KENDRA SCOTT visual communication evaluation
contents
05
BRAND IDENTITY
06
kendra
11
customer profile
12
P H Y S I C A L V I S UA L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
14
store windows
16
in-store displays
22
pop-up events
24
D I G I TA L V I S UA L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
26
website
28
social media
33
blog
34
SPECIAL EVENTS
36
new product launches
38
philanthropy events
40
CONCLUSION
04
BRAND IDENTITY
05
kendra
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Kendra Scott is a mother, a self-
Kendra was 18, she attended
made
business
Texas A&M University for a
woman, and a philanthropist. She
year before “following a boy” to
is the name and the face of the
Austin. While in Austin, Kendra
she picked herself back up and
brand.
was inspired by her stepfather’s
started
Kendra story did not start
battle with brain cancer and began
$500. Kendra has a deep love and
with hardship. Her father was
selling hats where she donated
appreciate of gemstones and she saw
a lawyer and her mother sold
a portion to a local hospital. In
a void in the market for beautifully
Mary
were
1998 Kendra closed the doors to
designed quality jewelry that was
entrepreneurial and Kendra was
her failed retail store in Austin,
affordable. In 2002, she designed
very much inspired by her aunt
Texas after she lost everything-
her first collection which led to
who was a fashion director at
her business, her life’s savings,
her designing her first jewelry
Gimbels in Milwaukee. When
and her stepfather’s savings.
collection in 2002. Her jewelry is
millionaire,
Kay.
Her
a
parents
After wallowing for a while, her
jewelry
line
with
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known for their timeless designs,
product including jewelry, home,
unique color, and high quality
beauty, and wedding jewelry.
materials which can be found for a
small premium price- but not too
values are Family, Fashion, and
much of a premium.
Philanthropy. Kendra started the
forward and timeless at the same
brand when she was a young,
time Kendra also believes deeply
now
new mom. Her company culture
in giving back.
has about 70 stores and almost
celebrates families and treats each
at the heart of everything they do
1,000 other wholesale locations
other like family. They care for
and it builds relationships with
including department stores such
each other no matter what. Each
the customers and communities
as
design is designed in their Austin,
that become invaluable. Through
and Neiman Marcus.
Texas headquarters. Kendra draws
philanthropy, Kendra treats her
on her travels for inspiration but
customers like family by caring
designs each piece to be fashion-
about what matters to them.
Kendra Scott started her
business
Nordstrom,
$500
and
Bloomingdales,
Kendra Scott offers a small
range
08
with
of
beautifully
designed
Her
brand’s
three
core
Philanthropy is
09
10
customer
The Kendra Scott customer
transcends demographics. She is from the ages of 8-80, of all races, and all over the United States.
however, since the brand was
She is fashion-forward and style
started in The South, it has become
conscious. She has a bold, colorful,
commonplace for women to wear
and
is
Kendra Scott jewelry in the color
confident and sophisticated, yet
of their sports teams to any and
not conceited or high-society. She
every game. Sororities are also really want one. [...] They do not
is personable and not aloof. She
huge supporters of Kendra Scott’s like excluding anyone”.
appreciates quality over quantity
brand as well as bridal parties.
and invests in pieces that last. Her
style is feminine and vibrant, but
Intern and Sales Associate, Caro which makes customers of all ages
not gaudy.
Ginorio, “After working there, I and backgrounds interested in her
have noticed they do not have one products. Kendra Scott provides
lively
personality.
She
The Kendra Scott customer
is found across the United States,
Kendra’s
designs
are
In the words of Kendra Scott sophisticated, class, and timeless
[target customer], and they do not fashion for anyone and everyone. 11
12
P H Y S I C A L V I S UA L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
13
Store windows Kendra Scott’s store windows
special pieces on white neck-forms
are very clean and crisp. The
and displays. The windows are not
window are minimal. Window
windows are large and clear glass so
over cluttered or over merchandised,
decals or cardboard artworks
that the customer can peer into the
but instead are minimal. The use of
are sometimes used to enhance
store and get a glimpse of everything
negative space makes the customer
the visual representation of the
that Kendra Scott has to offer.
view each piece as special and
theme of a new collection or
increases the observed value of the
story. For example, in the image
products.
to the right, Kendra Scott used
Like other fine jewelry stores,
Kendra Scott displays unique and
The use of props in the
fish and coral props to create the story around her summer collection.
