Artclub and Friends POE Assignment
- Lau Vietti
- Nov 9, 2016
- 20 min read
BRIEF
Establish Artclub and Friends in the South African market and create brand awareness.
RESEARCH PROBLEM
To create brand awareness amongst the target audience and establish the brand in the South African market.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
To find out the current brand awareness of Artclub and Friends.
To determine shoppers buying habits
To find out what is most important to the target audience when buying clothes.
To determine how South Africans perceive South African fashion.
MICRO ANALYSIS
COMPANY
Currently only one person, Robyn Keyser, runs Artclub and Friends. She is the founder of the brand and the head designer. She had taken it upon herself to design her whole brand identity and design all clothing pieces for the brand. While conducting the interview, Robyn mentioned that she understands that the design of the clothes might remain stagnant if she does not welcome new eyes to her design. Therefore she plans on collaborating with other South African artist to bring new life and energy into the designs. She says that “working with different artist means I don’t have to stick to one aesthetic” and “if I only do what I like then it might not sell, if I am collaborating with other people it points out my flaws and encourages me to expand my own design skills”.
She goes on to say that she does want to expand her business and employ other permanent staff, however at the moment she only outsources extra hands to help with creating the clothes. She gives young ladies in her area the opportunity to be part of her brand and share in her success, by employing them to make the clothes.
SUPPLIERS
The list below outlines the other companies she utilizes to in the process of creating the clothing. Not mentioned on this list are the places she sources her accessories including sunglasses and jewelry from India, China, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. All materials and clothing accessories like buttons and zippers are all sourced locally.
My raw materials for clothing sourced from the following companies:
Fabric City
Fabric World
Studio 47
Rubitex
Texas Textiles
Focus Fabrics
MARKETING INTERMEDIARIES
The marketing intermediaries help promote and showcase the company. These intermediaries could include resellers, physical distribution firms, marketing services agencies and financial intermediaries (Kotler & Armstrong, 2011).
At the present moment Artclub and Friends is only featured on their Facebook page, Instagram and their website. They are not on any other secondary online stores as yet, however they hope to curate a collection on Superbalist in the near future. This will give the brand a lot of exposure, as Superbalist are a well-established online retailer, popular amongst the target audience.
CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
The customers are the most important puzzle piece in the microenvironment analysis (Kotler & Armstrong, 2011).
Artclub and Friends’ customers are any individuals who choose to purchase the brand. Come customers are prominent that others judged by the extent to which they interact with the brand. There are many people who might only see the brand through other one of their friend’s like’ing or commenting on the page, then there are others who actively follow and comment of Artclub and Friends Facebook page and Instagram account. Lastly there are the consumers who actively engage with the brand through social media and also purchase regularly online.
PUBLICS
“A public is any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on an organization’s ability to achieve its objectives” (Kotler & Armstrong, 2011, pg.93). Artclub and Friends have made a specific point to involve the public in the success of their business. As aforementioned Robyn has made use of local individuals rather than going to larger companies that already have a steady stream of work. She feels that giving the local community the opportunity to be a part of her business is more valuable that using heartless companies that she might not be able to develop a relationship with.
Artclub and Friends are very active on social media as their business is entirely conducted online. They have created a Facebook page as an extension of their website to more easily access their consumers and allow their consumers to communicate more easily with the brand.
Artclub and Friends understand that how the brand goes about conducting their business reflects directly on how people perceive the brand.
SUPERBALIST
Robyn had explained in the interview that she was planning on curating her own line on Superbalist. This will give her wide spread exposure for her brand.
It was seen in the research that Superbalist is the most commonly used online store amongst the respondents. If she were to not curate her own line on Superbalist, the brand would become a prominent competitor for Artclub and Friends. Therefore at this present moment, because they have not collaborated, Superbalist will be analysed as a competitor.
Superbalist are an online fashion store that delivers easily and conveniently to peoples’ doors (Superbalist, 2016). They are an organization that communicates with their audience through multiple channels, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. In addition they have an ongoing blog called The Way Of Us, where they regularly post articles relevant to fashion, music, locations, culture and local happenings (Superbalist, 2016).
