ASOS VIRTUAL festival

ASOS VIRTUAL FESTIVAL & DIGITAL CLOTHING RANGE

creative strategy and promotion document Katie Loboda w18019939 BA (Hons) Fashion Communication Final Major Project

“WE ARE AUTHENTIC, BRAVE AND CREATIVE TO OUR CORE” ASOS

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Contents 1 . CONCEPT pg. 5 Introduction pg. 7 The Festival pg. 8 The Digital Clothing Range pg. 14 The Virtual Fitting Room pg. 16 Photobooth pg. 17 The cocktail bar

2 . RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS pg. 20 About ASOS pg. 21 Brand SWOT pg. 23 ASOS Social media pg. 25 Digital Clothing pg. 28 Virtual fitting rooms pg. 30 Virtual experiences pg. 33 Primary Research pg. 40 Target Audience pg. 42 Customer Profile

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3 . SITUATION ANALYSIS pg. 44 Objectives pg. 45 SWOT: The Festival pg. 47 SWOT: The Virtual Fitting Room pg. 49 SWOT: The Digital Clothing Range pg. 51 Competitor analysis pg. 56 The P’s of Marketing pg. 61 PESO pg. 64 PESTLE 4 . PROMOTIONAL TACTICS pg. 70 Social Media pg. 72 ASOS Insiders pg. 74 Instagram influencers pg. 79 The PR package pg. 81 Press release pg. 84 The hashtag 5 . LOGISTICAL COSTS pg. 87 PR Package pg. 88 Average cost of concept pg. 89 The team behind the concept pg. 90 Festival entertainment 6 . REFERENCES 7 . IMAGE REFERENCES

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Concept A virtual festival for the launch of ASOS’ first digital clothing range for ASOS Design. The range features 12 festival-inspired pieces for women and men/ unisex in collaboration with the digital fashion house The Fabricant.

The aim is to introduce the ASOS consumer to digital clothing. A new way of expressing style through social media that is inclusive, environmentally friendly, and more ethical.

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“we beliEve fashion thrives on individuality and should be fun for everyone” ASOS

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The Festival in collaboration with Visualise An interactive game-like experience for ASOS as part of a marketing strategy to promote the launch of the the digital clothing range with additional features such as the virtual fitting room, a cocktail bar and the photo booth. Customers can create fully customisable avatars, transcending gender, colour and limitations of the body with the freedom to style their avatars with festival inspired outfits. Inside the festival, users can meet with friends and make new ones, chat and dance to the live music.

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Visualise is a London based content studio specialising in VR and AR technology for top brands, partnering with various key players in technology like Samsung, Google, BBC, Sony and many more. The agency brings projects to life through producing various immersive content like interactive VR experiences, 360 videos and Augmented Reality adventures with the team consisting of filmmakers, producers, technologists and developers behind each concept.

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Digital clothing range in collaboration with The Fabricant

WOMEN’S ASOS Design DIGITAL dress with extreme fairy wings in green. £30 ASOS Design DIGITAL fitted jumpsuit with orange and purple marble effect. £10 ASOS Design DIGITAL turtleneck bodysuit with Perspex detailing and marble effect in blue and navy. £8 ASOS Design DIGITAL straight leg trousers with contrast stitching in bright green and orange. £10 ASOS Design DIGITAL platform trainers in white with purple and green detailing. £8 ASOS Design DIGITAL futuristic glasses in yellow with purple frame. £5 MEN’S/UNISEX ASOS Design DIGITAL metallic straight leg trousers. £10 ASOS Design DIGITAL glass trainers in blue. £8 ASOS Design DIGITAL overalls in white with navy pockets and detailing. £10 ASOS Design DIGITAL furry bucket hat in electric blue. £5 ASOS Design DIGITAL transparent jacket in electric blue. £12 ASOS Design DIGITAL festival puffer and trouser set in green. £30

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Customers will be redirected from the virtual festival site to the ASOS website to purchase the piece of clothing of their choice and to upload a photo with image requirements available for the consumer to be digitally dressed successfully.

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Image requirements To get digitally dressed successfuly, the customer has to follow image requirements in order to make the process run faster and smoothly.

The individual should wear form fitting clothing or minimal clothing like a swimsuit to make the application of the garment easier and more realistic.

The image should consist of good lightning with no contra light, allowing the face and body to be in focus, ideally with a simple background

Avoid images with strong shadows which could make the digital fit look less real.

Avoid hair covering the body too much.

A full length portrait image which can be cropped afterwards.

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Festival line-up The line up featured on the main stage across 3 days.

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Camelphat

DJ Koze

Horse Meat Disco

MK

Hannah Wants

Secondcity

Annie Mac

Pete Tong

Sam Divine

Armand Van Helden

Wilkinson

Sarah Story

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Virtual fitting room in collaboration with Zeekit The VFR technology used for a virtual fitting room allows customers to try on clothing and accessories on a 3D avatar of themselves to generate a personalised and engaging experience. The AI algorithm evaluates the individual and collects biometric data with the consumers’ camera analysing their physique and movements digitally, selecting the appropriate style and size of the garment chosen with the image using AI technology. The learning model then directs the key points of the customers’ body.

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Zeekit is a technology based company offering interactive shopping experiences for fashion brands like ASOS. ASOS’s recent collaboration with Zeekit during the COVID-19 pandemic involved the use of AR technology to create real life model photography on the website, offering a digital view of up to 500 products each week on 6 real life models. Each product was digitally mapped onto the model, remaining realistic and and ensuring the models socially distanced. ASOS also trialled a ‘See My Fit’ feature on their website, allowing customers to view a garment on a model of their choice.

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Photobooth The photo booth located next to the main stage has a variety of filters, overlays and colours to choose from to take the perfect picture to share on Instagram.

People attending the festival can snap a picture and download their favourite to share on social media, hashtagging #ASOSVirtualFestival to have a chance of winning a £250 gift card to spend on the physical or digital range.

