US Store Expansion Campaign

Transcription

1 US Store Expansion Campaign Stephanie Dionisi - Stephanie Filardo Jamie Hackbarth - Amy Hirth - Rachel Hughes Abby Strawser - Carleigh Thalmann -

2 FORWARD PR OVERVIEW MISSION STATEMENT: At Forward PR we are committed to providing our clients with the tools and ideas that will catapult their business to the next level. We believe in building a deep understanding of our client s market to craft a unique strategy to position their product or service in the most compelling way that sets them far apart from their competition. We believe in delivering 110 percent to our clients within budget, on deadline, and with as much passion and zest as possible. Forward PR s integrated planning and strategy helps up and coming clients achieve their goals and objectives and most importantly jump forward in their business ventures. COMPANY HISTORY: Partners Rachel Johnson and Phillip Roserman founded Forward PR in 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Rachel graduated from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in Strategic Communication. Phillip graduated from UCLA with an undergraduate in Management and Marketing. The two met through their postgraduate internship in Their friendship and shared interest in public relations turned into a joint business venture after their internship completion. Both shared a vision for creating an integrated public relations firm that provided its clients with a range of services in the digital, public relations, advertising and marketing fields. When Forward PR opened in Los Angeles, Johnson and Roserman worked with a small team of PR specialists to provide clients in the entertainment and fashion industry, such as H&M, who were looking to broaden their current market. Over the next few years, the company became one of the leading PR agencies on the east coast, praised for their event planning and crisis management skills. As the push for increased social media presence by clients developed, Forward PR saw this opportunity as a chance to expand their PR team. The company worked very diligently over the past few years to become social media experts, helping clients develop a better online presence and expanding the publics they could reach. Today, Forward PR is one of the top ten companies for integrated public relations along with national 2

3 FORWARD PR OVERVIEW WHO WE ARE: Creative Passionate - Innovative Stephanie Dionisi Account Manager/Liason Stephanie Dionisi, of Longmeadow, MA, is the Account Manager and Liaison. She graduated from Miami University in 2007 with a B.A. degree in Strategic Communications and a minor in History and Latin American Studies. Stephanie worked as an intern at many public relations firms in New York City prior to joining Forward PR. In her spare time she enjoys running, cooking and eating eccentric cuisine. Stephanie Filardo - Presentation Moderator Stephanie Filardo, of East Greenwich, RI, is a presentation moderator Forward PR. She graduated from Miami University in 2008 with a B.A. degree in Strategic Communication and a minor in marketing. After graduating she moved to New York where she worked as an assistant project manager for Hunter PR until During her time at Hunter she worked with Johnson and Johnson, Hasbro and the American Heart Association. Stephanie joined the Forward team in In her spare time she enjoys attending concerts, photography, hiking and traveling. at Jamie Hackbarth - Group Process Director Jamie Hackbarth, of Columbus, Ohio, is the group process director at Forward PR. She graduated from Miami University in 2010 with a degree in Strategic Communication accompanied with minors in Marketing and Spanish. After graduating, she moved to New York City and began her career as a client consultant at Edelman. After 2 years at Edelman, Jamie decided to join Forward PR and help lead the group through client campaigns. Jamie enjoys traveling, the great outdoors, concerts and dogs. Amy Hirth Project Manager Amy Hirth, of Vernon Hills, IL, is a project manager at Forward PR. She graduated from Miami University with a degree in Strategic Communication in 2005 and began her career in project management at Allstate Insurance, in Northbrook, IL. Amy joined Forward PR in the project management division in In her free time she enjoys being active and spending time with friends and family. 3

4 FORWARD PR OVERVIEW Rachel Hughes, Professional Writing Manager Rachel Hughes, of Columbus, Ohio, is the professional writing advisor at Forward PR. She graduated from Miami University in 2009 with a degree in Strategic Communications. After graduating, she moved to Washington, D.C. where she began her career at Bluetext. She worked in the crisis management department until 2012, when she joined Forward PR and moved to New York City. Rachel enjoys traveling, photography and crafting Abby Strawser, Account Executive Abby Strawser, a native of Lawrenceburg, Ind., is the Account Executive for Forward PR. After graduating with a B.A. degree in Strategic Communications from Miami University in 2006, she began working as Project Leader for LPK in Cincinnati, Ohio, managing accounts for Kellogg s and Pringles. After two years at LPK, she decided to follow her dream of being an event planner and accepted an offer with Total Event Resources in Chicago. In 2011, she joined the Forward PR team. In her spare time, Abby enjoys boating, attending concerts, and cooking. Carleigh Thalmann, Professional Writing Manager Carleigh Thalmann, of Glenview, IL, is the professional writing manager at Forward PR. She graduated from Miami University in 2008 with a degree in Strategic Communication. After graduation she moved to New York City and began working for KMR Communications assisting clients with event planning, launch parties and public relations. Carleigh joined Forward PR in Carleigh enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking and traveling. 4

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS FORWARD PUBLIC RELATIONS Forward PR s Mission Statement. 2 Forward PR s History.. 2 Team Profiles. 3-4 BRANDY MELVILLE Campaign Introduction.. 6 Situation Analysis (SWOT).. 7 CAMPAIGN STRATEGY Goals/Objectives. 8-9 Objective Tactics 9 Target publics 10 Key Messages 10 RESEARCH Secondary Research Primary Research Budget & Timeline Summary..14 EVALUATION RESEARCH Evaluation Plans APPENDIX Brandy Melville Company Information Campus Representatives Dove LOVE YOU line partnership Grand Opening Press Releases Grand Opening Pitches Social Media Plan Budget Coupons Media Contacts Survey Timeline BIBLIOGRAPHY 5

6 CAMPAIGN INTRODUCTION Forward PR has worked hard to craft a plan to expand the presence of Brandy Melville. The European-based line expanded into the United States in 2009, and has been gradually expanding to several major cities in America since that date. However, Brandy still is not as well known to the American public as its competitors are. Aside from store locations, Brandy Melville clothing and accessories can be purchased online. Over the past few years, the line has received some negative press due to their unique one size fits most collection. Forward PR has focused on raising consumers awareness of the brand through a national store expansion campaign, while improving the company image by introducing the LOVE YOU line in partnership with the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem, which promotes positive self-esteem in young women. We hope the expansion and LOVE YOU line will increase brand awareness, brand loyalty and consumers sense of connection with Brandy Melville. We have identified two valuable target publics, Melvillers and Anti- Melvillers, to specifically reach in this campaign. Our entire campaign caters to these two publics by actively seeking to communicate with them through innovating and engaging tactics. The focus of the Brandy Melville campaign targets three primary trouble areas that are currently affecting the clothing line: expansion and exposure of the clothing line, changing the face of who wears Brandy Melville, and a large, unified social media presence. Forward PR plans to fix these trouble areas through targeted goals and key messages partnered with measurable objectives and tactics. Through innovative tactics and enactment materials, Forward PR will greatly increase awareness of Brandy Melville stores while improving the company image through its selfesteem programming. 6

