-Zara Burgher Interviewed: Pear Date of interview: 24/10/14 Location: Pret a Manger, Marble Arch Time: 11:28 am OZB: Myself , PT: Pear OZB: thank you for meeting up with me to answer a few questions for my final major project, to start can you please introduce yourself and the position you held at Dior

the brand to be recognised through it’s logo. Obviously there is the Dior key which is featured on the bag, but he ventured Dior down the avenue of symbols to make the brand notice because Dior has forever been a luxury brand which you are not aware of unless you are either in the industry, a consumer of the brand or through it’s packaging. OZB: So by symbols, do you mean creating products somewhat like the monogram from Louis Vuitton? PT: Yes, definitely

PT: You’re welcome, well first my name is Pear, I was interning at Dior as leather prints and accessories designer in 2004.

OZB: So the brand has come a long way from monograms, how would you describe Raf Simons approach towards the brands ethos?

OZB: Was that in Paris?

PT: Yes Raf Simons is very, I would say chic, in a minimalistic way, I thought at first that it would be difficult to bring someone from a brand like Jil Sander where Simons worked before, but he has changed his technique to align with Dior, but again very different from Galliano who I would say was very much like Dior in using a lot of fabrics, intricate design with cultural reference – which Christian Dior was attracted by in terms of his global success. I don’t follow Dior much now, but I do remember Simons first show for the brand which I believe was Haute Couture and his recent Cruise collection in New York, its very different, simpler, elegance in a different way, all about the cutting, the finishing, more conscious of defining the shapes of collection and proportion and also, a lot of historical reference. Whereas, when I talk about Galliano, in terms of garments, all about the style and design, lots and lots of out of the box creativity.

PT: Yes for around 4 months in Paris, in the headquarters OZB: How was it like when you imagined the stuff and how did you match the customer with the products? PT: Well, when I was designing then, John Galliano was the creative director at the time, so I believe it would be a little bit different from how it is now with Raf Simons, the customer has an elegant side to them, with a lot of femininity playing into the their persona and ‘em, yeah. OZB: It’s fine, when you think of the Dior consumer now, obviously you no longer work there but visually when you are on the street or passing by a concession / store, do you feel the consumer profile has changed much since the departure of Galliano? PT:I think it is probably different because when I was working under John Galliano, he was very flamboyant and was very open about being flamboyant for the brand internally and externally. Everything was, how would I say – very full on and everything is out there and em, he wanted

OZB: Would you say that the customer who fell in love with the brand during Galliano’s 14-year reign has changed since the Simons take over? PT: I think so, I definitely think the customer has changed; there is still loyalty towards the brand, despite economic difference with the recession. For a brand like lets say, Louis Vuitton, there will always be a consumer because we live in a society where something is noticed by a symbol, it’s 5

all about signs, representation and affiliation. There are so many people you see on a daily basis that talk about Louis Vuitton, and only half of the handful know the creative director of the brand. People who actually have money to buy the brand now will continue to buy Dior despite the direction of creativity changing, but they definitely have paid much more attention in their accessories like purses, bags and fine jewellery because Dior does in a way, created a non-branded persona in their production, they have no monogram persona, you only noticed from the Dior symbol keychain, only if you are aware of what it looks like and what those four letters all spell instantly. The perfume will still continue to grow, because I would say the way the perfumery is advertised, creates the Dior persona, which would interest the buyer into taking a trip into the store perhaps. But again, I would say just like customers for LV, they would only know of the change because of what Galliano done and how it affected the representation of the brand, maybe if social media never happened, they wouldn’t know about the change and the designer anyway! OZB: Who would you say is the Dior consumer? PT: She would be a working woman from mid 20’s to about mid 40’s. If definitely mid 20’s I would say working in the corporate world as an executive or manager, but in 30’s I would definitely say a senior in their profession. However I wouldn’t leave out those ‘rich kids’ who have parents to buy for them. OZB: By ‘rich kids’ what do you mean? PT: Lets categorise them in the 18-mid 20’s, able to study internationally, from countries like Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and West Africa like Nigeria. OZB: To put a fixed age you would say? PT: 32 year old woman, engaged, living in the west part of London, does not work on weekends so has time to lounge or visit museums with friends or fiancé.

OZB: If you were not so aware of luxury designer brands, but active on social media, would you ever take notice and interest in a brand like Dior? PT: If I wasn’t in the fashion, I wouldn’t notice anything small or larger about changes in a brand like Dior now especially since the change in creative directors, I remember my friends who are like doctors and entry level lawyers at the time only spoke of the brand like Dior when the monogram series cam out and then when Galliano committed the offence. I say that because you work in the fashion world, you would have to know about the slight changes and drastic changes. Hmm, I would say that the prime Dior customer is that in itself, she knows about what she is buying, even in her interests and what she does in her spare time, she is aware of art movements, fine artists, genres and the aesthetics of the brands history. OZB: Who would you say are Dior’s competitors? Would you say they have changed? PT: Despite the change in designer for the brand, I feel the competitor will forever be the same because the brand is always remembered and received or ‘judged’ by what it has done in the past on the media. So saying that I would say Louis Vuitton and Chanel OZB: What makes them different? PT: I would say Louis Vuitton has a spirit of youth, when you think of people wearing Louis Vuitton, you automatically think of the bag, their mesmerising adverts with celebrities and they do seem to dip into other industries and day-to-day necessities. I would say that Karl Lagerfeld is a very smart person with the Chanel brand because even though he has been there so long, he was able to use the market and capitalise on the rise of social media and youth culture to make Chanel a brand that is like encompassed in some type of elixir of life. I don’t find many people interested or pay attention to the RTW collections but the bags, accessories simply because of the young models / actresses and ageless and historical associations with the brand, from the past like Marilyn Monroe to Cara Delavigne. Not many people aspire to be like aristocratically type of peo6

ple who have been associated with Dior, but that’s the world of today, which the younger customer lives in. OZB: If you were to walk out on the road, what type of brand girl would you say you could recognize most? PT: … Sorry that is very hard for me to answer; we live in such a fast pace garment producing world, yes fast fashion, I think it’s best to say that subconsciously, the luxurious brand type of girl females try to incorporate are either the Chanel, Gucci, Versace and Dolce and Gabbana. But you see more of Chanel and Louis Vuitton accessories. OZB: So I asked you to visit a Dior store and 2 other stores, which you feel, are their competitors, name them and describe your store experiences PT: So I went in Chanel and Louis Vuitton as well as Dior and I automatically noticed that Louis Vuitton attracts the most customers OZB: In buying products? PT: Not just buying, but window-shopping! You could see a range of customers from people who were just looking and finding out new products, to people buying premium stuff OZB: What about the others stores? PT: In Chanel, you saw most people at the store deciding whether to buy the two top interesting bags in various styles and sizes, but when I went in Dior, it was a little awkward for me to behave all ‘detective’ like because

I was the only person in store, I found customers to go to a concession of Dior in a department store like Selfridges because of the environment which it belongs to. OZB: That’s the end of the interview, thank you again Pear! PT: Your welcome. Interview in total was 18:33 minutes

Interviewers analysis: From a point of view by which the respondent worked within the company, it seems as if Dior is not a brand that heavily focuses on its competitor but strives to educate the consumer through activities like exhibitions and considerably unique installations regarding its products for their consumer. Whilst Galliano was there, the ‘aim’ and vision he had for the brand was to make it more opulent in youth. It seemed (from Pear’s point of view) that because of his vision, a rise in interest for the brand increased and she felt that Simons coming to the brand would cause slight confusion due to their differences in visions for the brand. Simons is more of a minimalistic designer. However, true consumers of Dior will never leave because the have their own desires of love for the brand, in order to remain as popular as competitors like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Simons will need to inject amounts of youth whilst keeping true to the DNA of Dior.

Interview 2

Interviewer: Olivia-Zara Burgher Interviewed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Noor Shergill Date contacted: 5/11/2014 OZB: Myself, NS: Noor OZB: Introduce yourself and describe the position you hold at Dior

NS: My name is Noor Shergill and I am born and raised in India. I worked as an intern under the leadership of the Vice President, Marketing and Communications of Christian Dior Couture India. OZB: What is your role at Dior?

NS: My day started at 9 in the morning, Monday to Friday and ended around 4. The mornings were usually time we had meetings with the whole team and the vice president. We would break for lunch from 12-1 and then back to our desks. Some days were relatively lighter packed with work. OZB: From research and handling data, describe the core consumer was for the brand, what is their occupation and what do they do in their spare time? Are they married or single or divorced? Where do they like to travel, which pieces would they buy from the brand most?

NS: My work involved helping with Christian Dior Couture outfits that were ordered by celebrities/socialites and regular clients. The garments were ordered from France and delivered as per deadlines for magazine shoots and events. I helped with an event that Dior was hosting in India, but unfortunately could not attend it, as I had to return to London for my studies. Along with this I was involved with the preparation of the key customer list with correct addresses and email details for the invites to the event.

NS: Most of the women in India that buy into the brand are married young women at about 24 years of age. They would spend their summer in Europe or USA. They would buy the lady Dior bag or the diorissimo bag the most.

OZB: What did you learn from working at Dior, did your perception of the brand change?

OZB: Who would say are the main competitors for the brand globally

NS: Whilst working at Dior, my perception of the brand didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change drastically. They had everything in order and the communications and sales worked cohesively and in sync with each other. OZB: How long did you work there? Was this your only position? NS: I worked there for a month and the above-mentioned position was the only position I held. OZB: Explain your typical working day at Dior

OZB: Where was the brand seen most in publications? NS: Magazines mostly. Vogue, Elle, GQ, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire.

NS: For me the main competitors would be Chanel, Burberry, and YSL. OZB: Was the communication tone at Dior internally formal or informal, was external communication with consumers delivered in the same way? NS: In the office that I worked in which consisted of 5 people and the VP, the tone was relaxed yet appropriate and formal enough. Communications to the consumers is delivered in a similar manner. OZB: If you could name somebody be it model, celebrity or actress; who would be your Miss Dior and why? 8

NS: My ideal Miss Dior would Amal Ramzi Clooney, George Clooneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife. She is a barrister and doing great things and is a strong married women. She is classy, chic and the perfect consumer profile of a real consumer. OZB: Describe what you think the brand ambassadors of Dior have in common NS: Strong, powerful and beautiful women mostly married and are working to achieve a major goal or have already. Determined and hard working. Contacted through e-mail Interviewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s analysis: Dior is well received globally, international clientele do range from about 24 years up, they are married (as pointed out from Noorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response), to women working as senior members of their company. A typical customer of Dior is not totally into brands that heavily display their logo on the outside/ totally recognisable from extreme prints, but familiar silhouettes, colour palettes and overall romance in attire. They are aware of the styles from the latest fashion and are young ventures of the finer things in life reading the popular glossy publications like Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire.

Interview 3

Interviewer: Olivia-Zara Burgher Interviewed – I happen to have passed by the store on March 14, 2015, and I decided to go in and just look around the layout of the store due to the fact that the Diorama bag is scheduled to have launched in store by around that time. My aim for this visit was to simply see how the response to the new addition was from the clientele. At first I did not let the manager, who happened to willing assist me around the store know that he was being recorded; however he then realised that I was a student and allowed the recording to be kept as long as his identity was kept unknown, so to keep in line with the confidentiality, I have created a new name for the Sales Manger. OZB: Myself: SA: Unnamed sales assistant Date contacted: 3/04/2015 SA: Good Afternoon Madam, welcome to Dior I am here to assist you should you need any help today. OZB: Thank you, I was just wondering if the full collection of the Diorama bags has arrived in store at all (the window display only had two, both from the pre-fall collection and they were in a small size) SA: Yes, they have fully arrived this week (guiding me towards where they are displayed, downstairs amongst the ready-to-wear collections. OZB: I just admiring the display, talking about the pre-fall collection and the ambience etc-, Would you say that the Diorama bag has been well received by your regular customers? SA: Well madam, it depends on what you mean by regular. I have been working for the brand around 11 years, within many stores and even though the designers have changed, the clientele has stay practically the same, but there has been a ‘birth’ of new interest within the brand. OZB: Internationally or from your experience working within UK

SA: Well I haven’t worked in Dior outside of Europe for about 4 years, but clients who come into store vary, we have from Kuwait, Dubai, Russia, Australia, Ireland, China. OZB: Do you think that clients have a preferred bag ? SA: Most definitely, you’d think it’s due to personal preference, but there is a strong element of impression held by their personal background and influence within their culture and the western world. OZB: What do you mean? SA: Well you automatically know what type of customer you have within the first sentence.; For instance the way that the Lady Dior bag has been shown to the world in a way where it would belong to a specific type of woman, she is like the business woman, who is grown up, lives a very businesswoman like life, however, with the arrival of Raf (Simons), the miniature pieces within the range of collections are also available to the taste of a younger female audience. , OZB: How would you describe the other bags then? SA: Well I don’t know if you are aware of the ranges, but there are nine type of Dior bags, however the push has really been the four bags, Lady, Miss, Be Dior and the recent arrival Diorama bags. OZB: Why? SA: Because the Lady Dior and Miss Dior bags best represent the wider Dior female audience, you know the Lady Dior as I’ve said, she is a serious woman, who may be quite traditional in terms of dress etiqutte, however, 10

Interview 3

with different textures and materials, as well as sizes, the women therefore varies in terms of attitude, like I’ve noticed that the element of attitude within the Dior woman, and I mean THE Dior woman has ‘come out of her shell’ greatly. OZB: It’s like there’s a certain type of look that the bags demonstrate right?

SA: Exactly ! If Charlize Theron was spotted in a type of bag, it would be the Lady Dior because the perfume she is like the ambassador of matches the attributes of the Lady Dior bag. Both of the Dior products SA: The Miss Dior bag is a primary focus as well because the characteristics of the Miss Dior is displayed in many ways throughout the brand daily, Monsieur Dior created her like a flower, she as an inspiration was his sister, flowers are forever associated within the brand, and the smell of a flower is so sweet, if you notice, the women who are seen mostly with a Lady Dior are young, very delicate in attitude, but also assertive. The Lady Dior and Miss Dior basg in sales have increase a lot due to the characteristics which they own coming out more. When Raf came to the brand, he really did like stripe, not entirely, but a little the elaborateness and made the diamond shine a lot more by itself more so then when it was around decoration , you know what I mean? OZB: This make sense, but how does this then justify the four ‘it’ bags within your choice? SA: Because even though the Be Dior and Diorama are completely new, through advertising alone, as well as who they are seen on, you know like Jennifer Lawrence seen a lot within the Be Dior bag, what she describes as well as the characteristics of the Be Dior bag blend well together and the customer is able to appreciate the connection. Just like Raf, compared him to Galliano, you don’t hear much from him, like the most I’ve heard him speak was in the movie, but he really wants the clothing to really speak for themselves because Dior is a brand like a diamond, very precious so

therefore those who appreciate and can afford such, will truly understand. OZB: What do you think about Rihanna becoming a face the brand. SA: You know, I think the world has been waiting for a luxury brand to embark on uniting with a celebrity from an ethic background, it shows that the luxury world understands the importance of the ever growing market especially within the African countries. The Diorama bag seems like it was entirely made for her, she is beautiful, she has an eccentric urban vibe, a distinctive image and that is what sells an item like a Dior bag. Bags within the luxury market aren’t cheap, Dior bags especially are designed as pieces to last for lifetime, it doesn’t matter when you buy an item, it has a lifetime type of warranty. The Diorama bag has had a lot of interest and also has performed well within sales because of its usefulness and its association with Rihanna as a celebrity figure. OZB: So as you have worked in the brand for a very long time, how do you feel the brand has changed or evolved since the change between Galliano to Raf Simons? SA: Thinking about it now, Galliano understood what the brand was about, and wanted to elevate it’s beauty, and considering his background, you understand and appreciate his approach that he gave in his time at the brand, but I think now, under Raf Simons, customers who maybe were not too familiar with the brand, would consider buying into the brand because I feel the Raf approach has stripped the Galliano excessiveness and allow the beauty and attribute truly shown. If you watch the film, Dior and I, the focus is on so much about the clothing, but it is the same throughout the entire brand, you can tell by the advertising no? Go and look on the instagram account !

Store Visit This is the temporary boutique store located around the corner from the store on old Bond Street. The old store on Bond Street has Chanel on it’s left and Louis Vuitton in front opposite both of the stores. Dior is also not too far from the Hermés, Burberry and Miu Miu stores. Date visited: 17.10.14 Time: 14:14- 14:27 Weather: Sunny (20 degrees) Window display: is very simple with the complete look from the autumn and winter shows. There are only two windows, with two full look displays. The background is a solid feminine colour, which reflects the mood of the brand. The collection is not showcased on mannequins but keeping it simple and affective on wired models and stands.

