ASOS Physical Store Brainstorming: London/ Camden

ASOS PHYSICAL STORE BRAINSTORMING: London/ Camden

1.      PRODUCT: Most companies/ brands that Asos showcases have offices based in London so easy to sample.2.      PLACE: Convenient to brands which it stocks and the urban vintage vibe it holds.3.      PRICE: Head office based in Camden so convenient. Keeps cost of distributing internally down. 4.      PEOPLE: Flagship and core people based in England. London is the centre for this. Whilst it is the largest online fashion retailer in Australia it’s other locations such as in Europe and America makes London overall closer. 5.      PROCESS: Being in Camden next to or even below head office like successfully implemented by other companies, (e.g. Gieves and Hawkes) then immediacy level is there to research and get to know product better to make it more desirable. 6.      PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: Londoners inspiring Asos and the catwalk trends. Many famous fashion/music/theatre celebrities live in North London area of Camden. It is in the centre of what can be referred to as last major fashion movement Punk- which even today is a fashion key. It may enable other fashion history movements to occur. 7.      PROMOTION: Big red buses, showcasing Asos fashions, creative, arty and fashionable scene to influence Londoners and tourists. It is where celebrities, for example Lipsy- SW4 collection influenced and modelled by Made in Chelsea’s MillieMackintosh have made huge promotional success in marketing and financial figures. 8.      PACKAGING: Busy street captures of Asos packaging will create interest and showcase arrive of store. Milly Macintosh Made in Chelsea for Lipsy SW4

Asos vs. Gap vs. Urban Outfitters…

ASOS:

Brand Identity:

 

Asos.com is an online fashion brand with a loyal following. It has enjoyed year on year success in growth since its conception. However, moving into their exciting next phase of expansion, asos.com needed a fresh identity with which to re-position the business for the global stage. Household’s challenge was to give the brand identity and overhaul across multiple communication platforms, from log to labelling to packaging and through ongoing communication of events to stakeholders as well as its customers.

 Labelling designed to create a consistency through various ranges and categories. Whilst allowing various sub-brands to appeal to different customers. Packaging is the most tangible part of the experience for the customer. Whether spending £10 or £250, box and packaging must feel consistently special. Style guides and bundle gifts are just some of the key points of engagement development.

 Points:

• Pushes latest celebrity and catwalk trends for males and females aged 16-34, revamped its appearance as part of an ongoing marketing strategy.

• Aim: become primary online fashion and beauty destination for its target audience.

• Logo: roll out across all online material; print advertising in key weekly and monthly magazine and product packaging.

• Jonathan Jones, marketing director said “Our updated branding is a reflection of our target market today- style conscious, inspired by celebrities and always one step ahead of the crowd.”

Customer Service:

 

• Relationship with consumers is a big part of its success. To make shopping experience as painless as possible, Asos employs ‘three-click rule’.

• You should never be more than three mouse clicks away from making a purchase, any more than that the customer gets bored. If a web page takes too long to load, they’ll go somewhere else.

 

• Asos grows from strength to strength with sales up 107% and number of online shoppers jumping 85% in 2008.

 

• Social media gives us access to key demographics’ and they have embraced the challenges and opportunities which are from having a two-way conversation with customers. Enables to communicate directly with market. In Australia, where there is no distribution centres and did little traditional marketing, it is the largest online fashion retailer there and largely down to social media activity.

 

• Essential when people are talking online they’re saying positive things and ensure the best possible service is part of that.

 

• Anne Seasman, Chief Executive of Skillsmart Retail said:

 

“Today’s discerning customers are less likely to put up with bad service and potentially through social media – facebook, twitter tells thousands of people.”

 

GAP:

 

Brand Identity:

 

• Gap tries branding to boost sales.

• Began with a single store and brand called Gap. Founder Don Fisher found it difficult to find a pair of jeans to fit properly and as a result opened in San Francisco in 1969, sold jeans and records.

 

• To make it easier to find a pair of jeans.

 

• Company has 3,100 stores and have their 4 Brands:

 

1. Gap.
2. BR.
3. Old Navy.
4. Piperlime.

• In 2006 revs of $15.9 Billion.

• One of the only ties between brands is a credit card.

Customer Service:

• Customers can earn rewards using one card to shop across all. Loyalty program, driven out of extensive consumer insight research + analysis.

• Brand marketing logic- meaningful, competitive differentiator of its first kind.

URBAN OUTFITTERS:

 

Brand Identity:

 

• Lifestyle concept- reflector of the way customers shop, their wardrobe and lifestyle objects. Believe in honesty of concept it is important to constantly evolve and reflect changing needs.

• Brand message follows the evolution to rebrand itself every 6 months, (as minimum). Everything is refreshed from logo, to bags, point of sale and environment. It’s ecstatic to be in. It’s an 11 year planned project with many changing faces.

• Logo designs produced for Spring/Summer campaign 2011 and were a return to make tactile and hand-drawn roots for Urban Outfitters.

• Hand-rendered elements grew from sketchbooks and collaboration within the team. Through stencils and window treatments to finished articles sent with direction across 22-storey network where they were painted directly onto the glad by multi-talented store display teams.

• Stores offer fashion apparel, footwear, accessories, gifts and decorative items, table top items, bedding products.

• 2007 company operated approximately 200 stores in North America and Europe.

• Company founded in 1970. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Emphasis on creativity.

• Lifestyle.

• Magical thinking.

Customer Service:

 

• Keeping attention to surprise clients. Unique shopping experience.

• First to provide multi- layered customer experience based on principle that ‘everything is for sale.’

• Portrait of global retail trendsetter.

I am seeing Excel to Excel !

EXCEL: I actually thoroughly enjoy spending time doing work on excel, statistics and financial information but being surrounded by 20 excel sheets and creating many graphs for Womenswear, Menswear, Childrenswear  and Footwear can be quite overwhelming. When I start something I finish it but it is just a matter of time when working 10 hour days Mon-Fri then Saturday and Sunday 5 hour days alongside University Tuesday evenings-Thursday evenings and then half a day Saturday.

FOCUS: This is what I have found as the key. Take all my references in a systematical order so I have them sectioned toghether, alongside excel, alongside primary research so the foundation of the report is there, ready and done.

 

Opened eyes to Yangon, Myanmar 2010

2010 Yangon, Myanmar, a place I know I had never heard of before. Sacred Pagoda Schwedagon located with golden pyramids I found much more fascinating than the must see pyramids in Egypt, (which I have seen to compare to.) In Egypt it is much more touristy whereas the Pagoda in Yangon seemed far more exclusive. As I entered the Pagoda with several colleagues and friends I had overwhelming feelings as I had never seen or been anywhere quite like it before. It was the evening but high temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius plus so very humid still. Shoes were not allowed inside the pagoda and there was an area to wash your feet before and after entering. The ambience was calm and welcoming, I felt a sense of  privilege experiencing a different way of life to what I was used to and it was addictive; I couldn’t wait to explore.

Within the walls are the monks guarding the pagodas delicately.  For me this was a culture shock, I had seen in films monks and then had a real life encounter with meeting monks who were very friendly and encouraged me to bang a sacred bell which gave off a church like echo. Looking around me I realised I was the only blond-haired person there and my best friend George had very dark skin is this why we seemed so curious to them and them to us?

Ecstatic by the difference in culture, the long red robes, the shaved hair, the calmness of the area. Everything at the Pagoda Schwedagon was enchanting, so much richness in such a poor area. It is believed inside the pyramids are set up devices so if anyone tries to steal the gold the pyramids will destruct. What a wonder of the world, a new experience, never to be forgotten.