Paperdoll Clothing Justin Monton, Lukas Douglas, Brittany Livingstone, Desiree Hale, Elizabeth Fahlman Professor Fang Wan Branding (MKT 3240, T01) December 6, 2012
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Table of Contents
Project Summary
Project Summary Page 2
Elizabeth works at BizView Media, so when we were brain storming a list of
potential project ideas, she brought a list of BizView’s clients for us to choose from. The best client on the list seemed to be Paperdoll Clothing. Elizabeth had worked
Executive Summary Page 4
personally with this client already, so much of the background research needed for the project was completed. Also, the owners of Paperdoll agreed to help if
Internal Assessment Page 5
we had any additional questions. The business itself seemed interesting, and since they were a new client of BizView’s, as well as a new business (less than a year
External Assessment Page 6
old), they still have lots of work to do in exploring their opportunities for differentiation and their branding strategy.
Branding Strategy Page 10
One challenge that Paperdoll faces that made this project more difficult is
that the industry is full of competitors. We felt that they still had something special Branding Implementation Page 14
to offer, that their passion and willingness to succeed would be able to lead them along a profitable path if they were given some direction. We analyzed the deep-
Supporting Research Page 17
down brand DNA that was developing at Paperdoll and from there were able to develop a refined statement of what value they can promise to their customers.
Appendix Page 19
Based on that value statement, we then came up with some potential real-world ways to deliver that value. The methods we suggest would help to increase brand
Bibliography Page 23
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awareness, which is currently lacking, as well as create a way that Paperdoll could seriously differentiate itself without having to lower prices.
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The owners are very busy but managed to make themselves available to
answer the few questions that we had, not that there were very many. Most of our interviewing/research had been done by BizView employees, so we built on what was already there. This made it very easy to complete the project. One thing that made this project difficult was that because Paperdoll only sells women’s clothes, we had to rely mainly on the female group members’ perceptions to guide our thinking.
It was interesting working with such a new company because their current
Executive Summary
possibilities are limitless. Though they have financial constraints, they are otherwise uninhibited. We believe that if Sarah and Marlette were to take the initiatives we
have laid out, they could see an increase in their business and brand awareness
District in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was founded approximately one year ago by
very quickly.
Sarah and Marlette, who went into business because of their passion for clothing.
Paperdoll Clothing is a women’s clothing boutique located in the Exchange
All clothes are imported from Los Angeles, and only six of each item are brought in. They have built good relationships with their designers, who have been selected based on quality and fashionability. Recently they have partnered with BizView Media, a local marketing firm that works with small and medium businesses to proThanks for a great class and learning experience! ďżź
duce video, photo, and print material and develop marketing strategy.
The target market for Paperdoll is young professional women, between 20
and 30 years old. Their clothing allows women to retain their femininity while still being taken seriously in the workplace. Not only do they provide clothes for the office environment, but they also have clothes appropriate for going out after work, to dinner or a bar or club.
Competition for Paperdoll is thick, especially in the downtown area of the
city. In the Exchange District and Osborne Village there are many other boutique-style stores, and close by there are larger chain stores that can appeal to the same target audience. Justin Monton, Elizabeth Fahlman, Brittany Livingstone, Desiree Hale, & Lukas Douglas
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Paperdoll has some differentiation opportunities available to it, specifically in
providing a personal shopping experience. Not only can they use their low traffic
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to provide excellent service, but could also look at starting programs like orchestrating nights out for groups of girls. They rent out the front of their store to a cosmetics company (Provici Cosmetics) and are nearby hair stylists and bars, pubs, and clubs that would also target their consumers.
Overall, Paperdoll has a great concept started, but they need to work on
honing their unique competencies to generate repeat business and increase traffic to their store.
