Integrated Marketing Strategy and Brand Audit. "ASOS X LIMITLESS"

INTEGRATED MARKETING STRATEGY & BRAND AUDIT

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

THE BIG IDEA

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MARKETING STRATEGY CAMPAIGN PREDICTION LIMITLESS PREDICTION

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

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BRAND HERITAGE TIMELINE OF ASOS INITIAL PRODUCT OFFER CONSUMER COMPETITORS BRAND POSITIONING

CAMPAIGN NARRATIVE CAMPAIGN MOODBOARD CONSUMER PROFILE CONSUMER LOCATION ASOS X LIMITLESS EDITORIAL INSPIRATION SHOOT LOCATION

BRAND ONION

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ANALYSIS OF ASOS SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS AVAILABILITY OF RAW MATERIAL STAKEHOLDERS DISTRIBUTORS SWOT FACTORS PESTEL FACTORS MARKETING MIX PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANSOFF MATRIX PACKAGING

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CREATIVE & COMMERCIAL RATIONALE RAW SHOOT IMAGES CAMPAIGN EDITORIALS PROMOTIONAL FILM PROMOTIONAL FILM LINKS

THE BIG IDEA BRAND STRATEGY ASOS will use the macro trend ‘Limitless’ to create a visually engaging marketing campaign which will be launched in the Northern area of the UK. ‘Limitless’ will invite the consumers of ASOS to explore every part of their identity and personal style, giving them the inspiration to discover everything which makes them, them. Pushing a need for individuality, ‘Limitless’ hopes to engage and inspire the latter end of Millennials, to the present-day Generation z’ers who want to create boundary breaking behaviours when it comes to their identity. As technology begins to blur boundaries between the online and in-real-life world, this marketing campaign will allow consumers to challenge their identity to create bold and innovative statements about their personality.

The business mission will be a series of creative outcomes which will hope to create an engaging and influential platform where ASOS’s consumers can feel confident in expressing their personal identities. Using the concept of the ‘Lost Discotheque era’, ASOS will create an editorial and promotional film which will explore the concept of an era where self-expression was once bypassed as a ‘phase’, and how their current consumers can push this concept and bring it back to life.

The idea to use the ‘Lost Discotheque era’ was facilitated by the current LGBTQ+ recognition and how the current generation have made this community feel accepted and welcome. During the 70’s, being of a different sexuality, race or gender was a new concept and locals didn’t approve of the nightclub scene they brought with their community, ASOS aim to educate their consumers of this subject matter and hope it bring a sense of acceptance and belonging with its current consumers who identify themselves within the LGBTQ+ community As ASOS is an E-tailer, it will take advantage of producing both the editorial shots and a promotional film. Hoping to heighten their senses and immerse them into a community of new and limitless identities. ASOS aim to attract their consumers with this innovative marketing strategy which is new and different from an online only brand.

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COMPANY OVERVIEW

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BRAND HERITAGE

“As Seen on Screen” more commonly known as “ASOS” is a British fashion and cosmetics E-tailer which was founded back in 2000 in London. Primarily aimed at Millennials and Generation Z, ASOS sells over 850 different brands on their website as well as its own range of accessories and clothing. As a brand they “believe in a world where you have total freedom to be you, without judgement. To experiment.

To express yourself. To be brave and grab life as the extraordinary adventure it is.

So, we make sure everyone has an equal chance to discover all the amazing things they’re capable of- no matter who they are, where they’re from or what looks they like to boss. We exist to give you the confidence to be whoever you want to be” (ASOS, 2019).

ASOS are also proud partners with GLAAD who have one of the biggest voices in LGBTQ activism, on a gender- natural collection to allow all their consumers to feel accepted and part of a community. Working with more than 200 models to represent their audience, they aim to promote body positivity as they don’t conform to any stereotypes and are not in the business of digitally altering their models’ appearances, giving a real representation of the models who are part of the ASOS family.

Alongside the ASOS website, there is also a section called ASOS marketplace which was created back in 2010, which when visited allows the consumers to stumble across more then 700 boutiques, uncovering independent brands and one-of-a-kind finds.