7 SITUATION ANALYSIS Through our secondary and primary research we found three main trouble areas we will focus on improving through our campaign. 1. Expansion and Exposure While Brandy Melville is still considered to be in its first years of expansion in the United States, it has not been able to expand as quickly as the company hoped. In addition, the company also has only been located in a few metropolitan areas, namely New York City and Los Angeles. In order to gain the exposure they need to compete with similar clothing lines in the United States, they need to gain a wider presence with the their target audience, especially college-aged students attending metropolitan universities. 2. Changing the face of Brandy Melville In July 2012, a female Youtube user posted a video claiming that Brandy Melville hates fat people due to their small one-size-fits-all clothing. The video has been seen by over 160,000 people, and is prominently seen whenever the clothing line is googled. The company has now been tarnished by this reputation, and struggle to gain a wider audience because of the fear women have that the clothing line will not fit. It is necessary that Brandy Melville takes a stand against this accusation, and shows that they appreciate fashionable women of many sizes. 3. Large, unified social media presence Currently, the social media presence of the company is only seen through Facebook and Twitter, with neither being used to their fullest potential. Generally, the company s Facebook wall is saturated with which stores are currently hiring, a few images, and little conversation with those who have chosen to like the site. The Twitter page is not consistently updated, giving way to the higher possibility that the tweet may never reach their audience. The two social media platforms do not work in unison. Brandy Melville has to capitalize on the fact that their target buyer is present across nearly all social media STRENGTHS High quality clothes at an affordable price Unique shopping experience Strong following in cities with presence Established brand image Ease of shopping online WEAKNESSES Limited store locations leads to low brand awareness People s negative image of company Not enough social media presence Not a large target audience OPPORTUNITIES The financial ability to nationally expand physical store location Widen target market through proper marketing & new LOVE YOU line Create a more wide array of clothes for more body types THREATS Past shoppers backlash on social media sites The bad image being sent out by Not reaching all of our target publics Competitors with cheaper prices 7

8 GOALS, OBJECTIVES & TACTICS Goal 1:Increase the presence of Brandy Melville in the United States through opening five new retail store locations: Miami; Chicago; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, S.C.; Nashville, Tenn. OBJECTIVE 1: Increase US Retail Sales by 35% by January 2013, four months after grand opening events occur at new US store locations. TACTICS: Hold secret openings inviting only exclusive media contact for an inside look at each new locations. Five publics grand opening events throughout the September 2013 accompanied with: o Specific to location news releases. o Lucky Magazine pitch letter & giveaway offer o Exclusive coupons to customers o Media interviews with Silvio Marsan, Founder and Designer OBJECTIVE 2: Increase the awareness of Brandy Melville through campus representatives at universities in launch cities; requiring each rep to bring in a minimum of 250 new customers over four month period (September January 2014). TACTICS: Campus Rep. News Releases within University and Community newspapers Brandy Melville Campus Rep. Information sessions at surrounding universities. Sorority & female organization trunk shows to raise interest in position. 1 month training session within proper campus rep. marketing. Goal 2: Improve company image by changing the face of the typical Brandy Girl, by creating the new LOVE YOU OBJECTIVE 1: Improve company image through a partnership with Dove s movement for self-esteem program, launching the new LOVE YOU line and benchmarking donations to the program at least 15% of our sales by January TACTICS LOVE YOU line media kit sent out to prospective media outlets LOVE YOU line national news release Send survey prior to campaign and after campaign ends to access the before & after company image of Brandy Melville. OBJECTIVE 2: Create strong relationships with Melvillers and Anti-Melvillers target publics through 4 self-esteem programs within the first 4 months of the LOVE YOU line launch. TACTICS: Real model fashion shows in accordance with Dove s Movement for Self-Esteem program Peer mentoring program nights within Brandy Melville stores run by Brandy real models, employees, and a Dove representative. Open conversation with Brandy Melville 8

9 GOALS, OBJECTIVES & TACTICS Goal 3: Unify and Utilize Brandy Melville social media sites to promote the five new US grand openings. OBJECTIVE 1: Increase presence across Instagram, Tumblr, Vine, and Pinterest through our giveaway contest throughout the grand opening month, by doubling followers on all outlets. OBJECTIVE 2: Increase followers in grand opening locations by 25% creating specific to location social media outlets by September TACTICS: Grand opening month giveaway contest across social media outlets: o Instagram What Brandy do you rock in your city o Tumblr Fashion Logo Design o Vine 6 second Brandy Fashion Show o Pinterest Brandy Suitcase competition Syndicate all platforms together TACTICS: Specific to location Facebook pages announced through the main Brandy Melville Facebook site 15% off at each grand opening when customers like the specific to location Facebook pages in their city Syndicated all media outlets to Facebook & announcing giveaway contests on them as well. 9

10 TARGET PUBLICS MELVILLERS: Melvillers are consumers who already shop at Brandy Melville, or shop at Brandy Melville competitors. They are loyal consumers whether it be with Brandy Melville retail or with Brandy s competitors, such as Urban Outfitters. Melvillers have a specific style in which they value comfort yet a chic unique style that captures the essence of an LA girl with quality clothes at an affordable price. The Brandy girl is characterized as being free-spirited, daring and youthful young women. The target age group is between 16 to 25 years old. Many are in school at the moment or working entry level jobs, where they prefer to shop at Brandy due to the affordable prices. They are also known to keep updated with their favorite stores through social media. ANTI-MELVILLERS: Anti-Melvillers are consumers who have had a negative experience with Brandy Melville, have heard bad opinions about the brand or are completely unaware about the brand. They may feel discouraged by the one size fits most clothing size chart that discriminates a variety of body types. Along with this they may be unaware due to the lack of promotion, store locations and thus further. This public will be the most difficult to gain back and retain because we must change their bad opinion to a good opinion, or create a strong first impression with the unaware. These are also young women between the ages of 16 to 25, but have had a negative experience with the brand. KEY MESSAGES 1. Brandy Melville makes clothes for free-spirited, daring and youthful young women. 2. Brandy Melville is a lifestyle, not a brand. We envision our girls living their lives in clothes that express inner beauty and character. 3. Brandy Melville believes the best way to connect to our customers is through social media sites, making our company more accessible to Brandy girls across the world. 4. Brandy Melville is dedicated to bringing store locations closer to you, creating easier access to our lifestyle. 10

11 SECONDARY RESEARCH Negative Reputation and Demographic Issue: In our research we have gathered information leading us to the conclusion that Brandy Melville lacks greatly with their company blog, website, background history and information, their limited geographic locations and their one size fits all mentality. From the Brandy Melville Facebook page we have gathered information on the target demographics. They have 75,339 likes on their page and the most popular age group is years of age and the most popular city is Los Angeles. Brandy Melville s online presence is lacking, although, they do have a great social media presence. In relation to their website, they do not include any information or history about the company anywhere on the website. It was also very hard to find any history or information about the company on the web at all. They also lack presence in fashion magazines. There are many YouTube videos online that include complaints like how long it takes to receive packages from online orders and how they are not given tracking numbers from the website. The customers complained about trying to contact the company and sending s and not getting any replies. They also often have mix up with packages and send the wrong items to the wrong people. There were many findings online about complaints about customer service in the store. The major issue Brandy Melville faces is the negative feedback they have received from consumers on their one size fits all sizing. Many women have posted videos, blogs, comments, etc. saying how they feel discriminated by Brandy Melville because her one size fits all items generally only fit very petite women. In fact, one of the top sites that come up in Google when you search Brandy Melville is a YouTube video of a girl ranting about how Brandy Melville allegedly hates fat people. We want to work with Brandy Melville to give them a better reputation that supports young women and their self-esteem. According to a 2008 survey conducted by Mintel, a market-research firm, the most frequently worn size in America is a 14. This article from The NY Times talks about the current plus size clothing market and how it is becoming more prevalent. This is an area of the market that Brandy Melville not only excludes but also offends. According to the LA Times, Notable stores and brands like Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus, Forever 21 and H&M all offer plus size lines. This leads us to believe that Brandy Melville is missing out on a large portion of the market share. Geographic Issue: Not only has Brandy Melville limited themselves demographically, but also geographically. They will be unable to grow as a brand unless one of these changes Brandy Melville physical store locations are limited to only major cities 13 cities. All the stores are stationed in metropolitan cities, making it difficult for their target demographics to physically access their stores or clothes. We have selected five new cities to open Brandy Melville stores in to expand geographically. After conducting research on each city and target demographics we have come up with Chicago, Miami, Nashville, Tenn., Charleston, SC. and Austin, TX. 11