Internal Assessment
the center for make-up application, the overall set-up is awkward. The displays, although very bright and modern, are cluttered. The display that divides the make-
When we talked with Paperdoll, the goals they suggested they wanted to
up section from the store should be removed which would solve all the issues
achieve were very vague (see Appendix A and B). They want to increase their
related to this section of the store.
sales and profitability, and felt that social media was an area they should improve
on. As a very new company, they are still unsure of how they should be positioned.
clothing they know will not zip-up, button-up, or fit over their bottom. The different
The owners started the business because they love fashion, not because they
sizes available at Paperdoll are very limited at 2, 4, and 6. Rarely did I see an 8
have always wanted to be business people.
and never a 10. However, certain clothing they carried was sized XS, S, M, and L.
Having a larger size available in some garnets but not all confuses customers and
Upon visiting Paperdoll Clothing, our group noticed a few areas the small
Women are very sensitive and try at all costs to avoid trying on a piece of
business could improve on to enhance the experience of their cliental. Such areas
slightly embarrasses them when they have to ask if a larger size is available. Con-
include the changing rooms, make-up section, size selection, and store hours.
sistency is key in this case. Be a store that is meant for “petites” or enhance the
current selection of sizes available.
The changing room area is located in the back left section of the store. It is
across from a rack of sale items and has a medium sized ottoman beside the two
The store hours are the last area we chose to focus on because one of our
changing rooms. The changing rooms are not comprised of drywall but of curtains.
group members showed up at 4:15pm on a weekday to discover that the store
To improve the sense of security women need to feel while being in a changing
was closed. The hours listed on the door however said it should have been open
room, we suggest the owners replace the curtains with drywalled changing rooms.
for business. Someone was sitting on the make-up chair in the store and informed
It would not take up any extra space and it would include a secure door where
said group member with a hand gesture that the store was indeed closed. Paper-
women feel safe and not like someone is about to peek through the curtains and
doll Clothing should always stay open during the hours listed on their door sign as
see them in their undergarments. There is a mirror located in each change room
to not deter any potential or current customers.
which is very appropriate in a clothing store because every women does not necessarily want to walk out of the change room to see what an item of clothing looks
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External Assessment
like on their figure. The lighting in the change rooms is also very well done with
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make-up-mirror style lightbulbs around the mirror which are very tone flattering.
Canada’s economic progress in general. It is divided into eleven subsectors in-
The make-up section at the front of the store is too large. The owners rent
The retail industry in Canada involves direct and indirect effects towards
out this space to a privately owned make-up distributor to gain extra income for
cluding: Motor vehicles and parts, furniture and home furnishing, electronics and
the store. However, this make-up section is basically the front quarter of the store.
appliance, building materials, food and beverage, health and personal care,
The displays are against the front window, right wall, and divide the section from
gasoline stations, clothing and clothing accessories, sporting goods, general mer-
the regular part of the store. With little room to walk in the middle given the chair in
chandise stores and miscellaneous retail stores. The focus of this section is the
clothing and clothing accessories sub-sector specifically in Manitoba. Since Paper-
their business. Starting a physical retail business involves a limited number making
doll clothing is locally located in the heart of the Exchange District in Winnipeg, it
the industry very competitive as well. All the license application that the owner
would make more sense to get more information on Paperdoll’s direct competitors
needs in order to start the local business can be located online and sent to the
that involves substantial effects that Paperdoll should consider when making man-
City of Winnipeg offices. A lot of informational help can also be found in the Ca-
agement decisions.
nadian Government website giving support to local businesses making it easier for
them to be legally recognized as a business.