London Conduit Street

the right), a changing room and the packing room. Whilst discussing our interests with the brand and the similar layout to which of the Bond Street store, I noticed that I could hear myself – making me realise that maybe, this store environment not the typical store catering to many customers / a type of store that suits more of an appointment feeling. The store layout overall reflects a French apartment. Other notes: On departing the store, the lady had asked for my name and what I do, I simply say working within the luxury sector of PR. She had also invited me for another tour of the flagship store when it will open in December of 2015. She asked for my name, and made a joke as to her middle name is Olive, which is Italian for Olivia and incorporated personality for her customer service

Customers: When I entered the store, there was actually no customers at all, I had spoke with the sales assistant regarding how many customers enter on a regular basis and she declined to give an exact value but did state that it does vary with the time of year and products produced and available in season. Staff: There were 4 sales assistants on the shop floor, 3 male and 1 female. The uniform is all black, the female assistant was wearing trousers, a blouse and a blazer with the Dior pin badged and the gentlemen wear 2-buttoned black suits with a white shirt and black tie. When I entered the store, I was surprised how they all had greeted me yet not made me feel as if it was forced, as well as though it wasn’t to alarm me. As I showed much interest and engagement with the brand, Marie – the female sales assistant, personally showed me around the whole store. She had also briefly told me about the updates of the brand, when certain pieces will arrive as well as issuing me the Dior magazine, a publication that is available only to customers who genuinely buy and/or loyal customer. Store experience: The store is spread over two levels and about 5 rooms including 3 open spaces (1 downstairs showing the accessories and watches and upstairs to the left of the store- Autumn collection and Winter on 12

Store Visit

Selfridges originally had an area which Dior operated on the first floor selling a selection of its collection that are accessories, jewellery and ready to wear pieces, but it temporarily is closed due to a renovation which will open in late November. Date visited: 17.10.14 Time: 15:15-15:27

Weather: Sunny (20 degrees)

Window display: The ‘Be Dior’ bag was displayed on the left hand side of the concession section. Two were in display and on the right hand side of the laid a selection of purses, coin holders and an array of scarves. The Dior concession is next to Gucci, not too far from Prada and opposite Jimmy Choo. Customers: When I entered the store, there were 6 customers, 7 including myself. The store seemed mildly busy for a Friday mid afternoon. All customers except 2 were female, and the males were buying for a sister and wife, the females were generally looking at accessories and purses for themselves. The female group seem to look like a family group, tourists from what seemed the middle east who are familiar with the luxurious customer service, they did not hold any of the pieces, yet allowed the sales assistants to simply sell to them. The male basically just described their interest; the interest of the females, which they were buying for, and then the sales assistant went into the back and gathered, one by one, items, which seemed appropriate. Staff: There were 7 sales assistants on the shop floor, all except 1 were female. The uniform is the same which all black, the female assistants were mixed and some wore trousers, a blouse and a blazer with the Dior pin badged, or simply all black blouse, trouser and blazer; whilst the gentlemen wear 2-buttoned black suits with a white shirt and black tie. When I entered the store, I was greeted with a smile by a sales assistant behind the cashier desk, and soon after was greeted with the traditional Dior greeting “ Welcome to Dior, should you require and assistance feel free to let us know”. The lady who served me was named Paula, her

London Selfridges (Concession

make up and hair was kept at a minimum and was very similar to Marie at the boutique store in Conduit Street. She had just finished serving the two male customers (within her sale was the new Dior bag, “Be Dior” which was only just launch early September. I made the situation dilemma about my birthday, which is coming up soon, and I’m looking for inspiration for what my mother ought to buy me. Immediately she match the “Be Dior” and described its compartments and its notion of modernism whilst keeping true to the brands heritage, like the same exact handles and Dior emblem attached to the handle. The price is £2,200. Afterwards, she went to show me a limited edition, which is only available to the Selfridges store in celebration of the latest bag to the Dior family, she talks about the craftsmanship and that the bag is hand painted. This hand painted golden crocodile bag is valued at £3,215. Store experience: The environment was very different to the boutique for multiple reasons like the fact that its located in a department store so there is a mixture of customers who are familiar with the brand from a different view (customers from abroad). There are more sales assistants and they allow customers to freely wonder the space and insist on giving them the products instead of allowing them to freely pick and wonder about the space. Engagement in conversation is relied on in order to interact with the customer on a personal level. They did encourage the customer to look in mirrors and when they had, that’s when they would sell the product more and more. I had understood the products, which Paula had suggested to me on the level of craftsmanship and materials, even how old the animals were before they made the bag and which part of France they came from. Other notes: On departing the store, the lady had insisted that I take her card and should I require anything (by that she explained, if I had needed any help with finding a particular product, questions to if a product is a limited edition and requesting personal shopping and to also be informed about the latest news regarding the brand) the number provided and contact method through whatsapp. 13

Store Visit

The first store to ever be established under Dior, was in Avenue Montaigne, Paris, and resides as the headquarters stretching over a block.. The store includes its womenswear ready-to-wear collections, cruise collections and a designated are for the pre-fall area; a private section solely for shoes, accessories, beauty with fragrance, lifestyle products including kitchenware, a menswear department, a separate store inside the building designated for fine jewellery, baby and childrenswear.

Date visited: 15.01.15 | Time: 15:00-16:27 | Weather: Windy with light showers (9 degrees) Window display: The store is occupied on a block, the best and most effective way to describe its appearance is just to think about the building, which Selfridge’s operates in, that is the whole of the Dior store. A range of displays which occupied the windows included an array of bags, selected pieces from their fine jewellery collection ( which is seen in the main shops window display as well as the separate store), bags including their Lady Dior and the new Be Dior bags, their autumn winter collection, a family type of portrait with children mannequins and pieces from that specific collection as well as their exclusive lifestyle (home attired) pieces. Customers: When I entered the store, there were at least 10 customers, 11 including myself. This was at the time of three in the afternoon, and as I began to go through the store, customers were situating themselves primarily within the entrance part of the store where the bags and accessories area were. However, the longer I stayed in the store I began to notice the pattern of: -Families (I noticed that customers either came in a family array (husband, wife, mature children – between 14-25) -Couples young women about the age of 24-32 with their significant others about the age of 27-37, ‘girlfriends’ shopping around the area (about 25+) -Men by themselves or in a group of about 2-3.

Avenue Montaigne, Paris

I was shocked to find the store very busy compared to other stores yet the ambience occupied the ethos of the brand, calm, luxuriously personal and professional, laid back and very ‘French’. The ethnicity of the customers varied as well, range of people form all over the world buying various products from their skincare ranges, shoes, bags and 2-piece attire (example- trouser and jacket, skirt and jacket, bag and scarf). I did not go into the male ‘sphere’ of the store, simply because it was referred to as the ‘man cave’ as in the place where men will be men, and anything to do with men will be handled by men; I even noticed that a woman buying for her husband was brought stuff from the menswear area into the ladies wear where she sat at was shown the latest from the Pre-fall collection. There was also a ‘free’ atmosphere around, customers felt free to move about from the ladies wear rooms, to the shoes room area, to the jewellery and really get to ‘bond’ with the product, whilst their personal assistant guided them through the craftsmanship and inspiration behind the pieces. Staff: There were about 30 sales assistants on the shop floor. The uniform is the same as other store observations. My guide was very helpful when guiding me around the store tour, highlighting how the origin back in the late 1940’s remain whilst incorporating modern renovations. When I entered the store, I was greeted with a smile by a security guard/doorman with the traditional Dior greeting “ Welcome to Dior, should you require and assistance feel free to let us know, offering me a range of drinks to consume”. Store experience: The environment was the same as previous, but felt more like a maze which you would be able to get lost in, initially, I thought the store would resemble a museum highlighting Christian Dior’s early efforts but not at all, the use of traditional house colours was played up also on other floors in the studios and workshops. 14

Other notes: During my tour of the Dior boutique, my guide was helpful enough to point out the future steps of the brand, talking about what I had experienced that day was faces of the brand trying to incorporate luxury service to the modern customer without alienating the traditional attitudes which this brand was built on “People love to visit France because of its beauty to remain traditional within retail and architecture, that’s the only thing that hasn’t changed. If France can still attract the modern western culture despite it’s aged architectural beauty, then a brand like Christian Dior will still be able to continue deliver traditional values to luxury service with aspects of modernity to our existing and future clientèle” (Office, 2015). I also asked about how is Dior a brand that helps the brand environmentally and received the answer, ‘traditional methods of production required a high level of experience, time, and minimum mass production requirements. Even though Mousier Dior rejected to accept how society treated fashion after the war, and continued to produce collections with materials in abundance, he was very careful and strategic in fabrics and hardware, he created timepieces which would stay with its owner for many many years, not something to own and put down, but to be seen on the street’ (Office, 2015)

Store Visit The Dior concession pop up store is situated in Dover Street Market, London. It opened in the third week of January 2015 and will be a permanent resident until the ending of 2015. The 14 square-foot area features a fine selection of pieces for the marketplaces’ niche consumers. Date visited: 25.01.15 | Time: 15:30-16:00 | Weather: Grey skies (9 degrees) Window display: None Staff: There were two sales assistants, one male and one female. Ethnicity – Asian Age- mid 20’s They also were dressed in plain black clothes, however not so strict suit attire, a little chilled back and more comfort looking.

Dover Street Market

ducted, people seem hesitant to go into a Dior store compared to a competitor like Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Chanel and Louis Vuitton simply to browse. In-store, you received a very personal yet formative service, sales representatives are like a mixture of air-hostess and therapists, ensuring that when you leave the store (whether you have bought something or not) you have felt like you had a consultant within a homely environment. In store you also are exposed to feminine touches like floral displays, coffee table books and other forms of hospitality, conversations about the shows and events Christian Dior do (if sales advisor pick up that you as a customer are aware of the fashions).

Store experience: The environment , personally, felt very chilled. This was the only store where I felt an aspect of Raf Simon’s concept describing to open more Dior boutique pop up spaces in youthful-est places, cementing an emotional relationship with the younger consumer and audience without alienating the prime consumer. Other notes: The female sales assistant did point out the difference between the store pieces and every other store in the world. There are a selected amount of pieces that will forever be exclusive in the Parisian showroom, a collection which is reproduced according to season colours, but similar silhouettes the Dior mould, the buyers of Dover street market worked with the buyers of Christian Dior to place limited sizes, pieces and accessories especially for the Dover Street Market. Observer’s analysis: Overall, in-store experiences are far from what you would expect from a brand like Christian Dior. From surveys and casual interviews con-

Survey Questions Survey questions conducted on surveymonkey.com 1. On a scale from 1 (extremely low regard) to 11 (extremely high regard), please rate how you regard each brand. By regard, it will mean how positively or negatively you think or feel about a brand in general. The more positively you regard a brand, the higher you would rate it. The more negatively you regard a brand, the lower you would rate it. Having heard of a brand is enough for you to rate it. If you have never heard of a particular brand, please leave that rating box blank. 2. We would like to know whether or not you associate the following characteristics with each brand provided. Please move horizontally across the columns and consider the brands one at a time. (Select all of the characteristics that apply to each brand.) 3. On a scale from 1 (not at all relevant) to 11 (extremely relevant), please rate how relevant each brand is to you. By relevance, we mean how appropriate a brand is for you in terms of communication (social media). The more you feel the brand is appropriate to you, the higher you would rate it. The less you feel the brand is appropriate for you, the lower you would rate it. Having heard of a brand (even if you have never used it) is enough for you to rate it. If you have never heard of a particular brand, please leave that rating box blank. 4. On a scale from 1 (never heard of) to 11 (extremely familiar), please rate how familiar you are with each brand. By familiarity, this means how often you have come across a brand physically (on the street / instantly looking at the logo / in the news) , as well as how well you know the brand ( history and product) and what it is like ( to shop in there brands store). The more you know about a brand, the higher you would rate it. The less you know about a brand, the lower you would rate it. If you have never heard of the brand before, select 1 (never heard of). 5. Please select the statement that best describes how frequently you engage with the brand on social media. 6. Please select the statement that indicates how you would feel about purchasing from or using each brand in the future. 7. Please select yes or no for each statement, depending on your feelings towards each of the listed brands. 8. What is your Gender? 9. Please fill in your location and age (As in - United Kingdom, 21) Survey data sampled : 230 17

Survey Questions

From left to right (question 1 -2) Bottom left to right-(question 3-4) 18

Survey Questions

From left to right (question 5 -6) bottom left to right-(question 7 (4 parts) )

Secondary Research Luxury Market Simplymeasured.com Mintel Dior Financial Report Sustainable living Rankabrand.org Social Media Case Studies PESTLE SWOT Customer Profile Raf Simon Profile

Luxury Market

Luxury and Lifestyle from McKinsey & Company and more The question about the relationship between luxury and lifestyle was brought upon analysing my results from my survey as well as through casual research. I briefly explored the link between the two within the luxury market in order to understand where Dior fits in and how they are to carry themselves whilst conducting a possible public relations campaign involving an element of ‘lifestyle’ within the luxury leather good department. Firstly, I researched what luxury had meant to a consumer, from various research on people from different demographics, it varied: - Luxury is a fabricated lifestyle played upon a mixture of realities and desires - Luxury implies a series of rich characteristics - Luxury proves you pay for and live for the best According to Dauriz and Tochtermann (2013) a brand considers:

Luxury lifestyle holds the promise of growth, but brands that aspire to drive and sustain growth must stay true to their roots and “keep it real.” A luxury brand that thoughtfully pursues lifestyle can capture tremendous upside—but every brand needs to find its own way and pace. Just like traditional craftsmanship, building a lifestyle brand requires patience and meticulous attention to detail. And, just like luxury products, with the proper attention and care, luxury-lifestyle brands can become more valuable over time.

how consumers of the lower middle class and higher above depend on about 80% of the pyramid in order to accept a sort of satisfaction. The craftsmanship and luxury equation became a tool which many brands after the war latched onto to promote their craft skills in the development of the product. Due to the traditional skills held by many began to deteriorate due to the economic struggle, luxury brands therefore held their success on continuing in operation, by honouring the fact that they would continue their production as always. This would highlight to their public’s that : -Staying true to their tradition, even with the wave of ‘new money’ obtaining riches, they would not alienate the cultural heritage and values of traditional manufacturing -As most methods of production were locally performed, the idea of a community honouring their skill would generate ( especially in the 21st century) a type of respect to the brand. -However in today’s fashion revolution, some may argue against that craftsmanship should not play such a massive role into a core value of luxury brand. Due to the fact that the ground of production is not always entirely true to the origin and especially for luxury brands to call themselves luxury when they have only been around for around 30+years compared to competitors who have been around for nearly 100. In addition, craftsmanship doesn’t necessarily create a luxurious product. Other factors now play importance to the definition of a luxury brand such as the word ‘lifestyle’.

Luxury and craftsmanship

The relationship between luxury and craftsmanship has always been important within luxury fashion. It would be right to say that the relationship between luxury and craftsmanship is a worthy key point of sale in discussion to win over client trust and to invest not only in the product but also in the brand. Maslows ‘hierarchy theory of needs’ demonstrates 22

Luxury Market

From the McKinsey report earlier on, ‘Luxury is a fabricated lifestyle played upon a mixture of realities and desires’, ‘a series of rich characteristics’. This then brings onto another point about society in general and consumption behaviour. With the increase of materials and the halted wage growth with jobs, this is providing stressed on the brands who target the lower,middle and upper class market in spreading habits. This ‘squeezed middle’ are no longer buying as they please due to budgeting and abiding by their biological and safety needs. Brands there are using craftsmanship as a reminder that buying (not shopping) is worthwhile because the brand you are buying into provides high quality products based on their level of craftsmanship long mastered before mass production, honouring traditional values of lifestyle which members of an aristocracy would participate in. This then provides the connection between certain classes which will justify their needs to buy that product.

Luxury at the V&A The exhibition questions ideas of luxury by the standards of the 21st century, but also goes tries to understand where it became an important to society in a physical, conceptual and cultural capacity. Talking with members of the staff that worked at the V&A sparked interesting ideas that realized that the increase in celebrity culture and growth of luxury brands against the backdrop of social inequality has raised new questions about what the term means to people today. It is true that the changes in culture and communication have also stimulated interest in less tangible forms of luxury, such as the desire for space and time. So going back to the question everyone asks nowadays (and the title of the exhibition) What is Luxury? Within the exhibition, there were many types of work by designers, makers and artists accompanied by a selection of terms in order to engage with and expand upon current debate. It addresses the production of exceptional objects, which demonstrate an extraordinary investment in time and handmaking. Within the exhibition, members of the public would be able to explore how attitudes to luxury are shaped by cultural concerns and personal dreams. There were 3 parts to the exhibition; Creating Luxury A space for time The Future of Luxury Creating Luxury – according to the V&A Luxury production represents an investment in time. This applies not only to the time spent making an object but also to the process of perfecting skills. Makers of luxury are inspired by passion and curiosity for the intricate nature of objects, the potential of materials, and complex techniques. This motivation often exists beyond market demands and can require an acceptance of risk.

Making luxury is not concerned with practical solutions but with the extraordinary, non-essential and exclusive. Mastery of a craft and exceptional expertise are demonstrated by outstanding precision, attention to detail and remarkable finishes. The resulting work combines high levels of innovation with a respect for craft traditions. Analysis: Luxury seems to be about the production stages, not the timeframe of the actual product, but the overall care looking after that product. So to put into terms of the Dior leather accessories range, the skins are prepared weeks in advance, the tools have be used many times, so though they are old, there are still valuable and specially cared for. A Space for Time Luxury has the potential to unlock dreams of being somewhere else or someone else. It exists at the boundaries of daily routines and systems but relies on notions of breaking out. The acquisition of luxury objects has always fulfilled aspirations. In a busy and intrusive world, people increasingly value time and space for enjoying special moments and extraordinary experiences. Contemporary designers engage with how the availability of time and space, and quality of time spent, can be seen as luxuries in their own right. Analysis: Luxury spending is not only on material products but also experiences, and the more time increases, the more fashion explores that area of ‘journey’ and location. A Future for Luxury Designers and artists speculate about the future not with the aim to predict but rather to reflect on current conditions and possible alternatives. The projects in this section rethink what luxury means today and how it might be defined in the future. 24

These speculations address the fundamental relationship between luxury and value. Rather than being constant and predictable, perceptions of value vary. The fictional scenarios presented here challenge notions of value, introducing artificial, common, overlooked, distant and even condemned materials and their contexts. By doing this they challenge the relationship between luxury and materials which are commonly understood to be precious and rare. Analysis: Luxury has had a long history of controversy. It has challenged preconceived notions of value and provides an opportunity for thinking about the future of luxury in the 21st century. In order to create a campaign based around the current luxury market within Europe, it must not directly draw across with the physical materialistic things but the essences that make that particular product ‘luxurious’. Another thing to point out is the ‘What is luxury’ post that is featured on the blog of the V&A museum. It was very interesting to observe how their social media gatherings captured the worlds (or public) idea of what luxury is. These photos are not filtered through, so they are as sensitive as possible, but still many luxury brands including Dior are featured.

Simplymeasure.com

Simplymeasured.com is an online research tool that is able to analyse the performance of any brand from a range of aspects. I used simplymeasured.com to gather information about the brands:

- Habits – how frequent they post - Strengths –Which social media platform is their strongest in terms of engagement - Characteristics – Simplymeasure.com is able to show myself what type of comments Dior’s follower’s use therefore allowing me to known hashtags that connect with the only Dior persona And much more… Figure 1 and 2 - Christian Dior Google+ page engagement

Analysis:

As you can see from the figures on the left, simplymeasrued.com is able to calcute the percentage of posting, engagement and further interaction and rationalise how successful the brand performed within a set time frame. Though these show excellent results, it is known that google+ is a social media platform that is highly used by a male population. In fact these results show the majority (from visiting the actual posts) are related to Dior Homme information and updates. So I know that in future, if I were to create a campaign using social media, I would not include google+.

Simplymeasure.com

Figure 3,4,5,6 and 7 Christian Dior Instagram engagement

Analysis:

Here is a very thorough collection of results on Christian Dior’s activity via another social media platform, Instagram. Recently, Instagram has become a phenomenon in the world of social media for brand communication and is working very well in the luxurious categories. Instagram provides 15sec videos which can be shared though to other social media platforms as well as pictures. Christian Dior is performing very well in the world of Instagram and I would highly recommend that in my campaign, I would use this platform as a way of highlighting the way of the campaign as well as promote any new activities in the Dior ‘family’ atmosphere.

