01 Billabong The Visual Strategy Guide
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_CONTENTS 01 OUR HISTORY _12 Brand Description _13 Brand History _15 Timeline
Contents
02
03
REPOSITION
PERSONAS
_21 Mission Statement _24 Rebranding Objective _25 Keywords
_31 Personas
04
05
BRAND GRID
COMPETITORS
_45 Past of Billabong _47 The Future of Billabong
_53 Current Competitors _55 Adjacent Competitors _57 Aspirational Competitors
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
07/08
01 _Our History 1.1 Brand Description 1.2 Brand History 1.3 Timeline
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
“I just wanted surfers to feel special; to realize that we were the luckiest people in the world! And that was the thinking behind the saying” —Gordon Merchant
09/10
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
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Brand Strategy
_Brand Description The brand Billabong associate with water, ocean, surfing and a life-style where we encourage our public to discover their passion, whenever it is, and to became enthusiams for outdoors sports. A brand that grew so much it self that became the number one surfing brand in Australia and later on United States. We produce, market, and distribuite some of the most amazing apparel, acessories, eye wear and wet suits in the boardsports sector, from skate, wakeboarding to snow.
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Brand History Billabong started in humble beginnings by Gordon Merchant and Rena Merchant. which embraced the surfing lifestyle of Australia in the late ’60s and early ’70s, when he would often pack up a Kombi van full of surfboards, sleeping bags, and tents. Throughout his time as a surfer, Gordon created breakthrough inventions that helped shape the everyday surfer. In 1973, Gordon and his then partner Rena started producing handmade boardshorts. At first, he designed and created board shorts at his home and then sold them to local surf shops. Surfers soon realized the durability of Merchant’s shorts that was the result of his triple-stitching technique. Merchant understood that his company needed to expand to achieve success, so Billabong started to sponsor contests, which increased the public’s awareness of Merchant’s products and the company expanded. By the 1980s, Billabong board shorts were present throughout Australia. Based upon his success in Australia, Merchant decided to export Billabong’s products and, by the late 1980s, Merchant’s board shorts were available in other countries, including New Zealand, Japan, and South Africa. In the 1990s, the surf industry as a whole grew significantly and Billabong was a part of this growth process. The company was first traded on the Australian Securities Exchange 2000, which provided the company with the funds to further expand and acquire other companies. Making use of a unique triple-stitching technique designed to withstand even the toughest elements, this durable garment was an instant hit amongst the locals.
Brand History
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Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Timeline
Merchant turned his hobby into a company called Billabong
1973
1970
1980
Started selling surfboards and swimwear out of his station wagon
Billabong open new stores worldwide, like: New Zeland, Japan, South Africa and United States
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Timeline
Billabong claimed the highest status in Australian waters
Billabong purchased Von Zipper and Element
1990
2001 continue...
1998 25th anniversary of the brand, Billabong moved to a state-ofthe-art factory in Burleigh Heads that featured a Polynesian-style showroom with the largest collection of Billabong products
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
Acquired wetsuit brand Xcel
2006
2004
2010
Billabong purchased Kustom Footwear and Palmers Surf in enhancing its brands and licenses
With Billabong’s growing success, Gordon began to license the popular California-based skateboard brand Plan B
17/18
Timeline
Billabong annouces intention to undergo a major restructure. 150 stores closed, 400 full-time jobs were lost internationally, including 80 in Australia.
Company returns to proftability for first time since 2011. A complex restructure of the organization is implemented to achieve growth
2012
2015
2013
2019
Billabong earnings collapses across core business markets.
Billabong’s Re-branding project
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
19/20
02 _Reposition 2.1 Mission Statement 2.2 Rebranding objective 2.3 Keywords
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Mission Statement Our mission is to build a life around the passion of nature and adventure. Our USP (Unique Selling Proposition): Always encouraging people to be more enthusiastic about outdoor sports.
Mission Statement
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Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
Rabranding Objective
_Rebranding Objective The new Billabong will go far beyond waves. Is committed to enable our community of modern-day adventurers by inspiring and enhancing the experiences they are passionate about.
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Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Keywords Adventure Billabong’s brand is nothing if not adventurous. The waves were always Gordon’s lifelong passion and have been always his experiences and adventures he has had in life that Billabong was born.
Passion Finding passion in life and committing to it is all that Billabong is about.
Connection Billabong always looked for their consumers to find a connection with the ocean.
