The brief of this project was a specialism Unit completed in the final year of university to help inform potential themes we may of wished to take further into our dissertations. The basis of this project was to establish a brand that was no older 5 years old or a new entrant onto the fashion market, to then analyse the brand from a marketing and product perspective. I was to develop a range of products/ product that responded to challenges established in the research to help further brand strength in the market place, gain new consumers, build on internal and external problems and diversification. We were to produce garments in response to the challenges found which signified brand growth based on findings.
Brands were chosen in accordance to personal preference, design strength and specialism. From a marketing perspective we could take new products forward in any way we liked, along as it corresponded with the brands set of values.
Shrimps was a relatively new brand to the fashion market, no older than 2 years and attracted much attention within fashion PR and showcased at London Fashion Week. I choose this brand not necessarily because it had weaknesses, but more about the niche nature of the brand. The brand prided itself in luxury faux fur outwear where the fur was so realistic, it mimicked exact functions and properties to the real. It consistently portrayed a strong theme of 1960s style which was greatly reflected in the colour themes. I choose this brand because my design strength resided in outwear coats and jackets, working with real furs and different hides. I thought it would a fun challenge to market faux fur and work with the product in a different way.
The aim of my research proposal was to stay true to the established brands value and identity, iconic to 1960's style and theme, but diverse the amount and type of product ranges they were selling. The niche nature of the brand only selling all fur coats and jackets meant that their target consumer was immensely restricted and the customers already gained would eventually seek product growth and new ideas. to remain loyal to the brand, Within my research i looked specifically at expanding the product range on a gradual level that would benefit their profit share and turnover. Specially looking at the outwear, I thought it too risky to enter into a whole new product stretch considering their small age. My attention was targeted towards the outwear and expanding the products to become more functional and diverse so that the brand could penetrate a wider scale of potential consumers. I looked at minimising the amount of fur used in the coats, keeping one iconic style with colour ranges which popularised the brand so consumers have choice. More functional product attributes were added such as pockets, opening and closing functions, and introducing more adaptive styles that could work with everyday use but still looked fun and original-staying true to their 60's style. I also looked at introducing a more muted colour palette in certain pieces, to give the brand an opportunity to invite new consumers. The proposal form research was to look specially at the products offered, alter and develop them, in the hope of gaining them more customers and brand diversification, that did not steer away from its original identity or specialism.
From a marketing perspective and launch, i introduced a theme that was subtle enough to encourage new potential product lines, that also didn't overshadow the outwear pieces. As a part of my launch tactic, i came up with a theme that corresponded to Shimp's identity, of a 60's housewives laundrette. I though this was a good opportunity to promote socks and jumpers which overtly represented the brand to potentially become iconic buys for future diversification. It also enabled me to introduce new brand principles such as sustainability the implementation of new media outlets for the brand.