12 SECONDARY RESEARCH Austin, Texas: Austin, TX was named by Forbes as one of America s best cities for young adults ages According to Forbes, Austin s young adults take home an average salary of $43,000 (including entry-level salaries) and the cost of living isn't exorbitant as it is in some other hot spots that make the list. Austin s unemployment rate is ⅓ lower than the national average, and its economy is not struggling as much as the rest of the country. Young adults are consistently moving to Austin to pursue jobs, and companies continue to hire as well. This is a great location to target our demographic in because it is 10.6% young adults that have a disposable income to spend on clothes that are in their price range. Austin is also artistic, trendy, and urban which is the type of city Brandy Melville will succeed in. Austin also has many colleges near by including: University of Texas at Austin, St. Edwards University, Concordia University and Austin Community College. University of Texas at Austin is major target college because it has 52,2013 enrolled with 51% being young women. Located in 2nd Street District which is a trendy area located near Apparel stores and Boutiques including Urban Outfitters which shares our same targeted market, art galleries and music halls which are noted to be hangout for young hipsters. Nashville, Tennessee: Nashville was named one of Business Insider s: 15 Hottest American cities of the future. The list was compiled by looking at the following factors: job growth, population growth and demographics, affordability, livability, and the health and well being of the residents. It made the list due to its booming economy and being one of the fastest growing job markets in the U.S. Because of this boom in the job market, it would be expected that up-andcoming college students will make their way to Nashville following graduation. In addition to coming to Nashville following graduation, many females, ages 18-25, are in Nashville because they attended university there. The Nashville area has 21 accredited four-year and postgraduate institutions. Belmont University and Vanderbilt University are two found very close to downtown. The Nashville region is home to more than 100,000 students, with 60% choosing to stay in the area following graduation. Recently, a new up-and-coming area in Nashville was created, the Gulch. The Gulch claims itself to be a living urban community, with restaurants, nightlife and retail for the urban person. This neighborhood of Nashville would be a perfect place to find our targeted publics, because the current retail stores claim to sell the hottest trends and fashions. Stores such as Urban Outfitters and Apricot Lane are found in the Gulch. These stores target audiences similar to Brandy Melville. But Music City, like other places, now has to wrestle with demographic trends, including a generation of young millennials who often choose the city where they want to live first and the kind of work they ll do second. They want a sense of place, Glendening said, and that means companies in the fast-growing knowledge-based economy can t always put their offices in suburban office parks. This quote comes from a recent article in The Tennessean explaining how it is expected that Nashville will have one million new residents by One critical growth will come from the demographic that they are calling young millennials. This is the target public we want to be reaching out to. According to the 2010 US Census, 15.1% of the Nashville population is between the ages of 20 to 29. The age bracket of 0-19 includes 27.6% of the population, which was the largest demographic percentage. 75.7% of the population is white, 16.1% is African American. The overall average cost of living in Nashville is 10.2% less than the national average. This means that living in Nashville as a female, ages 18-25, is easier financially than other major U.S. cities. This makes the city even more appealing more our targeted market. 12

13 SECONDARY RESEARCH Charleston, South Carolina: King Street is a well-known street in Charleston, SC. where all the local shopping is. They have high-end designer stores and boutiques as well as food and other moderately priced shopping. Brandy Melville would fit very well in this location because of the atmosphere. It is very young and hip and right in the center of Charleston s tourist area. Charleston is a mid size city. The population is 120,000 people. This excludes the amount of tourist that travel to South Carolina for the beautiful weather and beaches it has to offer. Charleston has approximately 60,000 women according to the census bureau of The median resident age is 32 but this number excludes the Universities in the surrounding area. Charleston has warm weather most of the year with little snowfall. This weather is similar to LA where Brandy Melville started. The clothing and demographics of the type of people Brandy Melville targets is similar to the type of people who reside and travel to Charleston. Brandy Melville is not yet located in the south and would help broaden the stores availability as well as the name. College of Charleston is located in the center of Charleston. There are 7,000 girls that attend College of Charleston. The college is 70% girls and Greek life is very prevalent there. Charleston is known to have skinny girls with beach bodies according to most college websites. These girls would fit the clothes that Brandy Melville carries as well as promote the name. Charleston also includes: Virginia College, Art Institute, ECPI University, Strayer University and Southern Institute. Miami, Florida: Miami is a very large city located in Southern Florida. It has a population of 5.5 million people in the Miami metro area, according to census bureau of Miami was also ranked 7th best city in the US for fashion, entertainment and culture. The city also features, the Port of Miami, where 4.3 million people travel every year to set sail on cruises. Miami is a very large tourist area for young people and has become more popular over the last few years. 38 million people travel to Miami per year for tourism spending almost 17 billion dollars. Miami also has 200,000 college students with more than 14 Universities. The climate in Miami is warm with short winters. This fits Brandy Melville perfectly because it has similar weather to LA and other place in California that Brandy Melville has stores. They have outdoor and indoor shopping malls and many different areas where we could potentially place stores. Miami was ranked 5th biggest city for purchasing power: the amount of goods and service that can be purchased. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago was rated by Kiplinger as one of the 10 great cities for young adults. It has strong salaries, a large population (14% of which are in our direct target market), lower rent than cities such as New York and an average cost of living make Chicago a great location for a new Brandy Melville Store. The city also welcomes millions of visitors each and every year that contribute to retail revenues for the city. Chicago had million visitors in 2011.The North-side Chicago neighborhoods are hot spots for young adults. This includes the South loop, Lakeview, Hyde Park, Rogers Park, Lincoln Park, West Town, Near North Side and Logan Square/Bucktown. Chicago is home to stores such as Zara and Topshop, which are mainly European chains, but have opened single stores in the city and have been very successful. Bucktown specifically is home to stores such as Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, which have similar price points and target markets as Brandy Melville. Other stores located in Bucktown include: Akira, American Apparel, Scoop NYC, Urban Outfitters, Joe s Jeans, BCBG, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Steve Madden. These stores all share a similar target public as Brandy Melville. Chicago also has many colleges around the city. These include: DePaul University, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Chicago, Northwestern, Roosevelt University, Columbia College, Loyola University Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology. 13

14 PRIMARY RESEARCH Focus Group Forward PR will be conducting a focus group of females, ages to discuss their current knowledge and opinions of Brandy Melville, and what it means to them to shop at the store or wear the line. In addition, we hope to find out more information on where else they shop, including competitors, what they look for in a clothing line today, and where they hope the Brandy Melville line will go. Our hope is to gain a better idea of the current image of the company, and what is expected of a clothing company today. The members of the focus group will be selected from malls in areas that we are hoping to expand to, as well as currently have presence in. We expect to have 3 focus groups of 10 females each week. The focus group sessions will happen in weeks 8 and 9 of the campaign, prior to major developments in the campaign. Survey Aside from the focus group, Forward PR will also be handing out surveys at malls to females, ages The survey will be taken at the mall, and should not take an individual more than 10 minutes to complete. The survey will be used in order to gain a better understanding of our target audiences. The survey asks of general information about Brandy Melville, as well as whom the company may consider to be competitors. For survey questions please see page 62. BUDGET Our final budget is $1,235,525. The implementation of these tactics are costly, however, the expenses of not performing this campaign would be even more problematic. The purpose of this campaign is to improve the awareness and acceptance of Brandy Melville in new store communities along with create stronger relationships with our target publics, Melvillers and Anti- Melvillers. We predict these tactics will build awareness leading to acceptance and ultimately leading to consumer s action of purchasing Brandy Melville products. All of our enactment materials were carefully chosen with these goals in mind. This campaign will not only expand throughout the country it but will also inspire our consumers to love themselves and widen the definition of beauty within the fashion world. We feel these campaign efforts will essentially enhance Brandy Melville's brand image overall and increase brand loyalty, leading to increase in Return on Investment. See page 51 for full budget. TIMELINE The Brandy Melville campaign will occur over an eight month period, lasting from January 2013 to October See pages

