PROPOSED STRATEGY/RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Female empowerment

In 2018 the brand’s CMO, Ed Razek tried to incorporate trending movements like feminism, body positivity and diversity into their world-famous annual fashion show, but the results were not what people expected and proved how out of step the brand is with current consumer perceptions of inclusiveness and body positivity. As US author Jill Filipovic opinionated in 2016, "putting conventionally attractive women onstage — even if those women are more racially diverse than in past years — and using them as physical representations of sex in order to sell bras isn't exactly a manifestation of the feminist dream". (Manavis, 2018). Recent remarks of the brand’s CMO in an interview with Vogue also stirred a lot of online backlash and reinforced the Victoria’s Secret idea of female beauty: "Does the brand think about diversity? Yes. Do we offer larger sizes? Yes," he said. "Shouldn't you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don't think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy"…We attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don’t."

“In Western society, women feel tremendous pressure to be thin. Girls often start dieting as young as 10 years old and this preoccupation with weight and body shape is evident across the life span (Pliner, Chaiken, & Flett, 1990)” (Strahan, Lafrance, Wilson, Ethier, Spencer, Zanna, 2007)

In this context, it is to believe that an approach more in-touch with current times and consumer demand would be to create a more diverse and welcoming brand. As we live in a time when female empowerment is a crucial part of possibly any woman’s life, it is almost imperative that a lingerie brand which has such an intimate relationship with its customers, makes any woman feel good and confident in her own skin.

” The first presidential primary election many of us remember was in 2008, when Hillary Clinton, a woman, took on Barack Obama, an African-American man. For us, it has seemed that anything is possible. (Masback, 2016)

Placing female empowerment at the core of the business would be more in line with what consumer expect from brands with great influence and impact on young girls’ idea of female beauty. Instead of casting only models that fit into certain measurements, the brand could feature diverse models on the catwalk, in their campaigns and as their angels, while keeping alive the promised fantasy by using the same stylish, fashionable and feminine vibe customers are used to and love about Victoria’s Secret.

Instead of months of preparations to fit into a specific “mould” by making the girls lose weight and even train twice a day, the team could hire professional nutritionists and trainers that will make the models look the “best” version of themselves, highlighting the importance of being healthy, both physically and mentally.

These models should be chosen based on their personality, highlighting the idea that beauty comes from within and any girl has the potential of being a part of the fantasy they want to portray. In order to illustrate that the brand places their customer at the heart of the business, Victoria’s Secret could organise an annual “digital tombola”. One lucky customer should have the chance of experiencing the world of Victoria at its fullest, on the catwalk. In order to take part in the contest, customers would have to create an account on the brand’s website and make a purchase of at least $50. If they would like to buy in store, the same rules apply, but a special receipt code will have to be registered on the website. The more they buy, the greater the chances of winning and meeting the Victoria’s Secret angels before the show and at the after party. If customers don’t have an account yet, the software will ask for registration so that the team in charge will be able to contact the winner. Now if people will participate and give their details it will profit the business a great deal as marketing teams will have the chance to match certain items with an identity. Hence they will establish consumer preference trends and with the customer’s consent even send emails with customised offers based on these preferences. The brand already had a similar contest for this year’s show (2018), but for employees only, based on the highest sales performance, they had the chance to see the show. (Source: LinkedIn)

On the same previous note about feminism implementation, a good PR movement would be to add real feminists to their band ambassadors (“angels”) instead of using supermodels. Influential voices young consumers are looking up to like Sonny Turner(285k), Paloma Elsesser(195k), Hari Nef(357k), Barbie Ferreira(483k), Lauren Wasser(107k), Lulu Bonfils(60.2k), Mariah Idrissi(886.3k), Ashley Graham(8M), Adwoa Aboah(744k) would attract a lot of attention and could benefit the brand’s public image. These models represent more than just a pretty face in the eye of consumers, they stand for something and aim to send the right message out there.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Sustainability

From our research and other lingerie brands’ approach to marketing, identity, logistics and supply chain, two key-elements that younger Generations of consumers (younger Millennials and older Gen Zedders) value the most in a brand are transparency and authenticity (Fromm, 2017 & Wissink as an interviewee). That is one main reason why VS should concentrate their efforts around becoming more environmentally-friendly and introduce better systems of tracing cotton in their supply chain and learn about their female employees in developing countries where they outsource garment production, making sure they have a fair wage and working conditions.