As a brand they are confident that they have the ‘perfect thing for you’, offering their ASOS brands in more than 30 sizes they are committed to providing all sizes at the same price to offer equality amongst their consumers.

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TIMELINE OF ASOS

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INITIAL PRODUCT OFFER “Respecting people, animals and planet with great products that our customers can trust.

Our sourcing strategy focuses on three key areas: ethical trading, sustainable sourcing and animal welfare.”

(ASOS 2019)

Since its launch in 2000, ASOS stocks a wide variety of clothing and accessories for its consumers, offering a selection of 30 sizes in all of their online ASOS brands. Their aim is to do everything they can to allow their consumers to feel confident in what they’re wearing as well as helping them find their perfect fit. ASOS’s own label for women was introduced in 2004, with the launch of ASOS beauty in 2005. The launch of the beauty range was a previous gap in the market for online E-tailers as not many clothing websites would delve into the beauty world which gave ASOS a huge advantage in the market.

However, in 2010 ASOS announced they would no longer be offering kids wear as they wanted to concentrate on its younger audience of millennials and Generation Z.

ASOS marketplace was launched in 2010, which was an online fashion community where small boutiques and customers can sell one-of-a-kind pieces to each other, making it easier for vintage boutiques or independent business to sell their pieces online and where consumers can seek out the best one-off pieces which is now home to more than 700. boutiques. A genderneutral collection was launched in 2017, ASOS own label for men was launched in when ASOS teamed up with GLAAD, to 2007 after the success of their women’s put together a collection of gender-neutral launch, allowing them to target a wider clothing and part of the proceeds from each consumer which then was followed by the sale with benefit the LGBTQ+ community. launch of ‘Little ASOS’. A collection launched (Telegraph 2011) to cater for babies and children up to the age of eight years old, offering a variety of 40 kids wear fashion labels.

Over 850 brands sold on ASOS.com

Offering 30 sizes in their ASOS brands.

An alternative site for independent retailers.

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R

CONSUMER

ASOS strive in allowing their consumers to have the confidence to be whoever they want to be, focusing relentlessly on reflecting the needs of their consumers from all over the world to helping them look and feel their best and expressing their inner self. ASOS have 18 million active consumers from across 240 different countries and territories, but they look at their consumers as individuals, giving each of them the care they deserve and the platform to feel confident. They handle order queries with care and follow the correct procedure to make sure each consumer is satisfied with their purchase and ensuring their products and communications with consumers are responsible, inclusive and celebrate diversity. ASOS are not about conforming to any stereotypes and are confident in promoting body positivity to their consumers through the use of social media and their campaigns.

ASOS have recently partnered with Paralympics GB to provide team GB with their formal and ceremonies outfits which allowed them to work alongside athletes

“20- something” consumer age.

and meet their needs as well as making them feel great which would have given the ASOS team an in-depth understanding of catering for disabilities and how as a brand they can target them.

ASOS also launched a self- expression campaign “which invites its consumers to explore every part of their personal style and identity” (Wightman-Stone 2018). ‘My style is never done’ campaign dramatizes the idea of limitless selfexpression through a series of alter egos and diverse personas showing how consumers are all different, inspiring them to explore everything that makes them, them.

Although ASOS strive in working close with their consumers, they need to broaden their target consumer audience away from the typical London Generation Z’er and allow their brand to collaborate with work closely with consumers from other city’s within the UK.

18 million active consumers.

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In over 240 different countries and territories.

COMPETITORS Although ASOS is an E-trailer brand, it has many competitors who are not only E-tailers such as Boohoo but also retail stores such as H&M and Zara. All of ASOS’s competitors are brands which primarily target Millennials and Generation Z using similar strategies as them such as LGBTQ and gender-neutral collections.

Zara’s products are supplied based on consumer trends as they aim to keep their collections up to date with current trends, as they have a highly responsive supply chain as they ship new products to stores twice a week, producing around 450 million items per year.