15 EVALUATION Monitor Brandy Melville's sales before and after the Dove campaign: We will obtain a record of the average monthly sales of US stores that have been open for at least five years. After we launch the Dove campaign to announce our partnership, we will start a new record of sales at the same stores. This will be useful when analyzing how beneficial our partnership with Dove has influenced our brand reputation through merchandise sales. Monitor Brandy Melville's Facebook traffic: We will keep track of the Brandy Melville Facebook statistics to see if there has been an increase in traffic to the page, or an increase in shares. This will be useful in analyzing how much of an increase we have generated since we started the new Brandy Melville campaign. Monitor Brandy Melville's Pinterest re-pins: We will keep track of the number of likes, hashtag utilization and re-pins we receive on Pinterest. This will allow us to see which products are being shared and are most appreciated by our followers. This will be useful in analyzing how much interest we have generated since we created the Pinterest account, as well as which products and styles our consumers find the most favorable. Monitor Brandy Melville's Twitter activity: We will keep track of the amount of followers, favorites, hashtag utilization and retweets our twitter account generates. This will allow us to see which promotions and events our followers are most interested in, as well as how much our brand awareness has increased. Monitor Brandy Melville's Vine activity: Record number of followers on Vine, revines, likes and comments. We will track the number of followers, which will allow us to see which products are being shared most by our followers. This will be useful in analyzing how much interest we have generated since we created the Pinterest account as well as which products and styles our consumers find the most favorable. Monitor Brandy Melville's Tumblr account: We will record the number of followers, hashtag utilization, likes and re-blogs on our Tumblr account. Monitor Brandy Melville's Instagram account: We will record the number of followers, likes per photo, hashtags and mentions on our Instagram account. This will be useful in analyzing the brand's increased awareness, as well as what outfits and styles our followers like the most. Monitor Brandy Melville's account: We will keep track of the sales before the announcement and discount s are sent out to Brandy Melville customers. After we send the s out, we will record the number of customers that used the coupons attached to the s. We will also take a general record of merchandise revenue to monitor the increase of sales after the announcement s. 15

16 Brandy Melville Company Info 16

17 Backgrounder FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 3, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Amy Hirth Public Relations Director (847) What is Brandy Melville style? Brandy Melville style ranges from loose fitting off- shoulder tees, to soft angora sweaters and stylish dresses, skirts and tops. Women of every age can find something at Brandy Melville to fit their style, closet and budget. Brandy Melville represents classic Italian fashion elements, combined with vintage details. Made in Italy stands for quality, where every detail is carefully examined. The typical Brandy Girl is feminine with an urban twist, young at heart, active, tough stylish and chic in an effortless way. How can I shop Brandy Melville? Come drop in to one of our fifty stores across Europe! For our USA shoppers, we have stores across California and one in store in Honolulu. Not near where you live? We are opening five stores across the country every Saturday over the course of five weeks, starting in Chicago September 7. Store openings in Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston; S.C.; Miami; and Austin, Texas, will follow. We also have an easy to use and order website with much of our line featured. Shipping is free on orders over $100. How can I get more involved with the brand? We love our loyal customers, so we provide you with the opportunity to get the inside scoop on all things Brandy with our constant communication on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr. Another way to get involved with the brand is to become a campus representative. Campus representatives are responsible for marketing Brandy and hosting/advertising in- store promotions and events. If you are in a sorority, we also host sisterhood events at all of our store locations with discounts available! Who is Brandy Melville? The name Brandy Melville is actually inspired by two people. Brandy, an American girl, fell in love with Melville, an English man. A mutual friend of the couple, named Silvio Marsan, founded the Brandy Melville brand. Marsan started his career 30 years ago producing merchandise for numerous famous Italian brands. Marsan s son, Stefan, opened the first Brandy Melville store 15 years ago. Stefan Marsan and friend Jessy Longo decided to bring Brandy Melville to the United States together in If the brand is made in Italy, how can I afford it? Brandy Melville is focused on being affordable and trendy. Although the merchandise is made in Italy, the US stores seek to find a middle ground with customers, adapting both prices and clothing styles to the American shopper. 17

18 Fact Sheet FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 3, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Amy Hirth Public Relations Director (847) Italian clothing brand that sells bottoms, tops, tanks, knits, graphic tops, dresses, intimates and accessories Current store locations include New York City, Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona, London, Brussels, Vancouver, Toronto, Santa Monica, Honolulu, San Francisco and San Diego The first store opened in Rome, Italy in 1970, since then the brand has expanded to over 50 stores Locations opening across the United States every Saturday over the course of five weeks in Chicago Nashville, Tenn.; Charleston; S.C.; Miami; and Austin, Texas Focus on affordable and trendy clothing, price point ranges from $4 to $75 Most of Brandy Melville s clothing is one- size- fits- all Inspired by a laid back California style ranging from loose fitting off- shoulder tees, to angora sweaters, dresses, skirts and tops Celebrity clients include the Kardashians, Ashley Benson, Audrina Patridge, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Karlie Kloss, Megan Fox, Selena Gomez and many others Brandy Melville facilitates a campus representative program in their United States stores, providing college students with the opportunity to gain marketing, advertising and management experience Brandy Melville will close their store to host sorority sisterhood events, and provides the sisters with exclusive discounts Strong online shopping presence, provides shoppers with free shipping on orders over $100 (before tax) on all orders within the United States 18

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20 Campus Representatives Justification: By creating a campus representatives program, Brandy Melville will be able to better understand and target its key demographic. Campus representatives will assist the store managers in spreading the word about new store openings, creating and executing marketing plans, creating buzz on campus about Brandy events as well as keeping the store managers informed on campus organizations and events. This program will aid both the reps, who gain real world experience in marketing and advertising, as well as Brandy Melville, who will gain first hand insight into the lives of their target customers. The initiative also has low long term costs, as the campus representatives will work on a volunteer basis. The campus representatives will foster a relationship between Brandy stores and local college students. 20

21 664 South Santa Fe Avenue Los Angeles, CA News Release FOR IMMEADIATE RELEASE April 15, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Abby Strawser Director of Media Relations Brandy Melville announces Campus Representative contest NASHVILLE Brandy Melville, the fashion company that is set to open a new location in downtown Nashville on Sept. 14, announced that the company is holding a contest to elect a campus representative out of local university students. The city of Nashville is full of fashion excellence and interesting trends, said Stephan Marsan, CEO of Brandy Melville. We are excited to have this southern city s strong influence on our upcoming spring collections. The contest will run throughout the month of May, and the winners will be announced on June 1. University students selected as campus representatives will gain real world experience and the opportunity to work closely with Brandy Melville professionals, helping in aspects of public relations, marketing and merchandising. Campus representatives will be viewed in the community as extensions of the brand, and will be a representative for their peers. The hope is that the campus representative will be vital in helping select upcoming seasonal trends and fashion. 21

22 If students are interested in applying for this position, they should apply by ing their resume and a cover letter to CampusReps@BrandyMelville.com. Our hope is that this contest will allow bright and talented young women to show off their knowledge and understanding for today s fashion, and celebrate what the city of Nashville is about, said Marsan. Campus representatives will be selected from various Nashville universities. Additional information about the contest and Brandy Melville can be found on their website, as well as at their Facebook and Twitter pages. ### 22

23 Dove Partnership Justification: The LOVE YOU line is created in partnership with the Dove Movement for Self Esteem. This partnership allows Brandy Melville to take on the social initiative of creating positive self-esteem programming for young women and their consumers. The one size fits most motto and petite size chart has received negative backlash from the target public group, Anti-Melvillers. This line offers this target public one size fits all clothes-featuring material that fits a wide array of body types. Furthermore, the LOVE YOU line creates an intimate relationship with its shoppers through intimate tactics such as peer mentoring, self-esteem workshops, and the real model fashion shows. We hope this partnership with Dove will aid in the Anti-Melvillers to accept the 23 Brandy Melville brand.

