We were set the task of developing the visual identity of the brand to appeal to a wider audience. At present Universal Works has a very clear raw and industrial visual code, however they appear to be targeting the primarily the older man through the use of the model in their website visuals. This is something that the Brand Director and Sales Director did not want as they believed their garments would appeal to men of all ages, whether 18 or 54!
This was the big issue which had to be resolved; for a brand with 'universal' in the title, it wasn't appearing to be very universally accessible. As a group, we decided that the best way to identify the target market was to ask a sample of men of all ages who they believed the designs were aimed at. Critically however, we removed the face of the model. Our results concluded that by concealing the age of the model, the participant selected their own age or similar age group. This was evidence that the garments did appeal to all ages, so clearly the breakdown in communication was occurring by showing the face of the older model.
It seemed obvious to us therefore that if the face of the model was alienating segments of the market, we should simply remove it. Our innovative marketing strategy which followed incorporated the idea of a mask to disguise any particular age range and therefore allowing the viewer to identify themselves with the clothing worn, rather in the same way we do with mannequins in shop windows.
Tuesday 10 November 2009
University: Year Two
I don't think I had quite anticipated how much the work load would increase this year! Oh well, it will keep me out of mischief! Within the first week we had been set three projects, with a further three being set later in the semester. Furthermore our seminar groups have been mixed up and I am working with a new team of girls. We have named ourselves K.E.R.B based on our initials spelling the word and it conveniently fitting with our Kickers project, i.e. Kickers to the K.E.R.B ...or K.E.R.B Kickers?!
The exciting thing about this year is all our projects are 'live'. This essentially means that brands in the industry are setting tasks which they wish us to fulfill. This is the best experience I can hope for as I am working to realistic deadlines which could well exist in my career (and nine days to pull together a visual marketing strategy for Universal Works was a great challenge!). I am hoping to learn more about the career paths in the industry and also gain more contacts which I can gain work experience.
The exciting thing about this year is all our projects are 'live'. This essentially means that brands in the industry are setting tasks which they wish us to fulfill. This is the best experience I can hope for as I am working to realistic deadlines which could well exist in my career (and nine days to pull together a visual marketing strategy for Universal Works was a great challenge!). I am hoping to learn more about the career paths in the industry and also gain more contacts which I can gain work experience.
London Fashion Weekend
London Fashion Week is now established as one of London’s premier events attracting fashion leaders, retailers and press to view the amazing collections and stunning catwalk shows. The consumer event which follows is named London Fashion Weekend. For the first time it was being located at Somerset House and 180 The Strand in the West-End after the five year lease came to an end with the Natural History Museum. It allows shoppers to buy entry into one of the largest retailer events in the UK and enjoy heavy discounts on designer labels. I was invited to help organise and work with the 1927 Ltd team at the event. Talk about chuffed!
The event ran from Thursday 25th until Sunday 28th September where 1927 London Ltd would have many stalls selling predominantly Juicy Couture clothing with smaller collections of Juicy Couture footwear, Michael Kors footwear and D.L & Co candles. I helped from Monday 22nd September with the preparation of pulling the merchandise and help with the setting up at the venue.
On the Monday I was given a list by Nikki Windridge, the event coordinator, of the number of rails we have been allocated for clothing. In further detail she specified what type of garments are to be allocated to each rail, i.e. one rail for each size of Juicy Couture tracksuit bottoms and tops, one rail for dresses, three rails for t-shirts etc. I spent the whole day in the warehouse selecting the right quantities and sizes of merchandise and was able to determine which styles went to LFW.
By the end of the first day, I had selected the stock for the fourteen rails which would be hung out immediately on our arrival at Somerset House. The day which followed was focusing on back-up stock. Again, Nikki had allocated a number of boxes to each garment type and my job was to package this up. Keeping the clothes on the hangers and in size groups, I boxed up Juicy Couture coats, t-shirts, dresses and most importantly tracksuits (obviously Juicy Couture’s best-selling item).
Wednesday was moving day. Two vans had been hired to transfer the stock from the warehouse in Fulham to Somerset House. A group of twelve of us helped with the unpacking and setting up between these two locations. The company paid for a large stand which incorporated six different rooms and a sales desk. I was ensuring that the rails and boxes were delivered safely from the van and into their desired location in Somerset House. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to unpacking the stock and dressing the rooms.