The
window
displays
are well executed and work in favor of what the Kendra Scott brand is trying to accomplish. It elevates the product to create value. The clear view into the store does not make the store or product seem unapproachable but instead entices the customer to come in and look around. 14
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instore displays
The main focus of the interior
of a Kendra Scott store is the signature “Color Bar�. Customers are able to customize their own jewelry by picking the design they want, the color and stone, and the metal finish. The Kendra Scott employee then sets the gemstone right there for the customer. The color bar caters to walk in customers as well as being a great destination for bridal parties and other events.
When walking into the store,
there is usually a small seating area towards the front of the store for families or friends to come sit while shopping. The furnishing in the store is gold and white contemporary furniture with beautiful metal and 16
gemstone artwork and trinkets decorating the tables and shelves.
The positioning of the tables
and displays throughout the store is not like a typically jewelry store where there is a perimeter case of jewelry lined up with sales associates
standing
behind
the
counter with gloves. Instead, the flow and layout of the store reads much more like a boutique where there are strategically placed tables throughout the store to guide the customer into the entire space.
Much like the store windows,
the fashion jewelry is displayed on
white and gold fixtures. There is usually only one of each fashion piece on display to elevate the observed value to the consumer. The stock of the jewelry is held in the back of the store and the sales associate will bring the merchandise out and hold it behind the counter for the customer. Kendra’s staple pieces (or not-so-basic basics) will have multiple of
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the same style out on display.
Unlike most fine jewelry, the jewelry
is not confined under glass displays. The jewelry is displayed in a way that makes the customer feel welcomed to touch, pick up, and play with the product. Even though negative space is used to increase the value of the product, the goal of Kendra Scott is for the jewelry to feel high quality but at an attainable price. The lack of glass cases reinforces the feeling of attainability.
Signing is minimally used in the
store but it more typically used to show the product photoshoots and visuals rather than pricing or promotions. Again, like other tactics previously mentioned, the lack of promotional signing shows that the product holds it value and is worth the price tag. 19
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pop-ups One of Kendra Scott’s most
to extend the Kendra Scott family to
exciting pop-up tours was her
places without a permanent store. It
airstream bus jewelry tour in 2016.
created a personalized experience
The bus held the newest jewelry
for customers who would otherwise
collection from summer 2016 along
of only been able to shop online as
with a station for the customers
well as created buzz to attract new
to customize their own earrings,
customers.
necklaces, bracelets, and rings at
the mobile color bar. In addition to
bus to NYC in May of 2017 where
items for purchse, the bus also had a
Kendra, herself, participated in the
spot for an on-site photobooth and
Create & Cultivate event. She also
a prize wheel that customers could
took the opportunity while there to
spin and win goodies as a result.
surprise moms with Yellow Boxes
for Mother’s Day.
One
of
the
stops
along
Kendra also took her airstream
the way was Santana Row in
California.
airstream
up was a summer long store in
stopped in Santana Row with the
Southampton. The tagline for this
announcement that she would be
pop-up opening was “Hamptons
opening a permanent store in the
Y’all”. The pop-up held the typical
location. The pop-up allowed brand
color bar, as well as some exciting
Kendra’s
Scott’s
most
recent
pop-
stations such as a dry bar and smart selfie mirrors.
Kendra successfully uses
pop-ups to reach her customers and
provides
services
and
personalization that she is so well known for. The pop-ups also allow the brand to test markets to see if a possible permanent
store
would
be
viable. 23
24
D I G I TA L V I S UA L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
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website
The landing page of the Kendra
Scott website is beautifully visually
merchandised. The landing page
provides a branded and personalized
is used to showcase the campaign
experience to each and every customer.
from the latest collection and newest arrivals. A notification also pops up to encourage customers to sign up for emails in exchange for 15% off their next order.