24 PRESENTS LOVE YOU LINE: YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: Duis Sed Sapien Nunc Et Orci Morbi Posuere Page 3 Page 5 24

25 Why Dove? Dove s mission is to make more women feel beautiful every day by widening the definition of beauty and inspiring them to take great care of themselves. Dove s partnership with Brandy Melville expands its mission directly into the fashion world, where several young women s self esteem is dismantled by the unrealistic prototypes. The LOVE YOU line will reflect Dove s and Brandy Melville s mission to encourage shoppers to embrace their unique beauty as well as create positive programming. Inspiring Young Women Boosting selfesteem BENEFITS OF BRANDY MELVILLE LOVE YOU LINE: 25% of every LOVE YOU line purchase goes directly to the Dove Self Esteem Fund Creates positive self-esteem programming within the fashion world Breaks fashion stereotypes while inviting people young women to join the global conversation about the need for a wider definition of beauty Expands the Dove Movement beyond the 4.8 million girls that have already been reached 25

26 LET S GET REAL PROGRAMMING Let s Get Real Programming consists of inspiring young women through unique and interactive experiences with Brandy Melville LOVE YOU line in partnership with the Dove Movement for Self Esteem. REAL YOUNG WOMEN MODELING: Brandy Melville LOVE LINE is looking for real young women of all sizes and ethnicities to model the new line. We want young women who are passionate about the mission behind the LOVE YOU line that will emulate the power of real beauty and be mentors to our shoppers. SEASONAL FUNDRAISING FASHION SHOWS: Every season, each store will host a fashion show with real young women modeling. The fashion show will raise funds for the Dove Movement for Self Esteem. The Let s Get Real programming will aid young women in empowering one another and raising their selfesteem in a positive manner. MISSION STATEMENT: Encourage young women to widen the definition of beauty while breaking the boundaries within the fashion world by empowering them to partner together and challenge unrealistic stereotypes within the fashion world while creating meaningful relationships among the Brandy Melville community and raising awareness about self-esteem issues worldwide. SELF ESTEEM MENTORING: The mentor program includes young women empowering one another through a partnering system. The mentoring also includes monthly seminars at each store with motivational speakers, presentations and others. EMPOWER ONE ANOTHER-LOVE ONE ANOTHER-LOVE YOURSELF 26

27 D LOVE YOU line mini look-book: All the pieces in LOVE YOU line reflect the power of loving yourself through the symbols of the heart and infinity symbol. Every time you put on a LOVE YOU line piece we want to remind you how great and unique all our shoppers are and importantly how they should embrace their unique beauty and continue to break the boundaries of the fashion world and its unrealistic stereotypes. CLOTHING: Love yourself, dress yourself B C E 27 F

28 664 South Santa Fe Avenue Los Angeles, CA Stacie Bright Unilever 800 Sylvan Avenue Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Ms. Bright: Brandy Melville & Dove Movement for Self- Esteem. We both stand for the same thing; we both strive for the same goal. We want women to feel beautiful and know that they are beautiful. As a member of the Brandy Melville team, I ask you to consider teaming up with our clothing line to promote the new LOVE YOU line we are coming out with this summer. This line is designed to defy the limits of what is considered beautiful in fashion today. Instead, the LOVE YOU line wants to make all women feel beautiful. A collaboration between Dove and Brandy Melville means we work to tackle to change the face of fashion and change the image of what is beautiful. Our hope is that this partnership will help girls realize what it means to be confident. Through the LOVE YOU line and campaign, Brandy Melville wants Dove to bring in their ideas of what it means to be confident and beautiful in your own skin, and translate those ideas to fashion. It is real fashion for real women who feel real confident in their own skin. In addition to the creation of the line, we plan to hold a fashion show to display the line, and provide women with advice on real beauty sponsored by you. Please let us know if you are interested in this partnership. I will call you on Thursday, March 21, to answer any additional questions you may have and to discuss in further details the ideas Brandy Melville has for this collaboration. If you have any questions before that time, please feel free to call me at Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to speaking with you soon! Sincerely, Abby Strawser Abby Strawser Public Relations Director Miami University strawsa@brandymelville.com 28

29 News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 2, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jamie Hackbarth Forward PR Media Relations Brandy Melville & Dove Movement for Self- Esteem introduce LOVE YOU clothing line LOS ANGELES - Brandy Melville, an intercontinental retailer, has unveiled its LOVE YOU line in partnership with the Dove Movement for Self Esteem. The product line is dedicated to raising funds to provide positive self- esteem programming for young women globally. Brandy Melville is known for its one size fits most clothing line. We have seen shoppers leave our store discouraged about themselves and we wanted to change that for the better, said Sarah Vaughn, Customer Relations Director at Brandy Melville. The LOVE YOU line differs from the regular Brandy Melville clothing line by offering a wider range of clothing types made of flexible material to cater to a variety of body types. 25 percent of LOVE YOU line purchases goes directly to the Dove Movement for Self- Esteem to create positive programming for young women. The Dove Movement for Self Esteem has already reached 4.8 million girls through its programming and its partnership with Brandy Melville expands its mission into the fashion world. Our partnership with Brandy Melville allows our mission to directly tackle issues within the fashion world and the unrealistic stereotypes that discourage young women s self esteem daily. We think the LOVE YOU line is a great way to inspire young women to widen the definition of beauty while breaking the boundaries within the fashion world, said Christopher Prinkett, Director of Media Relations at Dove Movement for Self Esteem. 29

30 The LOVE YOU line is being introduced in accordance with a five- store expansion throughout the United States. Buy Brandy Melville LOVE YOU line at or vendors near you. ### 30

31 Grand Opening Press Releases 31

32 News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2013 CONTACT: Stephanie Filardo Media Relations Director (401) Brandy Melville Announces Austin Store Grand Opening Event AUSTIN Clothing outfitter Brandy Melville is set to launch the last of five new store locations next week in downtown Austin. Austin s grand opening wraps up the openings of Brandy Melville s five new US locations. The event will feature catering from PINK Avocado, discounts on clothing and a special performance by pop sensation Selena Gomez. Celebrations of the new location in the trendy 2 nd Street Distract will begin at 9 am on Oct. 5. The launch of these new stores comes in an effort to make Brandy Melville more accessible to shoppers in its key demographic. Brand Melville already has over 50 successful locations in Europe, but has only a select few in the United States. They feel confident in a push to bring more store locations to the US, especially in areas where teens and young women are proven to live. Austin, Texas was named one of the best cities for people ages to live. The city also has the trendy, artistic and urban stores that Melville locations tend to flourish in. Selena Gomez, a Texas native and longtime fan of the Brandy Melville brand, is set to perform at each of the store locations during the grand opening week. Gomez stated that, Brandy Melville sends a message to young girls that it is important to feel confident, empowered and free. That is a message I support. I look forward to the opportunity to bring this lifestyle and brand to the attention of young women. 32