H&M is a Swedish multinational clothingretail company well known for its fast- fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children. H&M operate in 62 countries in over 4,500 stores worldwide and is the secondlargest global clothing retailer. They have an on-line presence, being available in 33 countries for online shopping. H&M has collaborated with many designers which has given their sales a huge boost, from Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, to a collection by Stella McCartney in 2006 to one of the most recent with Kenzo in 2016, making them a huge competitor for ASOS when it comes to targeting Millennials and Generation Z.

BooHoo.com is a UK- based e-tailer founded back in 2006 aimed at consumers who are 16-30 years old. Boohoo produces 36,000 products a year but aims to keep up to date with consumer trends and focuses on branding their products to each and every consumer. Boohoo sells clothing to over 100 countries and as of June 2014 have seven major markets including the UK, USA and France. Boohoo is seen as a competitor for ASOS as its one of the major online retailers within the UK and uses social media as an integral part of their marketing strategy just like ASOS. Boohoo also run BoohooMAN.com, PrettyLittleThing.com and NastyGal.com who all also target a similar consumer age group closing the market again for online retailers.

Zara is another competitor for ASOS due to its expansion in many countries across the world with around 10,000 stores selling primarily apparel, accessories and kids wear.

Zara is a Spanish fast-fashion retailer founded in 1975 and is part of the Inditex group and as of 2017 Zara manages up to 20 clothing collections a year.

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BRAND POSITIONING ASOS have benefitted from being only an E-tailer rather than a retailer as its placed high up on brand positioning with competitors such as H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters ect. As ASOS sells various brands on their website, it enables them to sell items at a higher price allowing them to offer more products at a competitive price than other multichannel retailers. ASOS is one of the more technological advanced competitions in the fashion sector due to its social promotions and technological innovations making it a more competitive and relatable brand for its consumers.

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BRAND ONION

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ANALYSIS OF ASOS

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SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS Supporting a positive place for people and the planet, ASOS have 168 suppliers who use 713 factories around the world. ASOS make sure every person within that global supply chain is safe in their work environment and has their rights respected and protected as according to ASOS.com (2019). Setting a high ethical standard and supporting their suppliers ASOS ensure that all wages are sufficient to not only meet basic needs, but to also provide discretionary income. ASOS have closely collaborated with suppliers, brands, governmental and non-governmental organisations to address specific environmental and social challenges in order to support long-lasting industry change. ASOS have 426 visits by their regional ethical trade teams and have 26 different countries where their products are sourced from according to their ‘Corporate responsibility’ strategy.

(MAP OF SUPPLIERS ON NEXT PAGE)

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Satistics Satisticsfrom from ASOS ASOScorporate-responsibility corporate-responsibility strategy.

Satistics fromstrategy.

ASOS corporate-responsibility strategy.

AVAILABILITY OF RAW MATERIAL ASOS claim they are committed to building a full transparency of their entire product supply chain and they have a number of initiatives in place to help them achieve this as clothing and apparel supply chains are complex and makes traceability of raw-material challenging. According to ASOS corporate responsibility strategy, they are collaborating with organisations to help give a better understanding of their supply chain, working with sustainable cotton organisations they were able to trace the country of origin from 71% of their cotton last year and have partnered with CanopyStyle to identity country of origin for all their cellulosic fibres.

ASOS are committed to sourcing recycled materials across as many product ranges as they can, including cotton, wool, glass,

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metal, nylon and polyester and are currently developing a Recycled Fibre Strategy for departments which use large volumes of synthetic fibres and recycled cotton for areas such as denim and wool for areas such as knitwear and outerwear.

ASOS also accept Leather Working Group standards and are committed to only sourcing leather from tanneries which have a third-party environmental audit. Since 2017, ASOS launched a policy to make sure their cellulosic fibres weren’t sourced from ancient or endangered forests and also working with Viscose fibre producers to help monitor and reduce their use of chemicals, carbon, water and air emissions.

STAKEHOLDERS ASOS stakeholders play a valued role in shaping their Corporate Responsibility Programme as they help to identity and prioritise issues that are most important to ASOS which allows them to tackle big sustainability changes but also provide expertise which are important to the business. According to the Corporate responsibility strategy ASOS claim that the way they engage with their stakeholders differs depending who they are in contact with, some of their partners have whole teams dedicated to managing their relationships with each other and communicate with them frequently.