The most notable services
of Kendra Scott, the color bar, is easily accessible online through the “design your own” . This is the online version of the in-store color bar where customers can personalize their
jewelry
by
selecting
the
jewelry, the style, stone, and metal finish.
The website is easy to navigate
and each page is beautifully curated 26
with images of products and ads. Kendra’s
website
successfully
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facebook Kendra Scott is very active
herself, speaking at events. These
on Facebook. They have over 400k
videos receive views ranging from
likes
5k-45k views. Despite the high
known for having a mature
number of views, the videos lack
audience of older millennials and
the same strong numbers in likes
baby boomers.
with the videos ranging from 36-
200 likes which is small compared
is
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and
followers.
The Kendra Scott Facebook
page is used in a number of ways
to the number of views.
including gifs, video posts, updates
of Kendra Gives Back events, new
about once a day and typically
product arrivals, events, giveaways,
receive around 100 likes. Posts that
and posts from the Facet (Kendra
receive more likes typically have
have a substantial following,
Scott’s blog).
a coupon code, a giveaway, new
the engagement is low. Instead
products, or lifestyle posts.
of posting the same marketing
Kendra uses this platform
Posts are made to this platform
to communicate to her customers
are
from other platforms on their
about upcoming events like her
very on brand and align with the
Facebook, they could create
upcoming shop-in-shop opening
marketing
on
other
content specifically for the
at Neiman Marcus Dallas. This
There
an
opportunity
platform
marketing
Kendra Scott to better engage the
Facebook audience to increase
videos and videos of Kendra Scott,
Facebook audience. While they
engagement.
also
posts
The
is
posts
platforms. for
older
demographic
of
the
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Instagram has been deemed the most
important social media platform for fashion brands. Kendra Scott has almost 585k followers and posts at least twice a day. They utilize all of the key features of Instagram, including shopable posts and Instagram stories.
Content is specifically designed for
Instagram story’s vertical dimensions. The content on the stories includes polls, new product launches, giveaways, and event marketing.
Posts receive likes ranging from 2,500-
20,000 likes with most posts in the 3,004,000 like range.
The brand’s Instagram remains very
much in line with the brand identity. There is an opportunity for the brand to include some user-generated content in order to capture the younger Gen-Z consumer. 30
Twitter is much less visual than
Instagram and focuses more on text. Kendra Scott has almost 70K followers and recieves only about 20 likes and 5 retweets per post. The feed consists mostly of retweets of shoutouts or articles about Kendra Scott from various companies such as WWD, Marie Claire, or even Dell.
They post about once a day or once
every other day including retweets. The brand generated posts are usually images that would also be posted on Instagram or Facebook.
There is no reason for customers to
engage on multiple platforms when every platform holds generally the same content. Twitter could better be utilized to directly interact with customers by replying to tweets and by acting as a customer service center.
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youtube
Kendra Scott’s Youtube channel has
around 8k subscribers. Their videos receive views ranging from only a couple hundred views to over 8k views. They only post a few times a month. Most videos are under a minute long and are promotional videos about new collections, new stores launches, or events.
The
fashion
films
for
the
new
collections are beautifully shot. Fashion films are a growing tool in the fashion industry and Kendra Scott is tapping into this. The newest video for the Winter 2017 collection has the most views of any of her videos. If they continue to create films like that one, they will be very successful on Youtube. 32
Blog
Facets is the official blog of Kendra
Scott. The Kendra Scott website has a tab to direct customers directly to the blog. The blog follows Kendra Scott, the brand and the person, through events and happenings in the company. The most recent post is instructions on how to download their new Kendra Scott Stickers for iOS messaging. The next couple posts include a thank you from Kendra, herself, to her customers who donated to breast cancer research, an overview of Kendra speaking at WWD’s CEO Summit, and an ad post for Kendra Scott’s Halloween collection.
The blog adds to Kendra Scott’s
branding since it adds a very personal touch to the website and allows the readers to feel like insiders. 33
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SPECIAL EVENTS
35
product launches
In Summer 2017, Kendra
In addition, Kendra released the product
Scott launched a new nail lacquer
by announcing the colors on social media. The
colors. Just like her jewelry, the nail
event created buzz and an experience around
polish is inspired by vibrant colors
the new product and was overall successful.
of gemstones and the colors of
Kendra has since added winter colors to the Nail
metals. The bottles are beautifully
Lacquer line.
designed to look like gemstones and the colors match the gemstones used in Kendra Scott’s jewelry.
