d identities; however, many brands fall short in these areas. Furthermore, while digital engagement is an important driver of success, some brands prioritise short-term trend cycles above long-term community development and brand loyalty. There is also an increasing need for fashion brands to communicate significant concepts beyond just aesthetics, employing storytelling to engage with their customers on a more profound level These gaps indicate an opportunity for brands to e ortlessly blend ethical responsibilities with trend-conscious design, develop an engaged and loyal audience, and establish a brand identity that aligns with younger customers' shifting beliefs
How can brands stay competitive in a fast changing industry?
Brands can remain successful in a rapidly changing fashion industry by prioritising agility, innovation, and customer engagement. Staying ahead of trends requires using real-time data analytics and AI-driven insight as well as listening to audience feedback to forecast and adapt to new trends rapidly. Furthermore, sustainable and ethical practices are also becoming important distinguishing characteristics, with consumers beginning to choose brands that show transparency in their supply chains, employ eco-friendly practices, and adhere to responsible manufacturing processes In addition, brands must build strong online communities which involve interesting content, dynamic social media tactics, and e ortless e-commerce experiences Partnerships with influencers and the use of UGC creators may increase reach and build trust with target audiences, while immersive technologies such as VR can improve the purchasing experience. Finally, developing a loyal community through authentic storytelling, inclusive marketing, and persistent brand values ensures long-term consumer engagement beyond short-lived trend cycles, with overall brands that combine flexibility with purpose-driven initiatives being most likely to succeed in an ever-changing industry
How do consumer demands infuence fashion trends?
Consumer demands have a significant e ect on fashion trends as they shape how fashion brands create, produce, and promote, with the industry's trends changing in accordance with customer principles. For example, in the past few years, there has been an increase in demand for sustainability, resulting in the growth of eco-friendly fashion, with brands emphasising the use of organic materials, recycled textiles, and ethical manufacturing techniques. The drive for diversity and inclusiveness has also influenced trends regarding sizing representation, resulting in a wider variety of sizes available and more varied models included in marketing campaigns. Overall generating an e ect where consumer demands dictate the rise and fall of fashion trends as they continue to push for societal, cultural
and environmental changes. Furthermore, with the growth of social media, particularly platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, consumers have a more immediate e ect on the exposure and success of trends. Influencers, celebrities, and ordinary consumers may swiftly popularise new designs, causing trends to grow and collapse in real time. Fast fashion brands, in particular, pay careful attention to these consumer-driven trends, altering their collections to
meet demand for the most recent designs.
Market Research
Overview
For this project, I wanted to complete some market research to improve my understanding of my focused market level as well as to observe the culture in a fashion capital and recognise the change in style compared to the small town that I am used to. For my research I headed on a day trip to London, and with limited time to collect my knowledge, I decided to explore areas close to my hotel, which were the most accessible option with my time frame: Covent Garden and Seven Dials. It also happened to be an area full of shops that are my focus, covering fast fashion, bridge brands and high street labels along with a number of unique independent fashion businesses, with a lot of those interestingly being Japanese owned.
North vs South
While in London, a primary focus of mine was to just observe the fashion space, take notice of what people were wearing and create a comparison between the north and the south in terms of style. e north-south divide is massive in various areas, and I knew from a recent project that the principle also applied to fashion, so it was incredibly interesting to witness this for myself. e main thing that I noticed was individual expression; re ecting on the north, where fashion remains fairly uniform, I experienced an entirely di erent atmosphere in the capital, with various styles, many bold colours and a sense of freedom with no judgement. I additionally noticed a more polished approach to fashion, with everyone making an e ort to look good. Whether this massively stood out or not, I noticed that people had more pride in their appearance, something that you wouldn’t necessarily always see in the north. With loungewear or tracksuit attire not being evident. A popular clothing item that I did see, however, was trench coats, with this being an extremely worn staple, something that people de nitely wear in the north, although it isn’t seen as much outside of cities.