When it comes to industrial trends in the retail business, an article that dis-
cusses current innovations in the retail industry could also be used to help Paper-
doll clothing reach the goals that they are trying to reach. “Innovation in Retail
gaged in a pool of Red Ocean involving numerous competitors both containing
Pricing and Promotions” discusses about current ways on how retail stores are
local, national and international competitors. Clothing shops like Hush, Shout, Luxe
continuing to grow their revenues by synergizing their pricing strategies with the
and Charm, and Paramix from the Osborne Village and Ordnry, The Foxy Shoppe
current market trend. The article also talks about innovative promotional models
and Unfold Apparel, all within the Winnipeg Exchange District are Paperdoll Cloth-
that improve the effectiveness of the advertisements that the retail stores tries to
ing’s direct competition. These stores share the same strategy and target market in
incorporate. Ways on how to effectively measure the effectiveness of these pro-
comparison to Paperdoll Clothing’s mandate. In addition, these shops also con-
motions are also discussed throughout the paper. As usual, technology is one of
tain almost the same things that Paperdoll Clothing could sell as well. As consum-
the highlights of economic innovation when talking about improvements. The arti-
ers find their perfect product that suits their wants and needs within these clothing
cle also highlights current developments about the technological industry relating
shops, consumers will not fail to notice the big similarities between these shops that
it to businesses. As a conclusion, the article suggests ways and modes of how a
they are looking their clothing pieces into. As an example, all the clothing shops
retail business could further their concentration when it comes to the market that
mentioned considers social media as a marketing tool and uses these medium to
they are trying to target, helping increase their market share and revenues in the
leverage their competitive advantage against their competitors. Also notice the
long run. (Grewal and Etcetera, 2011)
fact that these clothing stores contains very close interval for their store hours and
they are geographically located in a small neighbourhood as well. These similari-
Clothing and clothing accessories retail is a billion dollar sub-sector indus-
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When it comes to local and direct competition, Paperdoll Clothing is en-
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try in Canada which contributed 2.3 Billion Dollars to Canada’s revenue back in
ties make it more challenging for each and every of these stores to stand out from
2010. In Manitoba, all the clothing and clothing accessories retail stores had an
one another.
accumulated $612,226 of operating revenues in 2010 which is .02% of Canada’s
revenue at the given year. The operating revenue for the Canadian clothing retail
not only need to consider innovative trends in their respective industries but they
industry kept on growing on average of 3% for ten years from 2001 until 2010. (Sta-
also need to focus on what the customer wants. In the article discussed earlier, a
tistics Canada, 2010) These numbers serve as an overview or a target so that Pa-
few industry trends towards retail promotions are discussed. Because of the con-
perdoll can be well informed on how much potential they can aspire in continuing
tinuous growth of the internet, targeting online promotions could be implement-
To differentiate themselves from their competitors, clothing retail stores did
ed to effectively entice people in the group that the owners wanted to sell their
Strategy Statement:
products to. Considering this database, in addition to the information that they
“To achieve differentiation by focussing on a specific target segment of
could also implement in store, retail owners could then effectively use these infor-
mation to efficiently price their products. Ideas do not end within the internet and
young professional women and providing an excellent personal shopping experi-
pricing, the article also discusses about new types of promotions that effectively
ence.”
retains customers to buy products from the same store. Invite-only promotions are
- our branding group
also getting popular according to the article. Another promotional model called “Conditional Promotions” are also found to be effective when consumers have
Paperdoll Clothing’s Mission Statement:
less concrete shopping goals. (Grewal et al, 2011)
“To feel like you just spent time in your girlfriend’s closet.”
The retail industry, specifically clothing and clothing accessories, is a very compet-
itive market and there is an existing red ocean that makes it challenging for retail
- Sarah and Marlette (Owners of Paperdoll Clothing)
shops to penetrate. Secondly, although competition is huge in this industry, there is still a lot of potential tactics that organizations can use to differentiate themselves
In the near future, we want Paperdoll Clothing to become more recognized
from one another making the industry a very colorful and diverse component of
by their target market. The amount of women that are entering the business world
the Canadian economy. Lastly, there are current trends in the retail industry that
is continuously increasing. These women are always looking for guidance on what
organizations can use in order to reach their customers, retain their consumers, in-
to wear at work that will allow them to be seen as equal to the men while still not
crease revenue and further their market share. With these things in mind, clothing
having to wear a frumpy women’s suit. To achieve this goal, Paperdoll Clothing
retail shops continue to better themselves day by day making it more efficient yet
will need to advertise to professional women in specific ways that will reach them.
challenging for consumers as well.
