Component 2: Case Study

Component 2 Case Study

Baz Lurhman x Ella

Hewit =Lucy’s life

The Baz Luhrman film that I mentioned in my research is a similar type of content that I want to produce. I want to bring this type of content to the gen z space as I feel like nothing has been done before like this. However, Baz’s video is too slow for my targeted audience which is gen z, so I have to find a way to create the same emotional connection as Baz’s video, but also make it engaging for gen z. Through research, I found a creator who creates similar content but with a more gen z focus.

Ella Hewit previously worked for Luxe Collective as their social exec. She produced and edited all of their TikTok’s on the brands account which originally is what blew up their brand. Their views were droppping and she felt they needed a change of strategy for their videos so that’s when she came up with the idea to do educational TikTok’s about famous fashion designers and how they built their empire. These videos got millions of views and Ella found that there is a love for education in social media.

Ella is now a self employed content creator creating videos around fashion education as well as breaking down looks from fashion events such as Coachella. Ella also vlogs her life daily aswell to give her audience an insight into the behind the scenes of her life to make her audience trust her opinion

Ella is successful as she has her personal fashion identity nailed.Due to her background being in the luxury fashion market this has rubbed off on her styling and finding affordable options for her audience. Another way Ella gets high engagement on her content is because people trust her opinion. She has proved she knows what she’s on about through her educational content and time at Luxe Collective so a lot of her audience will listen to what item of Skims she recommends buying or what luxury fashion brand to buy into because her audience has trust with her.

Ella has successfully nailed the Know, Like, Trust Funnel which is especially Know: is when a person first comes across your page or has found you through something else, in this case Ella’s ‘Know’ is through going self employed after leaving Luxe Collective which is a very well known businesses. Secondly, Ella’s ‘Like’ would be her daily vlogs that she posts about life as a self employed content creator, people get to see her personality and maybe at this stage start to engage with her content by liking or following her to see more of what she posts. This is the part where she is selling herself to her audience to let them in and have an insight to her life. Lastly, she has successfully gotten ‘Trust’ on her side by being this likeable character whilst offering fashion advice that her followers will trust. The same rules apple for the influencer market, honesty and authenticity is what builds audience trust.

Platform and why

My independent study on gen z’s preferred search engines has lead me to decide on my chosen platform for my brand.

Below I have done a breakdown of why I think my brand is better suited for Instagram and not Tiktok.

TikTok

TikTokis a more relaxed and viewed as an unserious platform for people to share funny stories and dances they’ve learnt. Don’t get me wrong, Tiktok is an amazing tool for growth in a business due to its algorithm which can blow up a video and the business is set for Life, however, I am looking for longevity and building a connection with a community. So for a main platform for my brand, I need something more serious and polished just for the nature of the topics I will be talking about. Tiktok can sometimes not be taken seriously if the brand is selling on TikTok shop. Tiktok shop is known for having flash deals on fast fashion and accessing a product for cheap. This does not fit my brand values as I believe in investment products that will last. Lastly, to ensure longevity and constant engagement, I don’t believe TikTok is the right platform to do this one due to all the current threats of the app being banned in the US nd other countries around the world. I plan on having a very diverse audience and not having the security that I will be able to access this is worrying

Instagram

The genders on Instagram within gen z has a more even split with 51% of users being female and 48 % being male. This allows me to have a greater reach with my content as I can target both genders. Compared to TikTok with a 60% of users being female and only 40% male The conversion rate for a viewer on Instagram compared to tiktok is much higher, as type of audience looking to buy on Instagram is the target market I am looking for. Someone who will has more disposable income and isn’t looking for a cheap deal. Instagram’s audience performs better when presented with diffusion market jewellery and premium e-commerce products such as health products and make up. Not to mentionin my study it came in as the number on social channel where gen z go to search. This was specific to a person more particularly to a product as TikTok would be the place to look for for reviews. However, when looking for a celebrity/influencer instagram takes the spot which is another reason I need to base my brand on Instagram.

C u s t o m e r P r o f i l e

Age: 23

Location: Manchester City centre

Occupation: Recruitment Manager

Income: 22k

Hobbies: Meeting with friends and discussing their favourite influencers

Purchasing habits: Heavily influenced by creators online, buys off emotional connection to the content they’ve viewed.

Influencers that are similar to me

What can I take away from them

The influencers that I analysed and compared have many qualities that I want from my own brand.