Keywords
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03 _Personas 3.1 Personas
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Personas Creating the personas in this rebranding process defines the target audience. I developed eight profiles. Where six of them follow the target audience and two of them not.
Personas
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Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
“Tree Huger� Sam Veterinarian 34 years old Colorado She is a Veterinarian, works in a dog shelter over the weekends because she loves working for them.
She loves to hike because of the connection that she feels with nature.
She engaged in environmental causes and recycles her trash because she worries about the future of wildlife and nature.
She rides her bike to work because she feels that this way she can enjoy the outdoors even if for a short period.
She considers herself an explorer because she likes to be outdoors with no set plans or time restrictions.
She believes that true happiness is being out in nature because that is the place she feels most relaxed and where she connects better with herself.
She is vegetarian and trying to be vegan because she loves the animals.
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Personas
“Soul Surfer� Rizek Web Designer 37 years old California Cares about the health of the ocean because of how it has shaped him and his life.
Like to be spontaneous, because he believes that life is to short to live under a schedule.
He can’t imagine a better life than traveling the world, because he wants to surf all the best waves.
He spends more of his income on rent than he should because he wants to live within walking distance from the beach.
Loves to surf when the sun is rising because he feels a great connection with the ocean and is the best way to start the day.
His dad taught him how to surf and because of that it brings him a lot of good memories.
Work as a freelancer in a tech company, because this way he can work and travel anywhere and anytime.
Billabong
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“Organic Dad” Cameron Pilates Instructor 41 years old Connecticut
Believes knowing one’s physical and mental health strength is extremely important when outdoors because of the connection that you can have with nature.
He loves organic food, and because he became a father is trying to introduce his son the best and different food as possible.
He wants to learn survival skills because he thinks is truly important to know for life.
He doesn’t want a full-time job that works in a desk because he thinks it’s a waste of lifetime.
Teaches pilates outdoors because helps people to connect better with themselves.
He loves to spend time with his kid, especially outdoors, because is where we can teach him some real-life values.
He is a single father and always makes sure to clean his schedule, because of his son.
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Personas
“Skater” Martinez Video Maker 28 years old Chicago His social media is full of amazing skate clips because he wants to promote himself.
He works as a freelance photographer because he doesn’t want to work full time.
He’s always looking for new spots in town because he wants to skate.
Skate is his passion since he was six years old because his dad taught him.
He is a very active person, loves the outdoors and cares about nature because that is always trying to do the best to help the wildlife and others.
He is a great video editor and photographer. Always looking for something, because he wants to generate content on his social page.
Since he is always skating he looks to get the best deck as possible, because it breaks easily.
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
“Competitive Soul� Aaliyah High School 16 years old Idaho
Great snowboarder, because of that will have a great chance at a pro career in snowboarding if she wants to pursue it.
Very particular in what kind of equipment/gear she uses because it makes a lot of difference when using it.
Not sure what she wants to do for college, because she still in high school and can only think about snowboard competitions.
She only knows that she wants to move to Alaska or Colorado in college because she wants to live in a place where is good for snowboarding and be close to nature.
Loves snowboarding because of the adrenaline that it gives.
Cares about nature, because she wants to change her lifestyle.
It has a very healthy balance because of sport. She is very competitive and wants to be on track.
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Personas
“Artist” Sophie Fine Art Student 24 years old Washington She lives close to her school campus because she likes to be always on time.
Loves to paint, especially nature, because it brings her peace of mind.
When younger she used to camp with her parents. And now she loves it because brings her a lot of childhood memories.
Loves to learn about plants, because of how each one can have a different type of healing medicine.
Because she loves to swim now she is learning how to surf and catch big waves.
She loves to travel and always brings to her paint some reference from the country or place she visited because she thinks it gives more personality.
Dreams to take a year’s lap where she can travel the world and discover a lot of new countries and cultures because she wants to paint it all.
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
“Money Saver” Sandro Business Man 41 years old New York
He doesn’t have time to invest in new activities and experiences because he is to busy investing and working.
He makes good money, but almost never travel because he is saving to buy a house.
He doesn’t like to go outside of his comfort zone because he loves his busy routine and want to keep it like that.
He doesn’t like outdoors activities because he prefers to work out at a gym where his company pays for it.
He loves to spend time on the computer because there is where he found himself.
His friends are just like him, likes tech and over the weekends go to the club to drink because they want to have fun.
He likes to wear a suit and fancy shoes because that is what he thinks that a man of respect should look like.