Simplymeasure.com Figure 8,9 and 10 - Christian Dior engagement

Analysis: Facebook is another platform that is used heavily in Dior. Most of the time, they are collections of photographs, which are not at first seen on either of the website homepage, twitter or Instagram; just solely on the facebook, and consumers really appreciated that. It is displayed more as a journey and personal account of the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements.

Overall Analysis:

These are only 3 social media channels out of 6 that were analysed and its clear that Christian Dior are very active and the type of activity vs response is two way in terms of engagement and sharing. Their most beneficial social media channel is instagram, and from the graph shown above, sharing pictures and videos from instagram filter through to twitter and then facebook. So overall, it is evident that Dior have optimised the increasing interest of technology with fashion for the brand overall. They have also produced special footage exclusive to their home website and youtube channels to promote interaction elsewhere providing a variety. It shows that the Christian Dior consumer is appreciated of modern display within a technological sphere more than the traditional advertisement shown in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; store or within print media.

Mintel I have decided to export extracts of reports from mintel.com which apply some key insight to my research instead of including the whole report

Luxury Retailing - China - October 2014 | The Consumer – Perceptions of Luxury Perceptions of luxury are shifting

FIGURE 81: Consumer attitudes towards what luxury means to them, June 2014 and November 2013 June 2014 base: 2,000 internet users aged 20-49 November 2013 base: 1,000 internet users aged 20-49 Source: QQSurvey/Mintel Mintel has also seen a shift in attitudes towards what the luxury experience means to consumers. Comparing the survey results from November 2013 with those of June 2014, there are two particularly noticeable changes. Firstly, proportionally fewer people in June 2014 felt that only brands providing craftsmanship in production and design could be identified as luxury, this proportion dropping by 10 percentage points since November 2013. It is possible that this indicates an assumption of craftsmanship among the leading luxury brands, or it might also be that luxury brands have come to mean a wider scope of things to people, beyond craftsmanship. Probably, it is a combination of these, but this is something that brands should take into consideration. Secondly, more than three quarters (77%) of people surveyed in June 2014 agreed that knowing that they can afford luxury goods is more

important than using them to show their status, the proportion of people agreeing with this statement having gone up by 13 percentage points. Chinese consumers are moving away from showy ostentation and towards a much more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of luxury and adoption of luxury into their lifestyles. Luxury brands need to move with this shift, as many have already been doing. But this is more than simply people rejecting showy bling – it is more about people internalising what luxury, and the luxury experience, means to them, making it personal and individual to them. This trend underscores the need for more individual, one-on-one, tailored customer service, whether it is in-store, online or a combination of the two. Perceptions of luxury by demographic group Men in their twenties and women in their forties both tend to be more likely than most people to agree that having luxury products shows that they have achieved a certain social status, and that they like other people to see that they can afford to buy luxury products. These consumers are much more image- and status-driven when purchasing luxury goods. For these consumers, the brand story and experience is about being seen to be a ‘fashionista’. These are the people who would love to be invited to invitation-only in-store events, and to hang out in stores so that people can see them buying the best. Men in their forties are those most likely to agree they would like to have the best things money can buy and that only brands providing craftsmanship in production and design can be identified as luxury. For these older men, luxury is all about quality, and being able to show knowledge about the skill behind the brand. These men are those for whom the brand story is the craftsmanship, and the skills learned through long experience. These are the consumers who would love to have workshops with master craftsmen, with a certificate at the end, so that the brand experience can become their own version of the brand story, with bragging rights and peer influence. 29

Women in their twenties are those more prone to agree that luxury is more about expressing individuality rather than fitting in, is about having the freedom of choice, that having space to themselves is more of a luxury than having expensive things and that peace and quiet are luxuries to them. They are also more likely to identify their lifestyle with luxury brands, although this applies more readily to women across the age groups. For these women, the brand story must be about them, who they are and what their lifestyle ambitions are. There needs to be an almost spiritual edge to the brand story and experience, and a personal purpose. There is also the possibility that these women will seek ethical luxury, something that will mean they achieve good “karma” in the way they buy luxury goods.

UK In the UK more people own a Chanel branded product than any other brand listed, and as many as one in three adults say they would like to own a Rolex watch. Montblanc is the least recognised brand. Key analysis: our research suggests the taste for luxury goods is not as strong in the UK as some European markets or further afield. British brand Burberry, for instance, is owned by 8% of British consumers compared to 20% in Spain. Our market size figures also suggest that the UK was not one of the faster growing markets in Europe in the last few years (see chapter Luxury Markets – A Regional View) although this may change as the economy starts to pick up. London is the central hub for luxury goods and benefits most from the tourist trade. It’s possible Edinburgh, another top venue for luxury in the UK, will have benefited from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.

Luxury Goods Retailing - International - August 2014 |The Consumer – What Brands They Own and Know What we asked

This section of the report examines the results of research conducted by GMI and QQSurvey on behalf of Mintel into what brands people own and know using a representative sample of leading luxury brands. The interviews were conducted online. A sample of 2,000 internet users aged 16+ was used in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany and aged 18+ in the USA. In China the sample was 3,000 internet users aged 20-49. Respondents in all the surveys were asked the following question: “Do you own any products from the following luxury brands? If you don’t own any products, would you be interested in owning them? ” The response data is presented in this chapter and in the Appendix – The Consumer: What Brands They Own and Know by various demographic breaks and other lifestyle characteristics.

Financial Report Christian Dior Couture achieved revenue for the quarter of 417 million euros, up 13% at actual exchanges rates and 13% at constant exchange rates compared to the period from July 1 to September 30, 2013. The first quarter was again marked by strong growth in retail revenue, which was up 16% at constant exchange rates. This growth dynamic. LVMH booked revenue of 7,388 million euros from July 1 to September 30, 2014, reflecting organic growth of 4% compared to the same period in 2013. The trend remains comparable to that recorded in the first six months of 2014. All business groups grew except Wines and Spirits, which continues to be affected by de-stocking by distributors in China. An improved growth rate in Europe and the United States during the quarter compensated for the slowdown observed in Asia (MoĂŤt Hennessy, 2014). In France, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, Christian Dior group companies allocated a budget of over 21.4 million euros to social and cultural activities in France via contributions to works councils. Total catering costs for all Group employees represent a budget of 21.7 million euros.

Analysis:

According to the brands financial reports, Dior has performed well within the last five years especially through the global economic struggle. The brand has not suffered greatly, yet there has been a slight decline within the Asian market; especially within Japan. So this does explain why they have been really active within the Asian market in terms of public relation strategies to highlight the beauty of the brand that attracts consumers to them in the first place. There has been a number of mass exhibitions symbolising the brands history and beauty, as well as an opening of many stores and video content which incorporates a connection between Raf Simons modernistic approach to the brand, with a Asian influence and brand DNA.

Sustainable living Definition breakdown : Sustainable communities integrate and balance the social, economic and environmental components of their community, meeting the needs of existing and future generations and respecting the needs of other communities in the wider region or internationally also to make their communities sustainable. (Willson, 2006) Even though this report was created nearly 10 years ago, the political issues around preserving the environment in an economical struggle still remain to be a part of a mission which many countries invest a lot of money into.

Case study : Masdar City, Abu Dhabi

keep the traditional values and incorporate an ethical way of living. In a place like Abu Dhabi, where religion is kept in the heart of the city, values which are religion based (but in modern terms, are considered to be incorporated instead of realising that these values were lost and now need to be found in a wasteful type of society), it will be one of the first city’s in the world to re-furnished as a sustainable city whilst keeping its heritage. Note to examiner: The reason why there is a section on sustainability was because that initially, my aim for the brand was to establish a sustainable characteristic. From research, a weak factor was that the sourcing was a little confusing, so I would use that to advantage and create a campaign out of that, however, that has been dropped as an aim and reverted into a strategy.

Project Type City development Location Masdar, Abu Dhabi, UAE Area 1,483 acres Construction Started February 2008 Expected Completion 2026 Investment $19.8bn Client Masdar-Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company and Mubadala Development Company A project which started in around 2008, with the budget of $20.6mil but reduced to around $19mil . The city, which combines ancient Arabic architectural techniques with modern technology, is naturally cooler, captures prevailing winds and is more comfortable during the high summer temperatures. But the sun is also a blessing. Harnessing the sun’s rays, Masdar uses clean energy generated onsite from rooftop solar and one of the largest photovoltaic installations in the Middle East (masdar.ae, 2014). Analysis: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi has traditional Arabic city design, and as part of this project, the developers main priority is to enable to bring the traditional aseathic and religious values into the modern day word but 32

Sustainable living On the business of fashion website, there is a section which reports on ‘how can traditional craftsmanship survive in the modern world? An article, Chanel, the Saviour of Savoir-Faire by Robin Mellery Pratt interviewing the president of Chanel, Bruno Pavlovsky around the subject of the preservation of craftsmanship in luxury fashion.

This was also covered in another article around the topic; luxury and sustainability as a new type of synergy, with luxury brands exposing the methods of craftsmanship taken into production, it brings comfort back into the continuation and growth of the economy (Pascaud).

The team was invited to Chanel atelier in France, to see at hand how everything is done, the people who participate in the process and appreciate the level of skill and quality that is taken to produced many shows over the years. The article discussed the overall performance of the artisan houses and the evolution of savoir-faire maisons and how. Pavlovsky highlighted how there has been a change in relationship between fashion houses and atelier craftsmanship maisons who use to solely work with them only, and the capacity of workers within them were far greater than they are now. However, in modern-day fashion, the development of digital production affected these workhouses greatly, and caused them to shut down eventually. Fashion powerhouse, Chanel have shown how important it is to back these fine and advanced ateliers – like the well known Scottish manufacture Barrie who Chanel acquired in 2013 for their show, practically saving nearly 200 jobs. There was also another article, happening in another part of the world - Shang Xia: Preservation Through Innovation, a brand that Hermes owns (majority of) in shares and opened up in the Chinese market. The brand is about luxury, contemporary handcrafted decorative objects. By supporting local artisans in China, Hermès offers a modern and localized adaptation of authentic savoir-faire. Promoting Hermes as a brand who is simply not about profit, but truly about caring for the preservation of the cultural environment. 33

Rankabrand

Rank a brand is website that provides the public with independent information on the sustainability of brands from many sub-sectors including fashion. They are also able to compare a brand with their competitors who align a ranking system to show the public how effective and sustainable a brand is. The reason why Dior has failed because organisations like rankabrand.org and greenpeace.org find little information and when they question the brand, there is no answer; so this leads these research organisation to a conclusion that they are to be categorized towards the lower ends based on little or not information found including statements on environmental policies, carbon emissions and fair-trade (rankabrand.org, Unknown) .

Analysis:

There has been conversation around whether a brand like Christian Dior can incorporate luxury as well as remain ethical due to the fact that these two words would not ideally be put together. From the chart, it shows that there is a possibility and other luxury brands within the market are striving towards achieving that title. It is good to understand how the brand is performing and also how it is perceived on all levels, this is why I have gone into a sourcing check.

Dior Social Media

These are the 3 main social media pages in terms of appearance. They are all very similar, discuss practically the same content but in many different ways according to the manner of the social media platform. For example: The Facebook page combines a collection of high resolution imagery, that may be shared on the main page of the Dior website, but not on the Instagram page. Another example stemming from Instagram is to take in the fact that Instagram does not have any links that will immediately access any site off Instagram, so ideally; Dior would use images illustrating behind the scenes, very short interview clips or a summary fast version of a show, highlighting a snippet of a full story which would direct the consumer to visit the main site; but again that is not certain.

Visual

Twitter definitely sparks conversation and much interest on instant updates when an event is going on, twitter is also a very dependable social media platform to analyse and also forecast what possible interest around a certain aspect of a show, collection focal point may be and encourage to build a story around that. From analysing the research collected through simplymeasured. com and overall, the general awareness of the behaviour of the brand, I will definitely take note in the tone as well as overall asimilar yet different appearance within re-creating social media content.

Dior and Snapchat

Snapchat is a social media platform which was initially released in 2011, but has recently rose to popularity within the past year or so (2013- present). Using the application, users can take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and send them to a controlled list of recipients. These sent photographs and videos are known as “Snaps”. Users set a time limit for how long recipients can view their Snaps ranging from 1 to 10 secondes and afterwards the ‘snaps’ would be hidden from the recipient’s device and deleted from Snapchat’s servers. According to Snapchat in May 2014, the app’s users were sending 700 million photos and videos per day, while Snapchat Stories content was being viewed 500 million times per day. This is a substantial amount especially when the average amount of photos taken per day is 1 billion, this means that half of all photos taken is from the Snapchat app.

Snapchat Case Study -Competitor

Snapchat has also sparked interest within the Fashion world; with everyone from bloggers to editors covering (up to) 10 sec events around runway shows, behind-the-scenes, back stage and overall journey endeavours , snapchat has in someway replaced the role of instagram, primaily because it only lasts for a day and when it’s gone, its gone. Brands also have the opportunity to create and design exclusive ‘stamps’ that are only available through the access of the brand at the event. For example; the Valentino show was practically live streamed within through snapchat. Snapchat has also covered Louis Vuitton, as seen from the screen shot images placed above, it was a success due to the number of views throughout the 24 hour life-span, and snapchat was used more to cover 36

Dior and Snapchat

than on Instagram. Dior also used snapchat to cover their cruise collection during the month May. This also reap a load of coverage, seeing as the journey throughout the Dior cruise journey was longer than a day, and the people in attendance had promoted their snapchat stories through other social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. The reason why using snapchat deemed a successful social media tool to engage in for a project like so is as the isn’t designed to live forever, the house then showed a side of itself that it rarely does, ‘Au Naturale.’ There were no elaborate lighting, staging, and retouched images we’ve

Snapchat Case Study

come to know from the luxury fashion house. In their place was a refreshing, surprisingly youthful approach to fashion that was both endearing and entertaining. So whilst many brands still struggle to determine what application and content makes strategic sense for their brands, Christian Dior simply got out there to bask in the millennial limelight. And while the images themselves may be fleeting, the emotional connections they brought to the brand certainly are not. However, for my strategies, snapchat would not work, but I simply though that this case study is very interesting in terms of how selective Dior has been when sharing aspects of a live and ongoing project. 37

Dior App

Analysis

Dior has created two mobile applications that were available to all smart and android phones and tablets / iPads. They are the Dior Magazine (a digital mobile friendly version the dior magazine which comes in a hardcopy version as well as in the form of a blog on the dior.com site) and the Esprit Dior exhibition app. You could share the content on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The DiorMag application is a chance for consumers to download instant reality experiences, featuring video reports, interviews with the various artistic designers from aspects of the brand including Raf Simons and Victoire de Castellane.

The Esprit Dior exhibition app was simply a guide around the exhibition which was photographed by Patrick Demarchelier. Available in French, English and Japanese, the application, made up of videos and photographs covered: CHRISTIAN DIOR

sailles.

THE GRAND DIOR BALL

All the magic of balls, the perfect showcase for the most magnificent dresses.

THE DIOR ATELIERS

The couturier’s story, from his time as a gallery owner to his revolutionary first collection for Spring-Summer 1947.

The House of Dior’s incredible skills and expertise.

DIOR AND HIS ARTIST FRIENDS

The matchless elegance of Parisian women in cocktail outfits.

The close ties binding the House of Dior to the world of art, from Pablo Picasso to Sterling Ruby.

THE DIOR GARDEN

THE DIOR ALLURE

The flowers and gardens that marked the couturier’s childhood and continue to inspire his successors’ creations.

The architecture of Dior garments, from the New Look to its contemporary interpretations.

FROM PINK TO RED

DIOR AND JAPAN

From pink, the colour of happiness, to red, the colour of life, the inimitable palette of a couturier with an extraordinary talent for colour.

Christian Dior’s great admiration for the land of the rising sun and how it influenced his creations and his successors’.

MISS DIOR

The stars studding the sky in the Dior galaxy, from leading actresses to never to be forgotten princesses.

J’ADORE

The history of an iconic perfume reflected in the Hall of Mirrors in Ver-

PARIS

The story behind the creation of a legendary perfume, beginning in 1947.

STARS IN DIOR

Dior App

When you type in the Dior app on itunes, the other apps which they suggest are: Louis Vuitton: Allowing you to discover exclusive content and new product launches by scanning visuals featuring the Louis Vuitton pass icon. This is an interactive tool which is featured in many of the Louis Vuitton store. It also features advertising campaigns, store windows, magazines and more. HermĂ¨s: HermĂ¨s has a fun an interactive app that provides ways in which will teach you how to tie your scarf in elegant and creative ways.

Analysis

Chanel: CHANEL provides fashion news and behind the scene features Video and looks of the latest shows as well as contact information on the boutiques Analysis: These apps (as well as the Dior app) provide a balance between moving visuals, relative news and overall online engagement between the brand and consumer. Going through the Dior magazine app and bearing in mind about the communication aspect of my future campaign, I would make sure I follow in the same manner and clearly choose the type of coverage to be featured on the applications. 39

Facebook Facts

Count: 1.39 Billion Active Monthly Users Reported Date: Dec., 2014 Launch Date: February, 2004

Facebook’s data is one of the more recent sets to have been officially reported by the company, and therefore can be considered one of the most accurate. And of course Facebook continues to reign as the largest and most active of all the social networks. Facebook also holds the largest amount of followers and highest percentage in engagement out of all of Christian Dior’s social media pages. It is likely that their consumer following has followed their Facebook page as well as another social media page. I will reintroduce several visual content (place a video on the Facebook fan page) that will enable users to engage with the brands activity.

How important is video content of Facebook? “Facebook has become a serious platform for brand-building, and video is leading the way. When it comes to video ads for our clients, based on engagement rate, cost per view, view-to-completion and reach, right now Facebook is winning by a landslide.” — Jason Stein, CEO of ad agency Laundry Service, whose clients include Nike, Amazon and Michael Kors As the brand will continue to create, post and interact with more videos on Facebook over the past 18 months, the composition of News Feed is changing for overall consumers. Globally, the amount of video from people and brands in News Feed has increased 3.6x year-over-year.

It is said that ‘since June 2014, Facebook has averaged more than 1 billion video views every day. On average, more than 50% of people who come back to Facebook every day in the US watch at least one video daily

and 76% of people in the US who use Facebook say they tend to discover the videos they watch on Facebook.’