Superbalist use their Facebook page largely to communicate recent sales or specials. They regularly post content, however they do not receive must regular feedback. Although on the odd occasion there are some posts that are more popular, usually competitions, which then yield between 800 and 1300 likes and between 30 and 100 shares.
Spree
As mentioned on their website, Spree is the most fashionable online store in South Africa. Spree is owned by Media 24, which makes the brand credible to their audience. They aim to inspire their shoppers through storytelling by providing them with lookbooks that inspire they fashion choices. The essence of their brand is fashion confidence. They also mention logistically that their online shopping experience cannot be successful unless there are easy and free returns.
They are active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter. Just like Superbalist does, they also use their Facebook page as their main form of communication of specials and sales. Their communication tone is upbeat and positive, which keeps their audience engaged with the brand. They also post looks to inspire their audience and allow them to share the content. Currently they use YouTube to showcase more lookbooks. They could make better use of this platform by posting more regular content, as this is a great way to showcase lookbooks to provide inspiration.
AKJP
AKJP is a concept store created by designers Adriaan Kuiters and Jody Paulsen situated in Cape Town showcasing local South African designers (AKJP, 2016).
AKJP definitely have taken on a different approach for their Facebook page compared to Superbalist and Spree. They have allowed their Facebook page to become a platform that showcases their designers, just like their concept store. Many of their posts reflect the look and feel of the brand rather than communicating a call to action for example a sale or special. Their Facebook page feels like a community for their designers rather than a platform to just punt sales for the brand.
They are in the process of creating a website and are established on Twitter and Instagram. They have been featured on Between 10 and 5, a credible creative platform that showcases local talent. In addition they have been featured on the Elle website and the Superbalist 100.
2BOP
The 2BOP website opens with ‘2BOP started in 2004 as a way to turn a passion for classic video games into a form of expression” (2BOP, 2016). They go on to say that their inspiration draws from old school South African arcade games that were played in corner shops in the 1990’s and 1980’s. The name 2BOP came from the twenty-cent piece that one would use to play the game, which was called a 2bop. They have created a very South African old school atmosphere about their brand, which is reflected in their photography style. 2BOP communicate in a very celebratory manner and often showcase events that are coming up. Their events allow the consumers to experience the brand. They have also been featured on Between 10 and 5 for their inspirational South African street wear and on Superbalist 100 list. Their clothing range is not very diverse, as they only produce, jackets and t-shirts and beanies, with loud graphics. They focus on their South African old school heritage from which they find most of their inspiration, They allow for their inspiration to flow from our South African old school heritage, which gives the brand a local flare.
Young and Lazy
Young and Lazy is an African brand that focuses of creating high end, laid-back clothing. They have a website, which only directs the user to their Facebook and Instagram page, an email address for more information and a link to cornerstorecapetown.shopify.com to view their clothing.
They share very similar content to 2BOP but do not create as much hype around it.
Their tone directly reflects their brand essence. They communicate in a laid back fashion. The do not use their Facebook page to punt sales or specials but rather use it as a platform to share local content with people. They do post about the clothes that they are selling and give the public a convenient link to cornerstorecapetown.shopify.com.
Their Instagram page post pictures that are clean and simple and that reflect the laid back feel of the brand. They have great responses on their posts, which show an active audience as a result of ongoing engaging content.
MACRO ANALYSIS
POLITICAL FACTORS
The public environment consists of laws, government agencies and pressure groups, which affirm boundaries for the organization (Kotler & Armstrong, 2011). These laws are enforced to allow for fair and even competition amongst similar businesses. This also refers to the political stability of the environment in which the organization operates (Oxford Learning Lab, 2016). It also ensures that organizations conform to truthful advertising, reasonable pricing and environmental protection. Artclub and Friends have made a concerted effort to source local materials, which might not be the cheapest option for the brand as they could import from overseas in bulk at a lower price. However, Artclub and Friends has made the conscious decision to use as many locally sourced items as they can to support local businesses.