Fashion with Integrity- Our Stakeholders.

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OUR PRODUCTS

OUR COMMUNITY

OUR CUSTOMERS

OUR BUSINESS

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DISTRIBUTORS ASOS use Third-Party sources which was set up in 2018 to create a systemic shift in the way brands approach ethical trade and sustainability and ASOS will achieve this by establishing their brand as an industry hub for innovation, learning and collaboration. A Third-party source is a supplier who is not directly controlled by either the seller or the buyer in a business transaction, to which ASOS has six members of their Third-party brands team who support more than 1000 brands sold on ASOS.com so as a brand they can implement the best practice of ethical trade and sustainability programmes. ASOS believe industries needs to raise ethical trade and sustainability standards by improving the conditions of workers and animals in supply chain logistics which is why they implement a Third- Party brand minimum requirements to make sure there are core foundations for any basic ethical trade and sustainability programme.

THIRD- PARTY BRANDS MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS “We believe our industry needs to raise ethical trade and sustainability standards by improving the conditions of workers and animals in our supply chains, and by switching to textiles and manufacturing processes that have lower environmental footprints. That’s why we’re actively supporting third-party brands to put in place the following five minimum requirements which we believe form the core foundations for any basic ethical trade and sustainability programme:” -Brands to have an Ethical Trade Policy which is implemented across their supply chain -Brands to have Transparency of ‘Tier 1’ (Cut Make Trim) factories, and be willing to share a factory list with ASOS if required -Brands to comply with all the relevant chemical regional regulations in the countries we retail in -All brands whose products contain any animal products to have an Animal Welfare Policy -Where applicable, for all brands operating in the UK to publish a Modern Slavery Statement (we also accept statements meeting the requirements of the California Supply Chain Act)

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SWOT STRENGTH -Sell around 850 brands online.

-Can target a wider demographical coverage online, giving them a vast amount of loyal customers.

WEAKNESS -Hesitant shoppers due to not seeing the quality or fit of the items sold.

-Some international customers can’t track their parcel once it leaves the UK.

-24/7 customer service.

-Bad publicity due to poor delivery performance.

-Aim to follow current trend and sell at a low price point.

-30% of purchases are retuned, resulting to shipping charges for ASOS as returns are free.

-Aimed more at the younger generation due to its online presence.

-More accessibility to other countries due to its independent language sites.

OPPORTUNITY

THREAT

-Clothing and footwear are one of the largest segments for ecommerce, which gives them room for expansion in sales and stock.

-Multichannel retailers will realise the importance of online trading, meaning more competition for ASOS.

-They can utilise the amount of pop up shops they have worldwide.

-Growing material and labour costs may increase.

-Improving delivery time and performance.

-Some social media platforms are banned in certain countries meaning ASOS branding won’t reach them.

-Increasing their mobile penetration helps people to make more purchases from mobile platforms.

-Uncertain economic times.

-Brands which have some retail stores and online platforms may have more recognition as they gain customers through foot traffic as well as online.

‘LIMITLESS’ ‘Limitless’ will use these SWOT factors to its advantage, giving the campaign an opportunity to fill any missing factors within the ASOS branding. Although a strength of ASOS is the wide target demographical coverage online, ‘Limitless’ aims to focus its attention on consumers outside of its typical consumers based in London which creates an opportunity for them to work closely with new and upcoming influencers. Although some social media sites are banned in certain countries, ‘Limitless’ will utilise this to their strength and target their campaign on sites which can reach a large target consumer to ensure as many consumers as possible can be reach online.

PESTEL FACTORS POLITICAL A political factor which could affect ASOS is the changes of Trade Control between the business and the supplier. ASOS have increased the headcount in the London and in-country ethical trade teams, who can work together with thirdparty sources to control the trading between countries. Gaining and understanding of country-specific issues, ASOS ensure their ethical standards are being up help and regularly engaged with local and international stakeholders and work closely with sustainable sourcing teams and Third-party brand teams.