The nail lacquer colors were
launched with the launch of the Summer ‘17 collection. The launch party was held on the rooftop of the London West Hollywood and the invitees were friends, fashion icons, executives,
and
philanthropists.
The party had a Braid Bar by Nine Zero One, Nail Art by Olive & June featuring Kendra Scott Nail Lacquer, and the famous color bar. 36
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philanthropy events
In 2016 alone, Kendra Scott
gave back over $3.5 million and donated over 75,000 pieces of jewelry to over 3,500 organizations. Philanthropy is at the heart of the branding of Kendra Scott and is an integral part of the company. Each store location has an event manager who is responsible for reaching out to charities and organizations. These organizations sign up for a Kendra Gives Back Party at the store and 20% of all proceeds that day will go directly to the charity or organization. Each store hosts about four or more events each week.
These events make Kendra
Scott as a brand feel more altruistic, 38
authentic,
and
personable.
The
brand honestly values people and genuinely cares about what their customers care about. Kendra Scott is not an aloof or unattainable brand, but instead is right there, in the community, actively involved with people. This is why their brand has done so well. This philanthropic mission ties the brand directly to the hearts of their customers.
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CONCLUSION
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in conclusion, In conclusion, Kendra Scott has
customer with a showroom-like
engage the different customers and
positioned itself in the marketplace
experience that elevates the product
audiences of each platform.
as the epitome of fashionable, high
and makes every piece appear
quality, yet attainable jewelry for
special. The unique color bar allows
Scott
the fashion forward woman. As a
customers to feel like they own a
launches and philanthropy events,
brand founded on family, fashion,
small piece of the brand when they
effectively communicates to the
and philanthropy, Kendra Scott has
customize their own jewelry.
customer the values of the brand.
created a following from a wide
demographic of customers who
the same feeling by beautifully
phenomenal job of curating their
feel like they are part of something
curating campaign content on the
brand message and values to reach
bigger when they purchase Kendra
website along with the online version
their customer through a wide
Scott products.
of the color bar. The use of social
variety of visual communications.
All of this has been created
media is effective on Instagram and
Struggling specialty retailers should
and supported through the brand’s
Youtube, however there is room
take a look at how Kendra Scott has
careful use of visual communication
for improvement on the Facebook
created this massive brand following
both in physical stores and online.
and Twitter platforms. There is an
in such a short time. Other brands
Kendra Scott’s brick-and-mortar
opportunity for the brand to better
can learn many lessons from Kendra
locations are unique in their visual
differentiate the content that is on
Scott- the brand and the person.
merchandising by providing the
each platform to better reach and
Online, Kendra Scott creates
The special events that Kendra holds,
including
product
Overall, Kendra Scott does a
XO-Savannah 42
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SOURCES https://www.kendrascott.com/about-kendra.html https://la.racked.com/2016/3/10/11192040/kendra-scott-airstream-jewelry-weddington-way-lovepopshopthe-grove https://www.facebook.com/events/212255702460493 http://blog.kendrascott.com/family/on-the-road-again-ks-jewelry-tour/ http://blog.kendrascott.com/fashion/hamptons-yall/ https://www.kendrascott.com/kendra-gives-back.html https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7LuXmCP3_ExCnYMZh5T-OQ https://www.instagram.com/kendrascott/ https://www.facebook.com/KendraScott/ https://twitter.com/KendraScott http://www.instyle.com/fashion/accessories/kendra-scott-jewelry-and-nail-lacquer http://blog.kendrascott.com/fashion/kendra-scott-summer-17-launch-party/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrysamaha/2016/05/13/jewelry-designer-kendra-scott-on-why-it-isimportant-for-fashion-brands-to-be-philanthropic/#5a57d7c366dc
S a v a n n a h We g h o r s t Professor Daniel Green FA S M 4 4 0 Vi s u a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n Fall 2017