ECONOMIC FACTORS
The economical factors can affect a luxury clothing business in a dramatic way. If people have less money at their disposal, they will first and foremost cut back on all luxury items, resulting in declining sales.
Although Artclub & Friends are a specialised clothing company they are still affordably priced, which allows their sales to stay relatively stable through economic down turns. Robyn mentions that these are specialised pieces that one will buy from her business, and not your whole wardrobe, therefore the people who do want to splurge on the odd occasion will still be purchasing from her business. It has been understood by Robyn that she does not have much control over the economic factors of her business, but does try to ensure that se clothing items to stay reasonable and accessible to most of the country.
Artclub and Friends has made use of local talent to manufacture the clothing. They have employed ladies nearby their studio to make the clothes and then take those items to a CMT (Cut, Make and Trim) for all the finishing touches such as zippers and buttons. She has made a concerted effort to use local talents and materials but mentions that her accessories, including sunglasses and jewelry are all imported. Robyn mentions that the prices stay relatively low and that the exchange rate isn’t much of an issue for our currency.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
When speaking to Robyn she mentioned that the socio economic factors of her business were the most important to her.
She feels that her brand has a certain responsibility to promote togetherness and diversity and she aims to do so with her clothing. As a woman running a business she understands that she has been put into a position in which to help other woman in the country. She ensures that what Artclub and Friends represents is that of the majority of people in our country by promoting inclusion and collaborating. She mentions “my brand is for all of the weird kids, the uncool kids and the sideline kids” she wants her brand to be a platform for all underrepresented individuals to feel a part of. She goes on to say however, that she does not feel like she has the authority to talk about such issues that face our country. Her main goal is to simply create clothing that will resonate with people in a way that will allow them to feel comfortable and included.
TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS
This brand has been established online; therefore the technological factors that influence the business are of great importance. As this is a small business in Cape Town, it would not receive the required reach if it were a physical store. Congruent to that they also do not have the budget or the resources to create radio or TV advertisements to advertise their brand. By making use of an online platform it allows for people all over South Africa and the rest of the world to access the brand and the products for sale. Artclub and Friends has a newly established Facebook page, which already has 988 followers and an Instagram account with 380 followers. Although they manage to achieve a lot of reach through these online platforms, they are also limited to people who use these platforms. They have tried to resolve this by being more present offline in markets and festivals.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Artclub and Friends have carefully considered the impact that their business can have on the environment and have taken the necessary steps to become more environmentally friendly.
They make an effort to recycle in the workspace at they do use a lot of paper and do not want it to be wasted. In addition the packaging in which the clothes and accessories are delivered is made from recycled paper. Robyn has made the firm decision not to use plastic in any of the packaging. She purchases her recycled paper from Deckle Edge in Cape Town.
The clothes produced by Artclub and Friends are not made from any animal products such as wool, silk and leather. Only materials such as cotton are used in the production of the clothing.
LEGAL FACTORS
Artclub and Friends is a registered company from the moment it was founded. Robyn expressed that many companies like hers do not register themselves and do not declare their taxes etc. however she justified the registration by saying that “if you can’t run a business that can be profitable while paying your taxes and following all the laws that you’re supposed to then you’re nor running a successful business”. She was set on conducting her business in the “right and legal way” and understood that the profit might not be as high due to the added expenditure. She adds to this saying that “even if the money takes a year to come, I would rather build the profits up doing the right thing, than making so much money and suddenly seeing that go down after deciding to pay tax”.
Robyn has found that staying original can be an issue within this industry. Other people in the industry have replicated or copied her packaging style and some of Artclub and Friends other designs. This only motivates them to update their brand to something that has not been seen by the public by still staying true to their visual identity.
DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
Artclub and Friends is established in Cape Town. Cape Town is known for its artistic and eccentric flare. The people of Cape Town have made the area a hub of creativity and originality. Artclub and Friends has become a perfectly fitting puzzle piece in the Cape Town puzzle, which accurately represents what Artclub and Friends is all about. Artclub and Friends is surrounded by many other creative influences, which allow the brand to grow and be inspired daily.