This, coincides with our next goal for Paperdoll Clothing; increasing advertising. They have recently updated their website but this is not enough. They need to
Branding Strategy
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reach out to their customers through social media types like Facebook and Insta-
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gram. However, Sarah and Marlette are not very technologically inclined, so an-
In order to be competitive in such a red ocean as the Winnipeg women’s
other short term goal that they will need is to quickly hire outside help to advertise
clothing industry, there are many short term and long term goals that Paperdoll
through technological means. To increase their advertising, they will also need to
Clothing must achieve. These goals will allow Paperdoll Clothing to differentiate
increase general awareness of their brand to Winnipegers by advertising in local
themselves enough in the industry to at the least create a blue pond. Throughout
magazines and through partnerships with other local businesses.
the process of achieving these goals, we want Paperdoll Clothing to focus on
what we believe that their strategy statement is, as well as their company mission.
of Paperdoll, increase their stores accessibility. This does not mean that we want
In the short term, we would also like to see Sarah and Marlette, the owners
them to expand their number of locations, but rather that we simply want them to
change their store hours. At the moment, they are open from 11:00am to 6:00pm
their mission statement. This means that we want to see them put more effort in to
Monday to Saturday, and they are closed on Sunday. This may be convenient for
making it feel as though you have “just spent time in your girlfriend’s closet.” We
them but it is not convenient for their customer. Their customers are young profes-
want them to outshine their competitors through the use of extensive personal
sionals who are working from nine to five. These customers are unable to get to Pa-
selling. This will be achieved through the implementation of an extensive data-
perdoll during the week, which only really makes their Saturday hours accessible
base. We want this to be like nothing that anyone has every seen before. It will
for their target market. Therefore, we want to see them stay open for at least two
allow for the most personal experience that anyone has ever had while shopping,
more hours on weekdays and be open on Sundays.
we want Paperdoll to focus on the customer first. We then want Paperdoll to set a
goal for themselves to get to personally know each one of their customers so they
Finally, for Paperdoll’s short term goals, we want to see Sarah and Marlette
In the long term, we want to see Paperdoll truly run their business around
expand their staff. At the moment they only have one other employee working
can bring the clothing to the customer rather than the customer coming to the
at the store because they feel that they are the heart and soul of the brand and
clothing. This may sound confusing, but simply put, it means that the employees of
that no one is able to do quite the job that they do. They are one hundred per-
Paperdoll will know their customers so well that they will be able to call them and
cent committed and don’t feel as though they need help. However, from class
let them know when a product that they would be interested in is brought to the
we have learned that it is very risky to have the owners of the company being the
store. This will create an advantage over their customer as well as be the path to
main driver of that company. For example, we can relate what Paperdoll Clothing
their blue ocean.
is doing to what Martha Stewart has done with her empire. Martha Stewart is the
soul of her brand but she has created such a strong soul that if she was removed
should try and reposition itself in the market. At the moment, it Paperdoll of itself as
from the brand, there would no longer be a brand. Likewise, Sarah and Marlette
being competitive with many of the shops on Osbourne Street like Hush, Out of the
have become the key drivers of Paperdoll and without expanding their staff, they
Blue, and Paramix. However, after the achieving its goals of advertising, workforce
will have no future for their brand if they are unable to continue with Paperdoll
growth, customer data base and extreme personal shopping, we feel as through
clothing and dedicate as much time to the brand as they do now, in the future.
it can become a much more high end shopping experience. They are a unique

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Given these short term and long term goals, we believe that Paperdoll
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company and if they capitalize on their opportunities, they can become a benchmark in their industry as well as more luxurious. (Appendix C)
Surely, know that both of those previously mentioned things take time and
come with age, but we feel that Paperdoll is comparable to a local company
that is trying to become global. They are small now, but with the right resources Paperdoll Clothing can come out of nowhere and become a game changer.