Markets
While exploring Covent Garden, I came across a range of di erent markets, which was really interesting given one of my chosen brands, Motel Rocks, actually began selling on London market stalls. I really enjoyed witnessing the cultural atmosphere and appreciating the skill and creativity that went into making the hidden gems on sale, recognising the unique product o erings that you wouldn’t be able to just purchase in any store. It was additionally so interesting to view how a large, popular fashion brand once began, and I’m sure many others did, with the potential that one of the small, independent stands that I saw could also develop at the same magnitude in the future. is overall really allows me to gain an appreciation for the brand and further connect to their brand origin and narrative that they consume through their marketing and design, which will massively aid my guidance moving forward with this project.
Conclusion
To conclude, my market research trip to London was very successful, with me developing lots of new insight and knowledge that will further assist me with my project as well as experiencing an opportunity that has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and improve key skills that I have been trying to target.
Networking Event
While in London, I went to a music event with my dad for his work in Hackney, just northeast of the city centre. It was an open studios networking event for the London recording studio Noatune, with attendees ranging from business owners within the music industry like my dad to artists, producers and suppliers. I decided to also attend this event despite it being focused outside of my industry to improve my networking and communication skills. With my dad being massively extroverted and a good spokesperson, I wanted to witness this for myself and see if I could improve my abilities, as I mentioned my goal was in component 1. I think that the event massively helped me to improve my con dence and almost forced me to speak to people that I never would have done otherwise, hearing some interesting stories and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. In addition to improving my skills and con dence, I also wanted to use this event as an opportunity to observe the fashion that other attendees were wearing. Given the nature of the event, I was unsure of what to expect in terms of the style, especially a er witnessing the fashion scene through the city centre in the daytime. I have to say that it was a lot more laid back than I would have envisioned, with people dressing fairly casually but also utilising the freedom of expression and perhaps wearing some interesting combinations that you wouldn’t see on a regular day in the north. With trench coats again being a popular staple, along with maxi skirts, baggy clothing, texture varieties and lots of layering.
The concept
My idea aims to close a significant gap for Peppermayo in terms of their digital storytelling, in-
creasing engagement and connection to brand identity. To bridge this gap, I will be taking inspi-
ration from the researched brand Motel Rocks, which embodies strong storytelling abilities and maintains a smooth aesthetic, all relating back
to their brand origin and identity, an American road trip in the 90s. The campaign that I will be portraying is a modern-day Australian road
trip, the founding country to Peppermayo, with
the hopes of reconnecting the brand back to
their origin along with creating an eye-catching, immersive narrative for consumers. With Motel
Rocks being heavily influenced by a vintage aesthetic, Peppermayo demonstrates the opposite, being highly trend-driven, social media-focused
and influencer-led; therefore, the road trip will
be modernised. Furthermore, while the brands
‘Tour Down Under’ influencer PR trip could have potentially been an attempt to reconnect with brand heritage, in my opinion it provided no substance apart from appearing as another influ-
encer-involved event. With no featured collec-
tions, exploration of the wider country or a story
behind the trip, it wasn ’t very engaging or realis-
tic with travel by private jets, fancy dinners and
being highly focused on the concerts attended. I
want the premise behind my campaign to be real,
raw and authentic, capturing the true nature of a road trip around Australia in a creative, digital fashion. I additionally want this campaign to be interactive with the consumer through the release of collections that correspond, with the hopes of creating a buzz and allowing the consumer to connect to the brand on a more meaningful level. The premise of the campaign will be to select a number of locations across Austral-
ia, each having their own labelled collection and campaign imagery, to capture a true feeling of travel and exploration, with, of course, Sydney, the brand's founded location, being included This will o er an entirely new concept for the brand and one that aims to exploit its storytelling potential to the maximum, creating a new direction that will guide authenticity and set it apart from its competitors, promoting brand loyalty in a massively competitive market.
Why is solidifying a brand identity and relating back to brand origin important?