ECONOMIC Exchange rates are an economical factor which can affect a brand who deal with export and import.

ASOS deal with export and import factors with their supplying of materials from other countries, this can affect them as a business if the exchange rates differ as it can affect how much a company has to pay to its international supplier to satisfy them. This can then affect profit margins for the business as well as take a lot of resources to stay on top of.

TECHNOLOGY Data security is a technological factor which can affect a brand as consumers may not feel confident in putting personal data in on a website. Ecommerce brands are affected by this the most as for a consumer to buy a product they need to input their name, address and billing details. ASOS claim that their Chief information security officer is responsible for combating any IT security violations and are continuously improving their systems. They have put in place a technical and physical security control to prevent unauthorised access to consumer data and guarantee to use access restrictions, encryption of certain customer data and alert systems.

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ENVIRONMENTAL Environmental factors such as climate change and ingredient growth are factors which can affect a brand. Making sure brands are doing good for the environment and giving back to the community it is curated in is a factor which really pushed by Generation Z as they don’t necessarily always buy into many fast fashion brands. ASOS promotes products which are made by manufacturers and brands who use sustainable business practices and their Eco Edit as rapidly grown since 2010 and aim to reach a target of £30 million by 2020.

Items which are sold in the ‘Eco Edit’ aim to support certain areas of sustainable fashion such as: Building communities, addressing climate change challenges, removing waste and advancing animal welfare.

LEGAL Employment laws are a legal factor which can affect a business, they need to comply with the laws set about their staff and employability sectors. Complying with rules bout fair pay, safe working conditions and human rights are just a few of the laws business need to conform with for a safe and fair working environment for their staff. IN 2012, ASOS became a signatory to the Global Compact, meaning they have committed to supporting 10 principles which cover human rights, labour standards, steps to safeguard the environment and anti-corruption measures. In 2017, ASOS also became a signatory of the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles which commits them to advancing and empowering women in the workplace, in their supply chains and in the community.

MARKETING MIX PRODUCT ASOS stock around 850 brands on the website which gives consumers a wide variety of apparel, accessories and beauty to chose from. Not only do they stock different brands on their website, ASOS also have their own collection of clothing which is a huge advantage to their sales, they can gather an understanding of what sells well from other brands and what current trends are which then allows them to create their own clothing lines based around these facts. Stocking both men and women’s apparel they also have sections for ‘Petite’, ‘Tall’, ‘Maternity’ and ‘Plus size’ to allow consumers to find exactly what they are looking for which is what they aim to achieve.

Offering their ASOS brands in more than 30 sizes gives them a more diverse selection for consumers and are committed to giving all their consumers their perfect fit all at the same prices.

ASOS also give their consumers the option of filtering their search options such as shopping by ‘Edit’, such as holiday, wedding, workwear, going-out wear and festival wear which makes consumers searching much easier and will allow them to find exactly what they are looking for. Consumers can also shop by ‘Inspiration’ too which features pieces shown in ASOS magazine, fashion tips from insiders and also outfit ideas on the style feed. ASOS have also delved into the word of lifestyle and beauty, giving their consumers the latest beauty trends and homeware inspirations. Their beauty segment has makeup brands such as MAC, NYX, benefit and the ordinary which are popular beauty brands with their target consumer. Delving into this area gives ASOS a huge advantage to other competitors as their consumers can also buy into beauty and not just clothing closing a gap in the market for online fashion e-tailers.

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PRICE ASOS isn’t trying to be the cheapest retailer as statistics show, they take into consideration the quality of the product, buying into higher range products on their site which they know will sell best with their consumers. Their pricing range is different from other trend-led retailers such as H&M and boohoo who aim to have cheaper stock. As ASOS sells branded goods, they have reason to buy into the slightly pricey items as they know it will sell well with their consumers, with 5% of the branded offering is merchandised as being ‘exclusive’. They use these ‘exclusives’ as a way to drive specific trends they’re focusing on and aim to brand these, so consumers know it’s an exclusive item which explains the maybe slightly high price tag.