My ten hour shift on Thursday included five hours preparation time before the event opened for VIP guests. I was put in charge of the Juicy Couture perfume and D.L & Co Candles stands where I was situated for the remainder of the event. The two key tasks on these stalls was:
a) Pricing – ensuring that everything was labelled and that I could answer any pricing queries.
b) Visual Merchandising – the layout of the product is always key in events like these as you need to capture the attention of passers-by. The perfumes were laid out in patterns according to their scent and the candles were colour co-ordinated with varying heights to draw people’s eye to the range.
The weekend shifts were spent manning the stools. LFW used a docket system to ensure the payment and collection of the correct items, essentially a security measure. On the perfumes and candles store I had to ensure that the items were clearly specified as “Juicy Couture Perfume” or “Juicy Couture Ready-to-Wear”. As the payments were processed by LFW employees and not 1927 Ltd own staff, by clearly specifying this ensured that the dockets and till balances matched up. Additionally, LFW take a 20% commission on all the sales except for the perfume as the 20% margin would go to a water-aid charity in West Africa, Edirisa.
The experience of LFW was a very exciting one. Not only was it my first time within an event of this nature but being able to appear on the other side from the consumer was brilliant. As events-coordinating is an area I am keen to learn more about, I made it clear that I would be more than happy to work at the next one!
The event ran from Thursday 25th until Sunday 28th September where 1927 London Ltd would have many stalls selling predominantly Juicy Couture clothing with smaller collections of Juicy Couture footwear, Michael Kors footwear and D.L & Co candles. I helped from Monday 22nd September with the preparation of pulling the merchandise and help with the setting up at the venue.
On the Monday I was given a list by Nikki Windridge, the event coordinator, of the number of rails we have been allocated for clothing. In further detail she specified what type of garments are to be allocated to each rail, i.e. one rail for each size of Juicy Couture tracksuit bottoms and tops, one rail for dresses, three rails for t-shirts etc. I spent the whole day in the warehouse selecting the right quantities and sizes of merchandise and was able to determine which styles went to LFW.
By the end of the first day, I had selected the stock for the fourteen rails which would be hung out immediately on our arrival at Somerset House. The day which followed was focusing on back-up stock. Again, Nikki had allocated a number of boxes to each garment type and my job was to package this up. Keeping the clothes on the hangers and in size groups, I boxed up Juicy Couture coats, t-shirts, dresses and most importantly tracksuits (obviously Juicy Couture’s best-selling item).
Wednesday was moving day. Two vans had been hired to transfer the stock from the warehouse in Fulham to Somerset House. A group of twelve of us helped with the unpacking and setting up between these two locations. The company paid for a large stand which incorporated six different rooms and a sales desk. I was ensuring that the rails and boxes were delivered safely from the van and into their desired location in Somerset House. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to unpacking the stock and dressing the rooms.
My ten hour shift on Thursday included five hours preparation time before the event opened for VIP guests. I was put in charge of the Juicy Couture perfume and D.L & Co Candles stands where I was situated for the remainder of the event. The two key tasks on these stalls was:
a) Pricing – ensuring that everything was labelled and that I could answer any pricing queries.
b) Visual Merchandising – the layout of the product is always key in events like these as you need to capture the attention of passers-by. The perfumes were laid out in patterns according to their scent and the candles were colour co-ordinated with varying heights to draw people’s eye to the range.
The weekend shifts were spent manning the stools. LFW used a docket system to ensure the payment and collection of the correct items, essentially a security measure. On the perfumes and candles store I had to ensure that the items were clearly specified as “Juicy Couture Perfume” or “Juicy Couture Ready-to-Wear”. As the payments were processed by LFW employees and not 1927 Ltd own staff, by clearly specifying this ensured that the dockets and till balances matched up. Additionally, LFW take a 20% commission on all the sales except for the perfume as the 20% margin would go to a water-aid charity in West Africa, Edirisa.
The experience of LFW was a very exciting one. Not only was it my first time within an event of this nature but being able to appear on the other side from the consumer was brilliant. As events-coordinating is an area I am keen to learn more about, I made it clear that I would be more than happy to work at the next one!