Fashion brands must establish a strong brand identity that is based on an enticing origin narrative in order to connect with customers and increase engagement. In an oversaturated market, a brand' s narrative helps it stand out by building authenticity and emotional connection with its target audience. Today's consumers, particularly Generation Z and Millennials, prioritise values such as sustainability, inclusion, and openness, making it critical for brands to e ectively convey their purpose. By adhering to these principles and keeping a consistent story across digital channels, brands can build trust, drive brand loyalty, and convert consumers into enthusiastic supporters. Additionally, a well-defined identity also improves perceived value, increasing customer engagement and investment in the brand.
Western Glow
Wild Outback
Bondi Bliss
Urban Horizon
The collections
For this campaign, I want to cover as many areas
of Australia as possible to really capture the es-
sence of road trips and travel. I originally began
researching di erent areas of the country, with
the intention of wanting to use exact locations to
represent the stops on the road trip that would
form the collection part of this campaign. However, I soon realised that it would be impossible to
include every unique area without massively over-
crowding the campaign, with my initial thoughts
being to incorporate four locations. I finally land-
ed on grouping the locations by style to create collections representing various aspects of Australian culture, climate, and fashion. Sticking to
the number four , and after lots of brainstorm-
ing for di erent names, the names of the cat -
egories featured within Peppermayo's Australian
road trip are Bondi Bliss, Western Glow, Urban Horizon, and Wild Outback. Through these labels I
hope to capture the road trip aesthetic of trav-
elling through not only the di erent locations but additionally representing them through fashion.
Stop 2
Wild Outback
The Wild Outback collection will focus on the
raw, untamed beauty of the Australian out-
back, where vast desert landscapes, rugged terrain and a remote environment create an
adventurous rustic aesthetic. The mood that
I want to capture in this collection is raw, wild and free-spirited as well as authentic
and soulful, embodying a feeling of escapism as well as the untamed energy of Australia ' s
heartland that is usually described as a harsh yet beautiful climate. This location tells a story of wanderlust and resilience, exploring the deep connection between people and the land and withholding a rich indigenous heritage
As the outback is sparsely populated, with it being inhospitable for the majority, this will allow me to style the collection to the environment, taking inspiration directly from the climate and the aesthetic that I want to create from a traveller's point of view, as opposed to current trends in the location. In terms of the garments specifically, the collection will embrace earthy tones and di erent textures, with a hint of bohemian influences, all capturing a minimalistic style. I would additionally like to relate the style back to Australian festival fashion, making the collection wearable for both adventure and social events and allowing it to connect further with its international audience. Overall, Wild Outback will represent the self-expression of fashion in a raw, unfiltered way, capturing an essence of freedom and self-discovery, encouraging consumers to embrace the wild within.