Choose a filter or effect to create the perfect photo booth picture!

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Cocktail bar The cocktail bar will be available for users 18+, just like a regular cocktail bar.

Festival goers can download a cocktail recipe of their choice to create one from the comfort of their own home and to enjoy when exploring the festival and streaming the featured line-up. Users can download 6 different cocktail recipes: Blueberry Mojito, Tequila Sunrise, Long Island Iced Tea, Peach Punch, Watermelon Gin Spritzer and Summer Sangria

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Research and analysis

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About ASOS

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ASOS is a British online fashion and beauty retailer selling over 850 brands, shipping to 196 countries. When the brand was first founded in June 2000, it was known as AsSeenOnScreen with the tagline “Buy what you see on film and TV”. It slowly developed in 2003 after shareholders agreed to change the name into the acronym.

The development of ASOS started after the brand introduced their own label for women’s clothing, ASOS Design, in 2004, making it a success to this day.

Afterwards, an incident had happened at the Buncefield Fuel Depot in 2005 resulting in ASOS closing for 6 weeks and loosing over £5m worth of stock. ASOS introduced a kid’s wear range in order to help restore sales. However, in 2010 ASOS stopped the kid’s wear range and started focusing on it’s core young adult consumer.

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Brand SWOT analysis

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- Sells over 850 brands as well as their own range of clothing and accessories called ASOS Design - Displays merchandise using customer created looks and company edited fashion trends on the website and app - ASOS Marketplace allows a place for independent brand and vintage boutiques to sell various products from Tommy Hilfiger and Champion to hand-made jewellery, attracting customers who are looking for something authentic that they can’t find anywhere else - Engages with customers through social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube and Pinterest.

The business is spread over 200 countries with over 4000 employees.

- The mobile app lets the customer personalise their app to fit their style and shopping habits. It also offers alternatives and picks from categories the customer looked at recently, making their shopping experience online smoother.

- The virtual Fit Assistant on the mobile app allows customers to choose a size easier, with recommended products always available below.

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- The free shipping service which is provided by ASOS costs the company a total of £100million on an annual basis.

- 30% of purchases are returned to the company which means ASOS are faced with more shipping charges

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- The variety of brands and products available on ASOS Marketplace means customers are willing to spend their money on unique clothing and accessories - Consumers can purchase more through inspiration and personalisation via social media and the ASOS app - Same day delivery to expand the brand - Expand into new categories and keep on adding new brands that are outside of fashion and beauty

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- Retailers which are both physical and digital gain more customers through foot traffic as well as the online platform - Competition is getting tougher which means ASOS need to work on marketing of products and positioning a clearer unique selling propositions - ASOS must ensure they are following the agreements that the World Trade Organisations govern especially since Brexit has caused uncertainty to retailers and causing the movement of labor to slow down in the UK

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Social media ASOS has over 7.1M likes on Facebook, reaching a wide audience through posting images of new products, memes for customers to relate to and user generated content from TikTok and Instagram.

ASOS has accumulated over 11.5M followers on Instagram, with content similar to Facebook’s: fashion inspiration, new product releases and user generated content. The ASOS Instagram page also includes IGTV, ASOS series featuring beauty tips and styling advice from influencers and celebrities, filters customers can use and highlights to find out more information about ASOS. ASOS customers can share the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe to share their ASOS outfits with a chance to be featured on the page.

The ASOS Twitter account has 1M followers, with the main content being new product launches as well as memes and any relatable content customers can retweet and reply to. ASOS also creates giveaways to win money to spend on ASOS with the consumer simply retweeting and liking the post as well as sharing a hashtag eg. #ASOSFUNDMYFUN

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The concept has developed through secondary research of digital clothing companies such as Dress X and The Fabricant, progressing through to analysing various virtual experiences other companies have created, particularly during the Coronavirus pandemic, such as Fenty Skin and Lost Horizon. The future of fashion and technology has been merging and changing at this particular time, only to inspire us, change the perspective on our spending habits and allow us to understand the reality of trends coming and going.

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Digital clothing

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The Fabricant is the world’s first digital fashion house, creating 3D garments that are non-physical. The company is determined to create a new perspective on fashion that makes the exploration of personal identity more sustainable through digital clothing and collaborating with the most well-known brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Puma, Under Armour, Buffalo London and many more. The use of creative technology suggests that the production of digital clothing has a positive influence on the supply chain which is less wasteful, smarter and more resilient.

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Dress X is a digital clothing marketplace featuring various brands and designers selling digital clothing which is generated through a website and an app. More than 600 garments are both from digital fashion houses as well as traditional fashion brands who have created digital versions of their clothing line, taking that one step further to a less wasteful approach. The prices of the clothing and accessory pieces range from $15 to $200 depending on the complexity of the garment.

The customer chooses and purchases an item of clothing from the website or app and uploads an image fitting the requirements which are shown on the website to get digitally dressed. The final image can be posted on social media.

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VIRTUAL FITTING ROOMS

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An Israel-based fashion firm, Zeekit, is looking to take virtual fitting rooms to the next level. With partnerships with brands like Adidas, Modcloth and Macy’s, the concept is only developing further, allowing consumers to get an idea of what a garment looks like on their body without actually trying it on. Users can use the Zeekit app to upload a full-body image to try on garments from brands and create purchases. The company has also worked with ASOS during the COVID-19 pandemic, conducting virtual shoots with models of a wide range of body types to process on the website.

According to Zeekit, data shows the virtual fitting room service has helped reduce return rates for partners by

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VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES

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Figure 9

For the new launch of Fenty Skin, Rihanna and her team hosted an interactive digital launch party by inducing consumers within a space they wouldn’t normally be in: a celebrity house party. The digital party featured a Fenty Skin Spa, allowing individuals to delve into how the Fenty Skin products work and what ingredients they include to have the full experience of the new Fenty products virtually. To make the virtual party feel more like a party, party goers were able to download cocktail recipes to create their own cocktails from home.