33 Brandy Melville founder, Silvio Marsan, decided that after the success of US store locations in New York and California, as well as high traffic e- commerce that the brand had the impact to expand to more US locations. He stated that, Brandy Melville wants to be more accessible to our American customers. Cities such as Austin are teeming with the trendy, hip and young girl that often purchase our brand. This event is a special opportunity for our customers to get to know Brandy Melville as a lifestyle, not as a clothing company. ### 33

34 Fact Sheet FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 3, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Forward PR Media Relations Brandy Melville & Dove Movement for Self- Esteem introduce LOVE YOU clothing line What: Brandy Melville has unveiled it LOVE YOU clothing line in partnership with the Dove Movement for Self- Esteem. The product line is dedicated to raising funds to provide positive self- esteem programming for young women globally. Who: Where: The LOVE YOU line partnership between Brandy Melville and the Dove Movement for Self Esteem to encourage young women to widen the definition of beauty within the fashion world while creating positive self- esteem programming. Brandy Melville locations, brandymelville.com and at any Dove Movement for Self Esteem event. When: The LOVE YOU line is being unveiled the week of September 7, Why: We have seen shoppers leave our store discouraged about themselves and we wanted to change that for the better. - Sarah Vaughn, Customer Relations Director, Brandy Melville Our partnership with Brandy Melville allows our mission to directly tackle issues within the fashion world and the unrealistic stereotypes that discourage young women s self esteem daily. We think the LOVE YOU line is a great way to inspire young women to widen the definition of beauty while breaking the boundaries within the fashion world. - Christopher Prinkett, Director of Media Relations, Dove Movement for Self Esteem. ### 34

35 News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Carleigh Thalmann Director of Public Relations Brandy Melville grand store opening in Charleston, S.C. NASHVILLE, Tenn. Brandy Melville will be hosting a grand opening event in light of their new store located in downtown Charleston, S.C. on Sept. 21, The event will include a special performance by pop sensation Selena Gomez, catering, special edition clothing lines, and exclusive deals. This event is a way for us to bring the trendy and affordable clothes of Brandy Melville to the girls of Charleston. We invite in our current customers and new customers to come shop, eat, hang out and see what we have in store. While shopping exclusively in our brand new store one can also enjoy a performance and meet and greet by actress and singer, Selena Gomez, who is an avid shopper and icon at Brandy Melville. In a recent article Gomez said, I love shopping at Brandy Melville! The clothes are cute, trendy, comfortable and affordable. There will be an assortment of food and beverages provided by ADCT Catering. We will also be featuring exclusive items that will only be featured at this event. We are offering special discounts and contests for the grand opening by interacting with our social media pages in different ways. By logging on to Facebook, liking and sharing our Brandy Melville Nashville Grand Opening page, one will receive a 10 percent discount to be redeemed at the event. Customers also have the opportunity to participate in our Instagram competition, What -over- 35

36 Page 2 of 2- Brandy Melville Grand Opening Brandy piece do you rock in your city? One week before the opening customers simply Instagram a photo of themselves in their favorite Brandy Melville item anywhere in the city and tag it #BrandyMelvilleCharleston. At the end of the week a winner will be chosen to receive a $100 shopping spree at the new store and their photo will be featured in the store. Brandy Melville is not only opening a store in Charleston. but they are expanding into numerous locations all over the country. This month we will also be throwing Grand openings in our newest locations including Chicago, Nashville Tenn., Miami and Austin, Texas. To find out more about the Grand Opening or our company visit our website and or Facebook page About Brandy Melville Brandy Melville is originally an Italian brand, inspired by the L.A. lifestyle. The style is identified as refined and fashionable yet relaxed. Brandy Melville represents classic Italian fashion elements, combined with vintage details. Made in Italy stands for quality, where every detail is carefully examined. The typical Brandy Girl is feminine with an urban twist, young at heart, active, tough stylish and chic in an effortless way. The Brandy Melville style ranges from loose fitting off-shoulder tees, to soft angora sweaters and stylish dresses, skirts and tops. Women of every age can find something at Brandy Melville to fit their style, closet and budget. With shops throughout the European Union and in the major US cities, Brandy & Melville has become a worldwide phenomenon. Satisfying the customer is a priority within the concept of Brandy Melville. ### 36

37 News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 2, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jamie Hackbarth Forward PR Media Relations Brandy Melville undergoes US national expansion LOS ANGELES - Throughout the month of September, Brandy Melville is unveiling five boutiques in Miami; Chicago; Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas; and Charleston, S.C. With currently only ten store locations in the US and we wanted to expand to cities with a high demand where shoppers have been begging for a physical Brandy location, said Sarah Vaughn, Customer Relations Director at Brandy Melville. Each grand opening includes a fashion show revealing the new LOVE YOU clothing line in partnership with the Dove Movement for Self Esteem dedicated to raising funds for positive self- esteem programming for young women. The fashion shows also includes real young women modeling along with a musical performance by Selena Gomez. Silvio Marsan who founded the brand in Rome, Italy, will be at each grand opening to welcome each community into Brandy Melville s doors. My goal with this expansion is to sustain the interpersonal boutique atmosphere at each new location by creating and maintaining unique relationships with our new shoppers and especially the surrounding community, said Marsan. The grand opening events continue throughout the month of September. We have a bundle of exciting giveaway contests going on during our national expansion month through our 37

38 social media outlets. One even includes one lucky winner the chance to fill up their Brandy Suitcase and jet off to their dream vacation spot, said Vaughn. Follow Brandy Melville on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr to learn more about the national expansion along with the giveaway contests. Buy Brandy Melville at vendors near you or ### 38

39 Photo Opportunity FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 3, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Amy Hirth Public Relations Director (847) Brandy Melville store opening fashion show Chicago s Bucktown neighborhood will welcome Italian fashion brand, Brandy Melville, to their shopping district on Sept. 7 at 7 pm. The evening will feature a fashion show for bloggers and columnist to get a first look at the collection. Throughout the evening, there will be food and beverages available. The night will serve as the kick off event for Brandy Melville s countrywide expansion. What: Who: When: Where: Why: Italian fashion brand Brandy Melville will kick off its US expansion with the opening of the Bucktown store. The opening will feature food, cocktails and a fashion show featuring the Brandy Melville fall collection. Brandy Melville comes to the Bucktown neighborhood not only as the first store in Chicago, but also as the first in the Midwest. Fashion bloggers and columnists will be invited to the opening night fashion show, featuring local models, to get a first look at the fall collection. The event will be held on Sept. 7, beginning at 7 pm in the evening, according to Stephanie Braxton, Brandy Melville event coordinator. Brandy Melville Bucktown store, 1531 N. Damien Ave. Brandy Melville is the perfect addition to the Bucktown shopping district. A line that features trendy pieces at affordable prices is the ideal brand for the young, hip population of this Chicago neighborhood. Jessica Frank, Store Manager, Brandy Melville Bucktown ### 39