Zaar Godenmen’s content type is predominately carousel TikTok’s. Tiktok TikTok promises that Carousel posts get “2.9x more comments,” “1.9x more likes” and “2.6x more shares on average” than orignal video posts and an 11% hgiher reach. I believe this is due to her audience being in control of the content their viewing and they can swipe in their own pace instead of most TikTok videos going too fast and struggling to read the content. This is why I feel instagram would work for me as this is attainable on the platform. Carousel posts allow you to narrate a story or convey a message effectively. With multiple images or videos in a single post, you can take your audience on a journey, whether it's a step-by-step tutorial, a before-and-after transformation, or a behind-the-scenes look. As I am wanting to protray my brand through a storyboard, I think carousel posts are a good option for this.

Zaar’s particularly good at creating different realms of content but shoots it in a way that is recognisable to her brand. As me and Zaar share the same aesethic that I mentioned earlier I will be looking at her for inspiration in capturing the content that she does.

Zaar’s main way she works with a brand is by purely using their product or simply having it in shot when she’s filming. As mentioned in research, Zaar onyl works with brands that will fit into her personal brand aesthic, so when she works for a brand the brand is often accompanied by other products that share the same targeting audience, therefore making it look authentic as it is part of her routine to use the product she is working with. Therefore, the product sells itself.

Zaar is also very morally driven which is not seen a lot in social media influencers. She speaks on her faith a lot which is a way people are able to be connected to her and feel seen. This can also be another way that she can engage with here audience and the reason why someone would watch Zaar’s content instead of a non religious creator. Because I too am Christian, it is something that I can share on my platform.

Olivia’s content style is very raw and real. She shows the struggle of running her own business and juggling home life. Olivia also encourages self betterment by going to gym and looking after her mental health, she is what I would call a positive influencer as she spreads positivity. Due to her past suffering with cancer, she has turned her sadness into a positive by making it as a successful fashion influencer. I want to take on her message of ‘your life doesn’t stop when you go through something lifesaving’. Her fashion and personal style is very clean, chic and classy.

Why I’m choosing to do a podcast

Gen Z and Millennials are the highest generation that listen to podcasts with 56% of the listeners being within an age range of 1924, this is due to the shift in educational content that i spoke about in my research and how it’s engaging gen z the most.

Podcasts give a unique outlet to create a brand identity and voice. This can be done through the way you connect with your audience. For me I really want it to come across as a friend ringing you up. Really relaxed and a place where somebody struggling can come and find peace.

Another positive for why I chose podcasting is that there are no limitations to the reach of audience you can get.

Due to TikTok being such short form content our attention spans have limited massively. However, podcasts seem to trump this limited attention-span culture. Podcasts allow you to make the most of long-form formats without worrying about limiting your length in order for it to still be engaging.

I’m choosing to do a podcast as initially you’d assume video would be more engaging than audio, However, a study investigated the extent to which delivery affect engagement. They found that participants found a greater involvement for watching video, although these people had a much stronger physiological response to audio.

This means that the video content limits you’re imagination as it paints the picture for you, the clothes someone is wearing, the features of their face, the way their hair sits – are giving your brain an easier journey than audio would. Audio on the other hand is therefore a much more imaginative, and potentially engaging, experience.

92 percent of podcasts are listened-to alone. Podcasting is an intimate experience that really engages your cognitive prowe. This allows for the feeling of one on one connection and the listener often feels like The podcast is being directed to just them. Hence why podcasts are a useful tool for brand partnerships as it gives the effect of personalised marketing.

Where I got the BTS concept from

Since I was younger I have always been fascinated by fashion shows, the seriousness of them and how high end and glamorous they are. My love for behind the scenes content grew when starting my job as a marketing assistant at ChloBo. I loved the concept of everyone coming together on a shoot to create this beautiful, well sculpted end image and believe this is very similar to everyday life. Adulting is all about evolving through diecisions you’ve made in your life which have shaped you to become who you are today. The people you’ve met along the way who have helped in the blooming of who you are today. You are your own fashion show through the experiences you’ve lived through. So the idea started when I looked back on my life and created a mood board of all the impactful things that have happened to me to date, the good and the bad. Once I had this, I could start to paint the picture of what my ‘behind the scenes’ would look like. Back stage at a fashion show, everyone who is there is there to do a different job. For example, you may have brand managers, fashion show managers, stylists, make up artists, hair stylist, publicists, assistants, seamstresses, and of course the models. As I’ve gotten older I have come to realise that the model is just the muse for everyone back stages work. Which is what I want to show through my images that we are just the walking canvas of others creations. My ‘end product’ images will tell the story of my unscripted life which I can then dissect each look on my podcast abou

What is my story?

I feel like all of the mind-mapped above has shaped my life in one way or another, they are all experiences that have either been self discovered or not that have altered my life some how. I wish to share these stories through the form of fashion images and lookbooks of ‘lucy’s life unscripted’s collection 2024. Once created, I will also be discussing in depth each one, on my podcast and be raw and honest in the hopes I can connect to my gen z audience.