In the world of luxury, it is evident that with the birth of social media platforms who are Facebook’s competitors, like Instagram and YouTube, Facebook have to create a way to meet the demand of what luxury brand consumers would like to see, or would be interested in seeing on their news feed. The tone of how the video content will be shown will have to be considered as when appearing within the news feed, there would be a high chance of it colliding next to a photo from a friend or a status update from a relative. So clearly the video needs to fit in, and it needs to be something that your audience will want to watch and share. ‘With the launch of auto-play and the surge in mobile use, it’s also important to focus on posting videos that grab people from the first frame of video. Shorter, timely video content tends to do well in News Feed. Keep in mind that auto-play videos play silently in News Feed until someone taps to hear sound, so videos that catch people’s attention even without sound often find success.’ Christian Dior are well known for excelling in visual content online, but their consumers are not the type to directly go to view on their YouTube platform, the most they will encounter is a 15 second video through Instagram. However, Facebook has allowed luxury companies like Dior to display longer video content and in this way, the social media team of Christian Dior will be able to analyse audience retention, Organic vs. Paid views, at an enhanced and organic frequency through Facebook video metric facility. 40

It is fine to say from research that using Facebook to promote the savior-faire in the atelier of the house of Dior is the appropriate way to deliver the key messages of this campaign because: -The content is consumer appropriate. The visual content will be simply display the way in which the bags are made in the ateliers. The length of the videos will be no longer than 3 minutes. The average time a consumer on Facebook would view is at 70% of the video content. The age of the Facebook viewer ranges from 22-34, and 37-49. -By uploading content directly onto, Facebook wants you to upload videos directly to Facebook; there is less pre-video ads and a chance for instant play under a similar type of statistic results. -People are more likely to simply log onto Facebook rather than logging into their YouTube account. -Sharing the video from the Facebook page to their own personal page will attract the consumers Facebook network to see the content more likely than the same methods posed on a YouTube account. -Feature length is overall better.

Facebook Case Study

Hermes

During 2013, Hermès launched a Facebook video campaign to promote its winter catalogue. The luxury clothing retailer told this engaging story through social media to boost sales. The layout of the post is displayed in a way where a quote that reads, “They’re on their way. Right now they’re hidden behind that gigantic cloud” and a black-and-white photograph of a woman looking out a window. The customer would be able to click through to the website page as well as an insert of a model (the woman)video follows the shopping process of a woman who flips through the catalogue, orders her Hermès goods and then daydreams as she waits for her packages to arrive. So the fans could follow the story through a link on the brand’s Facebook page where a video on the landing page shared a story with a catalogue. Why did it work? The link that the consumers who then click on directed them to a new page, with moving visuals and interactive activity. This type of ‘activity’ is more or less required on a desktop, and during 2013, consumers who would visit facebook and proceed in such activity of luxury brand interaction would have done so through a desktop sitting within the home. This would not have worked so much for any other network of theirs becasue: their largest and most engaging audience on social media operates on Facebook, Instagram does not have click through option, consumers are more likely to visit a facebook page and click through to a video link more so than going directly onto youtube.)

Instagram Facts Count: 300 Million Active Monthly Users Reported Date: December, 2014 Launch Date: October, 2010 Instagram has been keen to report their usage statistics regularly, and with good reason. In March they reported 200 million active monthly users, and now in December they're reporting 300 million! Not only is that a stunning rate of growth, but that also puts them past Twitter into the #4 slot among social networks.

lessens the “advertisement” quality of your account. To heighten specific qualities about your product or service, share photos of your product in action, or in an appealing environment. This can also include “behindthe-scenes” looks at how products are made, or simply a look at the company and people behind the brand.

When it comes to luxury, a photograph is a great way to get people excited about a brand. Instagram is a visual based social platform, and as time advances, there is less room for writing. Facebook is limitless with visual and textual news feeds, twitter allows a maximum of 140 characters and 8 photos, Instgram is displayed in a way where the visual content will always override the textual content. It is also understood that when an Instagram user logins into the app, attitudes have changed when viewing imagery because as they are bombarded with so much visual’s their behavior reacts quicker to like and move on for more so than ever before. A recent report from BI Intelligence looked at the different approaches brands can take on the social networks, and found that on Instagram the key is engaging directly with photographers. ‘A well-promoted branded hashtag draws users to your own content and creates repeat brand hashtag use. This does not mean you should use hashtags indiscriminately, though.’ Read more:

Brands on Instagram should go beyond product images. This also

Instagram Case Study

Recently, French footwear and accessories label Christian Louboutin looked to build awareness for its latest collection with a digital campaign centered on a personified totemic face. Christian Louboutin’s #Tribaloubi social effort asked consumers to download and print tribal-themed finger puppets and share their creations on social media for a chance to be featured by the brand. Christian Louboutin often shares photos of its followers wearing its handbags and shoes, and this enables aspirational consumers to also get recognition from the brand, furthering their sense of loyalty. “Christian Louboutin is built on an amazing luxury brand image. His consumers and shoppers associate the brand as high-end and aspirational,”. The purpose of the campaign allowed a participation from consumers, and by this, they can show their affinity of the brand even if they can’t afford the product. “By building these relationships now, they will be able to foster a healthy relationship if and when they turn into customers.”

Christian Louboutin’s #Tribaloubi

The timeline to draw attention to consumers went as follows: Christian Louboutin originally introduced the collection to newsletter subscribers via email. In the subject line, the brand tells consumers to “Say hello to Tribalou.” Within the message body, a tribal face appears, opening and closing its mouth repeatedly. Collection pieces are featured below. On the brand’s Web site homepage, the same face is featured, and when its mouth opens, different items from the line appear. Consumers are given options to “discover the collection” or “download your very own #Tribaloubi.” When the download option is selected, consumers are asked to input their email address. A message is then sent almost immediately to the user’s inbox, including detailed do-it-yourself instructions. When consumers select print, they are given the option of four different patterns. Once a doll is printed out, they can cut it out, fold it and glue it 44

Instagram Case Study

to make it into a puppet. The bottom of the email shows the completed project on a woman’s hand. On social media, the brand tells consumers that if they post an image of their Tribaloubi with the hashtag #LouboutinWorld, they might get featured. So the newly created hashtag is: #Tribaloubi whilst affiliating with their ongoing hashtag #LouboutinWorld. In the past 5 years, Christian Louboutin did not engage so much with advertising, but the brands success is arguably due to the visuals produced out of social media platforms, especially Instagram. The ‘feature’ part is a beautiful way of getting social, but as opportunity of the feature is controlled (most probably) through a filter, the essence of luxury is displayed in a selective and extravagant way.

Christian Louboutin’s #Tribaloubi

The use of emails within luxury brands are a beautiful way of introducing to the target market, without alienating the core consumer because it is likely that a consumer of the brand has willing shared information with representatives of the brand in order to be informed more so than seeking to following their social and online activites. So therefore, email capture enables the brand (as clearly shown from the Louboutin case study) to make introductions of the latest news including products, store events and evidently, worldly brand pleasures. The print to participate option is another way of Louboutin to display how their printable contents draw engagement from it’s collection that goes beyond purchases, diluting the typical ‘buy it buy it’ market tool.

Instagram Case Studies

British retailer Harrods communicated with its worldwide fan base through an Instagram initiative starring its green-clad doorman. Everyone knows that there is a Harrods Green Man has been posted at every door of the London department store, thus becoming an icon in its own right. To celebrate the Vogue Festival 2015, of which Harrods is a sponsor, the retailer invited consumers to take the Green Man away from his post on travel adventures. Consumers, who had purchased a wooden Green Man from Harrods, can take a picture of the Green Man anywhere in the world. To be eligible the Instagram post must include the hashtags #MyGreenMan and #VogueFestival as well as Harrods’ handle, @Harrods. Harrods supplied a paper version of its Green Man that was downloadable closer to the Vogue Festival. This was a competition, where a panel of Judges would select 3 winners, the winners will stay at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and will receive £3000 to spend within Harrods. The two runners-ups will receive about £1000 in-store.

Harrods and Vogue Festival #MyGreenMan

The Harrods’ Green Man has been the focal point of social engagement campaigns in the past. In 2013, Harrods targeted local shoppers through a city-wide mobile scavenger hunt to win approximately £2500 to spend in-store. The Green Man danced in the streets of London to promote Harrods annual sale and encouraged consumers to enter the contest by taking an image of him and posting it to Twitter. What was absolutely great about this campaign was the fact that though, only a certain amount of people could fully engage within this campain, it did not alienate anybody. It was only available in a physical version, put only purchaseable through in-store purchase. Harrods has a global audience to attend to, however the printable version was available for the masses. Consumers from all over the world were able to participate in the Vogue Festival , live streaming in a different country. http://www.luxurydaily.com/harrods-takes-its-green-man-global-for-instagram-contest/ 46

Past Crisis- John Galliano

In 2011, a couple of days before the Dior show during Paris Fashion Week, a video was posted on an internet site of Galliano at a dining place in Paris casting racist and anti-Semitic slurs on a couple. Immediately Dior suspended Galliano the next day, and by the end of the week, he was fired from the luxury brand. In Raf Simons’ RTW13 collection (showcased on the 28th November 2012), the world was presented with his first collection for the household. In an interview on vogue.com, the show was described as a notion of ‘embracing the feminine, the complex, and the emotional’ would be a prime focus for Simons in his future collections for the brand (Bumpus, 2012). Psychologically, for any consumer and lover of the brand, the collection was deemed a breath of fresh air for the brand and the sequence of that collection evidentially showed the brand to have let go of the past and start a new slate.

This move and PR strategy connected with consumers on a pas-

sionate level to show freedom and by allowing the past to be freed, the element of emotion would be needed to refill that place. In an interview with Raf Simons later that year, spoke with members from Vogue building on about creating a more emotional attachment with the house of Dior (Holgate, 2012), a nostalgia for a modernistic engagement of emotion, intimacy and heritage to take place underneath the wide umbrella which the brand shelters. Dior suspended Mr. Galliano on Friday. The fashion house cited its ‘‘Unequivocal zero-tolerance policy regarding anti-Semitism and racism.’’ T here was a sense of shock inside LVMH at the extent of Mr. Galliano’s personal problems. The Dior chief, Mr. Toledano, is himself Jewish. The company had initially planned to keep the designer suspended pending an inquiry, but moved to act swiftly after diffusion of the video. Dior was not yet commenting on succession issues. 47

Past Crisis- John Galliano

Regardless of any legal action, Mr. Galliano will struggle to bounce back strongly in the fickle and high-octane world of fashion, in which there is no shortage of talented individuals who have been left by the wayside. (Saltmarsh, 2011)

and retail buyers at Paris Fashion Week. But the severity of the designer’s remarks meant Dior had to act, says a person close to the company. (Passariello & Galloni, 2011)

Dior said it had launched the procedure to fire Mr. Galliano because of the “deeply offensive statements and conduct by John Galliano in a video.” The fallout from the video has hit the fashion world quickly. “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today,” said Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, who has been the face of Miss Dior Cherie perfume since December. “I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way.”

It was a very challenging incident to have gone through as an international global brand with many respectful and religious affiliates because no brand had gone through such an adversity and had to handle a level of composer whilst retaining a professionalism at the same time through online and print media. It is harder to work on a situation when a brand has to make fast and powerful decisions as well as monitor and handle consumers, press and other important groups (like activists and so on). However, within days, the response and decision made by the brand had resulted to positive feedback from press media.

The dismissal comes three days before Dior is set to unveil Mr. Galliano’s fall-winter 2011/2012 collection before the world’s fashion critics

Analysis:

PESTEL Economic Factors

- However, inflation has made the brand more active in social events that generate awareness. - Despite the increase of taxes in countries and inflation, Diors annual report states an increase in profit, however a slight decline within the Asian market (Hence a heavy involvements in engagement strategy for the brand in and across in Asia – historical strategy)

Social Factors

- In recent years, self indulgence has lead the newly ‘established’ middle class in markets where they can sample ‘luxury products’ like accessories including leather goods. As they cannot afford entirely the ‘absolute’ luxury from the higher ends of the production pyramids; this gateway paves an interesting yet valuable avenue to Dior’s’ advantage. - A new wave has recently emerged which also attracts current consumers and non-consumers. This is known as experience in lifestyle, where a consumer can embody the status of a luxury brand through colour palettes filtered through the high street a stylized accordingly to the aesthetic of the brand. - Consciousness within luxury consumption has created a switch in preference – especially in mature side of the luxury market. The mature luxury consumer is not interested and has moved on from their ostentatious consumption days, resting in timeless piece and broaden / venturing into ‘high end’ classics and contemporary luxury.

- Luxury in store experience through additional servicing like in-store events (for exclusive clientele) & personal shopping. Experiences where the middle class will have the chance to peel special treatment. - In the luxury market, brand loyalty exists. Dior has managed to create an emotional attachment with their luxury goods and customers receive their heritage through this. This then affects the choice against its durability and elevated prices.

Technical Factors

-Technical innovations within the past few years have served the fashion industry well, as advertising costs are reduced in print media to serve a fresh look and somewhat more emotive communication online for its consumer. Dior , on some aspects are one of the leading brands within forward thinking approaches in new ways of showing their technological skill, as well as tying into its heritage, However as a ready-to-wear brand; accessories, they have not been so successful with ventures like ‘apps’ – compared to competitors like Chanel & even comparing to their make-up range. - With the increase of e-commerce and people deciding to not venture into the store to experience a luxury service, brands have to now transfer their luxury atmosphere within store to the online world. Dior deciding to not launch an e-commerce site sets a default in consumer engagement. - However, within in-store environment, Dior has a series of technical

products like screens featuring runway shows of the current season. - Use of social media channels, with engaging content providing some type of accessibility for consumers.

Environment Factors

- Leather has an environmental impact and as a luxury company, Dior should share a responsibility and own up to damages of the process, which produces leather, should be taken more seriously. A competitor of theirs has approached the situation as an opportunity to research around using less tanning methods. - Consumers are more aware and sensitive towards sourced luxury and sustainable development, fair trade and environmentally friendly. The more premium the brand, the higher the consumers expectation towards their ethical status. - Carbon footprint is somewhat like a trend for luxury brands to be incorporating green house operations, which are in tune with store layouts. Dior could venture out and innovatively with its revamping of stores. - According to rankabrand.org.uk, Christian Dior is ranked in band E, the lowest of al for their sustainability. There is no evidence of Dior abusing the environment excessively, but the brand has not communicated their sustainable efforts unlike their competitors, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga (All at band D)

such as India and China ( where animal cruelty welfare laws are not enforced), Dior can highlight the fact that their leather are sourced and made within France. - Policies are in line with laws, which every luxury brand business follows, including employment rights.

Analysis:

A weak CSR overall for the brand contributes to many negative factors regarding opinion about the brand as a whole. Without CSR initiatives or small yet affective operations, publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding of the brand will remain negative and unsure leading to a poor view of the brandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contribution to preserving the environment. It is understood that a brand like Christian Dior would not set out a 12-month campaign solely creating corporate and social persona but it would consider highlighting positive procedures (be it within production) within a campaign to ensure acknowledgment.

Legal Factors

- Working with counterfeit organisations to prevent illegal activities, which can tarnish the reputation of the brand - As most luxury brands source their leather from developing countries

SWOT Strengths

Strong digital and online presence which promotes the rich heritage which the Christian Dior brand holds. Their rich heritage shown visually is presented in many different ways and forms. Dior as a brand is a pioneer of how to retell their history again and again through different point of views creating a fresh outlook on the brand. Their ambassador – clientele ratio defines a fixed yet lenient persona overall of the brand. There are many faces and ambassadors who have come and gone with the brand throughout its history, as of now they are the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Leelee Sobieski , Charlize Theron and Robert Pattinson. Many celebrities within the past 5 years have also revealed how they are supporters of the brand like Rihanna, Mila Kunis, Olivia Palermo, Beyonce , Emma Watson, Jennifer Lopez , Sarah Jessica and many more. Despite a decline within the Asian market, which has affected the overall profit result for luxury brands, Christian Dior leather goods and accessories has not suffered.

Weakness

Digital presence is strong for communication but lacks in E-commercial content. There are a selected amount of products shown online (however there is an option for a customer sales representative to discuss other forms of the product identified on the website) . When you visit in-store enquire about products within the leather goods section, sales advisor are able to explain in great detail about them and how their products are made in France, what type of leather and stitching is used, highlighting that everything is made in house and much more, however, it has been witnessed question into the actual products themselves, for example – how is the calf killed and looked after? So whether we are subconsciously caring for the environment or not, one thing that we should treat as luxury is the world we live in and the resources we use to make these fine and ‘exquisite’ products. LVMH owns Christian Dior S.A, so their CSR report lies within the LVMH Company as a whole, though there is a section where Christian Dior’s CSR cooperation is explained but only applies to perfumery. – A little paragraph within the LVMH CSR report, last updated in May 2012 (Moet Hennessey. Louis Vuitton (LVMH), 2012) – More in favour for other brands, which LVMH own, raises questions how the brand actually go about preserving their environment.

Opportunity

Queen have done in the past on their website and other social media platforms which had influenced consumers to buy into products or buy into their illustrated ‘luxury lifestyle’. Also, one thing to consider is how organizations may create content which could create awareness of how unethical the brand may be based on little information, which they possess for ‘no answer’, is a bad the ‘wrong answer’.

Opportunities where the persona of the brand could be enhanced through product profile and demonstrate an ethical side to the brand. These types of opportunity will is not a goal to achieve an amount of favour for the brand and its clientele but to engage within an on-going conversation, which is about luxury brand, sustainability and lifestyle.

Brands have thrived on ‘winning’ over consumers with the heritage aspect, might seem a little dragged. Furthermore, craftsmanship has also been something other brands have ventured out in most as well

Christian Dior has gone through a worthy amount of crisis’s in the past like its previous artistic director John Galliano’s suspension and racial commentary. Also like any other luxury brand; topics surrounding sustainability, ethical character as well as innovative future steps and possible avenues of creativity lure opinions based on the brands current performance. Therefore operations where a luxury brand can notion something fresh whilst incorporating its core values is vital.

Building upon their heritage though other departments, using their heritage formed with craftsmanship and luxury

Threat

Despite there being a strong online presence for the brand, it suffers with lack of actual engagement compared to previous programs which their competitors like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Givenchy and Alexander Mc-

Analysis: Remembering to highlight the meaning of lifestyle and understanding how to create tactics around the whole idea of sustainability of luxury with lifestyle. What type of press would you like to work with? How would it be filtered through social media? How would you make craftsmanship and luxury interesting based on the history of Christian Dior, remembering that it’s history is not as great as their competitors ? Most probably would you pitch a sustainable conversation-styled element to the press and emphasise on the lifestyle through products for the public’s (Tactic).