The cocktail bar had an age limit of 21 and over, just like a real cocktail bar.

Through to the dancefloor, the DJ played mixes with a virtual chat room open to interact with Rihanna and special guests like Lil Nas X. For the last stops at the pool, customers were able to browse and purchase products as well as use the selfie cam to share their images on social media. Such an experience creates the new future of digital marketing, keeping consumers more in tune with products and services as well as the brand.

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Figure 10

With the postponing of events and festival due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the team behind Glastonbury’s Shangri-La & Sansar has launched the world’s biggest digital festival for music and art, Lost Horizon. The festival is a multidimensional experience filled with dance floors, headliners, visuals of arts and performances, venues and the most famous artists such as The Martinez Brothers, Carl Cox, Alan Fitzpatrick, Eats Everything, Skream and many more performing in a virtual reality live stream. It is a new way of bringing people together on a virtual platform, allowing individuals to meet with friends and explore the festival together, with the freedom to create an avatar. With the nightlife industry falling away in front us, Lost Horizon creates a platform for art and music to define the new era of live entertainment and creativity.

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primary research

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Google survey I conducted a survey on Google Forms to research the target audience of ASOS to allow me to create an experience suitable for that audience. I shared the survey on my personal Instagram which reaches people between the ages of 18-24. The survey accumulated a total of 58 responses.

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If not, why?

- Too time consuming ands the returns are so easy so I normally just order a few sizes.

- I don’t know my exact measurements and there is a lot of pressure to fit within beauty standards clothing websites often uphold, the process of trying on clothes in private offers many people the option to not feel observed or told by a website what they suit/ what they should be wearing- when people take a risk and buy clothes that may be outside their comfort zone. Also interacting with websites can feel very impersonal, ordering online allows people to show their friends their clothes when they arrive which can be a confident boost and promote body positivity in some cases.

- Rather know how it fits and feels.

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If not, why?

- Now as appealing being virtual.

- Not interested.

- It’s something that wouldn’t interest me in participating in.

- I would rather an in person event, it’s not the same.

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If not, why?

- I’d rather have the physical items.

- I like physically having my clothes/ accessories and often mix and match items so I always get my wear out of things that I purchase.

- This could feed into issues which already exist with Photoshopping and displaying unrealistic body types online. Purchasing a digital form of clothing would minimise clothing waste but places a lot of pressure on individuals to buy clothes for purpose of sharing an image of themselves on social media. Clothing could become a way of surveillance and the element of comfort is lost.

- It may look too fake on my body and completely edited. If they could find a way to make it look like I was genuinely wearing the products then sure but it would otherwise just look stupid.

- Sounds a little bit too “for show”. I fear we live in a world now where the image of us on social media is more important than what we are as a person. it feels as if that fits into influencer culture and the fake ness of instagram a little too much for my liking. i don’t actively/ don’t want to post pictures of me on instagram in digital outfits just for validation. i like to post pictures just because.

- It would be something to think about in the future but I would have to see what it’s like first.

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Target audience ASOS focuses on giving young people between the ages of 16-34 the confidence to be whoever they want. With endless style inspiration on social media particularly Instagram, the young core customer can browse through outfit inspiration like a digital look book with style codes from the website available in the description on each post. Customers can also share their ASOS outfit with the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe and have a chance to be featured on the ASOS Instagram page, allowing the customer to have freedom with their creativity and styling.

“We focus relentlessly on reflecting the needs of our customers all over the world to help them look, feel and be their best.”

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“OUR MISSION IS TO BECOME THE WORLD’S NUMBER-ONE DESTINATION FOR FASHION LOVING 20-SOMETHINGS.” ASOS

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Customer profile Jess is a 21 year old Law student living in Manchester City Centre, sharing a small flat with 2 of her flatmates. Her part-time job at a local cafe allows her to purchase clothing pieces and accessories every season.

Jess is really determined to shop for pieces of clothing which will last as she’s learning more about the negative impacts of fast fashion through social media.

SHOPPING BEHAVIOURS Jess normally spends around £50-£100 everytime she orders from ASOS. When she’s not shopping on ASOS she likes to browse through Depop and small business stores on Instagram to find second hand items and original pieces.

FAVOURITE BRANDS Her favourite brand on ASOS is ASOS Design as she loves the variety of funky designs and pieces which are always on trend. Some of her favourite pieces include Ferris chunky flip flops, a crotchet bucket hat and mid rise 90s jeans.

Jess also likes to look at brands like Bershka and Collusion which have a variety of designs.

SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT Jess likes to get her style inspiration from Instagram influencers like Molly McFarlane and Megan Welsh. She also likes to find inspiration on Pinterest, creating moodboards on fashion trends, home interior and lifestyle. She connects with ASOS the most on Instagram and TikTok where she watches hauls and style inspiration.

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situation analysis

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Objectives - Revolutonise the way brands engage with their audience by becoming the first retailer in UK to offer VR and AR technology through a virtual experience - Introduce the virtual fitting room into the ASOS website and app from the festival to reduce return rates by 10% in the first 6 months - Create a successful digital clothing range which will give ASOS the opportunity to create more in the future and make digital ranges the norm for ASOS customers

- Increase awareness of the benefits digital clothing has on the environment - Raise the bar for digital marketing by creating a successful virtual experience for the launch of the range - Utilise marketing strategies through Instagram influencers and ASOS Insiders - Create a buzz through the festival using the hashtag #ASOSVirtualFestival and spark conversation amongst the target audience

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SWOT analysis: THE RANGE

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- With already existing digital clothing websites, the idea is not too new and the range could be something ASOS can try to observe to develop it further if purchases have been made - Zero waste impact by utilising tech advances - The range is suitable for everyone. The customer doesn’t have to choose a size or order multiple sizes since the products are put on by the 3D designers - Promotes a sustainable way of consuming fashion