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PROMOTION The promotion side of ASOS is one of the most influential platforms when it comes to engaging with current consumers, they know exactly how to target their generation with the use of digital platforms and advertorial campaigns. ASOS use an authentic way to communicate with their consumers as they didn’t believe a generic marketing campaign would suit their branding, they knew that influencers were the key to communication their ideal messages and that’s how they created ASOS insider’s community. This platform allows consumers and influencers to post their ‘looks’ which other users will engage with, giving ASOS an opportunity to publish their products in a less generic way.

One of the main platforms ASOS use is Instagram, this is one of the major platforms used every day by Millennials and Generation Z and is an easy free way to engage with their consumers. Posting and reposting outfit-of-the-day looks from other influencers or simply posting campaign images gives their consumers a quick insight into current products they are selling where they can simply follow a link to quick buy these products which for ASOS is a simple marketing strategy.

Using Instagram influencers is another key way they can engage with their consumers, by having keyinfluencers to post a picture or create an Instagram story featuring an item from ASOS will generate sales simply from an influencer tagging or linking the item online. Packaging which is sent to ASOS customers is also a way of promoting their brand, consumers can simply post an image of their ASOS delivery bag which will then encourage other consumers to browse on their website, generating sales. ASOS generate 59 million plastic mailing bags and 5 million cardboard boxes a year, so they are continually renewing their packaging sources and recycling options to find a way to reduce the volumes they use.

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PRODUCT As ASOS is an e-tailer it has no brick-and-motor retail stores, giving itself only an online presence which sets itself high up within its brand positioning. ASOS was originally an internet- based platform with its main website as its direct contact with its consumers, now they have move onto smartphones with apps on both Apple and Android phones making its connection with consumers more personal. Allowing consumers to have their own account in their app and sending them notifications about new launches allows ASOS to market their consumer more easily.

ASOS have four locations across the UK, London (Camden) is the head office, customer care centre is based in Leavesden, Warehouse based in Barnsley and Technology Hub in Birmingham. In addition to this, they also have offices in New York, Paris and Belin which are homes to their in-country teams. They products are manufactured by 168 suppliers who use 713 factories around the world with supply chains in Asia and South East Asia, Middle East and Africa, Europe and North America according to their Corporate Responsibility strategy (2019).

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PORTERS FIVE FORCES

Threat of New Entrants

New entrants in retail puts pressure on ASOS and the way they’re used to doing things due to the competitive rivalry. ASOS may need to change things such as lower pricing, reducing overall costs and providing new propositions for consumer as new entrants in retail bring innovation and new ways of doing things. ASOS can tackle these threats by creating new and innovative services or products to bring in new consumers and also give old consumers a reason to buy back into ASOS. Limitless’ aims to be a campaign which can shift consumers attention onto the brand as they focus and aim directly at Generation Z, which will be a risk for new entrants trying to break the market as the new campaign will be something new and different for Gen Z to engage with.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Raw material for most companies in the retail industry is bought from numerous suppliers who have the dominant position to decrease margins and raise prices. Using their negotiation power, they can impact the profitability of retail companies by extracting higher prices from the firms in retail. ASOS can tackle the power of suppliers by experimenting with new products and materials so that if the supplier raises prices, they can shift to another company, so it won’t affect their profitability.

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Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers are a demanding demographic who put pressure on retail companies to provide the best offers at minimum price range. This can affect the overall profitability of a company in the long run as they will need to meet buyer needs in order to stay high up in their brand positioning. ASOS can tackle buyer power by creating new products which are current with the demographic to reduce defection of existing customers to their competitors.

Threat of Substitute New products which meet a similar consumer need can also affect the profitability of a retail business. Competitors who bring out similar products are a threat as consumers will have the choice of who to buy into and will always choose a product which meets high quality but also offers value for money. ASOS can tackle these new substitutes by understanding the core of the consumer rather than what the consumer is buying. They will also need to be a service orientated business in order to build a connection with the consumer rather than just mainly product orientated.

