High Tea Promotional Plan by Rosie Luff

INTRODUCTION

CONTEXT

THE BIG IDEA

CREATIVE CONCEPT

EXECUTION

INTRODUCTION

High

Tea is an innovative brand natural scents all with elements of These tea elements are accompanied and each scent is recognised by its

that supplies a collection of 100% various types of tea as base notes. by fruity, fresh and floral undertones own graphic to match these notes.

High Teaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand values are to be a successful upmarket luxury brand sold to women who adhere to a clean healthy lifestyle as a trend, they care about what they put on their skin and love the authenticity of Britain. High Tea aims to be the most established 100% natural British fragrance on the market. To achieve this we will follow objectives such as devising a strategy for the UK launch that compliments the luxurious feel of the brand, create an original classic promotional campaign to signal High Teaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival into the fragrance market and firmly establish its place, through multiple media campaigns.

CONTEXT

We began the decision process by researching into macro trends that are current and up and coming. We found that global warming is having a huge impact on how we view the world and how people can slow this process down. We then looked further into seeing what is causing it and what is being done about it. Some of the causes we looked into included travel, food, fashion and lifestyle. After looking at these causes we thought how they could be improved for example, in the food sector, to reduce importation emissions and costs, the use of local produce should be enforced more, on the other hand, with travel to reduce Co2 emissions, we are highly encouraged to use public transportation more often.

Another macro trend that appealed to us was minimalism, we then looked at how we could incorporate this into a brand and what micro trend this linked to. As a team we then narrowed both macro trends down and chose to focus on a natural concept. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wide ranging research is crucial for those planning to start a ventureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Posner 2011, p 94) By conducting secondary research, we discovered that people are becoming more conscious of how perfume can have health implications (Health Risks of Perfume, no date), 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed and sinks into the bloodstream (Colin, 2011) and chemicals may cause rashes, hay fever, headaches and asthma. (Chey, 2013) We then conducted our own primary research in the form of a questionnaire on survey monkey and shared this on social media platforms to get as many responses as possible to make our research viable and valid. It was discovered that 2/3 of the population that answered cared about the quality of the ingredients in their fragrances. From this we asked if people would be willing to pay more for a fragrance that was made of 100% natural ingredients, again more candidates said yes. As there was enough substantial research we decided our big idea would consist of a 100% natural fragrance. High Tea is a new, fresh and modern brand. We believe that individuals need to take harmful fragrances more seriously as they could have a damaging impact in the future. At High Tea, we offer a promise of 100% natural British fragrances that are friendly to skin all with notes of tea, a product that is exclusive to the luxury market.

Fig 1 - Pest diagram, own work, (2015)

Fig 2 - Swot diagram, own work, (2015)

THE BIG IDEA

SUMMARY

Our big idea stems on from our macro trend choice. We have created a 100% natural fragrance that is

not harmful to the skin, made with and using only quality ingredients that are quintessentially British. ‘Fragrances themed around tea remain key for spring, seen in a variety of types from green to white and yinzhen.’ (Bailey, 2015) Our main focus for the brand was to be tea based. As it is so stereotypically British, we would play on this factor and create three different scents all with base notes of tea, and combine them with top notes from a variety of fruity, fresh and floral elements. Why is there a need for our product? As people are becoming more conscious of what is being put on their skin and whether brands can be trustworthy enough, High Tea offers a fragrance that isn’t harmful to the skin and can be completely honest about it.

UNIQUE BRAND IDENTITY â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A signature style is a look that is so clear and distinctive that it can be easily attributed to the designer or brand in questionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Posner, 2011 - p 59)

When

conducting secondary research we found only a few fragrances that contained 100% natural ingredients. We then noticed how they were all foreign brands located in France, Germany, America and many others, however not one of these brands

were made in Britain or sourced locally. We then looked further into how we can make our product more unique and upmarket. As we chose to focus on tea as our unique selling point, we decided to expand our research further and look into luxury.

Fig 3, brand identity moodbard, own work (2015)

BRAND POSITIONING When

looking in the market there are only a few well-known brands that offer this 100% natural concept. We found â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the high street, however this was located in the mass market, sold at very cheap prices and did not appeal to us. Looking in higher end stores, it was evident that in the luxury market there were fragrances that offered a natural element to them however not 100%, sold at extortionate amounts starting at ÂŁ350 plus, for a 50ml bottle. (Luxury beauty and fragrance, fashion accessories, gifts, no date) Comparing our luxurious market, we found our represent Britain

brand to other natural fragrances, we opted for an extensively as High Tea should be sold in high-end locations. This is where gap as a completely 100% natural and opulent fragrance to in this market and have therefore located ourselves in this sector.