Robyn mentions, however, that there is a lot of segregation is Cape Town and that the divide between rich and poor is very noticeable. She would like to be able to have the opportunity to access the youth and encourage togetherness amongst them with the help of her clothing.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The primary research was collected by means of a mixed method approach, in which qualitative and quantitative research has been conducted.
The research began with one semi-structured interview that was conducted with the founder of Artclub and Friends, Robyn Keyser, in order to gain better insight into her brand. Once this interview was completed and a brief was put in place, the researcher was able to conduct the research in such a way that would focus the study to gain useful information for the brand.
Thereafter quantitative research was conducted. The quantitative method used in this research study was a survey conducted through Survey Monkey, yielding 56 responses. Once the survey was completed and an analysis of the responses was completed the second phase of qualitative research could commence.
Two more semi-structured interviews were conducted with one member of the target audience, which gave particular focus to what was found in the surveys. This gave the researcher the opportunity to gain better insight into reoccurring themes found in the survey. In addition another interview was conducted with a lady who is 32 years old. The researcher found this was necessary, as the target market given by the client seemed to focused and specialised. The researched was interested to find out whether a secondary target audience could be targeted through this campaign.
POPULATION SIZE
The research targeted males and females between the ages of 17 and 26 that live in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The sample size selected for the research were 40 respondents for the survey conducted on Survey Monkey. An additional 3 interviews were conducted with consumers who fall within the target audience and one with the founder of Artclub and Friends, Robyn Keyser.
SAMPLING METHOD
A sampling method should be chosen to fit the type of research the researcher as found appropriate to conduct. It should allow the findings to be easily transferable and be appropriate for the budget and time that has been set aside to complete said research (Creswell, J.W. et al., 2016). The method chosen for this study is Homogeneous sampling. This method is appropriate if the target market is united by subculture or certain characteristics (Creswell, J.W. et al., 2016). In the case of this research study, this sampling method was appropriate to use, as their interests in fashion and culture unite the target audience.
RESEARCH TOOLS
The researcher has made use of two research tools in order to conduct the research. The first tool utilized was surveys. These were issued through the online cloud-based survey development software called Survey Monkey. The researcher developed ten questions for the survey with consideration to the research objectives. These research questions where then sent to people in Cape Town and Johannesburg, between the ages of 17 and 26 that suited the population sample, through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Whatsapp, via random selection.
The second tool that was made use of in this research study was interviews. These interviews will give the researcher a greater insight into Artclub and Friends as a brand from the perspective of the founder and the target market.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
The primary research that has been conducted made use of Surveys and two semi-structured interviews. The surveys and one of the semi-structured interviews reflects the answers of people who fall within the target audience. The other survey, as mentioned before, targeted a lady in her thirties, who is not part of the target audience that was mentioned by Robyn Keyser.
The following graphs depict the quantitative data that what was found from the surveys.
VERBATIM QUOTES FROM INTERVIEWS
30-Year-old Woman (Potential Secondary target audience - The Minaudiere’s)
As a lady in your thirties, what do you find most important when you get dressed in the morning?
“I feel like when I was in my 20’s I always got dressed for other people, like did they like the kind of clothes I wore, does my bum look good in these jeans? But nowadays I just get dresses for myself! I just want to feel comfortable and confident in myself when what I choose to put on my body.”
Have you, throughout your life, felt like you’ve invested your money into you clothing?
“Oh definitely! I think as you get older you have a little more money at your disposal and actually have the opportunity to buy certain items which are more unique and expensive.”
How often do you share content of social media?
“Eh, not that often hey. I might share a recipe here and there that I want to show a friend, but otherwise I couldn’t actually be bothered. I would rather meet up with a friend and cook that recipe together than just show her over Facebook.”
22-Year-Old Woman (Selected within target audience)
If you were a South African fashion designer, what would you priorities as your main responsibilities?
“Social development, design that gives back to the earth and youth empowerment.”
“Involving the less privileged in as many ways as possible to help uplift their lives and communities.”
How often do you share content of social media?
“All the time! I love showing my friends things that I’ve seen, basically because we have the same taste, but also, to be honest here, I also just like showing other peope the kind of person I am and what I am interested in. I also share very particular thins on Facebook, just because it does make up the persona I am online.”