Rivalry amongst Existing Competitors ASOS operate in a highly competitive industry and have constant rivalry with new business but also current retailers. If the rivalry amongst these retailers gets intense then the drive to compete with prices will increase which will then decrease the overall profitability. ASOS can tackle their competitors by collaborating with each other to increase their marker size rather than just competing for small markets. ASOS can also compete with their competitors by building a sustainable differentiation of their products and services they provide to create a new and innovating service for their consumers.

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ANSOFF MATRIX EXISTING PRODUCTS

MARKET PENETRATION EXISTING MARKETS

-Competitive Pricing -Advertising -Offers/Promotions -Loyalty Scheme -Driving out competition

MARKET DEVELOPMENT -Pop Up stores NEW MARKETS

-Eco consumers -Click and Collect

NEW PRODUCTS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT -Own make-up brand -Homeware -Technology -Sportswear (ASOS own)

DIVERSIFICATION -ASOS own products aimed at mature audience -Re-launching Kidswear -New campaigns. e.g‘Limitless’

PACKAGING As ASOS is an e-tailer who sends their products to their consumers, their packaging and waste usage is high compared to many retail stores.

ASOS set themselves the responsibility of meeting waste packaging (customer and transit), electrical, battery, textiles, glass recycling and recover concerns globally. The rules which they are obligated to follow are to: reduce the amount of packaging produced in the first place, reduce how much packaging waste goes to landfill, increase the amount of packaging waste that’s recycled and recovered according to their (2019) corporate responsibility strategy. They have had an 18% reduction in the total weight of packaging used in 2017 and 3042 tonnes of packaging was recycled from EU customer returns in 2017.

5 million cardboard boxes and 59 million plastic mailing bags are used a year and they are continuously reviewing their packaging to find ways to make this more recyclable and reduce the volumes they use. 18% of packaging waste was decreased in 2016/17, despite a 29% increase in the number of deliveries. Their delivery boxes are made out of 100% recycled material and their bags are made out of 25% recycled content,

59 million plastic mailing bags sent a year.

but they are always looking for way to increase the recycled content in their packaging. During transportation of goods, ASOS invested in a Loadhog, a reusable transit packaging container which eliminated 9 tonnes of plastic annually for the use of wrap pallets and cages.

The container is 100% recyclable at the end of its five-year life and enables ASOS to transport more stock as the lid facilitates secure double stacking.

ASOS are also working on a customer waste related initiative as part of their 2020 Circular Fashion System commitment, their ambition is to help their ASOS customers recycle their used clothing in the future and offering them new clothing ranges which contain postconsumer waste. They will launch a six-week pilot clothing and footwear recycling programme for employees before the clothing recycling programme is launched in two of the biggest markets, the UK and Germany in 2020, supported by social media engagement.

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post-consumer waste being introduced into ASOS’s mailing bags.

cardboard mailing bozes sent a year

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3042 tonnes of packaging recycled from EU customer returns (year ending 2017)

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ASOS X LIMITLESS

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CAMPAIGN PREDICTION

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MACRO PREDICTION Breaking down barriers of identity creates an innovative sense of self- expression from the latter end of Millennials to the present-day Generation Z. Pushing the need for a sense of individuality, Gen Z’ers begin to explore the limitless possibilities for identity, pushing body norms and creating boundary breaking behaviours.

Technology begins to blur boundaries between the online and In-Real-Life worlds.

Harnessing the power of data, Gen Z use their unorthodox minds to channel personality and explore limitless possibilities for identity.

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‘LIMITLESS’ PREDICTION

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MICRO PREDICTION Disruptive thinking continues to create change, as identities are challenged, and gender is celebrated. Tech savvy Generation Z’ers express body norms and challenge current markets to create innovative concepts which connect with Gen Z. Celebrating the acceptance of gender and sexuality is a subject Gen Z thrive from, making it no longer a taboo. Reliving the lost iconic discotheque era will celebrate the change Gen Z have created through their revolutionary era and boundary- breaking behaviours.