Fig 4, perceptual map, own work (2015)

TARGET CONSUMER GROUP

At High Tea we first aimed for an international consumer aged 30-40,

as we believed they would be attracted to the healthy British lifestyle. However after closer consideration we discussed that we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t base our consumer on a specific location or age, but would decipher them by their behaviour. Our fragrance is aimed at any woman who appreciates British culture and heritage. We singled out 3 main behaviour patterns our consumer would find attractive; Lifestyle, Brand attitude and Minimalism. Their general locations for shopping trips consist of highend department stores such as Selfridges, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols where they find luxury items that reflect their timeless and classic style.

Fig 5, consumer profile, own work, (2015)

CREATIVE CONCEPT

As High Tea is a 100% natural British fragrance we wanted to emphasise this by our bottle and packaging and also our adverts - digital and print. The collection contains three different scents consisting of Cucumber & White Tea, English Rose & Black Tea and finally Forest Fruits & Green Tea, we chose these top notes to compliment the tea notes, as they are all stereotypically English ingredients. Originally we had briefed a red white and blue colour scheme to tie in with our British theme. Through trial and error we then found it difficult to use these colours without making the product look cheap and tacky. As we opted out of this choice we found a neutral colour palette of creams and goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complimented the minimalistic macro trend and well suited our luxury brand.

Fig 6, High Tea bottle, teamwork, (2015)

Our bottle was modelled around and took inspiration from the Narcisco Rodriguez bottles as we briefed a minimalistic and classic square shaped glass bottle. What we received back was exactly this, however tea resin was infused into the bottom part, which would emphasise the fact we are a tea-based brand and is an easily distinguishable element against other products on the market. Another individual aspect that each fragrance has, is its own graphic to symbolise the scent, these will be placed on the appropriate bottle and will continue to be an aesthetic characteristic to enforce our brand identity throughout the whole collection.

By conducting more secondary research we found tea was very expensive in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The upper class believed it was such a precious commodity and so locked it away in a tea caddy so the staff would not be tempted to try it. Tea caddies were originally made with silver or tortoise shell, however when becoming more mainstream mahogany was the choice of material. (Tea caddies, 17th – 19th century — Home Things Past, no date) This then gave us the thought of packaging our tea-based fragrance in a minimalistic cream wooden tea caddy to accentuate its luxury qualities and be aesthetically pleasing. According to WGSN spring 2015 trends, Packaging favours natural materials of wood, marble, stone and rope (Bailey, 2015) The collection would be sold as a set and include the three fragrances in a smaller quantity, a leaflet explaining our brand concept, promises as a brand to the consumer and all natural ingredients used and finally a little silk bag containing the specific flavoured tea leaves to match our fragrance complimented by a tea strainer. This would make High Tea as brand unique as there are currently no other products sold like this in the fragrance market. Each individual £70 per 60ml.

bottle As a

will be set the

sold total

at a price point of cost was set at £120.

Fig 7, HIgh Tea packaging, Teamwork (2015)

Fig 8, Photoshoot moodboard, own work, (2015)

For our adverts we decided that as a natural brand we would completely strip it back and use only the ingredients in the scents. We took inspiration from Jo Malone and DKNY print ads as they focused solely on what was in their fragrances as their key concept. We created mood boards to take into the photo shoot as a visual representation of how we wanted our adverts to turn out like and help the photographer execute our vision. We had three different shots to complete for each scent, which would then be edited through post production and placed on a double page spread to be published at a later date. We played around with the styling of the ingredients on set and found that when we placed the tea underneath and the other elements over, it looked its best and represented the layering of notes within the fragrance as well. Throughout our creative concept we have aimed to portray our brand essence of being a luxury 100% natural British fragrance. Shown are our 3 adverts and our brand onion.