Stop 3
Bondi Bliss
The Bondi Bliss collection is a love letter to Australia' s iconic coastal lifestyle, beach culture and
e ortless summer style. Taking inspiration from
the stunning east coast, this collection will embody the relaxed yet vibrant energy of Australia's famous shorelines, from the golden sands of Bondi Beach, Sydney, to the laid-back surf vibes of Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast With this location being the most populated area of Aus-
tralia, I want Bondi Bliss not only to reflect the
physical environment and climate but additionally the fashion culture and trends With this, I
want the collection to represent a lifestyle, an
aesthetic that consumers will want to be a part of or aspire to, with the muse for this collection being the Bondi Girl. She’s on trend, confident, adventurous and e ortlessly cool, embracing a beach-to-bar aesthetic that combines a relaxed yet fashion-forward style with a touch of glam-
our. Creating outfits that are perfect whether you're going to the beach, getting smoothie bowls at brunch or having cocktails at sunset. The colour palette will reflect the coast's atmosphere, with the inclusion of sandy neutrals, ocean
blues, seafood greens, delicate patterns and
other soft tones and pastel shades. Silhouettes
and textures will additionally reflect the coast' s
climate, as well as the e ortless attitude being
represented. Finally, maintaining the idea of a
lifestyle and wanting to adhere to area trends,
I'd like to include the wellness and self-care cul-
ture found in areas such as Sydney and Byron
Bay into the Bondi Bliss collection, whether this
is through sporty details or simply aesthetics, in
order to solidify a strong representation of this
section of the road trip
Urban Horizon
The Urban Horizon collection will focus on Australia' s dynamic cityscapes,where culture meets
modernity and street style is constantly evolving. Unlike the other collections, this collection
will embody the edgy, fashion-forward energy of urban living, taking its influences from
the counties most populated metropolises on
the east coast, such as Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. Cities that are not only hubs for culture and creativity but are additionally epicentres of trend-driven fashion styles, night-
life, art and music. Urban Horizon will have a strong focus on contemporary styles, locating a balance between work and play and targeting the modern, fashion-conscious consumer who swiftly navigates corporate life with the city night environment, cementing the appearance of a lifestyle being represented. The colour palette for this collection takes a di erent direction, with the featuring of moody neutrals, bold statement shades and more sophisticated earthy tones. Urban Horizon will additionally encourage individuality, with cities being a diverse environment for creative expression; this collection will o er pieces that allow the consumer to locate their own personal identity with versatile garments that can be styled in a variety of ways. This versatility will additionally allow for the garments to blend into any given city activity, being both functional and practical while remaining stylish, trendy and innovative.
What could boost the campaigns success?
Interactive experiences: UGC & Pop-up shops
The inclusion of interactive experiences is crucial for
the campaign ' s success, as the gap is being targeted, and the sole purpose is to enhance storytelling, establish a community and generate a strong
brand narrative that consumers can connect to. With Peppermayo being extremely social-first, replying on
these platforms for the large majority of their pro-
motion, the encouragement of UGC for this campaign
can not only motivate this marketing method but additionally foster the feeling of community that is
intended among consumers. Such an e ect can be
achieved through a branded hashtag relating to the
campaign, such as #PMroadtrip, that can be pro-
moted on social media, pushing consumers to ad-
ditionally use it when posting pictures in items from
the campaign Expressing how the consumer could be reposted by the brand on social media or win a prize is another way to motivate this, as shown
by their hashtag #PMgirl. Furthermore, another interactive experience that the brand could adopt for this campaign is pop-up shops, allowing the brand to speak to the consumers directly and generate more hype. The brand has previously demonstrated this method, which presents an excellent opportunity to leverage their strengths in promoting this unique storytelling campaign. For example, the pop-up shops could either take place in each of the corresponding locations to the collections in Australia or be focused in international regions, with the premise being to encourage consumers to travel to Australia. As previously mentioned, Australia is a very popular gap year travel destination for students, especially in the UK, so targeting these consumers directly who are additionally already within the brand's target market in terms of age demographics could be a strong direction to take
Themed giveaway
Another method to boost the campaign' s success and relate back to the campaign's purpose of connecting back to their heritage and building a narrative is hosting a giveaway. Giveaways are an area where Peppermayo already holds significant strength, hosting them on a very regular basis and becoming a factor that the brand is recognised for. Moreover, it is important that this campaign remains true to its intention and doesn’t blend into the same category as other collections, standing out as an authentic reconnection with brand origin and establishment of brand identity that consumers can connect to and want to buy into. Therefore, both the strengths and the goals can be combined to host a giveaway for international consumers surrounding the campaign, with, for example, the prize being 2 plane tickets to any part of Australia's rich culture and stunning scenery so that lucky consumers can participate in the Peppermayo road trip for themselves or simply just explore an area of the country' s rich culture and stunning scenery. This method can additionally connect to UGC, with content posted with the hashtag #Peppermayoroadtrip being the key to entering the giveaway, opening the brand up to a variety of promotion that will not only aid in international growth but will additionally begin building the storytelling-based community as a result
Corresponding to wider consumer demands
After acknowledging through my research the
variety of gaps still being unaddressed by Pep-
permayo, this campaign gives me the freedom
to integrate some wider societal problems and
strong consumer demands within this market.