Customer Profile

29 years of age Head of Marketing for a mobile app fundrasing company Annual income of around 55k/+ annually Favourite brands are: Chanel, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent Paris, Marni and Burberry High street brand : Zara, Cos, &otherstories, All Saints, Reiss Travels: Within Europe – places like Nice or Santorini during the summer, Outside of Europe -‑ the Middle East or the Caribbean. Spare time activities: Venturing to the countryside, exercise activities, occasional attending the theatre, dinners and elite events Status: Engaged for at least 5 months, met fiancé at university through mutual friends General necessities: Coffee in the morning from Starbucks, carries a smartphone, purse, bottle of Fiji water, reading glasses, mini/essential

make up accessory bag within daily handbag. Weekly grooming consists of manicures and pedicure at Harvey Nichols. Lives: Resides with fiancé in Fulham, SW6 (London) in a 1 bedroom flat, family however own land within the Kent area (countryside) Apps used the most on her smartphone: Uber, Whatsapp, Barclays, Instagram, Messaging, Calendar Eats: Generally out more than at home, within company like associates at work, with mutual friends of hers and fiancé Reads: The gentlewoman, Vogue US, CR Fashion Book, Marie Claire and the Harrods magazine Company: 3 immediate friends with whom she has known since college, 1 with whom she works with and the other are in similar positions in the fields of fine art and advertising. 53

Raf Simons Profile

Hired in April 2012 to replace John Galliano at Dior, Simons has been ordained into the papal line of designers who’ve applied their talents at the house since Christian Dior’s death, which goes Saint Laurent, Bohan, Ferré, Galliano. After expanding from menswear shows that exalted skinny teenage boys and radical culture to making beautiful clothes for women under the Jil Sander label in 2005, Simons is hardly a newcomer to the world of top-tier women’s fashion. But Dior is Dior. And the circumstances of Simons’s arrival at the house could not have been more dramatic. In February 2012, he was let go from Jil Sander . That July his first couture show for Dior—in rooms lined to the ceilings with more than a million flowers—was greeted with rapturous delight. He’d done it in seven weeks. Sidney Toledano, Dior’s group managing director, declared, “He gave, he gave, he gave. He’s aligning his vibration with the brand.”

It was at Jil Sander that Simons began to study the history of wom-

en’s fashion and discovered a passion for Christian Dior, who “focused on the idea of beauty, femininity, nature. I grew up in that kind of environment,” he explains. “Very much about nature and purity.” His Dior clothes are reverential in their beauty yet thoroughly contemporary: He reincarnated Dior’s definitive New Look Bar jacket as half of a shorts suit; he invoked evening-gown silhouettes but infused the potentially staid shapes with the thrill of the modern by abbreviating them at mid-thigh. Raf Simons in interview with Vogue.com “I want to bring some emotion back, to what I felt in the nineties, because I see a lot of amazing clothes, but I don’t see a lot of emotion now,” (Simons, 2012). Analysis: So when thinking about creating a campaign, remember key messages which respond to what Raf Simons is trying to do with the brand, THINK bringing back modernity to the brand pyramid – modern, exclusive luxury to the current consumer and all that is to buy into the brand. 54

Competition Competitor Analysis Competitor Store Report Past Campaigns Luxury Brand Activities

Brand Matrix

Competitor Analysis

Price x Popularity Direct- Chanel

L-R Chanel Boy bag, introduced in 2011, and the classic 2.55 introduced in 1955. Pictures from Chanel website.

The Chanel bags have been listed as a competitor because it’s popularity overrides the quality in terms of the Dior bag for many reasons. History: It is told that Coco Chanel (the designer) became tired of having to carry her handbags in her arms and decided to design a handbag that freed up her hands. Inspired by the straps found on soldiers’ bags she added thin straps and introduced the resulting design to the market in 1929. After her successful comeback to the fashion industry in 1954, Chanel decided to update her handbag. The resulting design was called 2.55 after the date of creation, February 1955.

Features and Variations: All 2.55 bag features lining’s burgundy colour represents the colour of the uniforms at the convent where she grew up. Chanel, recognising that modern women needed to have their hands free while attending social functions, designed a double-chain shoulder strap. The bag originally came with a front lock called “the Mademoiselle Lock” (in reference to Coco Chanel never marrying). Since the 1980s, versions can also be supplied with a lock in the shape of a double CC logo. All of these qualities are used throughout sales within the store to boost the bags’ sentimental importance, and show overall its eternal position for the past 50+ years. I comes in four sizes.

For the Boy bag, creative director Karl Lagerfeld explains: “Chanel used men’s underwear to make dresses; she had this boyish attitude, in fact, it is the very spirit of Chanel. She got it from Boy Capel, the great love of her life, which, incidentally, explains why the new bag is called the Boy Chanel.”

For the Boy bag, since it’s arrival, it has been described as “far removed from the conventional feminine clichés”. It was inspired by a cartridge bag that was originally made for hunters and was carried by Madame Chanel herself, the Boy comes in three varying sizes and in practical, no-nonsense shades of red, black, grey, green and ivory. 58

Competitor Analysis

Price x Popularity Indirect - Celine

L-R Celine Trapeze in a medium

An example of an indirect competitor of the brand that I decided to use an example and expand on in is the Celine trapeze bag. First of all, just like Chanel and Dior, Celine is a French brand, the location of their stores (I have noticed) are very close to Dior as well as Chanel; and ther are too made in Italy just like Dior bags. They are a very popular brand in terms of their accessories, and is seated as one of their most iconic accessory pieces. History and fame: The CĂŠline Trapeze is known for clean, sleek lines and extra-wide gusset sides. The flap front adds dimensionality, and multiple colours and materials are used to bring this bag to life. The top handle has ample space to carry in your arm, and while you could fling it over your shoulder, ma-

jority just carry it in their hand or crux of their arm. The most important aspect to note is the beauty in the simplicity of the design. So many bags have additions that distract from the original lines and style, but the Trapeze doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need anything more. Feature and Variations: It features what is a combo box flap with the signature luggage wings. It comes in a variety of color and leather combination, as well as different materials like crocodile, shearling, python, pony calfskin and calf hair. It comes in medium and small

Competitor Store Report

Hermes

The Bond Street store opened recently, and after the relaunch, I decided to pay a visit and enquire about the accessories.

I recently went into the relaunched Hermes store to just see how they lay out their accessories as well as handle their products in front and around consumers. The brand has always been appealing to me simply due to their pride on their accessories range, as well as the communications strategy around the craftsmanship within their bags. In the Washington Post recently, there was an article around the effect and exclusivity of the Birkin bag and other rare and must have items from the brand. Shea argues that “luxury” has been redefined — in Her-

mès’ favor — and it has nothing to do with price. “Expensive doesn’t equal luxury,” Shea says. “Luxury equals rarity.” This quote it what brought my attention to the store, in my experience of going into luxury stores and just simply asking about a particular item, the communication is past off as a sort blockage where the Sells advisor limits the conversation regarding the products because they personally believe that the product is unable to be purchased by myself. From going into Hermes, they were completely different because the service gave off as ‘it doesn’t mater if you can buy or not’ 80% of the time, the product is unattainable, making the product more desirable. 60

Competitor Store Report

What is different about Louis Vuitton is the fact that though they are mostly known for their monogram bags, I personally felt that they do not emphasis on their monogram.

However, the attention paid to materials, though the monogram

Louis Vuitton

pieces are made out of canvas, they are treated like special leather materials. All bags are handled with protection (sales assistants wear gloves to protect the bags) 61

Competition campaigns

Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign

During 2013, Louis Vuitton release a series of images for promotional uses highlighting one of its core values. A range of famous people were featured with their own piece/s of Louis Vuitton products that they own were shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz (ILVOELV, 2012).

Gucci

Gucci and sustainability - through produce of goods especially through its leather productions. Promoting to display them as transparent as possible to ensure that discoveries of ethical ways of using raw/ special materials are found in order to create the same product whilst preserving the environment. Within store, it is highlighted through point of sale as a type of ‘added bonus’ or a ‘newfound and cultural form of excellence’. If an ongoing product has kept its exact same ways of formation (assembly) however the materials (example – leather) are treated differently to benefit both the brand (- and its customer) as well as the environment. In the Press: Lisa Armstrong for the fashion telegraph wrote an article about Gucci teaming up with Livia Firth to design a new ecologically 100% traceable bag. The collection of bags featured are same designs of the wellknown Jackie bag, available at 1500£ in the US and UK and launched February 2013. (Armstrong, 2013) Gucci also donated Gucci also donated 50,000€ to the National Wildlife Federation. Facts: -Livia Firth – creative director of Eco Age Limited as well as backing the ‘Green Carpet Challenge. - Livia Firth believes in ethical production of clothing and overall philosophy towards retail for her targeted customer (which is aimed at everyone,

luxury consumers to think of luxury as not solely a matter of price and luxe excellence, and consumers who are heavily into fast fashion to become more observant of the environment – educating) and to shop with a reverse budget- ‘how many years will I get out of this purchase?’ Rather than solely the cost.

Hermés

Hermés came out in 2013 with a new line called ‘PETIT h’. The purpose of this line, according to Pascale Mussard, a member of the Hermes family, is to put to use leftover and rejected scraps of leather and silk or defective pieces of crystal and china, and re-purpose them into objects for sale. In some cases this may mean a one of a kind object, and in other instances it may mean a limited quantity of a particular item. During the launch of the ‘petite h’ project, there were a load of press (obviously) featured on many social media platforms including vogue.co.uk and style.com. Images were released via press releases, these images as well as a series of videos produce showcased the inspiration behind the project and the finished products that ranged from kids soft toys to small possible collectable wooden toys, stools and pieces of clothing ready for sale. Hermès already opened its first petit h boutique on Rue de Sèvres in Paris earlier last summer. Created to follow the winds of change, the new concept store swaps its interior installation regularly. Petit h was also presented at the brand’s flagship in Singapore last July and will be showcased in London this December (Tudor, 2013).

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a well known brand who communication their sustainable character and efforts throughout many forms of communication, be it through presentations, window displays in department stores and promotes to consumers on how to be better careers of the environment through simple steps. One way of really understanding the designer, her vision of where 62

Competitors campaigns

she would like to take the brand and her sustainable way of thinking is through visiting her online ‘Stella world’ which is linked and available through her website where she talks about the process taken to produce collections, her affiliations with leading organizations which are involved in sectors of the ethical and luxury fashion industry, highlighting how they are working together to achieve a more ethical conscious society. (Stella McCartney, -)

Analysis:

The Louis Vuitton campaign was a tool that reinforced the idea of ‘travelling’. When consumers (who buy into the and or not) travelling is one of the main words that pops into their minds around Louis Vuitton. However, the rich travelling concept is what the person carries with them throughout their journey as a customer, not actually buying just one item. The idea of heritage and sustainability worked together because the advertisements and overall message was the fact that despite what they are used for, Louis Vuitton products last a very long time. Sustainability folds in well with the fact that consumers investing into the brand are buying into something which will last them forever. Through a range of mini projects and internal partnerships / renovations, Gucci has positioned themselves as a brand whose mission is to ‘improve’ their methods of product to continue producing products which involve their highest level of craftsmanship but through the avenue which helps the brand to become more ethical and protective of their environment. By linking sustainability with their distinctive craftsmanship within products and packaging fits their key values, (which include heritage, Italy, innovation and luxury. Their way of making sustainability relevant with their brand has ultimately been through alliance with other brands who are under the Kering umbrella as well as collaboration with key influencers like Livia Firth to work, study (and learn about the importance) and strive to make an impact raises their futuristic profile keeping them relevant in today’s luxury fashion market.

Hermes has taken the sustainable avenue in a very creative way, which keeps their brand value in accordance with the idea of preserving the valuable materials of the world. By launching the ‘petite h’ concept, the brand has shown the world/ their audience that there can be no such thing as waste, as well as adhering to the term ‘ every little helps’. There series of videos which illustrate that nearly everything that is ‘left over’ from their desirable craftsmanship of leather products are store and waiting to be used again. From broken buttons to excess crocodile skins are preserved and transformed into something completely new! A range of limited edition products from its ‘petite h’ range underline the brands long-standing values of rejecting mass production, assembly line and refinement of each products; upholding the art of the artisan, and the fact that every piece is handmade, personnel and treated with care and respect. These values fit beautifully with their ‘petite h’, which honours the fact that they do not partake in contributing to waste and throwing products away, filling landfills. This also ties in within the tradition, which its founder Thierry Hermes started when hand-crafting horse harnesses of chalices and carriages in 1837. These products from the ‘petite h’ range have a limited availability, just like their well-known bags. Stella McCartney is a very unique brand for its main brand value is being as ethical and sustainable as possible, it’s a company which highlights on the fact that booking after the environment is a way of life and fashion, as a major part to looking good daily, is a business that should adopt the thought of luxury fashion products being incorporated with sustainable methods including packaging. She is the pioneer as of the moment who speaks for the brand and values, not only following the codes of their values but also known to work with other designers to help the unionism of sustainable luxury fashion work well together not for a moment, but forever. She is seen as a designer and an activist and her brand represents this. Unlike other brands like Gucci, Bottega Venetta and Burberry who go about via company board members, Stella for Stella McCartney is able to speak about her brand confidentially in accordance with values around sustainability. 63

Luxury brand Activities

Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Bottega Venetta, Gucci and Prada are all brands who have participated in a strategy involving how luxurious their brand is through demonstrating itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s craftsmanship . These activities vary in forms of exhibitions across the world, sending members of press to their atelier houses or simply paying homage to the DNA of the brand which embraces its craftsmanship as a way of boosting its luxurious values. Brands like Christian Dior are also paving specific areas online (on their websites) and designating video material of how their products are sourced and made just to educate their consumers of the lifestyle and eliteness that dwells in the brand.

Hermes Louis Vuitton Chanel Prada

Feel free to experience various ways Christian Dior competitors have gone about exposing their craftsmanship and luxury .

Festival des Metiers

This engaging public exhibition provided an insight into the traditions and values of Hermès in the crafting of fine objects; an animated presentation that encouraged interaction by giving visitors the opportunity to meet and exchange with the Hermès’ artisans and experience firsthand their unique savoir-faire. Festival des Métiers unlocked the poetic and unique crafts that are the essence of the house of Hermès, as their craftspeople reveal the mastery of their métiers. Visitors will see the famous Hermès silk scarf printed before their eyes and to rhythmic sounds of the artisans’ tools, handbags, watches, fine-jewellery and other iconic objects from Hermès will be brought to life during the course of the exhibition.

Hermes Exhibition

Festival des Métiers showcased in London from China where it has been exhibited in Beijing and Shenyang, after London it travelled to Düsseldorf, the exhibition was presented in a contemporary setting by acclaimed designer Paola Navone. Within the exhibition, you also got to see the tools used to make the garments and bags, and the overall ambience was very much like a master class.

Series 2- LA

This exhibition was held in Los Angeles showcased an interpretation of the LV Spring/Summer 2015 women’s ready-to-wear collection in a multi-room way, Louis Vuitton Series 2 – Past, Present and Future. The exhibition was held in a warehouse space in the centre of Hollywood’s art and media district, allowing it’s visitors to explore the creative process behind the collection. It ran from 6- 22 February 2015, through a series of different thematic spaces, sharing the creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s influences and inspirations for the SS15 collection, as well as the excitement in the lead up to a fashion show. The entrance to the exhibit, called ‘Abstract Title’, was through an oversized LV logo, with the next room ‘Talking Faces’ giving people a chance to experience the unique animation of Ghesquière’s last show. ‘Magic Trunk’ will then highlight the label’s most iconic products in holo-

Louis Vuitton

gram projections, while the ‘Savoir-fair Room’ will focus on the Malletage inspired by the inside of a an LV trunk. Other highlights included the ‘Backstage’ room, which recreated a fashion show’s backstage space and high tension atmosphere, the ‘Infinite Show Room’ that will boast a 360-degree projection of all 48 looks of the SS15 collection, and the last space, the ‘Accessories Gallery’, set to showcase Marte Mei van Haaster’s scanned, 3D printed figures alongside beautiful heritage pieces. From sources, the exhibition seemed to be more so celebrity generated in terms of coverage that fashion industry. People like Kris Jenner were in attendance and also, the flagship store did not promote much about the exhibition. 67

The Little Black Jacket

Karl Lagerfeld hosted Chanel’s exhibition in a photographic way which dedicated to a book edition he created titled, ‘The Little Black Jacket: CHANEL’s classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld’. The exhibition opened at the Saatchi Gallery in London in October 2012. It followed on from Tokyo, New York, Taipei and Hong Kong, underlining the brand’s values of creativity, modernity and excellence. The public discovered the versatility and timelessness of the iconic Chanel jacket through Karl Lagerfeld’s 113 photographs, modelled on a range of friends of the House, with each personality adapting the garment to reflect their own inimitable style - worn as a cape on singer Lily Allen, draped around model Stella Tennant, or even transformed into a vest on model Edie Campbell.

Exhibition at Chanel

Also running simultaneously with the exhibition, there were displays in Chanel’s Bond Street, Sloane Street and Brompton Cross boutiques a selection of jackets from the latest collections. There was also a separate website dedicated to the exhibition journey, throughout 15 cities in a year.

Pradasphere at Harrods

In May 2014, Harrods hosted Prada as an honoured guest in a month long celebration including 40 full window displays, a pop - up store, multiple screen displays, an elegant Marchesi café, and Pradasphere: an exhibition that traced the company’s multivalent obsessions—from fashion and accessories to art, architecture, cinema, sport and beyond. Located on the fourth floor of Harrods, Pradasphere was a collection of archival objects arranged to reveal the complex, often intertwined obsessions of Prada. The Prada vision is manifest in everything from fashion and accessories to art, architecture, film, and culture. The centrepiece of Pradasphere comprised six towering showcases dedicated to the central themes that have distinguished the work of Prada. The displays combined ensembles from multiple collections to demonstrate the recurrent concepts present in the products. In addition, the exhibition included: heritage items from the Prada archives; shoes and bags from past collections organised by theme; examples of exquisite fabrics and materials; a Prada history wall that links the design collections with all of the extracurricular projects, from Fondazione Prada to Luna Rossa; a screening room presenting short films from directors such as Roman Polanski, Wes Anderson, Ridley Scott and Yang Fudong; architectural projects from Rem Koolhaas/OMA and Herzog & de Meuron; and a library of publications, both physical and digital. A private lounge was adjacent to the exhibition space. The walls and ceiling of the intimate room were wrapped entirely in deep green velvet that matched the Clover Leaf sofas—a revival of Verner Panton’s

Exhibition at Prada

modern classic reproduced exclusively for Prada. The Prada pop-up store was on the ground floor adjacent to the entrance at the corner of Brompton Road and Hans Crescent. Designed in classic Prada style, the shop featured a black-and-white-chequered marble floor, slim polished-steel and crystal display shelves, striking black marble portals, steel and crystal display counters, and lilac velvet ottomans. The boutique showcased women’s leather goods, accessories, jewellery and eyewear. Finally, directly alongside the Pradasphere exhibition, against a backdrop of the London skyline, was the Marchesi café, patisserie, and restaurant. Marchesi is a legendary Milanese patisserie founded in 1824, renowned for its wide range of delicious pastries, chocolates and panettone, the traditional Milanese Christmas cake.