Fig 9, dps spread, teamwork, (2015)

Fig 10, dps spread, teamwork, (2015)

Fig 11, dps spread, teamwork, (2015)

Fig 12, brand onion, teamwork, (2015)

EXECUTION

CONNECTING TO TARGET AUDIENCE As our target audience is a woman who appreciates British culture and heritage, a healthy lifestyle and the finer things, at High Tea we have to be careful when choosing our promotional platforms as some may tarnish our luxury brand essence. We want to connect to our consumer through print and digital adverts including video, use appropriate social media platforms and collaborate with fashion magazines to connect with their subscribed customers. Our in store experience is another way we will connect with our consumer, as our brand essence states that we want to provide a quality buying experience and to do so will employ staff with the highest level of customer service experience to always be on hand to aid customers. We will also have a constant level of stock as we will build good relations with suppliers and buyers (Porter, 1997) to ensure our products can be available to consumers at all times.

COMMUNICATION TOOLS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The communication process contains multiple components that must be planned and produced with a message that connects with the target market.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Promotion and the Consumer Communication Process - Video & Lesson Transcript, no date) First and foremost we would promote our brand by locating our minimalistic yet visual double page spreads into high-end glossy magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar. By doing this we aim to connect to our target consumer as they are intrigued by the world of fashion and have a need for the luxury items entwined in the pages of these publications. They would then be printed on a high shine card to promote our luxurious look and feel of the brand and to be more aesthetically pleasing amongst the adverts. We will then extend our advertising to billboards and posters positioned in locations around London such as Chelsea, Kensington or Knightsbridge. This will hopefully target our desired consumer and encourage them to purchase High Tea in their nearby stores. To further our physical advertising we would then place ads in more mainstream shopping centres like Westfield, however only place them in The Village - the sector appointed for designer brands, separated from high street stores.

Fig 13, Billboard, own work, (2015)

Fig 14, Vogue, own work, (2015)

Whilst consumers scroll online, High Tea will use cookies to examine their current viewing patterns online. As they scroll through similar high end products or galleries, a pop up ad will appear, enticing our audience to find out more about our brand and persuade them to view our product. This will enable us to target our specific audience whilst using the Internet and therefore gain more awareness. Finally, our desire is to collaborate with high end magazines mentioned previously and connect to their consumers through email subscription. This way we would be promoted not only by email, we would also have the backing and support of magazines such as Vogue and Elle.

MEDIA CHANNELS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Social media has become important both in the private lives of people and in business. Nowadays social is being integrated into the communication strategy of organisations and it has a fundamental role in building brand awareness through communications with the customers.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (ECSM 2014 European Conference on Social Media, no date) As social is such a growing phenomenon, any business would be hurting themselves by neglecting the use of this huge platform. Therefore at High Tea we have chosen to use social media however only selecting the channels that reflect on our brand in a positive way.

By using social networking to promote our brand, we hope that it will lead people into wanting to find out more and visit High Teaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. This would be for any customers that want to view and purchase our products online. It includes our concept, any information about the brand and all stockists.

Fig 15, Website, own work, (2015)

Fig 17, Facebook, own work, (2015)

Fig 16, instagram, own work, (2015)

SOCIAL MEDIA We feel the most successful social media platform we could use, as a brand is blogging. There are many fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers that promote products through their blog itself, YouTube and Instagram which is then viewed by their millions of followers. Word-of-mouth marketing truly is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known marketing secret. (Misner, no date) By established bloggers promoting our product, we believe that consumers will trust our brand to a higher extent, as word of mouth can sometimes be more reliable than just a promotion campaign. Leading on from this, mobile apps would be more easily accessible, therefore we feel that Instagram would be a successful platform as it targets such a wide range of people at multiple times during the day as its checked on a regular basis. Facebook is another platform we looked into using. We feel High Teaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumers will use this website daily to check updates, speak to friends and catch up with others. We have created a Facebook page, which will provide information about the brand, pricing and any upcoming events that people should be aware of.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS ‘The best communication methods succeed in putting across the right message in a clear, unambiguous way that gets noticed by the target audience, whilst also saving on time and cost.’

METHOD

MESSAGE

Online communication will be used to connect to our consumer through social or our website. This will enable them to explore the world of High Tea from their homes and have any questions answered online. We will also use face-to-face and oral communication in store. This means that customers can directly speak to a highly trained member of our team and receive a quality buying experience in the hope of returning. Written communication will be used though the use of email and letters. By collaborating with magazines we can reach their audience as well as our own and create awareness. We will also send out letters to our most loyal customers with any new product launches so they are the first to know.

