The Big Idea

I've written out the main bulk of the Big Idea. It has to be sectioned off and include some more info (shown in red ) but as a whole is pretty much done. It needs refining when we get together, but it includes comparisons with other Us brands and rationale for our strategy so everything is backed up.
nicole xx

The big idea

For Ann Taylor to successfully enter the UK fashion landscape, Ann Taylor need to create awareness of their brand amongst their target consumer long before actually arriving.

The way in which we suggest to approach this is via creating visual messages. Looking at successful American retailers that have approached the UK such as Forever 21 and Urban outfitters, they both created visual awareness through advertising. Forever 21 in particular before the opening of their first store in Birmingham created‘hype’. By using British model and daughter of Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon, Amber Le bon, as their Brand ambassador it immediately got people talking. It firstly got Amber into the public eye again and got us all asking who is she? When asking 40 members of the Birmingham public how they heard about Forever 21 coming to Birmingham: a large 32 said it was due to advertisements. This included mainly bus and general transport advertisements which featured enlarged Amber with the message “Coming Soon” with the brand Forever 21 underneath.

Imagery when used cleverly can be very powerful. Forever 21 thought their ads through. By applying the brand to buses that happened to pass through the city centre in which the store was placed (not coincidently) subliminally created a message that this was how you get there.

By using a British model created an immediate relationship between brand and consumer. We no longer saw Forever21 as American only brand. But with clever use of Amber a brand that was now British. They understood that trying to place an immediate American stamp on the UK retail fashion market may cause some sort of upset. It has to be done carefully. Especially as it was there tester store in terms of prospects of growth amongst Europe as a whole began. This would be the same for Ann Taylor. As a brand they are very proud to be American and proud of their heritage. But when entering a market that does not understand this you have to be clever about it. Henceforth our plan.

To create an immediate brand to consumer relationship a British ambassador is needed. Follow the success of forever21.  The ambassador needs to represent Anne Taylor but also needs to represent the UK consumer in which Ann Taylor wish to conquer.

Anne Taylor needs –

·         A woman that the British public trust and recognise (They trust her, they trust the brand)

·         A woman that is business minded, and successful (this reflects the brand)

·         A woman that has a busy life style that publicly shows this and manages it well.

·         A woman that would be seen as a role model or already is seen as a role model.

·         A woman that possibly has a family.

We think that the woman that fits all these categories would be Holly Willoughby.

Add info on holly in terms of work etc  find very sales increase from using holly / fearne

Advertisements would include Holly pictured wearing Anne Taylors outfits but in her many different roles. Roles in which Anne Taylor cater for , roles in which through Holly the British can relate to. This would essentially just as it did for Forever 21 – create hype.

Another side to how you would market the Anne Taylor brand to the British is by adding not only celebrity endorsement through Holly but REAL WOMEN endorsement. This we feel would bring a clear message to the UK of what Anne inc as a company are about.

Use Ann Taylor’s key message from site

To create acknowledgment through this method we suggest creating something to get these women (Ann Taylor’s consumers) talking. Looking at the consumer profile in which we have included based on statistics from a survey that was conducted shown what magazines the average female read. This information is very useful. By using magazines in which the consumer reads allows no waste in expenditure. We suggest causing an interest within the brand through a competition strategy within the magazine. This has proved successful through the likes of brands such as L’Oreal and Max Factor. Competitions draw an interest especially when it involves inspiring women. This is the key element to the competition. We ask the readers to send in who they would like to nominate forward to become Anne Taylor’s role model ambassador. A company that exist for “real women” should involve real women.  The campaign is open to all ages. To build a talking point, women’s stories will feature in the magazine monthly this causing a build up. The winners will feature in a spread with the magazine and be asked to attend an opening ceremony wearing Ann Taylor. This type of advertisement will cause rippled affect talk through other Medias such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc. This also being advertisement.

Where is all this going?

As mentioned previously an ‘outside’ company wanting on the inside need to approach this with care. From research conducted, at this current climate of unemployment a brand that are for the working women need somewhere where those women are. And quite frankly right now there aren’t many of them. In terms of price of the clothing that Anne Taylor offers, women in the UK at a time of recession simply need affordable clothing. This is how Forever 21 timed there opening well as they were a store that offered affordable pricing. This making their consumer believe that in a time of recession spending in Forever 21 meant saving. Now to a brad that offer such high tailoring and classic design this strategy would not quite work the same.

What Ann Taylor needs to offer is Quality. This proves to work amongst the UK customers, with the likes of stores such as Asda’s George and Marks and Spencer’s quality given promises.  With Marks and Spencer in mind they also have a similar consumer market and remain to keep their prices set. The climate hadn’t affected sales badly, as statistics show Marks and Spencer’s are one of the top retailers within the UK retail landscape.

We propose that Ann Taylor build a reputation. As it is not a well known brand over here in the Uk. This would be done through the marketing campaigns shown above, and through franchise. This allows you o settle amongst other brands that the UK consumer trust and allow them to see Anne Taylor as quite unique if not a more exclusive clothing brand. If sales increase and the numbers add up, this is where venturing into a standalone store may occur. Keeping the brand exclusive and maintaining a talking point.