40 News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 1, 2013 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Amy Hirth Public Relations Director (847) Brandy Melville announces Bucktown store opening CHICAGO Popular Italian fashion brand, Brandy Melville, will be opening a store in Bucktown, 1531 N. Damien Ave., next week. Brandy Melville has stores across Europe and three in Calif., however, the Chicago store will be the first in the Midwest. Brandy Melville is perfect because you don't need to break the bank to look cute and trendy, says Natalie Watson, a style council for Seventeen Magazine. The Chicago store will be the first of five store openings that will occur across the United States each Saturday for the next month. The opening of Brandy Melville stores in Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas and Charleston, S.C. will follow. The store will feature a complete Brandy Melville line including bottoms, tanks, tops, knits, graphic tops, dresses, intimates and accessories. With a primary customer base of year olds, Brandy Melville will be a logical fit with the Bucktown shopping district and resident demographic. Brandy Melville, a favorite amongst bloggers and fashionistas alike, is soon to be latest addition in the Bucktown shopping district. The brand is known for their soft fabrics and loose fitting clothes, making the pieces perfect for layering. The price point at the store is considerably -more- 40

41 lower than most other brand carriers, says Cassy Johnson blogger for Contrast. Page 2 of 2- Brandy Melville Chicago Brandy Melville will be hosting an invitation only pre-opening night event to give a first look at the store and the brand Sept. 7, About Brandy Melville Brandy Melville is an Italian fashion brand, popular among young adult women and featured on many fashion blogs. The Brandy Melville style ranges from loose fitting off-shoulder tees, to soft angora sweaters and stylish dresses, skirts and tops. The brand focuses on providing trendy styles at affordable prices. Currently there are stores throughout the European Union and in major world capitals and cities. ### 41

42 Grand Opening Pitches d 42

43 August 28, 2013 Amy Creyer Fashion Blogger Chicago Street Style Chicago, IL Dear Ms. Creyer: Brandy Melville will be hosting a press only opening night, Sept. 7 at 7 pm at their brand new Bucktown store, 1531 N. Damien Ave. This is the kickoff event for Brandy Melville s US expansion. Starting Sept. 7, Brandy Melville will be opening a store in a new location every Saturday over the course of a month. After the opening in Chicago, openings in Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas and Charleston; S.C. will follow. The opening night event is invite only for media, fashion experts and photographers based in the Chicago area. There will be a fashion show revealing Brandy Melville s fall collection, as well as a surprise feature from Brandy s 2014 resort collection. We are offering an exclusive behind the scenes look at the 2014 resort collection to Chicago Street Style. The first look of Brandy s 2014 resort collection will spark the interest of Chicago Street Style readers because they are women who are consistently tracking the latest trends in the Chicago fashion industry. A piece featuring photos of the collection, as well as an interview with Brandy Melville founder Silvio Marsan, would fit well with Chicago Street Style s blogroll section. The Brandy Melville brand fits well with the content featured on Chicago Street Style as it is serves as a way for young women to remain on trend without going over budget. I will be in touch Monday, Sept. 2, to discuss possible interview times with Silvio Marsan, founder of Brandy Melville, as well as a time to view the collection. Photos and video of the collection will be available prior to the event. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Amy Hirth Public Relations Director Brandy Melville hirthaj@brandymelvillepr.com 43

44 February 27, 2013 Emily Laurence Seventeen Magazine 300 W. 57th St. 17th Fl. New York, NY Dear Ms. Laurence, Brandy Melville is a unique one size fits all clothing brand that is extremely affordable. Our clothing fits the demographic of young teens that enjoy quality and stylish clothing with a chic personality. This American based company has expanded to various metropolitan cities as a way of becoming more accessible to our consumers. Demographic statistics gathered from recently conducted surveys show that frequent Brandy Melville consumers read Seventeen Magazine for fashion tips. Brandy Melville s spring collection reflects upon the style and personality represented in Seventeen Magazine. Forward PR has chosen Seventeen Magazine to represent Brandy Melville in an upcoming issue on spring fashion trends. Forward PR provides celebrities and models that would appeal to the consumers of Seventeen Magazine. If you decide to represent Brandy Melville clothing in your spring issue, we will gladly list you under the press section of our website. In the meantime please visit, I look forward to speaking with you. Sincerely, Stephanie Dionisi Community Manager Forward PR dionisse@miamioh.edu 44

45 July 1, 2013 Ms. Lynette Pone McIntyre Senior Fashion Market Editor Lucky Magazine New York, NY Dear Ms. Pone McIntyre: Brandy Melville is expanding nationally, starting in Chicago, and will be opening a new store every Saturday over the course of the month in Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas and Charleston; S.C. Each grand opening includes a fashion show revealing the special edition clothing line paired with a performance by musical sensation Selena Gomez. Brandy Melville will then welcome their new customers into the world of a unique and personal experience. Silvio Marsan, who founded the brand in Rome, Italy will be at each grand opening to introduce his special edition clothing lines catered uniquely for each boutique s location. He is willing to share the mastery of perfectly collaborating European and American fashion styles into a one size fits most versatile clothing brand that is effortlessly chic, affordably priced and yet still retains the aspect of high quality Italian retail. Silvio may even divulge the unknown love story of how Brandy Melville came to be. Brandy Melville is interested in contributing to the Lucky Breaks giveaway section. During the possible featured month, Brandy Melville is willing to giveaway an outfit a day along with a promotional code exclusively for Lucky readers. Brandy Melville s national boutique expansion would be an ideal feature story for Lucky magazine. The Brandy girl is characterized as feminine with an urban twist, young at heart, active, tough, stylish and chic in an effortless way and is a reflection of Lucky readers and their interests. We re offering this enthusing Brandy Melville experience exclusively to Lucky Magazine. I can assure you that Silvio would cooperate fully with any writers or photographers you would assign. We also could help you arrange interviews with anyone else who works for Brandy Melville. Please just let know how we might help. My direct phone line is I will call Wednesday, July 8 to see if I might be of any help on the possible feature about Brandy Melville. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Jamie Hackbarth PR Director Brandy Melville Retail jhackbarth@brandymelville.com 45

46 Social Media Plan 46

47 Social Media Plan for Brandy Melville Boutique Expansion Public #1: The public to be reached is the potential consumers in the 5 cities where Brandy Melville is opening boutiques. These include 5 geographical consumer groups in Chicago, Miami, Nashville, Tenn., Austin, Texas and Charleston, S.C. The European founded, Brandy Melville boutiques are expanding throughout the United States while sustaining the boutique atmosphere by catering specifically to each location. Brandy Melville s target public is young women between the ages of 16 and 25. This age group consists of high- school students, college students and young entry- level employees. Although each subgroup of the age demographic varies in lifestyle their shopping behaviors are very similar due to their generational influences. These target publics are members of Generation Y and use social media as a main research tool before they make their purchasing decisions. 48 percent of Gen Y- ers say that word of mouth has the most influence of their product purchases, and this is mostly through product ratings and recommendation from peers or friends on a brand s Facebook or Twitter page. Also they are 53 percent more likely to explore brands before making a purchase compared to other generations. Members of generation Y, are influenced into liking, sharing and researching brands or products due to their constant connectedness to the Internet whether its via laptop or mobile. These vital statistics show how their shopping behavior and social media usage influence one another: 66% would look up a store after learning their friend had checked in at its location 43% have liked more than 20 brands on Facebook, 7 71% report liking a brand on Facebook just to receive an offer. Other than Facebook, women in this age group dominate the user demographics on Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr. These women shared that they are willing to embrace brands and retailers presence on social media outlets in moderation and will engage in conversation if willing. Goals: We wish to create a sustainable brand image in each unique community while building a strong interactive conversation across several social media platforms with our local consumer base enabling them to share their Brandy experiences with others. In turn, our engaging interaction with our shoppers will hopefully develop a lasting loyalty to the Brandy Melville brand and continued shopping support throughout the coming years in each new community. Objectives: #1: To accelerate awareness of our new boutique location among local potential consumers and increase sales on a weekly basis in first month of opening through engaging consumers through social media and creating a memorable shopping experience. #2: To develop consumers awareness of the various social media platforms where they can share their Brandy Melville experiences with friends, colleagues and peers, and can inspire them to look into the brand, or visit their local boutique within the first two months of the opening and/or encourage them to join in a conversation on one of Brandy Melville s social media platforms. 47