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Personas
“Retired Couple” Kaushick & Pryanka Retired 68 and 65 years old Oregon They wish to go more to the movies because both are retired and have a lot of free time to spare.
Despite their free time they don’t want to spend time outdoors because they are afraid of something happening, like breaking a bone.
Kaushick’s doctor told him he needs to exercise because his cholesterol is very high, but he doesn’t like, because he is lazy.
Pryanka wants to start taking painting classes because she wants to relax more and enjoy her free time.
They both want to spend their money with their grandchildren because they want to help them with college.
They love to go to restaurants because they love to try new foods. They are looking forward to spending some time with their grandchildren and enjoy them while they are still young.
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Visual Strategy Guide
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04 _Brand Grid 4.1 The Past of Billabong 4.2 The Future of Billabong
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
“You can stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf” —Gordon Merchant
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Visual Strategy Guide
_The Past of Billabong
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Brand Grid
BILLABONG
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Visual Strategy Guide
_The Future of Billabong
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Brand Grid
BILLABONG
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05 _Competitors 5.1 Current Competitors 5.2 Adjacent Competitors 5.3 Future Competitors
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Competitors This section identifies three kinds of competition for the Billabong brand. The first direct competition as they currently exist, or formerly existed. The second is adjacent competition, those brands that may sell related products for possibly rival industries (surfing vs. snowboarding). The last is aspirational competitors, those other brands that could become competition on a grander scale after the rebranding process.
Competitors
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Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Current Competitors Billabong’s current competitors are those who sell similar or equivalent gear.
Volcom is a skate brand that makes appareals, skateboarding, surfing and other actions sports.
Burton is a brand that makes apparel for the winter season, such as snowboard and snow gears.
O’Neill is a surfwear brand. It’s main products are wetsuits, rash guards, and other surf apparel.
Rip Curl it has become one of the largest surfing companies in Australia and it’s still owned by it’s fouders.
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Competitors
Dakine is a brand which makes outdoors apparel like, jackets, hiking backpacks, snow jackets and others.
Element is a brand that manufactures skateboards decks, apparel, and footwear. Is very popular and well known.
Hurley is brand who distribuites surf apparel and accessories.
Quicksilver is considered one of the world’s largest manufacturers of surf wear and boardsport equipment.
Oakley is a eye wear company. It’s currently the best leading product design and sport performance brands in the entire world.
RVCA is associated with the boardsport sector, more specifically, skate and surf.
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Adjacent Competitors Adjacent competitors are those who don’t sell the same product or service as Billabong but has the same feel.
Xcel is one of the most famous wetsuits brands in the world. It’s a directed competitor.
Lost is a surfboard brand known worldwide to sponser athletes. Sells clothes, surfboard and skateboards.
Prana is a very popular brand in the surfboard community, is known worldwide.
Lightning Bolt has been one of the number one best manufactered surfboard gear available.
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Competitors
Adidas is the most largest and recognized sportswears manufacturer in the world.
Stussy it’s a very casual brand, which their apparels is worn by surfers and skaters.
Thrasher is both a skate and magazine/media brand covering the skate field.
Converse sells authentic shoes as well as lifestyle products. Target at a similar audience to that of surf and skate.
Reef is a sandal brand where it became very popular among the surfers.
Vans as a well known brand in the skateboard scenario become also very active in the boardsports industry.
Billabong
Visual Strategy Guide
_Future Competitors These are brands identified as ideal competitors for Billabong rebranding.
Bar Cliff is a food and drink company whose product a new type of energy bar.
Patagonia is a outwear brand. Which they specialize in making durable apparel for various adventuring.
REI or Recreational Equipament is a retail and outdoor recreation services corporation, sells sports, camping gear and travel equipment.
North Face is a famous outdoor company that focuses on outwear and camping equipment.
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Competitors
Monocle is a global affairs magazine, radio station, website, media brand and reatiler.
Thule is global brand which sells used and not used gear for outdoors explores.
Padi is the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
Nike is the number one premier sports and active wear brand in the whole world.
GoPro is a unique product which it’s cameras allows average consumers to film their adventures in top qualitiy.
Timberland is a manufactured and retailer outdoor wear, focusing on footwear. They also sell clothes, watches, and sunglasses.
School: Academy of Art University Class Nature of Identity Instructor Hunter Wimmer Typeface AAkzidenz-Grotesk Next & Demi This is a student project and is no way supported by Billabong .