They can be the next big Winnipeg company, and even expand their business if
they are aggressive. Paperdoll can also learn lessons from companies like BBVA
and many of the other European and Asian. They can dream big, and think of
their company. Any employees they hire will be the window into the company
extravagant things to implement into their business. These things might not be the
from a consumer’s point of view. They need to buy into the vision of Paperdoll and
Canadian norm but they would create such intrigue that people from everywhere
give the consumer the experience Sarah and Marlette want them to have. Each
would want to come to Paperdoll. Their extensive customer database is just one
employee should treat each customer individually and tailor their needs to meet
thing, but maybe the next step is massage chairs for the men who are waiting for
the needs of the customer. Proper training and a family environment will help aide
their girlfriends and wives to finish shopping, or even a different set of mirrors that
the owners in making their employees understand how important their values are
you could look into in their change room areas if you are having a fat day.
to the well being of the company. The location has to also reflect what the soul
of the company. Creating more than just your regular shopping environment will
If Paperdoll Clothing’s owners Sarah and Marlette follow through with this
Paperdoll then needs to implement these beliefs into the internal portion of
branding strategy that we have proposed, they can honestly become the most
help them differentiate themselves from the competition. Upgrades to the dressing
sought after clothing store in Winnipeg.
rooms and an expanded cosmetic’s section will give their location a more luxuries and professional appeal.
Branding Implementation
As for the external environment, Paperdoll needs to work on understand-
ing the needs of their customers and create visible features give them what they
Paperdoll Clothing needs to first understand that the soul is the brand driver
want. This is the final step for their brand synchronization. The soul, internal and
and they need to build their brand with that understanding. In a small business,
external environments need to work in cohesion. Since the company is young,
the owners are the drivers and Sarah and Marlette need to integrate their beliefs
they are still making themselves known in the city. Now that Paperdoll has estab-
and visions to the rest of the company (Appendix D). It is important that they con-
lished a strategy and a target market, they need to tailor their core competencies
tinue to drive their company while holding down other full time jobs. This requires
from their soul and internal environments to meet the needs of the customers.
special commitment from them as they cannot devote all their attention to the
Because their external features stem from the other sections of their brand triangle,
company.
they can create sustainability within their company because all three sections are
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This particular clothing industry is very passionate and Paperdoll needs to
working in cohesion.
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emphasize that, starting with the soul and permeating that belief to the internal
One tactic Paperdoll can use is an elaborate database that does more
and external features of the company. Sarah and Marlette should make them-
than store regular demographical features of their customers. By tracking their
selves available to customers and show them that they truly care about finding
customers by product, size, colours, brands, they can learn what each customer’s
them the best pieces of clothing for their lifestyle. Paperdoll should also implement
needs are on a deeper level. This gives each customer individualized treatment
other strands of their brand DNA such as professionalism and luxury into their soul in
that can make them feel special. Paperdoll can also use this to retain custom-
an effort to drive these meanings throughout the rest of the company.
ers by sending them emails when certain product lines become available that
match similar purchases made by the customer. As this relationship gets stronger
Paperdoll Clothing is not only ready to meet the needs of these professional wom-
and stronger, Paperdoll can then establish brand loyalty and grow their customer
en but also believe in their needs will help them create relationships with women
base. Customers who feel passionate about Paperdoll will then tell their friends
who are exactly their target market.
and families about it. This helps Paperdoll create additional ways to increase their
customer base.
out regular emails to groups of clients separated by taste or body type. Each
group (4-5 groups) could receive an email every 3-4 weeks, with a new outfit
Paperdoll can also look to create a complete shopping experience that
To keep in constant communication with its clients, Paperdoll should send
makes their customers feel special. By partnering with a cosmetic company and
suggestion. This outfit would be best suited for their body type, and would help in-
hair stylist close by, they can create shopping experiences that go beyond clothes
crease repeat business and promote the “personal shopper” aspect of their DNA.
and beyond your normal shopping trip. Packages can be created that revolve
around the creation of a shopping experience that can include good friends and
over time if Paperdoll doesn’t synchronize their brand DNA starting with their soul.
good wine. You can start your experience at Paperdoll by trying on outfits ac-
Sarah and Marlette are the drivers of the company and they need to work hard
companied by a glass of wine. Your experience can then move to cosmetics and
to establish the groundwork that will drive the internal and external environments
a hair stylist to complete your experience. This can be packaged as a beginning
of their DNA. Along with implementing these tactics, they also need to decide on
to a girls’ night out or as a weekend afternoon of pampering. The key is that Pa-
appropriate measurement tools to gauge their success. For the past year, their
perdoll creates intangible effects from their tangible objects. The clothes become
measurement has been minimal.