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- Some individuals might not understand the concept of a digital clothing range and think it feeds into issues already existing with Photoshop and photo editing as well as buying clothes for the purpose of sharing an image on social media, which can negatively impact some individuals with the surrounding pressure to always look good - Need skilled workforce to create the digital fashion - Need new designs every week to compete with fastfashion stores - Consumers might not be sure of the idea of paying for a product which is not physical

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- It can inspire other brands to start thinking about digital clothing ranges - Collaborations with other brands within ASOS - Contributing to a cut down of over-consumption of clothing - Create an ASOS app purely for digital clothing - Partner with other technology companies to merge technology and fashion together further - Use influencers to grow the customer base and following

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- Competitors: other services such as Dress X and XR Coutoure - The costs of creating a digital range can be high especially when starting which means the customer base needs to grow rapidly - Other social media platforms could take over Instagram such as TikTok, making the digital clothing concept harder to maintain and work with if people’s content is just videos - The need to maintain new trends and stock to satisfy the customers’ needs could be a threat, especially with the turnover of stock other fast fashion retailers are doing

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SWOT analysis: THE FESTIVAL

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- A new and innovate way of introducing AR and VR technology to the fashion industry - Provides a strong marketing strategy which has only been done with a few brands such as Fenty Skin as it enagages the customer with the brand and it’s products on a more emotional level - Be the first fashion brand to create a virtual festival to engage with customers in a different way

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- From primary research through a survey, people have stated they would prefer if a festival occurred in person rather than virtual - The costs of the virtual experience could be very costly with the expenses including the hiring of DJs to perform, the wages of all creators involved with developing the project as well as the cost of promoting the actual event

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O T

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- Create an annual virtual festival to promote the brand further, with new technology and ranges launched - Creating collaborations and relationships with companies like The Fabricant, Visualise and Zeekit can develop into even bigger concepts in the future to raise the bar for digital marketing even further

- Because of how long the project is going to take to develop, with it happening in 2022, not many people might be interested in it as much if restrictions have been lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic - Ticket sales for the festival could be lower than expected, with the threat of the festival falling through causing ASOS to lose money

SWOT analysis: THE FITTING ROOM

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- The virtual fitting room concept is a development from the fit assistant feature already on the app. Virtual fitting rooms could be easier for customers’ shopping experience as it doesn’t require the customer to purchase multiple sizes which they would have a hassle of returning otherwise.

- Easy fitting room service with a click of a button - New and emerging idea for retailers like ASOS. It is reported to grow rapidly by 2024

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- Some people prefer to order clothing straight away to see how it feels.

- Individuals could feel observed by the website and may not feel comfortable getting told what they suit through the virtual fitting room. Some people may want more privacy with technology like this

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- Since the free shipping return services provided by ASOS costs the company 100 million pounds on an annual basis, the virtual fitting room could be a developed concept from the virtual festival to the ASOS website and app. This would help to decrease the amount of returns made by customers, saving ASOS money - The introduction to a virtual fitting room from a retailer like ASOS could inspire other retailers, particularly ASOS’ competitors to do the same, with one step closer to merging fashion and technology further

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- Technical faults with measurements or the possibility of scanning the customers’ body incorrectly could be an issue, putting the new concept in bad light which might steer people away from using the fitting room again - Other virtual fitting room companys such as WearFits, AstraFit and Visualook could develop their technology even further, creating an even bigger competition

competitor analysis In order to get a better idea of ASOS and their current position within the fashion market, 2 key competitors, Boohoo and Missguided, have been analysed to evaluate how ASOS can differentiate.

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Figure 12

The UK based retailer, Boohoo, is a well-known competitor for ASOS as they sell a range of men and women’s clothing as well as accessories and beauty products at very affordable prices targeted at 16- to 30-year-olds.

Boohoo is an online fast fashion retailer founded in 2006 by Mahmud Kamani and Carol Kane. The store focuses on selling clothing and accessories for women, specialising in it’s own brand fashion clothing as well as menswear clothing under the name BoohooMAN. The brand is known for promoting fastfashion with most of the clothing being produced from Leicester where factories payed their workers less than national minimum wage.

The only virtual experience a customer can get with Boohoo is the virtual chat with an automated virtual assistant who can reply to any order and return queries. Although Boohoo has a blog to engage with their audience called The Fix, they are yet to incorporate AR and VR technology into their website or app.

The new proposal would differentiate ASOS greatly, creating a better marketing strategy for the digital clothing range as well as the virtual fitting room through the festival.

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Products Audience Touchpoints Size USP Strengths Weaknesses

Boohoo sells a range of men and women’s clothing as well as accessories and beauty products at very affordable prices. Some of the beuaty products include brands like Rimmel, Isle of Paradise, Nails Inc and many more.

Aimed at 16-30 year olds seeking new trends.

The brand engages with their customers through the website, an app, across all social media and a blog called ‘The Fix’.

The blog covers topics from fashion news, trends, catwalk updates and celebrity gossip.

Delivers to over 100 countries including Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, US and many more.

Inexpensive clothing with the target audience of fashion conscious women wiith limited fnances. Boohoo’s fashion trends are primarily driven by social media.

- Implements “fashion-for-all” - Strong global presence

- Brand reputation tarnished by contraversies surrounding fast fashion and paying workers below minimum wage

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Figure 13

Missguided is a multi-channel retailer based in the UK established in 2009 by Nitin Passi. The fast fashion brand focuses on selling clothing for women as well as men in a seperate menswear brand called Mennace which launched in 2017.

Missguided has become one of the first UK retailers to introduce a QR based returns solution, making returns easy and label free. Shoppers scan their QR code at the InPost locker and put the parcel inside.

The retailer also has physical stores launched within a US department store Nordstrom, a concession store at Selfridges Trafford Centre, a brick-andmortar store in Selfridges Manchester Exchange Square and a Selfridges in Birmingham. This means that customers can go to a store to browse and try on clothing physically, which ASOS can’t provide for their consumers. But because the locations of the Missguided stores are so limited, the use of VR and AR technology for a virtual fitting room could be useful for a brand like Missguided.