High Tea’s concept is to be a 100% natural British brand that prides itself on trust and honesty. We understand that fragrances can be harmful to your skin and want to emphasise that we aim to be a part in helping our consumer follow a healthy lifestyle. Our print and digital adverts follow our minimalistic approach and only involve elements that are included in our scents. This is portrayed throughout our entire brand execution, as it is our key concept. As tea was such a precious commodity in the past, we have taken this reference and applied it to High Tea to enhance the luxury appeal.

(Methods of communication - Getting the message across - the importance of good communications - HMRC | HMRC case studies and information, no date)

TIMING

MEDIA

We will launch in the late spring. This will compliment our fragrances, as they are fresh, floral and fruity, just in time for the summer season. This will then give us enough time to monitor how well the fragrance sells and when there is a need for any later collections and product launches. These to will be related to seasons as people may wear different scents as trends change or need an alternate fragrance for the winter months.

At High Tea we will use a variety of mixed media to promote our brand.This will consist of Digital Media such as our website and social networking to keep consumers up to date with any new products or events. We will also use physical media such as magazine spreads and billboards placed strategically to attract our chosen consumer.

Fig 18, www.venuesearchlondon.com, (2014)

LAUNCH EVENT â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes an event can provide an environment that is unique to the product use,â&#x20AC;? (Dickinson, no date) For the launch of High Tea, we would organise a rooftop event in the heart of London located at the Sky Gardens, as this venue will compliment our brand concept. The guest list would be highly exclusive based on invitation only and consist of bloggers, magazine editors, PR teams and selected press. Our decor would endorse the minimalistic trend as the scent itself will be placed on top of scattered tea leaves on each table so guests can trial all of our scents. Gift bags will also be given out sampling smaller bottles and tea caddies. This event will create buzz around our product and prepare for sales once launched into stores.

TIME LINE OF March

April

May

Pre Launch

Launch

Print Adverts

Exclusive previews throughout all social media and website platforms.

Launch event held at The Sky Gardens to promote High Tea. The event will be publicised and open to only an exclusive guestlist that will go on to create buzz about our product.

Print ads released in high end glossy magazines to create awareness for launch of fragrance into stores.

Video advert shown throughout selected stockists such as Harrods in hope of driving interest to target consumers.

EVENTS 2 0 1 6 June

July

August

Store Release

Digital Release

Preparations

Launch of fragrance in stores such as Harrods, Space NK and Harvey Nichols. These will involve events in each stores to test and trial the fragrance with consumers.

Video advert will be released and digital promotional tools will be used to circulate buzz around High Tea to maintain its initial launch craze.

The beginning of preparations for future collections such as a winter scent bundle to be released nearer the Christmas period.

FINAL THOUGHTS

High Tea is a luxury brand that presents a 100% quintessentially British natural fragrance that is harmless to the skin. Our aim was to stick to a minimalistic approach throughout our brand execution to reflect on its natural concept. We are offering our consumer a collection of fragrances that emulates a classic timeless style.

Fig 19, Fragrances, teamwork, (2015)

REFERENCES Bailey, E. G. (2015) Fragrance Spring 2015 Key Trends. Available at: http://www.wgsn. com.ezproxy.ntu.ac.uk/content/board_ viewer/#/57960/page/2 (Accessed: 26 May 2015) Chey (2013) Five facts you should know before using Perfume and Fragrance - Black Chicken Remedies. Available at: https://blackchicken. com.au/blog/dangers-of-using-perfumeand-fragrance/ (Accessed: 26 May 2015) Colin (2011) 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed -. Available at: http://colinsbeautypages.co.uk/60of-what-you-put-on-your-skin-isabsorbed/ (Accessed: 26 May 2015) ECSM 2014 European Conference on Social Media (no date) Available at: http://academicconferences.org/ecsm/ecsm2014/ecsm14call-papers.htm (Accessed: 25 May 2015)

Health Risks of Perfume (no date) Available at: http://www.ourlittleplace.com/ perfume.html (Accessed: 26 May 2015)

Porter, M. E. (1997) ‘COMPETITIVE STRATEGY’, Measuring Business Excellence, 1(2), pp. 12–17. doi: 10.1108/eb025476

Luxury beauty and fragrance, fashion accessories, gifts (no date) Available at: http://luxury.harrods.com/

Posner, H. (2011) Marketing Fashion: Portfolio Series. London: Laurence King Publishing