What is most important to you when getting dressed in the morning?
“Well im quite conscious of my body, I mean who isn’t? But no, I try really hard to dress well for my body and stay on trend, which is quite difficult to do when a lot of fashion is only created for skinny girls that barely eat. So basically the most important thing to me is to try and dress myself that doesn’t look ridiculous or out of fashion.”
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
The research shows that the target market is against using animal products, which is an innate characteristic of Artclub and Friends.
They are authentic and diverse in what they create for their consumers, which as seen by the research is exactly what they want.
WEAKNESSES
Small numbers of management result in limited happenings for the company.
Not much focus has been placed on a potential target audience who, as seen from the research, has a great interest in unique items of clothing.
OPPORTUNITIES
Artclub and Friends has many opportunities to venture into other creative fields (art, design, music etc.).
To bring light to other issues that surrounding the social aspects of our country through fashion and creativity.
TREATS
Other more popular brands have been identified within this market, for example Superbalist.
They are only based online, which might detract people who do not purchase clothes on this platform.
Brand awareness is low as it is a young brand
TARGET MARKET
After conducting an extensive interview with Robyn Keyser, many valuable points about the target market came to light. She mainly targeted people like herself, who where interested in art, music and anything else creative. The researcher found that this limited the people she could be targeting. After the research was conducted, another target audience was established.
PRIMARY TARGET MARKET
The Iridescent’s
The primary target audience that has been identified is called The Iridescent’s. They have been so names because of certain properties of iridescent fabric. This fabric appears to change colour in different lights, which resonates with the lifestyle of the primary target audience. They have a habit of constantly changing and adapting to the latest fashion trends and evolving themselves through new experiences. They are between the ages of 17 and 26. They appreciate all things creative with an inclusion of musicians, artist, photography and graphic designers.
They are very active on social media, with particular reference to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. They use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and keep up to date with the latest news from brands that they follow. Included in these brands are some of their favorite fashion brands. They check their phones in the morning before getting out of bed to check what has happened on social media in the last 8 hours. As they get ready in the morning they scroll through their POLYVORE app (a fashion app that allows you to find clothing and purchase it) to get inspiration for their outfit.
They regularly post content that inspires their thinking, including songs, fashion brands or designs. They keep up to date with the latest trends in order to stay relevant amongst their peers.
SECONDARY TARGET MARKET
The Minaudière’s
This target audience is called the Minaudière’s. A Minaudière is an old school, small purse that was usually worn for evening events (WWD, 2016). Just like the bags, this target audience is known for their vintage style and grace.
These ladies are between the ages of 30 and 45. They are well established, comfortable in their skin and are confidant is who they are and how they dress. They do not try and imitate anyone in any way and have a great sense of self. They have a little more money to splurge on clothing items that they really like and also see the value in investing in clothes rather that just wearing them for a season and throwing them out. They see their clothing as a token that can be passed down to their children and not just to be thrown away.
This target market keeps up with trends to a lesser degree that the Iridescent’s, however they do stay active on Facebook to keep in touch with their friends. They are usually posting content about meeting up with their friends or about their children.
They enjoy going to markets with their friends to socialize and find new, inspiring fashion brands. They enjoy going to these small events because they are always looking for something different to be able to express themselves in a way that reflects their personality.
KEY FINDINGS
There is a great yearning for diversity in South African fashion.
The Minaudiere’s don’t just buy clothes, but rather invests in unique pieces of art, which contribute to their established personalities.
Both target audiences are looking for unique clothing within the South African clothing market that reflects a local style rather than international trends.
INSIGHT
As one gets older the way we interact with fashion changes from pleasing the world to satisfying yourself.
KEY ISSUES
How do we establish Artclub and Friends as a sustainable South African fashion brand?
How do we create brand awareness amongst the target audience?
How do we make use of sustainable and environmental influences to drive purchase
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
To establish Artclub and Friends as a sustainable South African fashion brand by the end of December 2017 through the below the line campaign.
To increase the awareness of the brand by 20% by the end of December 2017, through the below the line campaign.