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Products

A wide range of women’s clothing and accessories, homeware as well as beauty products and haircare from brands such as Cloud Nine, Rimmel, Bondi Sands and many more.

Missguided is also well known for their clothing collaborations with Playboy.

Their price points range from £2 to £200.

Aimed at 16-35 year old women.

Audience Touchpoints

Size USP Strengths Weaknesses

Engages with customers through their website, the app as well as all the social media channels. Missguided also run a blog called ‘babeZine’ which covers topics from fashion culture and beauty to music as well as providing edits and interviews with influencers.

Missguided has experiences a rapid growth in the UK and has expanded into USA Australia, France and Germany.

Catwalk trends at low price points with various ranges of petite, tall, maternity and plus size.

- Just in time production - Ranges for all (petite, tall, plus size, maternity) as well as menswear Mennace - Known as a fast fashion brand, not very transparent with ethical and social responsibility

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the P’s of marketing

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Product The launch of the digital clothing line gives ASOS an opportunity to promote the range through a unique marketing strategy using VR and AR technology, incorporating services such as the virtual fitting room and other engaging features like a photo booth, a main stage with live streamed music from famous DJs and a cocktail bar with downloadable recipes.

Process The festival can be accessed on a laptop and mobile device. Customers can purchase a day ticket or a weekend pass from the ASOS app and wesbite to allow them to access the festival. When the customer purchases a ticket, a confirmation email comes through the email address they have given to enter a code when going on the festival page. Once the user has entered the code, they can customise their own avatar to explore the virtual festival and interact with other users. The user then has the freedom to explore the festival using the map featured on the main page.

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Promotion The promotion of the digital clothing range and the festival will take place primarily on ASOS’ Instagram platform, through the brand’s account as well as influencers.

Influencers will be given instructions on how to promote the festival with each influencer being given a festival inspired PR package to share on their stories. The ASOS Virtual Festival will be featured on the ASOS app and website to allow customers through those platforms to gain interest and click for more information.

Sneak peaks of the digital clothing range as well as the festival will be posted on Instagram to create a buzz prior to the launch.

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Place Since the festival is online, all influencers can access the festival from home, on their own or with their friends. The festival is occurring over 3 days with different artists performing at the main stage each day. This gives people the opportunity to purchase a ticket at their chosen day or a weekend pass.

Price The day passes for the festival would be priced at £5 a day with the weekend passes priced for £10. All ticket profits would go towards the creatives working on the festival, the digital clothing range and the fitting room as well the artists performing.

The digital clothing pieces range from £5 to £30 depending on the complexity of the garments.

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PESO

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Paid Media - Sponsored posts on Instagram - Social media influencers - ASOS Insiders - Gifted endorsements - Collaborations with celebrities like Christian Cowan, Ovie Soko, Madison Beer.

Earned Media - Online reviews of products on various social media channels such as Youtube, Instagram and TikTok - Mentions by bloggers and influencers - Media coverage from magazines, newspapers, websites and TV

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Shared Media - Reposts, shares, comments and likes on ASOS’ social media posts.

- Clothing hauls uploaded to various channels like Youtube, TikTok and IGTV.

Owned Media - Campaigns and photoshoots organised by ASOS - Use generated content that ASOS reposts

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PESTLE

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P OLITICAL

- Brexit uncertainty: Consumers could face higher costs and reduced availability of stock since 80% of UK retailers import products from the EU. If brands were to create digital clothing lines, there would be no issue with importing products and paying tax as everything is digital.

- UK digital services tax: the government has introduced a 2% tax on revenues of search engines, social media services and marketplaces which secure value from UK users. This affects multinational enterprises such as ASOS since the company obtains it’s customer base through engagement and interaction digital

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CONOMICAL

- Impact of COVID-19: consumers have been online shopping more frequently due to offline stores shutting because of the pandemic.

- The global market for online fashion is worth £220 billion and is expected to grow with £870 billion in value by 2023.

- Volatility in exchange rates making international trade and investment decisions more difficult. There’s more risk to lose money within a business because of the change in the exchange rate.

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OCIAL

- Shopping on social media has become easier eg.

Instagram’s feature ‘Shop’ which advertises stores and small businesses tailored to the individuals’ wants and needs.

- E-commerce has become more inclusive to stay relevant and profitable. ASOS has made several changes like changing ‘beauty’ for ‘face+body’ as well as promoting genderless fashion and using ‘real life’ models on the website with stretch marks, freckles and cellulite rather than unrealistic models.

- Society has been increasingly more active on social media, with 4.3billion monthly active users totaling more than 53% of the total global population using social media since the start of 2021.

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ECHNOLOGICAL

- Technological advancements have boomed in online retailers like ASOS through technology like virtual Fit Assistants and Zeekit collaborating with the brand to dress models digitally throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This means the virtual fitting room and digital clothing range could be a success with the brand as they are looking to expand more with technology to satisfy customers’ needs.

- Computer programs and 3D animation have been more popular within marketing strategies to engage with the customer more. Brands such as Fenty Skin and festivals like Lost Horizon have partnered with AR and VR technology companies to provide virtual experiences that customers can enjoy from the comfort of their own home.

- AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been continuing to produce analytics and advertisements for targeted audiences at a rapid speed. The technology has been collecting data and observing customers as well as economic trends to develop marketing further.

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EGAL

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NVIRONMENTAL

- Phishing attacks have been an effective and minimalinvestment strategy for criminals to gain access to people’s data and credentials, making it a huge cybersecurity threat within companies.

- Security of customer data has been a bigger concern for companies, with 84% of customers stating that they are more loyal to businesses with strong security controls.

ASOS is 100% committed to protecting their customers’ privacy and data eg. allowing customers who no longer want to be a customer to contact the Customer Care Team to close their account.

- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers have been more aware of sustainability and the effects overconsumption can have on the environment. This means the digital clothing range could be a success with more people understanding why this is helpful can help overconsumption.

- The fashion industry has strict legal laws related to protecting the environment since it’s one of the biggest pollutants in the world, meaning ASOS has been focusing on it’s business model to attain social value whilst decreasing environmental impact. ASOS’s biggest environmental impact is from the shipment of products that release carbon emissions as well packaging waste and factories. ASOS has stated in their 2020 annual report that their main aims are reducing carbon emissions and boosting renewable energy sources. The brand also makes the best effort to use recyclable packaging.

- 23,500 tonnes of waste is generated at festivals annually, with 68% of the waste going to landfills. This makes the ASOS Virtual Festival more environmentally friendly since it’s all digital.

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Timeline 12 weeks before launch: Start the production of the virtual festival 11 weeks before launch: Start the designing and producing of the digital clothing range 10 weeks before launch: Place orders for PR packaged for influencers 4 weeks before launch: Social media promotion for the launch of the festival and digital clothing range begins 3 weeks before launch: Press release is sent to recipients

2 weeks before launch: PR packages are sent to influencers

16th July 2022: Launch of the festival and digital clothing range 16th July 2022: Launch of the competition on Instagram is posted followed by the hashtag #ASOSVirtualFestival

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18th July 2022: Virtual festival ends

PROMOTIONAL TACTICS

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Social media

The launch of the festival and the digital clothing range will be promoted on ASOS’ 3 most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The promotion will be posted prior to the launch to create a buzz around the overall concept, with posts of sneak peaks of the festival and the digital clothing range with a coundtown till the launch to inform customers every day through their feeds. ASOS will also repost any content the ASOS Insiders and influencers have posted about the festival to interest the audience even more.

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infLuencers

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ASOS Insiders ASOS Insider is a group of influencers with ASOS handle Instagram accounts sharing outfit photos followed by style codes to inspire shoppers. This allows ASOS to further market their products using social media particularly Instagram.

The Insiders also use other channels such as Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok to reach a bigger audience and give ASOS the multi-channel approach that is growing more popular within brands. Since each channel has a different purpose, it creates different content for customers to gain inspiration from which helps ASOS increase sales and spreading the word about new products ASOS has to offer.

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Infleuncers

Followers

@ASOS_jono

5,280

@ASOS_ruddy

38.1k

@ASOS_scarlett

7,828

@ASOS_lotte

37.3k

@ASOS_olive

22.5k

@ASOS_spencer

14.2k

@ASOS_jana

24.2k

@ASOS_jazzmyne

85.5k

@ASOS_lesley

79.7k

@ASOS_quisha

6,314

@ASOS_soouizz

6,054

@ASOS_sophia

18.8k

@ASOS_syana

52.6k

@ASOS_ty

14k

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Instagram influencers A list of mega, micro and macro influencers to promote the virtual festival and to receive the PR package to attract the target audience through social media, in particular Instagram. The list of influencers is mainly women with fashion and lifestyle content, to attract the audience that need to be more informed on the digital clothing range and virtual fitting room concept since they are new to VR and AR technology.

Influencers offer an opportunity to create a buzz around a product or an event, generating brand awareness and conversation pre-launch. Each influencer will be encouraged to share the hashtag #ASOSVirtualFestival when sharing their images and videos of the festival inspired PR package to interest people in getting the access to the festival link and find out more information about the new digital clothing range launch.

The PR list includes 3 mega influencers which focus on fashion and lifestyle content. Their engagement on social media reaches a wide audience of young women worldwide. Mega-infleuncers are influencers with over 1M followers.

Lauren Giraldo is added onto the mega influencer list as she has a very high engagement on Instagram with her main platform being Youtube where she has over a million followers.

@lissyroddyy 1.4M followers

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@mollymae 5.4M followers

@laurengiraldo 889k followers

Micro-influencers Micro-influencers are influencers with 10,000 to 100,000 followers.

Influencer

Followers

Content

Contact

@yviescarlet

58.5k

Festival fashion & content creation

@laragiii

27.3k

Fashion

@sailingnas

48.8k

Beauty & fashion

yvie@ digitalstreamers. com ah@ musetheagency. com nasra@ modestvisions. com

@badkidhq

22.7k

Fashion

@eyc_ltd on Instagram

@danclemt

96.2k

Fashion

danclemt@ thepauseagency

@aishaxahmada

42.7k

Fashion & beauty

@gracestutter

61.3k

@caroline_tucker

47.9k

aisha@ modestvisions. com Fashion & clothing gracestutter@ hauls outlook.com Youtube & fashion victoria@ vampped.com

@rachelnoelleclark 34k

Fashion inspiration

@isabelleyeet

Fashion

60k

c@ musetheagency. com iseeyeehaw@ gmail.com

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Influencer

Followers

Content

Contact

@ageorama

52.4k

Fashion

regan@ NextCollectiveAgency. com

@amyhallimond

85.2k

Fashion hauls and amy@digitalstreamers. content creation com

@chloefraterr

85.2k

Fashion

chloe@aquariuscreative. co.uk

@romydfonseca

94.1k

Clothing hauls & TikTok

romy@houseoficons. agency

@glitziegal

21.3k

Art & fashion

Instagram

@chlce

26.2k

Youtube & fashion jessica@ inspiration digitalstreamers.com

@joannahstyle

31.2k

Fashion couple account

joannahstyke@gmail. com

@hollygardner

21.2k

hollygardnerfashion@ gmail.com

@emmamoldt

75.1k

TikTok, Youtube and fashion inspiration Sustainable fashion posts

@moeblack

36.8k

Digital creator & TikTok content

moebcollabs@gmail. com

emma-moldt@hotmail. com

Macro-influencers Macro-influencers are influencers with 100,000 to 1million followers.

