BRAND CONCEPT BOOK Make the sneaker world HERS
Table of contents Foreword... 3 Intro... 6 01. The concept...7 The brand - USP... 9 - Vision, Mission............ 1 0 - Values... 12 - Look and feel... 13 Colors... 15 Materials... 16 - Graphic Identity............ 1 8 - Tone of voice... 19 The market The HERS consumer............ 2 1 Competitors... 26 1
02. Positioning Product...29 Price positioning............ 32 Place... 33 People... 36 Promotion... 37 Physical environment............ 39 Process... 42 03. Financials Inventory... 44 Balance Sheet... 45 References... 47 Appendix... 49 2
FOREWORD AMFI finale This brand concept book is the final product of my graduation project of the fourth year International Fashion Management at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. The booklet guides the reader through a concept for a new all female sneaker store. Focusing on the brand internally in the first part, and the positioning externally in the second part. As thìs booklets aim is to breathe the concept and to take your breath away, all decision-making and back up info is stored in the concept process book. This booklet is made to guide as an inspiration for future female sneaker start-ups, or stores who are planning to make their operations more inclusive of women. 3
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INTRODUCTION The Amsterdam world of sneakers has long been dominated by the male sex, designing and selling them - but just because women have the choice of wearing heels, doesn t mean we can t go for something more pleasant. It s about time for female sneaker heads to celebrate the most comfortable shoe in the world. 6
THE CONCEPT Let s make the sneaker world HERS Personal style is celebrated so fiercely in life, and that s exactly the celebration HERS wants to be part of. At HERS, we acknowledge the difficulties women have finding a sneaker that isn t just a rip-off of male designs. We want to offer a varied and exciting selection of sneakers and accessories that can function as key item to every personality and lifestyle. 7
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USP Female friendly styles, for every occasion and every personality. 9
Vision We believe that a sneaker can also be the every day shoe for women. Mission To make the Amsterdam sneaker market more inclusive of women. 10
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Values Accepted diversity Surprising combos Creative sophistication 12
LOOK AND FEEL A minimal jungle We refuse go in line with the clichéd idea of an all female store. The minimal overall look is spiced up with urban details, which set a charming tone. The calm imagery combined with witty illustrations, and our creative sophistication are perfectly pairing. 13
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COLOURS Mixing the bold and the subtle Fresh and harmonious, just like the feeling of the first steps in your brand new pair of sneakers. Using white and grey as foundation colours creates the possibility of mixing a vivid combination of Old Pink s, Emarald Green s, Burnt Oranges and Mustard Yellow s. 15
MATERIALS Creatively matched The selection of material is contrasting but comfortable. Concrete will be accompanied by wooden and golden elements. Glass components will give the store an enlightening touch. 16
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GRAPHIC IDENTITY Feminine signature The handwritten feel of the logo emerged from the ordinary idea of how women write. The smooth connected letters indicate the writing of a woman, but don t reveal whom it s from because we treat every woman even. To give the body a clean and easy-to-read, simple type fonts like Source Sans Pro and Andale Mono are used. 18
TONE OF VOICE Putting my sneakers on the table Witty but getting the message across. Passionate expressing everything we stand for. Combining having a soft spot for play of words. 19
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THE MARKET HERS customer We want to express our openness to diversity in any from so we don t have our target group limited to age. We rather target an audience of like-minded sneaker and fashion lovers. They care about quality and what the bought product adds to their identity. 21
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Ivy 23, Amsterdam I love vintage shopping, going to lunch with friends at new hotspots or visiting other cities. My style can be described as tomboy girl with a trendy, girly twist. I m always matching vintage with the new. I think of sneakers as the foundation of my look I like them to be the unexpected feature in my outfit. 23
Marion 45, Amsterdam I am working as senior recruiter. I get to meet loads of interesting people every day as my days are packed with meetings. Wednesdays I m off, to relax and take care of my eight year old sons. I am very conscious about dressing my age, but I don t want to look like an eighty-year-old version of me. I would say chic sophisticated styles suit me best. 24
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COMPETITORS Put a sneaker on it HERS competes in the world of affordable, contemporary footwear and accessories. Our main competitors are Maha, and Baskets, both offering a broad collection of sneakers for women. HERS will differentiate itself by offering a combination of only two products: sneakers and jewelry. By introducing four main collections complemented by several special releases, we remain relevant and create high desirability. The collection will only be in store for a few months. 26
Maha Maha opened its doors on July 1 2015. They turned the lack of female streetwear shops into a possibility and created their own online and offline shop. Maha calls itself a concept store that supplies women a demographic often left out of the equation in a world of sport-fashion. Their product range includes footwear, clothing and accessories such as sunglasses, socks, bags and shoe cleaning products. Their collection of sneakers is priced between 89,00 and 390,00 and includes brands like Vans, Nike and Converse. We set ourselves apart from MAHA by only offering the customer sneakers and jewelry, leaving all other footwear out. Another important point of differentiation is that HERS will not embrace the strategy of profiling as a concept store, but rather being a real sneaker shop. 27
Baskèts Baskèts launched in 2012 and offers styles that vary from street culture to ready-to-wear fashion. Baskets claims to select the best from many different contrasting worlds to build one united and unique character. They feature a variety of unisex accessories, clothing and male and female sneakers with prices starting at 79,95 up to 220. The stores offers many shoe brands such as Asics, Puma and Reebok. Baskets targets both men and women where HERS will only be targeting women. 28
