Contents1-10 Strategic brief

BackgroundIdea in brief Competitors Target audience PersonaInsights Strategy Tactics

12-17 Execution

IntroductionChannels Webdesign

Jens Munkeby 2016

UO

F21 H&MF21 H&MUO

BackgroundA customer report commissioned by Urban Outfitters (UO) states that once loyal customers now feel that UO have lost their edge as a hip and culturally relevant. As a consequence consumers now compare UO to H&M and Forever 21, retailers who offer similar products to a lower price.

ChallangeHow do we differentiate UO from its main competitors?

Consumers minds: From there to here.

Idea in brief

To distinguish themselves from their main competitors Urban outfitters will take action to prove their identity as the authentic retailer. To support their position UO will launch a campaign that aims to connect with their audience in ways that feels more personal while providing real value.

The campaign is centered around collaboration between UO and Airbnb; a ser-vice the target group recognize for personal and authentic experiences. UO will create a number of beautiful concept apartments the target group can stay in as they travel to explore new urban environments. Each apartment will be book-able through a micro-campaign website using Airbnb’s familiar system.

Mission statementTo rekindle the UO spirit of adventure and culture by teaming up with Airbnb to connect with the target aucience.

Competitors

What the target audience say about UOs competitors.

Method: Interviewing

F21H&M

H&M “They have low prices and trendy clothing. It’s a good place to look for cheap basics and on occasions super trendy items but it’s kind of impersonal and sterile.”

F21 “F21 feels like a younger and edgier version of H&M. It feels plastic and fabri-cated, impersonal and very inauthentic.”

DemograhpicsWomen between 20-28

Target audience

Psychographics •Value products and experiences that feel authentic and personal•Aware of current trends in fashion, design and culture•Heavy users of Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr•Like to travel and identify as urban explorers•Use to look for trends and inspiration

DemograhpicsEmma 24 Years youngBachelor of Fine artsMakes 5000$ per month

Persona

-So Emma, how do you feel about UO?“-I don't know what they are or stand for, they used to be really good. Now it’s more like an

expensive H&M, yeah and then they also sell books and all kinds of stuff .”

DriveGoals: To have as much fun possible.Motivation: To live life fully, explore and discover. Obstacles and fears: Missing out, feeling bored.

DevicesSmartphone Laptop

WebsitesDezeenIt’s nice thatVice

Social MediaPinterest- Edit & store inspiration.Instagram- Follow and post pictures offriends & beautiful environments.Facebook- Attend events.

A typical DayEmma wakes up at 9:00 a.m. and gets dressed quickly before she hurries off to Starbucks where she is currently working. When she arrives at Starbucks she eats her typical breakfast, a bagel and a cup of coffee. She and her colleagues have a good time working together as they are talking about the upcoming weekend and what concerts, clubs and bars they are going to.

Around 1:00 p.m. she eats a salad for lunch while scrolling through her Instagram feed. At 6:00 p.m. she takes the bus home to the flat shared with her two roommates. Most evenings they watch a Netflix series together, eating cereal, and scrolling through Pinterest, all at once. They laugh together and are dreaming about the future. They talk about the excitement of traveling to explore a new city, late nights and cool places. Around 1:00 a.m she goes to bed, way later than she intended to, as always.

Brand Insights

PastThe target audience describes how UO used to feel hip and ahead of the curve.They were once leading the analogue trend with LP players and Polaroid cameras.

PresentUO is seen as out of sync and trying to catch up with culture. The target audience find it hard do define what UO stands for. The brand lacks a clear purpose or value, it has become known as an expensive version of H&M.

OpportunityThe target group value experiences that are perceived as authentic, an attribute none of UO’s competitors are addressing. We identify the potential for UO to dis-tinguish themselves by positioning themselves as THE authentic retailer.

Method: Interviewing

StrategyThe authentic brandTo differentiate UO against its competitors we aim to position UO as THE au-thentic brand. A brand that the target audience recognizes for its passion about culture and the personal way of interacting with consumers.

Each attribute is explained from the perspective of UO shoppers, how we want them to think and feel about the brand. Together these attributes support the target groups idea of authenticity:

Personal connection: “UO is a brand run by a group of young passionate people like me, not a big corporation run by accountants.”

Cultural understanding: “UO get what’s cool and interesting; they are deeply interested in culture.”

Philosophical alignment: “UO understands how I see the world and what my dreams are about.”

Value

-When brand objectives meet customer needs,

Is created.

TacticsCo brandingWe aim to communicate these attributes by teaming up with Airbnb. A popularbrand that in the minds of our target audience represents a springboard to ad-venture and culture. Aribnb’s belief that personal connection is the key to fully experiencing a city and culture supports Urban’s positioning as a brand that is personal and authentic. By proving to the target group that UO understands what authenticity is the brand demonstrates a deeper understanding of their out-look, dreams and thereby philosophy.

Air

bnb U

rbnMagic

Co-branding

Jens Munkeby 2016

Is it beliveble?Will the cooperation strengthen both brands?

Brand associations, as stated by target group.

Airbnb Urban

AdventureBelong anywhere

Personal connectionExplore a new culture

The new way of travelling

AdventurousYoung and hipCultrual ExplorationNew music and artCool kids on the block

Connectors ( ) indicate associations the brands share making the co-op believable. Want to haves ( ) indicate associations each brand could gain by working together, making the co-op mutually beneficial.

ExecutionUrbnbUO will design and decorate concept apartments that will be spread out acrossvibrantly-cultural urban locations in Europe and the U.S. Customers will be ableto book their stay via a UO-branded microsite running the Airbnb backend.

Take awayBy creating chic showroom-like apartments offered through Airbnb UO is saying “Come stay at our place.” A personal way of providing value to consumers while proving OU’s commitment to culture and adventure. To make the experience more personal each apartment’s host will be a staff member from a UO store strengthen-ing the idea of “A group of passionate people, not a company of accountants.”

ChannelsRetail

KitSite specific kits will be put together matching the culture and pulse of each loca-tion. For example, the Yosemite Kit will feature a Patagonia fleece, a bag, a water bottle, and a survival book. While the Berlin kit will include hangover pills, a disposable camera, lip gloss, and condoms.

UO staff guideTo further establish UO as a brand for urban explorers each location will have a guide written about it, a Lonely Planet of UO. The guide will be written by UO staff members living in each city to create a feeling of advice being handed from a local. The guide will give the impression of being internal staff documents that are being are shared to make customers feel as if we’re letting them in on secrets.

ChannelsWeb designCampaign microsite advertised on UO’s main page, interlinked with Airbnb’sbooking system.

ContentBlogposts featured on the UO blog. Posts with advice from each host about the area they live in and their favorite places. A UO staff guide filled with advice and suggestions corresponding to a Lonely Planet or Michelin guide written by the UO staff. Blog posts showing each location’s “Travel Kit.”

SocialOne Pinterest board for each apartment and location. Instagram updates withpictures, short bits of information and link to microsite. Pictures posted at UO’s Tumblr Sponsored pictures on Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram to extend reach.

-Oh you’re going to _____?Cool! You can stay at our place!?Urbn’s place is yo-ur place <3

Naming

Jens Munkeby 2016

Positioning

Is it believable?Does it fit with OU’s brand?

Does it resonate with the target audience?Does it line up with a consumer insight?

Is it uniquely ownable?Does it differnetiate us from our competitors?

I used a positioning triangle to test if my reasoning behind UO’s new positioning could work. After answering these questions throughout the brief I believe that UO’s new positioning is both realistic and possible to implement.