Influencer

Followers

Content

@leighwoodzx

232k

Festival fashion

@curlyfrysfeed

232k

@holliemparsons

129k

@bekakerridge

112k

@helenacritchley

169k

@sophiatuxford

360k

Contact

leighwoodz@outlook. com Menswear fashion nathain triguemanagement. com Festival fashion holliemparsons@ hotmail.com Fashion & TikTok beka@ thebloggeragent.co.uk Fashion, TikTok & megan@allstarlondon.

Youtube com Lifestyle & Fashion isabel@ margravinemana gement.com

@cinziabayliszullo 413k

Lifestyle & Fashion isabel@ margravinemana gement.co.

@itstayce

615k

Drag & fashiom

tayce@profiletalentuk. com

@x_carms

420k

Fashion

@marybedford

179k

Fashion & Beauty

carms@ thepauseagency.com ah@musetheagency. com

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Influencer

Followers

Content

Contact

@tess.daly

218k

Fashion & Beauty

@hollymarston

171k

Festival fashion

@olivianeill

668k

@flossieclegg

360k

abi@ theccollective. co.uk hollymarston@ hotmail.co.uk oliviaaneill@gmail. com Instagram

@lookingforlewys

303k

Fashion & Youtube Fashion & Youtube Menswear fashion Instagram

@kateelisabethxo

208k

@jordanlipscombe 525k

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@oliviaandalice

165k

@mjhedderman

190k

@mimimoocher

369k

Fashion & Youtube Fashion & Youtube

katieshillitoe@ gmail.com jordanlipscombe@ mcsaatchisocial. com Sisters posting learrach@gmail. outfits & TikTok com Fashion & mhedderman18@ Youtube gmail.com Fashion & Content Instagram Creation

festival inspired PR package The PR package includes Candy Kittens sweets, 2 All Shook Up cocktail cans, 3 photobooth props, Ecostardust biodegradable glitters, a personalised cocktail jar glass and metal straws.

The festival map will be printed on 224 gsm paper, A5 size.

The PR package will have 254 x 254 x 63mm in demensions with fold-in-flaps making it a small parcel.

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Once the influencers receive their packages, they can share their unboxing and box contents on their social media platforms followed by the hashtag #ASOSVirtualFestival to create interest within their audience.

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Press release The press release will promote the platform journalists and media outlets would want to feature the ASOS Virtual Festival on whether that will be website articles, magazines or social media. This will increase the digital clothing range and festival promotion further.

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Press release recipients A leading global fashion industry news outlet providing information on busines advice, immersive events and reporting and analysing the fashion industry to make positive changes in not just fashion but the wider world.

A physical and digital monthly magazine overing various topics from the latest fashion news, culture, arts and lifestyle, beauty, runway to living.

The most influential and independent fashion and culture online platform. Dazed covers everything from fashion, music, photography and art to science and tech, politics and culture.

A source of inspiration in fashion culture. iD features fashion, music, art, film and every creative field imaginable.

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the hashtag A hashtag is an important tool as part of the promotional strategy as it requires minimal effort from followers to get involved with and it creates a buzz around the launch of the clothing range and festival. The hashtag will be used primarily on Instagram by ASOS and individuals who attended the festivals.

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#ASOSVirtualFestival The use of a distinctive hashtag will ensure the festival will reach a bigger audience and make it easier to find information on the launch of the digital clothing range and ASOSVirtualFestival.

Customers who have attended the festival and used the photobooth can share their images on social media with the hashtag #ASOSVirtualFestival to have a chance of winning an ASOS gift card to spend on physical or digital garments.

This benefits both ASOS and the customer as it’s easy promotion for the festival with the customers’ interest in entering the draw to win a gift card.

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LOGISTICAL COSTS

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PR package costs Cardboard boxes for delivery x55

£50.52

Kite packaging

Fragile stickers

£3.57 per pack with 250 labels

Kite packaging

Biodegradable packing peanuts

£12.11 for 30-59 packs

Kite packaging

Eco-friendly custom tissue paper x55

£24.75

Noissue

Shredded white paper packaging

£24.64 for 24+ packs

Kite packaging

PR custom box x55

£82.50

Packhelp

A5 Festival flyer, double sided, matte finish x55

£26.85

Photo printing services

Courier delivery service x55

£329.45

DPD

2x cocktail cans x55

£165

Tesco

Photobooth props x55

£550

Amazon

Ecostardust £825 biodegradable glitter x55

ASOS

Personalised glass cocktail cups x55

Etsy

£330

Candy Kittens Sweets x55 £110

Amazon

Metal straws x55

Amazon

£165

Total price: £2,699.39 88

Average costs of concepts Virtual fitting room technology

A one-off base cost of a virtual fitting room with a sizing technology widget would be around £150,00 for a large retailer like ASOS in 2017, with the figure growing year on year. This figure was stated by an ecommerce expert to Drapers.

Digital clothing range

To run the digital clothing range concept successfully, ASOS would have to pay for the wages of the CGI artists and 3D designers working behind dressing customers digitally as well as designing each garment.

Because customers are going to pay for each digital piece, ASOS would be making a profit to go towards the designing of the range.

The Festival

Tomorrowland’s Virtual Festival which sold just under 140,000 tickets, cost about $10 million to produce with additional financial support from partners and sponsorships. The overall ticket sales totaled to $1.5 million.

With similar VR technology used for Tomorrowland’s festival, the ASOS virtual festival cost could total up to a similar amount.

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The team behind the concept Virtual Reality designer

Augemented Reality designer

CGI artists

Production manager

VR designers use 3D design skills to create immersive virtual experiences.

The average hourly wage for a VR designer is £20.51.

AR designers specialise in creating programs for AR concepts and to develop graphics. The hourly wage of an AR designer is £17.95.

A computer generated imagery designer uses creative software like CLO 3D, Adobe and Daz to render digital clothing onto models. The average salary of a CGI artist in the UK is £42,500 which is £21.79 an hour.