PRODUCT Feet + face We offer nine sneaker brands including Nike, Adidas, Vans, Converse, Puma, Asics, Novesta, Eytys and Filling Pieces. The styles range from sporty to feminine providing endless styling possibilities. It doesn t matter if you are a style dare devil or stay on the safe side: we ve got you covered. Jewelry from Overload Studios makes sure you ve got something pretty hanging in your ear and around your wrist or neck. 29
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PRICE Forget about the price tag (or not) We aim to please the girl who goes to college, but also the woman who works her 40 hours job. We provide them with contemporary and divers styles with prices they could both afford. All brands offer high quality and good value for money. We don t have to come up with our own pricing strategy as the offered brands have their own set price points. Sneakers start from 80 up to 250. For jewelry, the prices are between 30 for a pair of earrings and 359 for the most expensive necklace. 32
PLACE Heaven actually is a place on earth Come and visit us at Frederik Hendrik Plantsoen 98 in Amsterdam. Located on the edge of the Jordaan and Westerpark. Surrounded by cosy cafés for your afternoon soda or something to get tipsy from. Easy access by car and tram 3 stops right in front and for all fit girls, it s just a 5 minute bikeride from Leidseplein. 33
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PEOPLE The real deal At hers, you ll be helped by real women. Sneaker lovers, fashion fanatics and creative individuals. We don t have to tell our brand ambassadors to be kind and friendly because that s already part of their personality. They are enthusiastic and dedicated to make you walk out of that door happy. You can thank them for our spot on social media feeds too. As well as the early-adapted sneaker trends you see in our collection. 36
PROMOTION World Wide Web Being greatly affected by the world of social media, this will be our main promotion tool. Good online appearance creates brand awareness and that is crucial in the process of putting ourselves out there. Hers will mainly focus on visual platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook but also host in store events. For these events, we will do collaborations with creatives from the fashion industry, for example bloggers and trendsetters. 37
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PHYSICAL ENVIROMENT The window: Simple rectangular shapes with wooden square frames applied. The floor: Steel grey polished concrete floor that prevents the atmosphere from getting chaotic. The walls: Brick white walls blending with one velvet pink wall, to make colour contrast pop. The lights: One center piece complemented by simple spotlights in the ceiling. 39
The settee: A subtly worked, emerald green, velvet settee. The center of attention. The shelves: The shelve case is made from wood with clashing golden details, whilst the hanging shelves are a metal open work. The Displays : A dark wooden cabinet topped off with golden features that match the shelves. The Mirror: Clean design. Should be big enough for you and your friends to admire your shoes at the same time. 40
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PROCESS Be conscious please We believe that every step in the process of the sneaker lifecycle should be done in an environmental conscious way. The times of printing receipts and using plastic bags are over. We gladly email your proof of payment and we ll put you fresh shoes in a 3 tote bag. You can spend money at HERS if you have cash a debit or a credit card. The collections drop four times a year, in the beginning of every season; spring summer fall and winter. Our vision towards our collection revolves 9 out of 10 times around the out = out strategy. We try to avoid restocking, as we want our sneakers to stay somewhat exclusive. Unfortunately it won t be able to shop online yet, but we rather see your pretty face in real life anyways. 42
FINANCING PLAN Money money money must stay funny One of the most important aspects of starting up a company is to review and carefully research the financial state. A lot of new businesses fail because of poor financial management. This financing plan starts with an inventory list where everything that is needed to open the store is listed. After comes the balance sheet, which presents a record of the business assets, liabilities and equity. 43
Inventory list The inventory list shows asset inventory where physical detail and condition of the equipment in the store can be tracked, as well as the costs per item and the total costs. Inventory list 1 (appendix figure 1) shows all stock the store has available and bought for the wholesale price. Quantity is set on 24 for all sneakers as HERS offers 2 styles per brand, and two times the whole size range. The store bought 6 pieces of jewelry at Overload to start with. Inventory list 2 (appendix figure 2) consists of all furniture and supplies needed to make the store function. Both store space and stock room items are listed here. 44
Balance Sheet This sheet shows a snapshot of the store s assets and liabilities at the start of the year 2018, when the store opens. Including current assets, fixed assets and current and long-term liabilities. The loan is given by the bank, but the owner s family invested and will be given a % of the companies shares. Inventory stated under fixed assets is the store and stock inventory, which can be found in the appendix. Software is needed for the cash desk to work. The yearly rent at for Frederik Hendrikplantsoen 98 is 20.700,00. The stock inventory, inventory of all products sellable, is put under current assets as they have a risk of getting out of fashion after a year. VAT is calculated with 21% off inventory + software + stock. On the owner s equity side, the owner s family has kindly gifted 20.000,00. The bank will lend the amount that the store is still short on. 45
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References Academy, Professional. Marketing Theories - The 7P s Of The Marketing Mix. Professionalacademy.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 13 May 2017. Balance Sheet Components - Liabilities. Investopedia. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 May 2017. Featured Eytys. Eytys.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 18 May 2017. Gonovesta.Com Walk With Style. Gonovesta.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 18 May 2017. Pinterest. (2017). Pinterest. [online] Available at: http:// Pinterest.com. Overload Studios For The Jewelry Junkie. Overload Studios. N.p., 2017. Web. 18 May 2017. The Blogger S Battle: Why Are Bloggers Important For Retailers?. 3twenty.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 May 2017. Verhuurd: Haarlemmerdijk 174 1013 JK Amsterdam [Funda In Business]. funda. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 May 2017. Winkel Te Huur: Frederik Hendrik PlantsoenHs 1016 JA 47
Appendix Figure 1 49
Figure 2 50