Analysis : Overall, this objective was to display the brand in total abundance. Brands like Christian Dior and Prada would use a department store like Harrod’s of London as a way of ‘taking’ over a space separate to their flagship store and create a type of lifestyle aspect for their consumers whilst enjoying the overall beauty of the brand. The reason why I would not go down this route again is because Christian Dior has created an exhibition space in 2013 and I would not like to repeat, and personally (after research) it seems just and perfect to create a strategy more so based around its flagship store rather than attract consumers to a different location. 69

Current Position and Understanding Key Messaging Dior Past Social Activities Leather Goods knowledge

Key Messaging Sensual Aesthetic: Refined aesthetic that conveys sensuality, indulgence with a hint of extravaganza and it ap- Luxury peals to the ‘5 senses.’ Brand DNA: The identity around the values of the brands creator, embracing the history of the house and in return solidifying its roots in history. Innovation: For many years under new creative directions of Dior, boundaries have been push as surprise to forward thinking audiences, yet staying faithful to their roots, whilst modernizing and adapting style to present time to express coolness.

Craftsmanship

Customer

-Current Observation

Excellence: They have always been made by skilled artisans and the finest fabrics and fabrication will be used. It’s culture of connoisseurship concludes the best customer service will apply. For many years, the brand has developed a way to visually show their target audience their tradition methods of exquisite artistry within craftsmanship. By doing this, consumers (direct and indirect) engage with the personality that deems the their products as timeless classics

Heritage It’s uniqueness: Can only be made in a specific place or country. Timelessness: Products that will last that will never go out of fashion and will be passed on to the next generation The brand celebrates the silhouette of the female post war and bring elegance back to fashion, luxury, elegance and excellence are very important to the brand since its first shop.

In order to understand the messaging of the brand currently, I went about with searching their mission and really understanding their core values. After finding these crucial elements, I was able to find out how best to form the key messaging that would be appropriate for my 12 month campaign. Mission: “True Luxury requires genuine materials and the craftsman’s sincerity. It is only meaningful when it respects tradition“. Christian Dior. DIOR is the ultimate symbol of elegance, excellence and luxury. In the 21st Century, DIOR continues to define elegance and style with the same audacity that inspired Monsieur Dior when he launched his house.

Christian Dior’s vision has always been ahead of its time, fascinating women with his ability to combine utmost modernity with timeless elegance. (Dior Facebook) For my campaign, it is so absolutely fitting to merge the mission values of the brand and create a campaign out of the relationship between craftsmanship and luxury through leather accessories. It would work within many of the aspects of the brand, like its RTW, and Haute Couture division, however, leather accessories works better whence attracting a wider audience and will secure more engagement, without alienating the core customer. 72

Key Messaging Values DIOR is the ultimate symbol of elegance, excellence and luxury.

Brand Essence Dior is a luxury brand that embodies craftsmanship and luxury.

The key message crafted for this campaign is to simply solidify the relationship between luxury and craftsmanship within the world of DIOR. There are many brands that have clearly defined their world of luxury and displayed their artisan methods within craftsmanship; as well as many pieces of commentary around Christian Dior and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of luxurious materials demonstrated by the skilled level of craftsmanship based on the values of the brand.

For my campaign Attributes In the 21st Century, DIOR continues to define elegance and style with the same audacity that inspired Monsieur Dior when he launched his house.

Attributes True luxury requires genuine materials and the craftsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sincerity. It is only meaningful when it respects tradition.

The true beauty of a campaign crafted like so would be that the brand would be supplying an existing a developing experience first hand giving opportunity for consumers to directly connect with the people that make the brand so beyond electronic measure and access. The aim is created out the fact that the brand is not failing necessarily, but could improve on certain areas. Seeing as leather goods and accessories are a vital branch of a luxury brand, ensuring that the values of their quality are encompassed in the mind of the direct and indirect consumer is vital. 73

Dior’s Past Activities

This Christmas, Dior and Claridge’s are working together to make the 2009 Claridge’s Christmas tree a sparkling attraction. John Galliano for Dior will be decorating a Christmas tree that will fill Claridge’s foyer, to be unveiled on December 1st and instead of going for the traditional full pine tree, it’s going to be a tropical themed. Throughout the holiday period, visitors can expect a series of glittering festive events celebrating the collaboration.

Dior at Claridges

Galliano has turned the Art Deco space in the hotel’s lobby into an oceanic paradise. The “Under the Sea” tree is a dazzling design of aquatic delights, with giant seahorses and colourful jellyfish swimming amongst sparkling corals and silver leaves, in what Galliano hopes will inspire “a truly luxurious escape and a very festive season at Claridges”. The concept is a complete departure from last year’s glistening ‘frozen’ tree, which attracted thousands of visitors.

Dior’s Past Activities

The boutique opened during late November just in time of the festive season. Covent Garden is also known as the essential trend destination for beauty lovers. The new boutique offers a complete makeup collection, exclusive products, bespoke services, exceptional events, and more. It is positioned as the place to discover the latest Dior look, direct from the runway; from couture to ready-to-wear with Dior’s very own Covent Garden Boutique colour experts. The boutique also hosts a private studio for parties of 3 or more who book a similar version to a beauty spa treatment. The interior clad in luxurious graphic black lacquer décor with echoes of fluorescent neon shades, the Dior Beauty Boutique captures the

Dior Covent Garden

buzz and excitement of a backstage type make-up zone and juxtaposes it with the fragrance area, a modern Dior twist on an apothecary. Alongside Dior’s much-loved make-up, skincare and fragrance collections, the store are home to exclusive products - including a very chic houndstooth eye palette - as well as private make-up parties, nail art inspired by Raf Simons’s catwalk collections and Dior photo booths.

Dior’s Past Activities

From Saturday 16th March to Sunday 14th April, the House of Dior will join forces with Harrods to launch a luxury-charged adventure combining French Savoir Faire and British charm. Celebrating the occasion, Dior will take over the windows of our Brompton Road store, with a display that pays homage to Britain’s cultural icons. Meanwhile, Harrods’ Fourth Floor will equal the ultimate Dior experience with an exhibition featuring nine dazzling Dior highlights.

Dior At Harrods

Visit Café Dior at The Georgian Restaurant on Harrods’ Fourth Floor to sample a menu that evokes Monsieur Dior’s love of 18th Century décor and his passion for sumptuous food. The lobster sandwich is a must, as are the Dior cupcakes, which can be found in Harrods’ Food Halls.

Leather Goods Knowledge The reason why I have chosen to focus more on the Lady Dior, Miss Dior, Be Dior and Diorama bags are because they are the most liked, favourable, and popular bags out of the range. The Miss Dior bag holds the most value in terms of concept, it is encompassed around the characteristic of the first collection and necessarily the soul of the brand and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creator.

Lady Dior

The Lady Dior bag is the most well-known out of all, due to its purpose for production and primary association.

Miss Dior

The Be Dior bag has just surfaced the brand, and is the first product introduced under Raf Simons, so it holds sentimental value to the recent and reigning creative director.

Be Dior

The Diorama bag holds value to the modernity that Raf Simons wishes to explore and embraced in the Dior woman who he did not feel was honoured much during the Galliano era. This embraces modernity and urbanity .

Diorama

The next few pages display brief facts about the bags and composition.

Leather Goods Knowledge £3000

Price

£1500

Overview

LADY DIOR MISS DIOR DIORAMA DIOR SOFT BE DIOR D LIGHT DIORISSIMO DIOR PANAREA

Popularity

This graph was created immediately after interview 3, to really illustrate the difference in terms of popularity within the ranges of the bag. As stated, there are nine collections within the Christian Dior leather handbags range. They are : LADY DIOR DIORISSIMO BE DIOR DIORAMA MISS DIOR OPEN BAR D LIGHT DIOR SOFT DIOR PANAREA

As you can see from the above graph, it is very interesting to know that the houses’ most popular selection of bags within the past 18 months conclude of a range of handbags still including somewhat old and relatively new. So Therefore, for this campaign, it would work well to use the top four, that would reach a wide consumer audience. Therefore I will choose: Lady Dior Miss Dior Be Dior Diorama

Leather Goods Knowledge

Introduction: Making its debut in 1995, the Lady Dior quickly became the house’s most iconic bag, and has since been inextricably associated with timeless elegance. The bag was named after one very particular Lady, who was rarely seen without it: Princess Diana.

Background: As the story goes, France was getting ready to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to visit the Paul Cezanne exhibition at the Grand Palais, in Paris. Then-First Lady Bernadette Chirac, seeking a special gift for the famously elegant Lady Diana, sought the help of Dior for something truly unique. The First Lady spotted the bag while visiting the ateliers and instantly selected it; although it was then only a prototype, the house made an exclusive edition for Lady Diana within 24 hours. After that, the Princess was rarely seen without one of her signature Dior bags in tow. Dior sought her permission to name the bag in her honor, and the Lady Dior has been gracing the most discerning elbows ever since. Today, the incomparably chic Marion Cotillard acts as the bag’s ambassador. Two Dior artisans: one for skin selection and cutting and another to complete assemblage, create the Lady Dior, which starts out with sumptuous lambskin from French tanneries. The leather is then given what’s called the Cannage effect, which produces an eight-sided shape—eight also being Mr. Dior’s lucky number. The pattern itself was inspired by the canework of the Napoleon III chairs used in Christian Dior’s first fashion show in 1947. Of course, the finishing touch is the brand’s signature hardware.

The Lady Dior By The Numbers 100: Number of total parts (not counting the yarn for stitching) 8: Hours of craftsmanship required to realize a single bag 30: Amount of individual pieces of hardware 2: Number of Dior artisans hand-crafting each bag

Lady Dior

Marion Cotillard

Leather Goods Knowledge THE MISS DIOR HERITAGE 12 February 1947. In his salons at 30, avenue Montaigne, Christian Dior presented his very first collection. His sensual creations celebrated triumphant femininity: it was the beginning of a veritable revolution, dubbed the New Look. To accompany these avant-garde silhouettes, the couturier asked perfumer Paul Vacher to create a modern and sophisticated fragrance: “Make me a perfume that smells of love”, he asked. An elegant green chypre, Miss Dior was to become the perfume of the New Look. Today it lends its name to the Miss Dior bag. Directly inspired by the world of Dior fragrances and haute couture, Miss Dior is the accessory of free and modern femininity, able to break free of fashion codes. UNIQUE EXPERTISE Miss Dior is assembled entirely by hand by Dior’s craftsmen according to the purest of leather-crafting traditions. Mounted on a mould, each leather piece is stitched in order to fit the structured silhouette of Miss Dior perfectly. As elegant as it is practical, Miss Dior is crafted with infinite meticulousness, even on the inside: its smooth leather lining with cannage stitching proclaims its modernity through an elegant combination of contrasting colours. On the outside the cannage, Dior’s signature motif, is created using a pillar machine: every dot and thread are carefully positioned in order to obtain this unique faceted surface with its luxuriously supple feel. MISS DIOR, THE LUXURY OF DETAIL A true fashion icon, the Miss Dior bag proclaims its incomparable elegance right down to the smallest details. A key, kept in its leather pouch, allows Miss Dior to be locked and its contents kept secret. Discreetly hanging from the chain, charms capture the gaze, appearing to dance delicately when the bag moves. The Miss Dior chain with its dense, soft links is pleasant to handle and comes in two lengths, short or long, allowing it to be worn in a multitude of manners. Miss Dior is thus the perfect bag for every occasion: simultaneously modern and retro, free and casual, it is the signature of a free personality that has fun with fashion.

Decidedly feminine, the “Miss Dior” collection embodies all of Dior’s modern style. This soft bag with curved lines and a large inside provides an urban, contemporary look. Iconic Dior “Cannage” stitching enhances the look of the Nude lambskin. The Miss Dior By The Numbers Soft “Miss Dior” bag in Nude lambskin “Cannage” topstitching Light gold-tone jewellery Carried on the shoulder or across the body Dimensions: 25 x 18 x 10 cm

Miss Dior

Natalie Portman

Leather Goods Knowledge The small “Be Dior” flap bag, with its modern silhouette that’s both supple and structured, expresses a new, elegantly urban attitude. The Be Dior currently stars in the brand’s ad campaign with my personal girl crush Jennifer Lawrence, and the bag and Jennifer Law fit together perfectly. Both are bold, beautiful, elegant and have their own style. Be Dior combines the brand’s traditions with a fresh, casual touch. The bag is meant to be worn during the day, evening or weekend, and it’s easy to see that Be Dior Bags can easily transition into each need. The flap front gives the design a more approachable feel, while the optional crossbody strap provides a new-era cool vibe for Dior. But when you look at the bag, it is just as elegant as you’d expect from the famed French house, and that makes it a bag I simply adore.

THE INSPIRATION The “Be Dior” flap bag, with its modern silhouette that’s both supple and structured, expresses a new, elegantly urban attitude. This small bag features a daring two-tone effect with its smooth black calfskin and its Fuchsia handle and details. THE DESCRIPTION “Be Dior” flap bag in smooth black calfskin Handle and charms covered in fuchsia leather Can be carried in five ways: across the body, on the shoulder, on the arm, in the hand or as a clutch Silver-tone jewellery Dimensions: 27 x 19.5 x 13 cm

Be Dior

Jennifer Lawrence

Leather Goods Knowledge Within its leather, the Diorama bag carries the House spirit in an urban and contemporary style. Born of the coming together of the leather-working savoir-faire of the House’s ateliers and a resolutely urban aesthetic, the new Diorama bag is produced entirely by hand. Its cannage - the motif that channels the pattern from the back of a Napoleon III chair - which has been present since Christian Dior’s first fashion show in 1947, has been completely reinvented. Now, with a melange of threads and textures, it’s traced out in oversized, ribbed, architecturally graphic lines. Produced by specialized artisans, relief flower embroideries and tonal mixes appear like a French-style garden in miniature or like ornamentation inspired by the gilding of old books printed and embossed on the leather. Its chain of CD-engraved links and its fastener mimicking a new kind of metallic badge capture that signature Diorama urban style. The new Diorama bag is a mixture of genres: whether deceptively classic in black and white leather, urban when it’s covered in patches, highly graphic with a colorful cannage, or refined in previous skins. Produced in over twenty-six different sized variations, the Diorama bag acts as a genuine alter ego of the clothes in the ready-to-wear collection designed by Raf Simons. With a strap, a metallic chain of CD-engraved open-work links, and a crest-like fastener, it has a style that sets it far apart from any pretenders, looking as good worn on the shoulder as against the hip or across the body. When it comes to accessorizing an utterly contemporary look, the Diorama is like a wardrobe all on its own.

Fashionable and architectural, “Diorama” is the bag of the Spring-Summer 2015 show. This flap bag in black lambskin is adorned with an oversized graphic cannage motif. Its crestshaped clasp in silver-tone metal is the distinctive mark of the new Dior woman. The Diorama key “Diorama” flap bag in black lambskin Unveiled at the Spring-Summer 2015 ready-to-wear show Oversized graphic “Cannage” topstitching Crest-shaped clasp in silver-tone metal Chain with openwork and engraved links Carry on the shoulder or across the body Size: 25 x 15.5 x 8 cm

Diorama

Rihanna

Campaign Actions Overall Campaign Advent Calendar Dan’s L’atelier du Dior Social Events Invitees Dan’s L’atelier du Dior Press Trip

Objectives:

Long term: -To improve Christian Dior’s delivery of key messages and incorporate the identity with engagement through online content. -To increase fashion and lifestyle press coverage, highlighting Christian Dior’s leathers handbags as a luxury brand that takes pride in craftsmanship. -To execute Christian Dior’s handbag range as a statement and investment piece. -To revive Christian Dior leather goods presence online and in print through social media engagement and product placement. Short term: -To achieve 10 pieces of press coverage from a range of fashion Lifestyle publications to cater to the Christian Dior target consumer groups within a year. -To increase traffic online through to the website magazine by 20 to-25% by the end of 12 months. -To involve Raf Simons with UK and international press around luxury and craftsmanship, documented via in house print and online content as well as captured in international press (maximum 4 pieces). Strategy: Outline: Though the objective of this 12 campaign is to clarify mainly with the press, Christian Dior would like to also entertain the public in an exhibition space style fashion. To start of the campaign in December 2015, as part of the festive season Christian Dior will celebrate the beauty of its atelier’s craftsmanship in handbags with an advent calendar. The London Bond Street boutique store is set to open later in the month of December, and to celebrate the flagship maison store, the brand will host a private dinner to celebrate the opening of the store and the soon to be exhibition space that will be later unveiled in the following month. These guests shall be made up of UK, and close international press, private clientele, a blogger, models and celebrities. The private dinner will

serve the purpose is to provide as a tool to national and international press about the stores renovation, celebration of the ateliers achievements as members of a traditional and excellent craft within luxury as well as a personal approach to hear from Raf Simons propositions and excitement for the store as well as show of the workmanship of which is taken into making these handbags. It will also celebrate the future exhibition space that will be open in the near future. The exhibition will start off in London, during the month of London – 28th January 2016- 22th February . Afterwards it will travel to 3 other cities around the world. In total the exhibition will run for about 7 months, traveling from London, to Paris, Beijing and New York City. Strategy part 1: This advent calendar will be made in 12 parts, it will be available digitally as well as hardcopy for the elite type of customer (purchasable in the early adopters to diehards group, desirable in the fashion followers to fashion girls and boys install leaders group, however most likely to be gifted in the form of product placement to style leaders group to help spread the key message further and instantly). This will be a new and interesting way of helping the consumer understand how the bag is assembled. In order for this advent calendar to work in favour for the customer it will go around the idea of the festive season which is all about giving. Therefore to put into context, a person is to buy the advent calendar and present it to the receiver, and in order for the receiver to understand their Christmas/ festive present, they will open each specific day and unveil a specific element of the bag to understands that by the 12th day their present/ gift shall be a Christian Dior bag.