Fashion Distribution
Before finishing my first year of university I managed to secure a seven week placement at the fashion distributors 1927 London Ltd. They distribute high-end fashion brands internationally including Juicy Couture, Lauren Moshi, Money and See by Chloe footwear. It was a brilliant opportunity to work in a new area of the industry which directly related to the marketing module I had studied during my second semester.
My role involved working on the reception area and providing admin-support to support Alex, the office manager, through the busy sales period. I also had to work towards managing the desk alone whilst Alex took annual leave for two weeks. During my first week I was learning on the job and helping out with ad-hoc duties whilst Alex organised my training.
I was always told that work experience can be equally (if not more) beneficial when you learn which roles you would NOT like to do as much as the ones you would want to do. Whilst it took some time understanding the different departments within the company, I managed to get an overview of the logistics, purchasing, sales and accounts teams.
The Sales Dept. seemed to have the most exciting job in my opinion as it was slightly more glamorous. The sales period I witnessed was for Juicy Couture Kids & Babywear Spring/Summer 2010 as well as the introduction of the new client Lauren Moshi. In the weeks before the sales period begins, the stock arrives from the respective brands which includes the entire season’s collection. This is then steamed to look presentable and displayed either in the Library or the showroom in reception. Appointments with buyers are booked during this preparation time as well to ensure the collection is shown to a wide audience to increase its exposure and in return sales. Up to six appointments can be scheduled for one day; Rebecca took all the Lauren Moshi appointments which there were fewer of due to its exclusivity whilst Nikki, Lisa and Rosita juggled the Juicy Kidswear. Each buyer would be presented the stock, being shown which items would arrive in each delivery (the stock would typically be delivered over three dates during the season). Following the presentation, the buyers would be able to select the items they wished to purchase specifying the sizes and number of units. The orders would be written and signed during the appointment and then passed on to the purchasing & logistics department for completion.
I had an absolutely brilliant time at 1927 and made some great friends who I am still in contact with now. It was really useful to learn about the roles within distribution and see for myself the process of design, manufacture, distribution and sales come together in the real world.
My role involved working on the reception area and providing admin-support to support Alex, the office manager, through the busy sales period. I also had to work towards managing the desk alone whilst Alex took annual leave for two weeks. During my first week I was learning on the job and helping out with ad-hoc duties whilst Alex organised my training.
I was always told that work experience can be equally (if not more) beneficial when you learn which roles you would NOT like to do as much as the ones you would want to do. Whilst it took some time understanding the different departments within the company, I managed to get an overview of the logistics, purchasing, sales and accounts teams.
The Sales Dept. seemed to have the most exciting job in my opinion as it was slightly more glamorous. The sales period I witnessed was for Juicy Couture Kids & Babywear Spring/Summer 2010 as well as the introduction of the new client Lauren Moshi. In the weeks before the sales period begins, the stock arrives from the respective brands which includes the entire season’s collection. This is then steamed to look presentable and displayed either in the Library or the showroom in reception. Appointments with buyers are booked during this preparation time as well to ensure the collection is shown to a wide audience to increase its exposure and in return sales. Up to six appointments can be scheduled for one day; Rebecca took all the Lauren Moshi appointments which there were fewer of due to its exclusivity whilst Nikki, Lisa and Rosita juggled the Juicy Kidswear. Each buyer would be presented the stock, being shown which items would arrive in each delivery (the stock would typically be delivered over three dates during the season). Following the presentation, the buyers would be able to select the items they wished to purchase specifying the sizes and number of units. The orders would be written and signed during the appointment and then passed on to the purchasing & logistics department for completion.
I had an absolutely brilliant time at 1927 and made some great friends who I am still in contact with now. It was really useful to learn about the roles within distribution and see for myself the process of design, manufacture, distribution and sales come together in the real world.
"Self-Promotion"
I'm currently revamping my blog and trying to improve the site so it is easier on the eye. Hope you will be impressed with the changes. It is all part of this "Brand Yourself" project we have been set at University. It feels like a therapy session every time I put my mind to what aspects of my personality I want to project onto the world. At the moment I am aiming for "Not vanilla!" but that is as far as I have got! I will definitely be sharing my logo with you once it has come to life.
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