48 Strategic Messages: The local consumers near the five new Brandy Melville boutique locations are given the opportunity to enjoy the unique retail, atmosphere, customer service and overall shopping experience partnered with a Brandy Melville boutique. In- store shoppers will be individually catered to based on their personal wants and needs. Brandy Melville goes beyond the in- store purchases and creates a conversation with their shoppers through various engaging social media platforms. Brandy shoppers are encouraged daily through Brandy Melville s social media outlets to channel their inner fashionista through competitions, dialogue with Brandy designers and daily fun fashion tips among many other engaging activities. Tactics: Specific to Location Facebook Pages: We propose launching five Facebook pages for each new Brandy Melville boutique in which consumers, fans or interested fashionistas can access the boutique location s information and interactively engage with their local boutique. The Facebook pages would be catered to the local consumers where the store managers and employees can directly interact with their consumers and answers any questions or concerns they have. The specific location Facebook pages allow each boutique to post their unique deals, sales and items in which they are restricted from doing on the main Brandy Melville Facebook page. Guest posts by Silvio Marhan, founder and designer of Brandy Melville, would attract and engage consumers and fashionistas into the Brandy Melville world. Each Facebook page will publish a daily fun fashion tip catered for their city location with reference to local events, hot- spots, etc. where they shoppers can potentially utilize their Brandy Melville fashion tips. This creates a more intimate brand image with their local consumers because the brand is illustrating community awareness of what events are going on and encourages their shoppers to get involved as well. An array of social media shopping competitions: After the grand opening of each location there will be a weekly shopping competition on a different social media outlet. We will utilize Instagram, Tumblr, Vine and Pinterest as our social media platforms because women in our target public dominate these user demographics. The various weekly competitions will begin the week following the grand opening (beginning April 4). Each weekly competition will be announced on the main Brandy Melville website and Facebook page partnered with specific to location announcements on each boutique Facebook pages. Each competition will vary from clothes, fashion, design, and more in which each consumer can engage with their Brandy Melville items, designs and new boutique in an interactive way. *Look at timeline for specific competition details* Timeline: Week 1: Two weeks before the grand openings announce across all main Brandy Melville USA social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Website, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.) the unveiling of 5 boutiques nationally in 5 mystery locations. 48

49 Week 2: One week before the grand opening announce the 5 boutique locations and launch each specific to location Facebook page announce this again across all main Brandy Melville USA social media platforms. Allure local consumers into liking and sharing the news on their personal Facebook page in order to receive 10 percent off during the grand opening week. Week 3: During the grand opening events constantly be updating each Facebook page, and encourage shoppers to check- in on their social media sites. Use a countdown to doors opening, post pictures of post popular products and consumers in stores, post videos of the fashion show before the grand opening, etc. on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and Tumblr. With each purchase include a card with each location s Facebook page and encouragement to like it for exclusive deals. Week 4-7: Throughout the grand opening month each week Brandy Melville will host a specific fashion contest on varying social media outlets Week 4: Instagram: What Brandy piece do you rock in the city? Instagram a photo of your Brandy Melville item at a local event, memorable location, or wherever you want. Use the boutique s hashtag in your Instagram to qualify to win (ex: #brandymelvillechicago for the Brandy Melville Chicago Boutique competition). At the end of each week, one winner will be chosen in each city and will win $100 shopping spree at their Brandy Melville local boutique and their Instagram photo will be featured within their local boutique as well. (Note: overall 5 winner nationwide) Week 5: Tumblr: Fashion Logo Design Competition: Create a new Brandy Melville logo/poster design by incorporating elements of the boutique s new city in the design and share it on Tumblr using the hashtag specific to your boutique location. Be as creative as you want, anything counts! At the end of the week, one winner will be chosen in each city and will win a free style consultation in their store and meet a Brandy Melville designer to talk about their poster design and receive advice. Their posters will be featured throughout their local Brandy Melville boutique and may possibly be used for clothes patterns or design. Week 6: The Power of Vine: The 6 second Brandy Show : Vine a unique Brandy Melville fashion show and share it across your platforms. Be funny, be you, be fashionable, be edgy, be Brandy! Vine anyway you want as long as you showcase a Brandy Melville item, and hashtag toward Brandy Melville USA (not specific location, national competition). Three lucky winners will be sent 5 exclusive Brandy Melville items before they are released in stores from their Summer 2013 collection. Week 7: The Brandy Suitcase: Create a Board on your Pinterest account with five Brandy outfits, accessories, shoes, etc. that you would bring with you on your dream trip in visiting 5 places you ve always dreamed of visiting (pin these locations to the same board). Use the hashtag #mybrandysuitcase to qualify to win. One lucky winner will win a suitcases filled with the five Brandy Melville outfits they pinned and a trip for two to one of their dream locations. Week 8: Post all the winners and prizes you gave to all your lucky winners, and the winners to share their experiences on their social media sites. Continue posting on Facebook and other social media networks encouraging consumers to post their Brandy Melville products, ideas, or inspirations. Evaluate overall sales within first month of opening of store by week, and with which social media platform consumers engaged with most. Week 9: Have Brandy Melville designers post a Fashion Topic of the week and directly engage with their consumers asking their advice on potential products, patterns, styles they would want to see in the store. 49

50 Week 10-13: Continue doing the daily fashion fun tips on each Facebook page. Continue with the Fashion topic of the week and engaging consumers in helping create the next line. Manage content and respond to all questions and concerns on all social mediums. Always keep all messages syndicated across all platforms. For example, if hosting a photo competition on Instagram, announce it on Facebook & Twitter but also create a short video announcing it on vine, a photo announcing it on Pinterest, and a GIF micro- blog announcing it on Tumblr. Week 14: Evaluate each social media site popularity, in- store sales and consumer dialogue. Continue to utilize each social media site unless one is proven to not be engaging or encouraging to the shopper. Budget: Staff Time 10 hrs 1/4 of full- $40,000 $10,000 IT services 40 hours at $40/hour (one- time expense) 1,600 Giveaway Expenses Shopping Spree, Style Consultation, Trip 3,500 Social Media Intern Constantly updating feeds and syndication 0 ^ (report to mentor within Brandy Melville) $15,100 Funding Source: Brandy Melville Retail - Sponsor: Overall, Brandy Melville will be self- sponsoring all their new grand openings of each boutique store, social media management, staff costs, giveaways that go within their social media strategy. They are an international company and have allotted an $18,000 budget in order of the social media plan in correspondence with the grand opening events (this does not include the grand opening of the store itself which is an event within itself). Evaluation: Objective #1: Record number of unique consumer in- store visits within the first month by week by target public in comparison with how many engage in conversation through social media platforms. Record which week had the highest sales, visits, etc. and what social media campaign corresponded with it. Objective #2: Record number of likes, shares and comments on each boutique Facebook page. Record number of pins, hashtag utilization and followers on Pinterest accounts. Record number of follower, hashtag utilizations, likes, re- blogged on Tumblr. Record number of followers likes per photo, hashtags, and mentions on Instagram. Record number of followers on Vine, re- vines, likes, and comments. Measure each social media sites metrics by boutique location in correspondence with their in- store sales. Use these evaluation tools to see which social media platforms are the most successful and to continue using in the future to drive sales and dialogue with the Brandy consumer 50

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