A production manager will ensure that all detailed schedules for the project as well as the budget is organised correctly to ensure the launch runs smoothly. The average salary of a production manager in the UK is £40k which is £20.51 an hour.

Graphic designer

A graphic designer ensures ideas are presented and are developed through designs, logos and illustrations to suit the concept and target audience. The average salary of a graphic designer is £13.85 per hour.

3D designer

3D designers create photo realistic 3D images and animation to bring the project to life. An average hourly wage for a 3D designer is £17.95.

Project Manager

Project managers ensure all aspects of the project will meet it’s goals and stay within budget. The hourly wage is £25.23.

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Festival entertainment costs Like many other jobs, DJs normally get paid by the hour. Professional DJs are more likely to have a fixed rate or a starting salary depending on the budget of the event that they will be attending, the venue and location, the duration and theme of the event as well as the date. All DJs can be booked through a booking agent they are allocated to or an entertainment agency. Because the festival is virtual, there is no need in paying for added expenses a normal festival would have to pay for such as travel, accommodation, cost of shipping equipment to the venue, airfare and even food.

Entertainment costs

The cost of an in-demand DJ or celebrity DJ is between £500-£5,000 per hour. This is based on industry averages for pricing and does not include VAT. With the line-up of 12 acts with 2 hours sets each, it could cost between £12,000 - £120,000 depending on how much each artist charges.

Equipement hire for entertainment

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If the entertainment needed to hire equipment to perform the stream, ASOS would have to provide the cost of that. A standard day hire of a DJ system and equipment could cost to up to £700 a day for each act, with a total cost of up to £8,400 or more for the equipment hire which includes mixing decks, monitors, microphone packages, lighting packages, stage boxes, cables and sound engineers if needed as well as sound systems.

References

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Referencing Barrionuevo, A (2020) Tomorrowland Virtual Festival Struggled to Turn a Profit, But Plans to Return https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/ international/9473399/tomorrowland-virtual-festival-struggled-profit-return/ BBC (2020) Virtual reality production: where do I start? https://www.bbc.com/ academy-guides/virtual-reality-production-where-do-i-start Biron, B (2020) Retailers like Macy’s and Adidas are Turning to virtual fitting rooms https://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-like-macys-adidas-areturning-to-virtual-fitting-rooms-2020-8?r=US&IR=T Byrne, A (2020) Virtual fitting room market forecast to double by 2025 https:// fashionunited.uk/news/retail/virtual-fitting-room-market-forecast-to-doubleby-2025/2020101551399 Chidekel, D (2021) The Future of Live Events: AR, VR and Advertising https:// www.forbes.com/sites/legalentertainment/2021/02/09/the-future-of-live-eventsar-vr-and-advertising/?sh=2a6ddfc82b65 Li, M (2020) Sizing technology: a cost/benefit analysis https://www. drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/sizing-technology-a-cost-benefit-analysis Mckee, J (2020) Digital artists weave technology and fashion to transcend physical limitations https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/06/digital-artists-weave-technologyand-fashion-to-transcend-physical-limitations Milner, D (2020) Fashion jobs that are in demand right now https://www. businessoffashion.com/articles/workplace-talent/fashion-jobs-futurecoronavirus-pandemic-digital-virtual-design-sustainability Nazir, S (2020) Brexit: The aftermath for retail https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/03/brexit-the-aftermath-for-retail/

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Out-Law Guide (2020) The UK’s digital services tax https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/guides/the-uks-digital-services-tax-dst Storm DJS (2020) How much does it cost for a DJ per hour? https://storm-djs. com/how-much-does-it-cost-for-a-dj-per-hour/ Tatum, M (2020) How AR is changing fitting rooms for social-distancing measures https://www.raconteur.net/technology/vr-ar/ar-retail-covid/ Virtual fitting room: what is it, and why does the fashion industry’s future lie with it? https://techiia.com/news/virtual-fitting-room Virtual Fitting Room Market Size | Global Report 2020-2027 https://www. fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/virtual-fitting-room-vfrmarket-100322 https://uk.talent.com

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Image references Figure 1: ASOS Campaign image (2020) www.asos.com Figure 2: Lighting festivals (2015) https://www.chauvetprofessional.com/ news/lighting-festivals/?utm_campaign=LIGHTING_INSIGHTS_OCT_2015&utm_ content=BOOTHCAMP_TITLE&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_source=OCT_2015 Figure 3: Zeekit (2021) https://zeekit.me Figure 4: Asos Trials AR tool See My Fit (2020) https://ecommercenews.eu/asostrials-ar-tool-see-my-fit/ Figure 5: ASOS Twitter banner screenshot (2021) https://twitter.com/ASOS Figure 6: Puma’s Day Zero collection harnesses sustainable textile technologies (2020) https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/462/201778.html Figure 7: How Digital Fashion Could Replace Fast Fashion, And The Startup Paving The Way (2020) https://www.forbes.com/sites/ brookerobertsislam/2020/08/21/how-digital-fashion-could-replace-fast-fashionand-the-startup-paving-the-way/ Figure 8: Zeekit Unveils Next Generation Of Virtual Fitting Room, New Visualisation Features (2016) https://wwd.com/business-news/technology/ zeekit-virtual-closet-app-10546500/ Figure 9: Fenty Skin Virtual Launch (2020) http://www.jnproduction.com/events/ event/fentyskinvirtuallaunch Figure 10: Virtual Music Festival ‘Lost Horizon’ Brought Glastonbury To Life In VR For Two Glorious Days (2020) https://vrscout.com/news/vr-music-festival-losthorizon-impressions/

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Figure 11: The A/W Boohoo Collection Is All About TikTok Moves (2020) https:// www.abouther.com/node/31786/fashion/fashion-news/aw-boohoo-collectionall-about-tiktok-moves Figure 12: Missguided unveils biggest Playboy collection yet (2020) https:// uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Missguided-unveils-biggest-playboycollaboration-yet,1192152.html

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