Sustainability is a huge demand from consumers
who are looking at brands, particularly in this
market level, to embody more environmental-
ly friendly practices This is a factor that can
be considered through this collection, perhaps
through the utilisation of locally and sustaina-
bly sourced materials or expressing how the gar-
ments are Australian-made, which will not only
be better for the environment but also directly
link back to the campaign narrative. Further-
more, to improve supply chain transparency, behind-the-scenes footage and insider content on
the creation of this campaign can create reas-
surance among consumers and build trust in the
community that consumers are buying into. Fi-
nally, to acknowledge consumer demands regard-
ing size inclusivity and to invest in the creation of a community that is accessible for everyone,
Peppermayo can o er extended sizing for items
within the campaign covering a wider array of body types. To tap into a currently untouched
area, the brand could even add some body-spe-
cific garments, whether this is catering to petite
or tall, to ensure that the campaign can be loved
and styled by all consumers.
Working with Australian artists
The premise of this campaign is to connect Peppermayo back to its origin, being an Australian-founded brand. I therefore feel that there is a need for a deeper
link back to this purpose within the campaign to not only increase success but also build authenticity and make the campaign more meaningful. As previously explored, the band have expressed their intention to work with local Australian artists this year; this is a factor that could be perfectly integrated into this campaign. Selecting di erent Australian artists or fashion designers whose work will be displayed within the clothing designs in the collection is most appropriate, creating clothing that not only matches the theme and is on trend but also that links directly back to the true heritage and culture of each stop on the road trip. This also creates a perfect journalistic opportunity, where the artists can tell their own story and Australia ’ s influence on their own work. This will create a really genuine backstory to each collection, where each stop can be highlighted by a real-life individual from
that exact area, helping consumers connect to the brand and its heritage on a much deeper level.
AI generation
To end this journal, I wanted to experiment with di erent
potential outcomes and ideas of what my idea could look like
visually. To do this I hav
with di erent descriptiv
portrayed as a result and t
that I had been imagining. I have displayed a collection of imagery that I have archived, which I feel d
capture the essence of my idea.
Conclusion
In conclusion, through this component I have followed a journey from my thoughts and desires to a sturdy idea that I can take forward. Reflecting on my feelings and qualities allowed me to gain a valuable understanding of my chosen direction, guiding me into my research where I have gained important knowledge on the selected brands that are the most appropriate for my personal brand. Furthermore, this in-depth research and exploration has widened my perspectives to the large gaps still present within the market level as well as the demands from target consumers that brands are neglecting, allowing me to identify my chosen gap and work towards a solution to resolve it. I think that I picked the perfect brands to look into, as it allowed me to narrow down my interests even further. For example, I discovered that brands such as Oh Polly, which heavily use damage control
and face intense amounts of controversy, aren ’t the direction for me. Despite
finding this interesting, it wasn ’t a brand that I wanted to move forward
with, with my main attention lying with Peppermayo and Motel Rocks, which
are more underdeveloped areas rather than making harmful decisions that create a bad reputation. Additionally, I am glad that I chose 2 brands with opposite strengths, as this really allowed me to create a solid comparison and discover how a strength from one brand could inspire a solution to fill a significant gap for the other, as I eventually used Motel Rocks-inspired storytelling to assist Peppermayo. As a result of this research, I am pleased with the focused solution that I have created and the direction that I have taken with this project, being assured that my campaign idea poses as a perfect solution to fill a vital gap for Peppermayo. Taking an entirely new approach for the brand while still incorporating some of their noticeable strengths and
expressed intended plans that I have put to action. I am overall very excited to bring my idea to life, being in an extremely strong position to move for-
ward into component 3 and conclude this project with my final visuals.