It is important to remember that none of these tactics will be sustainable
more meaningful as you end up not just shopping, but having a great time with friends that happens to include purchasing outfits from Paperdoll.
Supporting Research
Partnering with various associations that fit their target market will also be
a useful tactic for Paperdoll. The beginning years of their target market fit into
the student profiles of the Asper School of Business. Establishing themselves as the
sult from a research study of shopping habits of Canadian women. The results of
place for Asper women to buy their clothes will help Paperdoll create relationships
this particular study are found to be correct 19 out of 20 times and the Master-
at the ground floor. This will also be a place to refresh their customers each year
Card MasterIndex has been around for 10 years. This is the first year they conduct-
as new students enter the University. Giving the students discounts before various
ed a study in Canada and they discovered five distinct life stages of women in
business events that may require a new outfit can be one method to introduce
Canada: Emerging Consumers, New Earners, Moms, The Established, and Silver
Paperdoll to their target market. Creating an association with an organization like
Spenders. The “New Earners” are women between the ages of 18 and 35, have
the Women Business Owners of Manitoba allows them to network with the rest of
settled into a full-time job, and do not have children. Most importantly, however,
their target market as these women are out in the business environment every day
the “New Earners” are the most powerful category when it comes to spending
and would like to look professional at all times. Letting this association know that
and happen to be the target market of Paperdoll Clothing. This benefits Paper-
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The “MasterCard MasterIndex of Canadian Women Consumers” is the re-
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doll Clothing because this category of women has money to spend and 49% of
Appendix
New Earners admit the amount of personal income they spend on clothing has increased this year. Paperdoll is targeting the right consumer.
Another study that supports Paperdoll’s strategy was conducted by a To-
ronto consulting firm, the Verde Group, and researchers from Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative. The study is called “Men Buy, Women Shop: The Sexes Have Different Priorities When Walking Down the Aisles” and it studied shopping habits and experiences from the two perspectives. Conclusively, the study explains that “women react more strongly than men to personal interaction with sales associates” (siting required for quote). Therefore, by making the shopping experience more like going through a girlfriend’s closet and creating that personal relationship with their cliental, Paperdoll will increase sales and women will more likely return to the store for their next outfit.
(A): Proposal to Paperdoll Clothing
Google and OTX partnered to conduct a study called “The Online Apparel
Shopping Process” in 2008. This study found that 55% of people do their research online but then go into a store to buy the product. A suggestion for Paperdoll would be to consider sending their clients personalized emails which have pictures of a few new items in the store which they thought they might want to come on in and try on. This email would be a tool to get women into Paperdoll to give Paperdoll the opportunity to provide that personal shopping experience.
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Marketing Proposal Prepared for Paper Doll Clothing Following is our proposal to partner with you to develop ongoing marketing strategies and tools to grow your business. I have outlined your current situation as I understand it, and the goals you would like to achieve. The Proposal is divided into three distinct phases for implementation so that we can focus on a few things at a time to achieve better results. The finer details within each phase will be confirmed during our marketing strategy meetings. Current Situation: Paper Doll is a relatively new business It is a very competitive market Main marketing has been through Facebook Major strength is passion for fashion Strong focus on the customer experience with an emphasis on personal shopping Accessories are a major source of revenue Goals: More Likes on Facebook Increase sales to support paid staff Improved profitability The Proposal Phase I - Building a Strong Foundation (Approx. 90 Days) Understand Paper Doll’s value proposition Understand the customer demographic Develop initial marketing strategy and timelines Launch interactive online marketing platform Redirect URL www.paperdollclothing.ca to new platform Implement initial SEO strategy Review and analyze web traffic metrics Phase II – Expanding your Web Presence (Approx. 90 Days) Review marketing strategy and determine next components to engage Activate additional marketing components Email marketing Vmail marketing Refine SEO strategy Review traditional media Radio Print ads Signage Phase III – Building Momentum Refresh creative content Implement video blogging strategy Develop and implement social media strategy Develop E-commerce site (research and strategy) Review marketing strategy and implement improvements
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The phases above are an initial proposal. Once we have done a complete assessment of your marketing needs and goals, together we may decide to adjust our timeline. Your marketing plan will be a living document that we review and update on a regular basis.