The advent calendar will be in four formats:

- Lady Dior - Miss Dior - Diorama - Be Dior

A digital social media campaign will also be followed through on 90

various days that holds an importance to the brand which will be publicised through their well known and interactive social media sites like Instagram and Facebook primarily. For example: 69 years ago, on the 16th December, Christian Dior first opened his shop, a couple months before his first collection, the New Look. On the 16th day of Christmas, what has your true love given to you? Following the advent calendar initiative there will be the launch for the new store opening that will follow through later within the month of December. In celebration of the new store, Raf Simons, alongside a member of the atelier and communications of Christian Dior will host a private dinner for their special guests within the UK market. These guests shall be made up of UK, and close international press, private clientele, a blogger, models and celebrities. The private dinner will serve the purpose is to provide as a tool to national and international press about the stores renovation, celebration of the ateliers achievements as members of a traditional and excellent craft within luxury as well as a personal approach to hear from Raf Simons propositions and excitement for the store as well as show of the workmanship of which is taken into making these handbags. Strategy part 2: (The exhibition will be held and travel from flagship to flagship store) In the London exhibition, it will showcase how the bags are made in Florence, Italy, focusing primarily on the Lady Dior bag at the centre and her story to existence. It would be appropriate to start in London, continuing in attract the press, and capture Diorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audience to visit the store and explore the beauty of the new renovation, as well as have a social experience in one of the brands piece collections on a vivid international level. It will continue to February during London Fashion Week as week, for international visitation and possibly attract online coverage from influencers and international blogging press. Travelling next to Paris, in the Parisian exhibition, it will showcase how the bags are made in Florence, Italy, focusing primarily on the Be Dior bag at the centre and her story to existence. It will be launched during Paris fashion week, with an exclusive event for press catering for the

French and Italian press running from the very end of February until the ending of March. There will be a slight pause in between April, and the exhibition story will continue to China in May 2016 and land in Beijing. During exhibition, it will showcase how the bags are made in Florence, Italy, focusing primarily on the Miss Dior bag at the centre and her story to existence. The reason why it will travel from Paris next to Beijing, is because the it will mark one year since the Miss Dior exhibition which took place in Beijing, but did not emphasis so much on the bag itself, but more so the characteristics of the Miss Dior Christian Dior created himself. Its final stop will take place within the Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, New York City, in the flagship store exhibition, taking place in the flagship store. It will to showcase how all of the bags are made in Florence, Italy; (just like the previous ones) focusing primarily on the Diorama bag at the centre and her story to existence, attaching the relationship of her characteristics with the city and ambassador, and connecting with luxury and craftsmanship.

Tactics:

Advent calendar tactics: As previously stated, the advent calendar will be made in 12 parts, available digitally as well as hardcopy for the elite type of customer (purchasable in the early adopters to diehards group, desirable in the fashion followers to fashion girls and boys install leaders group, however most likely to be gifted in the form of product placement to style leaders group to help spread the key message further and instantly). First we would gift a selection of key influencers that will be able to promote about their special gifts through social media and online posting. For example: Lady Violante (visiting the Dior store in London throughout her pre Christmas holiday, we would have her experience of buying a Dior bag, and receiving the advent calendar (be it an app or hardcopy)).

This will be a new and interesting way of helping the consumer 91

understand how the bag is assembled. In order for this advent calendar to work in favour for the customer it will go around the idea of the festive season which is all about giving. Therefore to put into context, a person is to buy the advent calendar and present it to the receiver, and in order for the receiver to understand their Christmas/ festive present, they will open each specific day and unveil a specific element of the bag to understands that by the 12th day their present/ gift shall be a Christian Dior bag. Store opening event: A cocktail and canapĂŠs reception would suit the evening perfectly fine for the type of guests we shall be receiving. A simple invitation in the form of the advent calendar will be sent out inviting key stakeholders. Launch event = canapĂŠ recipe Press event = dinner

Press coverage from the exhibition in London will follow through to Paris, just in time for fashion week, the press around in fashion week will be sent their very own exclusive pack of the bag, a papered copy of the bag. A small / moderate bag will be sent out before the event. Ambassadors will be: Jennifer Lawrence, Marion Cotillard, Rihanna, Emma Watson, Exhibition details: Visitors will be guided around the exhibition space by a small team and leather goods experts, allowing customers to understand how the bags are made. The bag that will be made is the Be Dior bag, with a special story behind the concept of the bag.

London exhibition tactics: Pre exhibition launch A press pack shall be sent out to the guests, which will attend the private dinner. Within the press pack shall hold a specific element piece of a Christian Dior handbag appropriate to the characteristic that the person holds. For example, a Miss Dior bag gifted to Emma Watson shall contain in her press pack/invitation, the buckle of the Dior bag. The missing piece which is included in the press pack/invitation shall be brought along to the store opening dinner and will be assembled at the private dinner as the atelier from Florence, Italy shall be present at the dinner highlighting the relationship of luxury and craftsmanship within the brand, the press will be covering this as well as the fact that they too have a first hand understanding of the elements and marvellous efforts put into every bag. Ambassadors will be: Marion Cotillard, Emma Watson. Exhibition details: Visitors will be guided around the exhibition space by a small team and leather goods experts, allowing customers to understand how the bags are made. The bag that will be made is the Lady Dior bag, with a special story behind the concept of the bag.

Paris exhibition tactics: Before the exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; launch event:

Beijing exhibition tactics: Before the exhibition – launch event: Press coverage from the exhibition in Paris will follow through to Beijing. A movie clip recapping the Miss Dior event from the previous year will be shown (5-10 seconds, and afterwards reveal the Miss Dior bag exhibition coming out. This will be placed on instagram and feed through to twitter (weebo for the Chinese market). The press will attend a private gathering at the flagship store in Beijing. Ambassadors shall be: Natalie Portman, Olivia Palermo, and Jennifer Lawrence Exhibition details: Visitors will be guided around the exhibition space by a small team and leather goods experts, allowing customers to understand how the bags are made. The bag that will be made is the Miss Dior bag, with a special story behind the concept of the bag. New York Tactics: Before the exhibition – launch event: Press coverage from the exhibition in Beijing will follow through to New York City. This shall be the finale, most likely a party; this is the celebration and somewhat like a welcome official party for the new face of the brand and the edginess of Diorama. Ambassadors shall be: Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Palermo, Emma Watson, Lorde, Exhibition details: Visitors will be guided around the exhibition space by a small tea Visitors will be guided around the exhibition space by a small team and leather goods experts, allowing customers to understand how the bags are made. The bag that will be made is the Diorama bag, with background information behind the concept of the bag. Key messages: True luxury requires genuine materials and the craftsman’s sincerity. It is only meaningful when it respects tradition. DIOR is the ultimate symbol of elegance, excellence and luxury. In the 21st Century, DIOR continues to define elegance and style with the same audacity that inspired Monsieur Dior when he launched his house.

Dior is a luxury brand that embodies craftsmanship and luxury.

Creating the App

Why?: The purpose of creating a mobile app within this campaign, is to engage within the audience of the brand around the knowledge of the craftsmanship that surrounds the brand. The advent calendar shall be split in parts just like a normal one that will display aspects of the process towards a specific bag. As there are 4 ranges that I will be emphasising on, there shall be 4 variations of advents calendars displayed on the app. Exclusivity It will be available digitally as well as hard-copy for the elite type of customer (purchasable in the early adopters to die-hards group, desirable in the fashion followers to fashion girls and boys install leaders group, however most likely to be gifted in the form of product placement to style leaders group to help spread the key message further and instantly).

Thoughts and research

Building press and desirable momentum around the tactic First we would gift a selection of key influencers that will be able to promote about their special gifts through social media and online posting. This will be a new and interesting way of helping the consumer understand how the bag is assembled. In order for this advent calendar to work in favour for the customer it will go around the idea of the festive season which is all about giving. Therefore to put into context, a person is to buy the advent calendar and present it to the receiver, and in order for the receiver to understand their Christmas/ festive present, they will open each specific day and unveil a specific element of the bag to understands that by the 12th day their present/ gift shall be a Christian Dior bag. 94

Advent calendars are usually tailored down for global powerhouses promoting their beauty and fragrance products more so than items of clothing / leather goods. Brands who have created advent calendars include Chanel, Dior, Lanvin; websites like net a porter and mytheresa.com as well as department stores like Harrods and Selfridges. An advent calendar would work and deem my campaign as something quite innovating because it ties into the festive season very well as well as promote in a romantic way about the beauty of luxury and craftsmanship. Luxury is also innovating. Christian Louboutin: In 2010, Christian Louboutin launched an online social media campaign around the beginning of December in celebration of the festive season. When you visited his website everyday, behind every door, was a new shoes, that would only be available for a short amount of time. It allowed visitors to share amongst twitter and facebook, as well as instantly buy the item of the day. It was launched globally, and tailored to certain areas of the world (not every country had the same shoe every day). Burberry: Luxury brands especially like Burberry take advantage over the saying â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the art of giftingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and approach their advent calendar initiative through instagram which feeds through to other social media websites like Facebook and twitter. This initiative informs customers of the way the tradition British-man celebrates Christmas , highlighting them again as the brand of the British ( there is no such thing as Christmas in Britain if Burberry is not a part of the celebration. Above all, they promote the exclusive and luxury service that are willing to give in such an elegant and passionate way. Berluti: Though, Berluti is not a direct competitor of Dior, it is worth noting down their social media advent calendar campaign in 2014. Everyday, the brand posted up a visual post on their instagram page which gave shopping tips on stocking fillings as well as the perfect gift guide (in an advent calendar style) on their personal website. All links interconnected with each other, as the merchandised posts fed through from instagram to twitter to facebook, receiving a high and positive response from both men and women who were buying for their men.

Mock up of Advent calendars

Store Opening Event

Press Release

Materials

Advent Calendar

The Concept -Dans Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;atelier de Dior

The concept of curating an exhibition is for the purpose of exposing the knowledge and spreading the awareness of craftsmanship within Christian DIor leather good ranges. From research, luxury brands have endeavoured in such activities to demonstrate to their public in a very beautiful and visual way, which receives an automatic response within sales. In recent years, Dior has become a luxury brand distinctive in its visual and digital image compared to their competitors, the of interior and product design clearly demonstrates the attributes of the Dior empire.

Exhibitions by Dior however have not been entirely product focus,

as in previous ones, they have used the opportunity of exhibition showcasing to highlight the past becoming modern, or how the past can still relate to modernity. The objective of this exhibition is to show the public the beautiful ways of craftsmanship that is incorporated within the ateliers in France that make up the specific handbags within the Dior exhibition displays. Visitors will be guided around the exhibition space by a small team and leather goods experts, allowing customers to understand how the bags are made. As the exhibition will be global, each city will have a specific bag focus, and the bag that will be made is within the city exhibition, will demonstrate its connection with the brand. 98

Creating the exhibition space Why?: The reason why an exhibition space seems ideal for the brand to participate in and put on is to allow the public to embrace in an objective that is: -To improve Christian Dior’s delivery of key messages and incorporate the identity with engagement through online content. -To execute Christian Dior’s handbag range as a statement and investment piece. -To revive Christian Dior leather goods presence online and in print through social media engagement and product placement. Where?: I have decided to have the brand host this exhibition inside their flagship stores across the appropriate cities. The exhibition will start off in London, during the month of January 2016 until mid- February 2016 . Afterwards it will travel to 3 other cities around the world. In total the exhibition will run for about 7 months, traveling from London, to Paris, Beijing and New York City. Itinerary: In the London exhibition, it will showcase how the bags are made in Florence, Italy, focusing primarily on the Lady Dior bag at the centre and her story to existence. It would be appropriate to start in London, continuing in attract the press, and capture Dior’s audience to visit the store and explore the beauty of the new renovation, as well as have a social experience in one of the brands piece collections on a vivid international level. It will continue to February during London Fashion Week as week,

Justifications

for international visitation and possibly attract online coverage from influencers and international blogging press. Travelling next to Paris, in the Parisian exhibition, it will showcase how the bags are made in Florence, Italy, focusing primarily on the Be Dior bag at the centre and her story to existence. It will be launched during Paris fashion week, with an exclusive event for press catering for the French and Italian press running from the very end of February until the ending of March. There will be a slight pause in between April, and the exhibition story will continue to China in May 2016 and land in Beijing. During exhibition, it will showcase how the bags are made in Florence, Italy, focusing primarily on the Miss Dior bag at the centre and her story to existence. The reason why it will travel from Paris next to Beijing, is because the it will mark one year since the Miss Dior exhibition which took place in Beijing, but did not emphasis so much on the bag itself, but more so the characteristics of the Miss Dior Christian Dior created himself. Its final stop will take place within the America’s, New York City, in the flagship store exhibition, taking place in the flagship store. It will to showcase how all of the bags are made in Florence, Italy; (just like the previous ones) focusing primarily on the Diorama bag at the centre and her story to existence, attaching the relationship of her characteristics with the city and ambassador, and connecting with luxury and craftsmanship.

Creating the Exhibition Space Thought process

The exhibition space will be laid out in a rectangle are formed room mimicking the overall layout of the shop floor but evidently in an exhibition space style. The dotted rectangular line shown in the diagram is to symbolise the four different pillars of different activities that will go on within the exhibition space. Each pillar is designated to a certain type of bag so the fixture product was highlighted on the diagram will show where each area will be. Even though this exhibition is to celebrate all of the Dior bags, there will be a main focal point of interest; as a way of em-

phasising the history and characteristic of the brand with a modern type of evolution displaying to the world. For example, London shall feature the Lady Dior, Paris - Be Dior, Beijing -Miss, New York City- Diorama The circular feature inside the Diagram will be a glass window room where onlookers will be able to see how the lady do your bag is made by a member of that year that will take practically the whole day to make it. 100

Exhibition Space

Moodboard

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Exhibition Space

Press Release

Materials

Invitation 102

Creating the exhibition space

Why Global?

As you see, Dior is a global brand placed in many beautiful locations across the world. Hosting an exhibition around the concept of the bag is beneficial because it will entertain the Dior consumer throughout an engagement level online and offline whilst educating in a physical way to the consumer who is interested in the brand, but overall buys from their direct competitors.

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Creating the exhibition space Store location- London

Though now under renovation, the store would most probably be an upgrade of its glorious inside floor-to-ceiling, double layer glass façade that emulates fine feminine fabric in the houses iconic Dior ‘Cannage’ print. The interior design of the exhibition will take its inspiration from the original concept of the Paris Flagship, avenue Montaigne by keeping the 18th century elements and mixing them with modern the elements Raf Simons vision to achieve a feminine and glamorous design, harmonizing the traditional and modern elegance of Dior. The classical limestone stone completed with grey silk carpets, the oval chairs and Louis XVI sofas give the feeling of a traditional French apartment . The store has, in the past, featured several pieces of art: upon entering a contemporary Lalanne bench cascading with flowers greets the eye

and a glass wall mounted art piece by Rob Wynne offers a backdrop to the accessories collection while Yorame plasma screens mounted onto chic French windows serve as a focal point in the ready-to-wear space. Timepieces are displayed in a dedicated space lined with luxurious fabric and lit with an elegant lamp by Veronique Rivemale featuring geometrical shapes. The new Dior boutique offers a sophisticated environment, reflecting Dior’s house codes of heritage, timeless elegance, luxury and innovation. Perfect place to hold an exhibiton, and afterwards to seclude and permanent art space within store. 104

Creating the exhibition space

Every detail, every colour, the fabrics, the furniture were studied to make the most of the world according to dior. this is a universe of luxury, elegance and joy that insures the modern youth of the label. Monsieur dior was in no way betrayed or denied by the transformation. all the codes dear to himâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;gray, the medallion chair, the caning, the wild cat print carpets are distinctively and modernly custom made. It is said that Peter Marino developed 56 different shades of gray,â&#x20AC;? elements like the famous medallion chair is no longer a single chair, but many in thirty six variations reinvented throughout each room. the caning spirit can be found in filigree on the tiled floors, the wrinkled silks, the quilted satins. The fashion house spirit acts as a bridge between the modern day products that are presented in an intimate art de vivre, as

Store location- Paris

requested by the president of dior-couture, Sidney Toledano and the dior tradition. The evening gowns hold salon in front of a white marble fireplace above which a portrait of Christian Dior by Bernard buffet hangs, velvet sofas and two van der straeten easy chairs on either side, creating a sitting area around an aldo chale coffee table. It is quite obvious as to why the Parisian boutique would qualify for hosting an exhibition space, because there is enough room, its the central location of the brand in the entire world and a way to host a public exhibit for direct consumers and oversea consumers 105

Creating the exhibition space Store location- Beijing

In celebration of the store opening in Beijing, Dior has spent two years curating a collection of art works inspired by “Lady Dior”. Almost 60 famous international photographers, graphic designers, image artists and filmmakers have participated in the project by creating exclusive pieces. The result is an elaborately planned “Lady Dior As Seen By” exhibition which will run for one month commencing December 15th at the Huamao Plaza outside the Shin Kong Place as a prelude to the grand opening of Christian Dior’s international flagship store in Shin Kong Place. The flagship store showcases an impressive collection of women’s wear, as well as handbags, shoes, accessories and watches. The space also includes a Dior Homme boutique, which will showcase the menswear line, accessories and watches.

In collaboration with fellow contemporary artists, internationally- acclaimed architect Peter Marino has commissioned a selection of unique pieces for the new Beijing flagship store. The store has also hosted a number of special art features from many local artists who have taken an aspect of the brand Previously stated before, the reason why I have chosen the Beijing store is because the exhibition will be posing as a return of the Miss Dior in Beijing

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Creating the exhibition space

The flagship store in New York has recently gone through a renovation and the boutique features a new layout that includes two rooms on the first floor devoted to dior’s complete range of handbags, as well as a fine jewelry room, which leads into a vip room for fine jewellery clients at the rear of the boutique. a staircase, revealing a custom wrought iron balustrade, carries clients to the second level, which features two readyto-wear salons, one devoted to eveningwear, an exclusive vip salon that can be closed off or left open, depending on the need, and a shoe room. to enhance it’s rich and luxurious atmosphere, dior commissioned several contemporary artists to design works of art for the boutique that reflect the codes of the house. these pieces include a circular claude lalanne ginkgo bench in the entrance room, featuring cascading flowers, several rob wynne mirror glass installations, an oyoram video art installa-

Store locationNew York City

tion along the staircase leading to the second level, a timothy horn sculpture in the VIP salon, a floral ceiling sculpture in the evening wear salon by david wiseman, and a philippe bradshaw piece on the wall of the shoe salon. The 57th street dior boutique offers a sophisticated shopping environment, reflecting dior’s heritage of timeless elegance, luxury and innovation. Perfect for local residential artists and fits well considering that the location of the store is also near art galleries and exhibitions. New York is also known for its fast pace and vibrant art scene featuring many brands who showcase artwork in prestigious areas, so having the brand feature an exhibition space within store as well as a permanent art exhibition afterwards seems like an ideal set up. 107

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Dior Social Media/ Mobile Dior currently runs six social media platforms. Instagram: 3.4 million followers Facebook: 14 million Twitter: 5.76 million followers YouTube: 191,693 subscribers, 96,467,485 views Google+: 2,000,687 Tumblr From my analysis previously demonstrating their success in engagement with their audience, as well as understanding the type of content their audiences are preferring most, I have decided that for this campaign, the social media platforms which I will be using are mostly; Facebook Instagram Twitter

Facebook Instagram Twitter Online and Mobile

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Example of Facebook post 28th January 2016

We would like to welcome you our exhibition Dans Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;atelier du Dior to our London Bond Street store, visit the 2nd floor to see the finest artisans perform there craft on the Lady Dior. #latelierduDior

Posting on the facebook fan page will be solely for the purpose to deliver informative new and updates to Dior fans globally. As you can see from the picture on the left, this a mock up of the content and overall look of how Dior already post their updates via facebook. This is a mock up of when the Dior exhibition will commence.