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CAMPAIGN NARRATIVE “MY STYLE IS LIMITLESS”

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NARRATIVE MOODBOARD ‘Limitless’ invites its consumers to explore every part of their personal style and identity, allowing Generation Z to immerse themselves into a community filled with self-expression. ‘My Style is Limitless’ will be inclusive to all genders, sexualities, race, and social classes, allowing consumers to feel part of a community and encouraging them to embrace their individuality in this technology driven world. Pushing a need for individuality, ‘Limitless’ aims to progressively influence Generation Z to explore their personal identity through the use of online content. As technology begins to blur boundaries and we lose a sense of what is real online and what is fake, ‘Limitless’ aims to show the ever- growing change of Generation Z and the impact they have on modern day society.

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CONSUMER PROFILE Age: 18-35 Gender: No Specified Gender Income: Low to Mid Income Location: Northern area of UK. Education: Full time Education Occupation: Influencer, PR/Marketing, Creative Occupation.

Family Structure: No children, Strong stable family but live away from home.

Lifestyle: Lives in smaller city centres in the UK. Enjoys shopping online, investing in quality but trend worthy pieces of clothing. Up to date with current social, political and environmental issues.

Views on self: Other people’s opinions don’t matter to them. They are driven by selfinfluence and express their individuality through their style.

Shopping Habit: Online only.

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CONSUMER LOCATION ‘Limitless’ aims to influence consumers from the Northern area of the UK, allowing Generation Z’ers from these smaller tight-knit communities to feel connected. Generation Z are the most tech savvy generation but are also conscious of social and political issues which affect their well-being and future.

These young activists are often judged and have a misconception surrounding their generation as a whole, as media only focus on the influencers based within London. As the internet is often painted as a black hole, consumers from these less media focused city’s feel the need to take to social media to show they do also exist and use this as a way to try and express their identities, which is where ‘Limitless’ aims to progress this trend and connect the London Gen Z’ers to the Northern Gen Z’ers.

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ASOS X LIMITLESS “MY STYLE IS LIMITLESS” Generation Z are the most fashion- forward generation as their online platform is forever growing and become more and more relevant for brands to target them. ASOS works closely with both Millennials and Generation Z, making them a relevant brand within the coming of age- progressive generation. ‘Limitless’ aims to be led

by Gen Z, allowing them to take and manipulate the concept of the campaign to suit their personal style and identity, aiming to focus on influencers, activist, students and YouTubers. ‘Limitless’ aims to tick all the right boxes for Generation Z, allowing them to encourage and express their personal identity as the campaign aims to work in collaboration with Generation Z, allowing them to push and encourage the campaign at their peers.

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EDITORIAL INSPIRATION “MY STYLE IS LIMITLESS” ‘Limitless’ aims to encourage identity and self- expression with its consumers through the use of its social media and editorial presence. All models chosen for the campaign will have a social media presence where they use these platforms as a place to express their style and individuality, which is where the campaign aims to broaden to a wider audience who will be inspired by the models featured within the film and campaign. All models chosen will also be from the Northern area of the UK to focus the campaign directly to the target consumer audience.

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SHOOT LOCATION “MY STYLE IS LIMITLESS” ‘Limitless’ aims to target consumers who live in the Northern area of the UK, which is the prime location for the campaign shoot. ‘Limitless’ is all about the consumers, making them feel confident within their hometowns to express their identity, which is why each model used in the shoot will choose their own location which they think best suits their personal style and identity. Each location will differ per model, making the campaigin more suited to its consumers as they will gain an insight into many diferent persepectives of the Gen Z models, seeing the different lives they live but in similar hometown of the UK.

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CREATIVE AND COMMERCIAL RATIONALE ASOS X LIMITLESS

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SHOOT IMAGES RAW FILES

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SHOOT IMAGES RAW FILES

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SHOOT IMAGES RAW FILES

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CAMPAIGN EDITORIAL

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CAMPAIGN EDITORIAL

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PROMOTIONAL FILM BEHIND THE SCENES PROMOTIONAL FILM

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PROMOTIONAL FILM LINKS

FILM 1

https://vimeo.com/334144314

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FILM 2

https://vimeo.com/334145253

FILM 3

https://vimeo.com/334145638

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MY STYLE IS LIMITLESS.

MEGAN GREEN B6007092