(B): Notes from Meetings & Interviews at Paperdoll
(C): Competitive Landscape, Before and After Changes ďżź
Qualifying Meeting Met with Sarah. There are two owners, who have separate jobs on top of owning the business. Additionally, they rent out the very front of the store to a make up company. They have been in business for just over a year. Focused on social media. Have around 700 likes. Focused mainly on new arrivals in the store and upcoming deals. Also use Instagram to promote new clothing in the store. Not yet involved in Pinterest but they are considering it. Done some flyers and tried out Groupon. Customers who used the coupons did not become repeat customers. Have not done radio yet but they are considering it. They have been on the radio and local television for interviews. Helped build their profile in the beginning. Current website: Have not yet begun to track views. Lots of pictures of merchandise that is in store. No ecommerce. They want to do it eventually but it can be time consuming. Currently do orders over the phone. Send merch as far as the US and all over Canada. They might want to keep it in store for another couple years before the launch their ecommerce site. Had several videos made. Some by local news outlets and others by professional media companies. The only problem is that the videos can become quickly outdated. Video blogging might be better for them. They are very passionate about the fashion industry. Even though they are busy individuals, they still find time to run and operate the store. They love making people feel good about the clothes they wear. Most of their stuff comes from LA. Some lines are local. Mentioned that they like to support local businesses. One of the questions that she asked was whether or not we were a local company. Seems to be important to her. Asked the price for our services. Elizabeth explained that what we offer is highly customized and we can't give a flat number without finding out what we need to do. Said that our pricing is anywhere from $200 to $500 a month. Didn't seem to fazed by our answer. 2nd Qualifying Meeting Reviewed current situation. There are two owners, two who work in the store. They are still in the stage where they aren't pulling money out of the business. They brought up e-commerce and said they weren't ready for it. When asked why it was a question of not having time to manage it. We talked about their website. The idea was to use it like a fashion blog. They updated their computer system and had trouble accessing their site and never really got back into it. Colin asked why they opened their store, It was their dream since high school and when the space came open they started the store on an impulse. Fashion is their passion. Asked about "personal shopper". It is really just a focus on customer service and helping them find things that suit them and their style. Looking at colours, body type, etc. Their demographic is late 30's and 40's. They buy two small, two medium and two large of everything. Their big focus right now is jewellery and it has good margins for them. We talked about the cosmetic side and they have the ability to cross promote with them. They have done some special events at Xmas and other times. However, they already have a website. They are currently part of fashion for a Cure. One of the partners has a photo studio in the back and took pictures for the posters. They have eight dresses in the show. They are collecting emails but don't know how many. They go into the POS. They send them through their server and have no stats or anything. They liked our email marketing. They want to do video blogging. Asked if we could help them get started and show them how to edit. Said it would not be a problem. She has a DSLR. They would likely have a Friday fashion blog. Their main goal is to get more exposure and more likes on Facebook. Colin talked about budget. Explained our normal price was $299/month. He said that because they were a startup we know cashflow is an issue but they would also be a great fit for BizView. Said we could to $199 for the first year, so long as they were committed to using all the tools and making this successful. They seemed really happy with that. Agreed to come back with a written proposal on Monday at 4pm.
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(D): Brand Triangle
Bibliography Dhruv Grewal, Kusum L. Ailawadib, Dinesh Gauric, Kevin Halld, Praveen Kopalleb, Jane R. Robertsone, (July 2011). Innovations in Retail Pricing and Promotions. Journal of Retailing,87(1), S43-S52. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com. proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca.
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