Following in this same fashion, would be news covering its travel, links to the Dior magazine online, direct facebook video which will give variety of visuals to the consumer about the aspects of the exhibition and who (that are famous) are involved by association as well as out of interest.

The hashtag will be: #latelierduDior Following from facebook, the hashtag will also be used through the whole campaign, so the news will spread, and people who would generally want to get involved in the conversation.

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Example of Instagram post 3 mins ago

On the 16th December 1946, Mouseiru Dior founded his shop in 30 Ave Montaigne, then, soon expanding to the UK, where he found the masion in Bond Street, come and visit us this season ! #latelierduDior

Here is an example of the opening of the Dior store in London posted on instagram. The brand has done such postings in the past, always originating from Instagram and filtering through to other social media channels.

Instagram will also be used to post the app launch, and eventually (like the rest of the social media pages) will land a little summary on the diormag.com â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; site 111

Example of Twitter post

We invite you to visit our London boutique to explore the savoir-fare behind the making of the Lady Dior and accompanists #latelierduDior

Here is an example of the opening of the Dior store in London posted on Twitter. The brand enjoys to post a still shot or a gif image of the particular matter, in a landscape form.

The purpose of participating within twitter is because twitter allows brands to post links alongside with a picture. The links will give direct access to the diormag.com. Simply tweeting an update on the account will not work because that is not how Dior communicate through twitter 112

Example of post online (diormag.com)

Dan’s L’ateilier du Dior The new Flagship boutique has now opened in London. We welcome you to visit our very own exhibition space celebrating the savoir-fare of our exquisite craftsmanship and see our very own members of the atelier from Florence, Italy perform the making of our Lady Dior Bag

“True Luxury requires genuine materials and the craftsman’s sincerity. It is only meaningful when it respects tradition“, advised Monsieur Dior in an interview during 1948. He was a visionary who rewrote the rules of modern elegance and imposed his style on the entire world. He brought women his vision of beauty and happiness. He showed unprecedented creative originality. The iconic Lady Dior has been shown off in many beautiful ways, demonstrating its eternal energy and youthfulness. As the Dan’s L’ateilier du Dior exhibit opens in the newly refurbished London boutique, explore the beauty of how our ateiliers, all the way from Florence, Italy combine total femininity with primitive luxurious materials to create your very own Lady Dior, Miss Dior bags as well as the House’s newly additions Be Dior and Diorama bags. The Lady Dior bag shall be the focus during the London exhibition space, since its birth, the Lady Dior has become and instantly recognisable bag with a strong identity. Iconic. Inspired by couture, a new bag was thus created in 1994 in the Dior workshops: elegant, carried in the hand, it boldly broke with the trends that dominated the era. Its code name: ‘Chouchou’ or favourite. Two years later, it was baptised Lady Dior as a tribute to Princess Diana who fell in love with this unique accessory on a visit to Paris. As soon as it hit the boutiques, Lady Dior was instantly successful. Today personified by the beautiful and talented Marion Cotillard, the face of Lady Dior since 2008, the bag has never ceased to win over women since its creation. It truly has become ...

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Example of post on DiorMag app Miss Dior travels back to Beijing

Dan’s L’atelier du Dior

London Flagship opening

The Making Of

Miss Dior Returns

Miss Dior travels back to Beijing Natalie Portman, Ni Ni, Fan BingBing , and many other Dior-wearing stars turned out

These are all mock ups of what will be recorded on all of the Dior social media platforms; • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Dior magazine online • Dior magazine within the application

Natalie Portman, Ni Ni, Fan BingBing , and many other Dior-wearing stars turned out in the Dior Flagship, Beijing for Miss Dior’s return in the global exhibition Dan’s L’atelier du Dior and the soiree that followed. Watch our video to discover the some of the best moments from the night, and visit the atelier of the Maison

All of these have been screen shot on a computer and layered in an accordingly fashion in order to correctly mimic the layout of the brand.

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Thoughts

Though Mousier Dior attended a school based on political science to please his parents, he took advantage of the fantastic night life within Paris at the time, meeting fellow social people who were heavily involved with various arts (like fine art, music and dance). Initially, Christian was an interior designer, commissioning a few sketch designs under fashion houses as well as moving around with the then known successful artists of the French 1920â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; but soon joined Piguet and then under Lelong, where he approached the silhouette of the couturier dresses as if he were an architect.

Brand association with art

Christian Dior collections have often reference art in terms of movementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s styles and certain coloured themes, since the arrival of Raf Simons to the brand as well; sketching has be embossed onto handbags, different textures have bee incorporated into handbags collection after collection. Once the exhibition tour campaign has finished, the room once use to accommodate the exhibition will be turned into an art space, designed exclusively by Raf Simons and Peter Marino, displaying Raf Simons approach and inspiration of his collections at Dior, from displaying his music references, to shades and interesting fabrics. 115

Dinners

Layout and Invitees London Press Dinner

The dinner will be laid out in the same way as the exhibition because the dinner will be before the actual opening of the exhibition. There will be much space for guests to moved about in. There will be are formed room mimicking the overall layout of the shop floor but evidently in an exhibition space style.

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Exhibition Dinner

Lauren Milligan - Vogue

Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis- Vogue

Donna Wallace -ELLE UK

Miranda Almond - Harpers Bazaar

Invitees

Ella Hudson - WGSN

Julia Sarr Jamois - Wonderland

Nina Jones- WWD

Lisa Armstrong - Freelance at Telegraph

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Exhibition Dinner

Invitees

Rebecca May Johnson -BOF

Kate Brown- ELLE UK

Miroslava Duma- Buro247

Susie Bubble - Blogger

Lynette Nylander - i-D

Emma Watson

Florence Kosky

Aya Jones

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Exhibition Dinner

Invitees (London)

Raf Simons

Pieter Mulier

Sidney + Katia Toledano

Bernard Arnault + HĂŠlĂ¨ne Mercier

Olivier Bialobos

Peter Marino

Marion Cottiard

Delphine Arnault

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Invitees

Associating the name with the bag

Gifted Lady Dior bag

Donna Wallace -ELLE UK - Diorama Ella Hudson - WGSN - Miss Dios Julia Sarr Jamois - Wonderland - Diorama Lynette Nylander - i-D - Be Dior Emma Watson- Be Dior

Florence Kosky- Miss Dior Susie Bubble - Blogger - Be Dior Bag Aya Jones- Miss Dior Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis- Vogue -Miss Dior Kate Brown- ELLE - Diorama 120

Invitees

The concept behind the press pack is to aid into the campaign which is about experiencing the craftsmanship within the atelier at Dior. The press will be set out in a way that balances the relevant information regarding the specific bag that the receiver of Dior belongs to, for example, when gifting Miroslava Duma, we will gift her not the full bag, but the handle of the Lady Dior bag, to bring with her to the dinner and see the bag being assembled right in front of her eyes. Where someone like Susie Bubble will be gifted with the Be Dior bag, she will receive the charms around the Be Dior bag and watched the

Inspiration/ Examples of press invitation

full assembly of the Be Dior bag. Anyone receiving the Miss Dior bag shall receive the locket, in a Miss Dior, flowery and youthful fashion and finally the Diorama will be the straps and decorated according to an urban feel.

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Invitees

Press Pack Inspiration

Images taken on the phone: Stages of the physical press pack by Sachan Popo-Wiliams, BA Accessories Design The journey to making my press pack came through a friend of mine who studies at the Golden Lane branch in UAL, in her final year making handbags. I visited her campus just to sit down and talk about (then brief) on my campaign idea and see what could be possible to create within such a strict time-frame (she is in her final year of study as well and in the process of making her pieces). After talking about my experience from travelling to Paris, France, and explaining the methods of production which were described to be

through video content of their atelier in Florence, Italy; it sparked an idea to replicate possible parts of the bag. Within the mood board collection, we went through making the leathers, after being inducted by the technician at the building, I learnt how to use leather sewing machines. However, Sachan completed the handle of the leather handbag that will go straight onto the Lady Dior bag Whence incorporating the other bags into gifting for the purpose of this campaign, the Miss Dior will be gifted as a locket (which fastens the bag), the Be Dior will be gifted as the facet of the bag, and the Diorama will be gifted as the leather strap. 122

Press Pack

This is an example of how the press pack will look. It will be very clean and straight to the point. There will also be writing about the contents of the bag which they receive as well the invitation for the event.

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Global Invite List

Anna Dello Russo- Diorama Margheritta Missoni - Lady Dior Franca Sozzani -Lady Dior Eva Riccobono - Diorama Hailee Steinfeld - Miss Dior Diane von Furstenberg Lady Dior Stella Tennant - Be Dior Aymeline Valade - Miss Dior Marisa Berenson - Miss Dior Laetitia Casta - Be Dior

ParisWith their bag association

Caroline Issa - Be Dior Hanneli Mustaparta - Lady Dior Marie-JosĂŠe Croze Be Dior Anya Ziourova - Lady dior Susie Lau -Be Dior Alexia Niedzielski - Be Dior Elena Perminova - Diorama Elisa Nalin - Miss Dior Olivia Palermo- Miss Dior

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Global Invite List

Wang Luodan - Diorama Ni Ni - Miss Dior Liu Yifei - Michelle Yi - Miss Dior Zhang Ziyi - Miss Dior Yang Zishan Miss Dior He Sui - Diorama Hostness Linda - Miss Dior Angelababy - Be Dior Fan Bingbing - Lady Dior Ruby Lin -Be Dior

BeijingWith their bag association

Kiko Mizuhara - Be Dior Mademoiselle Yulia - Miss Dior Olympia Scarry - Lady Dior Izumi Mori - Be Dior Elli Rose - Diorama Koyuki -Diorama Sumire Matsubara - Diorama

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Global Invite List

Wendi Murdockc - Lady Dior Dree Hemingway - Be Dior Karlie Kloss - Miss Dior Anna Wintour - Lady Dior Laetitia Casta - Diorama Alexandra Richards - Diorama Kathryn Neale - Be Dior Shirin Von Wulfeen - Lady Dior Grace Coddington - Lady Dior

New York CityWith their bag association

Amy Adams - Diorama Karolina Kurkova - Be Dior Jessica Biel - Be Dior Charlize Theoron - Lady Dior Leelee Sobieski - Diorama Jeanne Damas - Be Dior Adele Exarchopoulos- Diorama Maggie Gyllenhaal - Lady Dior Margot Robbie - Be Dior

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Dan’s L’atelier du Dior Press Trip

Flying bloggers to Florence, Italy

The purpose of this strategy is to also inform the target group who may desire the brand, but not be able to connect directly with them through physicality avenues. These consumers usually find out the most interesting things regarding a luxury brand whom they follow through online activity , social media and especially through online influencers such as bloggers. Though many industry experts believe that luxury brands and bloggers/ online influencers shouldn’t mix well, this ‘theory’ has proven how strong and powerful these bloggers act and pose more so like the heritage brands themselves.

So what I thought would be best is to select the attendance of whom is heavily involved in the campaign within the exhibition, but also hand pick bloggers who feature Dior as well as have a relationship with the brand be it through attendance to runway shows or private viewings. They will attend this press trip which is scheduled to commence within the month of November, a little after the spring summer show season, and checking though their traditional blogging calendars, November seems to be quite an interestingly calm month.

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Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;atelier du Dior Press Trip

Flying bloggers to Florence, Italy

The press trip will include a trip to Florence, Italy where they will meet with members of the Atelier of Dior. They will be able to see the actual steps taken, how materials are sourced and chosen, the whole and very true understanding of craftsmanship within luxury leather goods and overall, become knowledgeable in regards to fine luxury leather goods because there is one thing to hear when you are served within a retail setting about the beauty of fine materials coming together and the customer picturing it, (but for a group who are not extensively knowledgeable regarding material structure, this may be hard to fully comprehend); and then there is a total different meaning when you meet the very same people who live exactly for what you choose to invest in.

The carefully selected bloggers are: Chiara Ferragni- The Blonde Salad- Italian Leandra Medine - Man Repeller - New Yorker Hanneli Mustaparta - Photographer / Blogger - Norway Jessica Stein - Tuula -Sydney, Australia Shiona Turini - contributor to the coveteur - New Yorker Aimee Song - songofstyle - LA / Asia

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Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;atelier du Dior Press Trip

Itinerary

7th November 2016: Press team arrive in Florence, Italy, ready to prepare the last minute details before the arrivals of the bloggers. 9th November : Bloggers arrive in the evening to Florence, Italy; cars pick them up and drive them to the hotel, and they are then greeted by the press team, guided to their individual suites, and notified about dinner which will be served. The rest of the evening is really left to adjusting from the jet-lag as well as preparations for the next day. 10th November: Tour around Florence, and not only Florence, but a tour combining the connection with the city and Christian Dior 11th November : The day starts around 10:00am after breakfast, where the team and bloggers are taken from the hotel to the Atelier maison. This is about an hour drive; and the day starts from there ! The bloggers are guided around the atelier as well as shown the methods. 13:00pm: Lunch 2:30-5:00pm : The rest of the tour around the maison continues 5:30: Taken back to the hotel, to rest, and prepare for dinner 12th November: After breakfast is served , the bloggers and press team are then taken to the Dior store in Via Tornabuoni 57-59 to explore the store; as well as chose to shoot for their personal use (to be applied onto the blog). This should be finished around 13:00 and then the bloggers can tour the city with their drivers.

13th November: The bloggers then get ready and leave for home.

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130

Editorial Vehicles Primary Target

Secondary Target International Influential

131

Media List

British Vogue Elle (UK) Financial Times Harpers Bazaar Vanity Fair

British target

Primary Target

Teen Vogue CR Fashion Book The Sunday Time style The Stylist The evening standard

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Media List

•Allure •Angeleno •Cosmopolitan •Departures •Du Jour •Elite Traveler •ELLE •Esquire •Genlux •Glamour •Gotham •Harper’s Bazaar •Instyle •Interview

International Long Lead

•Lucky •Marie Claire •Self •Teen Vogue •Travel+Leisure •V Magazine •Vanity Fair •Vogue • Vogue - China •Vogue -France •Vs Magazine •WSJ Magazine 133

Media List

•Allure.com •Angeleno.com •DuJour.com •Elitetraveler.com •Elle.com •Esquire.com •Garancedore.com •Harpersbazaar.com •Instyle.com •Interviewmagazine.com •Lucky.com •Magazinec.com •Manhattan.com

International Short Lead

•Marieclaire.com •New York Times •Nytimes.com •Self.com •Shape.com •Teenvogue.com •Travelandleisure.com •Vmagazine.com •Vogue.com •Vsmagazinelive.com •WSJ.com •WSJ/OFF DUTY 134

Budgeting Mobile App (Advent Calendar)

Social Events Exhibition Press Trip

135

Budget

Creating the app

Information was collected from a range of sources within the mobile app world, as well as collaborating with students from Middlesex University who have experience with estimating for a luxury brand mobile app. 136

Budget

Social Events

137

Budget

Exhibition

138

Budget

Press Trip

By gathering information from similar venders that would be used by a brand as such enabled a budget to fit the elements of this campaign. As well as extracting information from the Christian Dior financial report of 2014, the budget devised has met the demands of real life the Dior social events department within their very own PR. 139

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Campaign Order Dior Events Calendar

2015-2016 Fashion Calendar Evaluation

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The Events Calendar

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Fashion Yearly Calendar

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145

DIOR MAG ISSUE RELEASE

Elle- October Issue ( deadline is July 2015 out in October. Personal style

Women in Art- December issue for Elle (deadline September

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Spring Issues All Top Tier

DIOR MAG ISSUE RELEASE

Elle-July Issue ( deadline in April) Women in Tech

Miss Vogueblogger issue

DIOR MAG ISSUE RELEASE

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The previous time line is an example of how the campaign year would follow. Not only will the social media sites be used to promote the product placement that will be happening throughout the following year, but will there will also be relevant updates in regards to the exhibition. This is just to solidify the fluidity link of relevancy whilst excelling within the public relations.

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Evaluation Evaluation tools

References

149

Evaluation Plan Social Media Tracking: With the implementation of various hash-tags used throughout Twitter and Instagram during the campaign, the press team will be able to evaluate continuously (instead of waiting until the end of the campaign). By monitoring the hash-tags and mentions through online behaviour on a monthly basis; we will be able to monitor what is being said about the campaign as well as what isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t being said (but should be) and alter how the missing information of key words should be highlighted. This will be presented back to a team of senior members within the brand globally to inform the current behaviour and predict the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;interestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future. Also, a prediction would be ultimately that the interest would have increased, by using Facebook analytics, we will be able to monitor as well as observe a number of things including customer background by footfall per day and personal experiences. Click through a will also be watched and monitored from social media pages regarding the dior magazine website page. As discussed, the content Dior publish in their very own magazine for their valued clientele is also displayed on the Dior website, during the campaign, there will be an increase in the promotional updates online, with the social media pages providing links directly to the site. Observing the click through from the social media pages to the site will enable the brand to understand which social media platform is performing better in terms of customer engagement. For example, if the Dior magazine content is retrieved via Twitter, then it is most likely that the reader attained that from a mobile device. If the content was read via Facebook, it is likely that the user was viewing this at a certain point within the day. If by Instagram, then the brand could also predict the certain age range. Monitoring the click through will aid the brand in refining their customer profiles especially online to determine how directly (or indirectly) they are investing within the brand. Survey/interview: Hosting a focus group with the members of the atelier as well as staff who worked throughout the course of the exhibition will be conducted. There will be two parts to this query, anonymous as well group to ensure that we as members of press understand the experience of the customer throughout the exhibition. This will be conducted 1 week after initial opening, then revisited by the end of the exhibition. This is vital because we will know from the results whether our objectives have been met. Press observation: Monitoring press coverage will also enable us to calculate the return on value against our campaign. We have collaborated with many industry experts within the accessories field and expect the value of coverage around the technicality within Dior leather products to reflect the invested relationships. Monthly reports demonstrating the coverage will also highlight the value by measuring the worth of the coverage against the campaign worth. This will be done alongside regular product placement reports, as part of the campaign objectives highlight the need to push the accessories across targeted publications. 150

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Thank You Olivia-Zara Burgher

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