To drive purchase by 20% by using sustainability and environmental influence
CONCEPT
Through the use of conversation we will show that Artclub and Friends appeals to the creative in everyone.
EXECUTIONS
Facebook Post Competition
Artclub and Friends Event
Event Space
ColorBox Studio
Facebook Post Personalised Competition
MEDIA AND CHANNEL PLAN
ROLL OUT PLAN
MEDIA SCHEDULE
Explanation for Rollout and Media plan
Social Media
Social media will be the most heavily used form of communication between the brand and the consumer. Artclub and Friends have already used these platforms to their advantage by creating a strong presents on Facebook and Instagram. Social media is increasingly becoming an integral part of our daily lives. In branding it has become a vital tool in promoting a brand, marketing products and connecting with consumers (Whatisit.com, 2016).
It was seen from the primary research that this target audience uses Facebook most frequently out of all social media platforms. Therefore as the media schedule outline, there will be bi-weekly posts on Facebook to keep the audience engaged and interested in the brand. These posts will include updates of any new arrivals of clothing, information about any upcoming events or brand messaging relevant to what the brand stands for. In this case that brand messaging would be related to sustainability, diversity and South African pride.
Instagram is a secondary platform to Facebook and will be used to keep the audience updated on the clothing arrivals only. Posting event information on Instagram will only clutter the page and not give the audience the opportunity to share the content as easily with friends and family.
Artclub and Friends Event
It was seen from the research that the Minaudière’s were present on social media, however they did not engage much with brands or share much content over these platforms. They mentioned that they would rather “meet up with a friend and cook [a] recipe together than just show her over Facebook.” They to a large extent socialize in a rather old school way by spending quality time with people rather than simply engaging over social media. Therefore, to engage with this audience I was necessary to have an event.
The main purpose for an event is to allow the brand to be exposed to many people in a social setting. Events can offer experiential engagement between the audience and the brand.
The younger target market will have the opportunity to engage with the brand at the event and also be able to post about in on social media, while the Minaudière’s can simply enjoy the day and fully engage with the brand in a way that resonates with them.
Competition
It was noticed from the competitor analysis that competition posts usually received the most engagement and feedback from the audience. In addition the primary research pointed towards more diversity in the South African fashion industry. Therefore, the first competition will give consumers the opportunity to design an item of clothing or a print for a tshirt. The best item will be created by Artclub and Friends as a limited edition piece for that month of March and September. This gives Artclub and Friends the opportunity to find other people to potentially collaborate with in the future.
In addition a competition to win a limited item of clothing will occur every second month, to keep the target audience engaged. Robyn mentioned in her interview that she wants her fashion to be accessible to as many people as possible. This competition will give the audience an opportunity to be able to access the clothing from Artclub and Friends.
REFERENCES
2BOP (2016) About us. [Online]. 2BOP. Available from: http://2bop.myshopify.com/pages/about-us [Accessed 2 November 2016].
AKJP(2016) About. [Online]. AKJP. Available from: https://www.facebook.com/akjpclothing/about/ [Accessed 2 November 2016].
Creswell, J.W. et al. (2016) First Steps in Research. 2nd ed. Hatfield, Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2011) Principles Of Marketing. 14th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.
Oxford Learning Lab (2016) PESTLE – Macro Environmental Analysis. [Online] Oxford Learning Lab. Available from: http://www.oxlearn.com/arg_Marketing-Resources-PESTLE---Macro-Environmental-Analysis_11_31 [Accessed 2 November 2016].
Spree (2016) Welcome To Spree. [Online] Spree. Available from: https://www.spree.co.za/en/page/about-us [Accessed 2 November 2016].
Superbalist (2016) What we do. [Online] Superbalist. Available from: https://superbalist.com/about_us [Accessed 3 November 2016].
Whatisit.com (2016) Social Media. [Online] Whatisit.com. Available from: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media [Accessed 2 November 2016].
WWD (2016) Fashion Dictionary. [Online] WWD. Available from: http://wwd.com/fashion-dictionary/ [Accessed 3 November 2016].
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