Methods of communication - Getting the message across - the importance of good communications - HMRC | HMRC case studies and information (no date) Available at: http://businesscasestudies. co.uk/hmrc/getting-the-message-acrossthe-importance-of-good-communications/ methods-of-communication. html#axzz3bEpyvqJm (Accessed: 26 May 2015) Misner, I. (no date) Word-of-Mouth: The World’s Best-Known Marketing Secret. Available at: http://www.entrepreneur. com/article/53188 (Accessed: 25 May 2015)

Promotion and the Consumer Communication Process - Video & Lesson Transcript (no date) Available at: http:// study.com/academy/lesson/promotionand-the-consumer-communicationprocess.html (Accessed: 25 May 2015) Tea caddies, 17th – 19th century — Home Things Past (no date) Available at: http://www.homethingspast.com/ tea-caddies/ (Accessed: 22 May 2015) Vanden bos, P. (2010) Available at: http://www. inc.com/guides/2010/06/planning-a-productlaunch-event.html (Accessed: 26 May 2015)

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1 - Pest analysis, own work, (2015)

Figure 7 - High Tea packaging, teamwork graphic students, (2015)

Figure 2 - Swot analysis, own work, (2015) Figure 3 - Brand identity moodboard, own work, (2015)

Figure 13 - Billboard, own work, (2015) Figure 14 - Vogue fragrance, own work, (2015)

Figure 8 - Photoshoot moodboard, own work, (2015)

Figure 15 - Website, own work, (2015)

Figure 9 - Cucumber DPS, teamwork, (2015)

Figure 16 - Instagram, own work, (2015)

Figure 10 - Rose DPS, teamwork, (2015)

Figure 17 - Facebook, own work, (2015)

Figure 11 - Forest Fruits DPS, teamwork, (2015)

Figure 18 - Sky Gardens London, http://www. venuesearchlondon.com/img/ news/Sky%20Garden%20.jpg [date accessed: 17.05.15]

Figure 4 - Perceptual Map, own work, (2015) Figure 5 - Consumer Profile, own work, (2015) Figure 6 - High Tea bottle, teamwork - graphic students, (2015)

Figure 12 - Brand Onion, teamwork, (2015)

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bailey, E. G. (2015) Fragrance Spring 2015 Key Trends. Available at: http://www.wgsn. com.ezproxy.ntu.ac.uk/content/board_ viewer/#/57960/page/2 (Accessed: 26 May 2015) Chey (2013) Five facts you should know before using Perfume and Fragrance - Black Chicken Remedies. Available at: https://blackchicken. com.au/blog/dangers-of-using-perfumeand-fragrance/ (Accessed: 26 May 2015) Colin (2011) 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed -. Available at: http://colinsbeautypages.co.uk/60of-what-you-put-on-your-skin-isabsorbed/ (Accessed: 26 May 2015) ECSM 2014 European Conference on Social Media (no date) Available at: http://academicconferences.org/ecsm/ecsm2014/ecsm14call-papers.htm (Accessed: 25 May 2015) (no date) Available at: http://graphicburger. com (Accessed: 24 may 2015)

Health Risks of Perfume (no date) Available at: http://www.ourlittleplace.com/ perfume.html (Accessed: 26 May 2015) Irving, susan (2015) Beyond The Label. Available at: http://www.vogue. co.uk/beauty/2015/03/18/beyondthe-label-how-do-you-choose-afragrance (Accessed: 1 June 2015)

Misner, I. (no date) Word-of-Mouth: The World’s Best-Known Marketing Secret. Available at: http://www.entrepreneur. com/article/53188 (Accessed: 25 May 2015) Porter, M. E. (1997) ‘COMPETITIVE STRATEGY’, Measuring Business Excellence, 1(2), pp. 12–17. doi: 10.1108/eb025476 Posner, H. (2011) Marketing Fashion: Portfolio Series. London: Laurence King Publishing

Luxury beauty and fragrance, fashion accessories, gifts (no date) Available at: http://luxury.harrods.com/ Methods of communication - Getting the message across - the importance of good communications - HMRC | HMRC case studies and information (no date) Available at: http://businesscasestudies. co.uk/hmrc/getting-the-message-acrossthe-importance-of-good-communications/ methods-of-communication. html#axzz3bEpyvqJm (Accessed: 26 May 2015)

Rosie Luff N0563114 Promotional Plan Creative Networks FASH10106 Word Count - 3247