……………...............................................................................................................................................

3. Technology

On a different note, investing in technology would be one of my strongest recommendations for Victoria’s Secret. For this module, a survey was created and 51 women (64% between 16-25 and 30% 26-35) took part. When asked if they would be willing to use a 3-D body scanner to find their perfect bra size, 40% said YES and 44% ticked the ABSOLUTELY YES box.  3-D body scanning for custom sizes would open a new target market, considering that the brand currently sells bras from 32A to 38F. Start Today Co Ltd, now Zozo Inc., is a Japanese clothes-selling website, which already implemented an innovative technology called “the Zozosuit”, a polka-dot bodysuit, aimed at providing customers with bespoke services for finding the perfect fit. From researching into the product, the suit is relatively easy to use. Once the customer is wearing it, a mobile app software will measure the distance between the white dots on the “black canvas” (the suit) and will tell you the exact body measurements. After only a few months since they launched the technology, the company claims it received orders worth 15.4 billion yen from Zozosuit users and collected so much data they don’t need to use the suit anymore (Nakamura, 2018). Similar measuring services could be available in store or in the comfort of the user’s own home. Once the measurements will be linked with an account, the customer will be able to order anything online: lingerie, nightwear, loungewear and sportswear, while also having the possibility of ordering a custom-fit if the software cannot match the measurements with an existing available size. In order to put this customisation service into practice, they could open a special factory with seamstresses dedicated to this part of the business.

Because the “Zozosuit” sensor technology is already patented, VS could create a similar technology and create a pink suit with white stripes and a scanner app that could read how the stripes are displayed and create a virtual mould of the body.

Easing the online shopping process and showing consumers Victoria’s Secret is a brand that knows them and their needs will strengthen the link between the brand and its customers.

In industries like retail, where the bridge between online and offline is often manifested through consumer smartphones, AR can significantly benefit businesses. (Bloom, 2017). Augmented reality is something fashion companies are already investing into. E-commerce giant Amazon.com already bought Body Labs, a 3-D body-scanning start-up company, which allows customers to create true-to-life 3D avatars in order to virtually try clothes on (Du, Takahashi & Alpeyev, 2018).  Another company that invested in AR in 2017 is Gap Inc. In collaboration with Google and San Francisco-based start-up Avametric, the brand launched a “DressingRoom” app for consumers to see how clothes will fit them by showing a 3D mannequin based on their measurements (Alvarez, 2017).

Virtual Mirrors in changing rooms or in changing “boots” also have a huge potential for retailers and could boost both in-store and online sales. Eliminating all the fuss and exhaustion about trying on different sizes and colours in store would be a big step forward in improving customer experience. Virtual changing boots which carry no stock would be time-saving for consumers and will eliminate the resource-demanding task of inventory managing, while boosting the e-commerce side of a business. Victoria’s Secret could invest in such technologies in order to expand their international business without using financial resources to open Brick-and-mortar stores. If the consumer used the 3-D body-measurement technology he could then enter his account details and the software would know the exact measurements and could fit the items on his body. “The pink booths” could look like telephone booths that can only be closed from the inside and should be placed in areas of interest with a high concentration of younger demographics like university campuses. Implementation of an initial trial stage would be necessary in order to see how consumers react and expect the technology to work like. During this test-phase PINK campus reps could promote the new technology and invite students to test it. Because this will be a promotional campaign, a few striped suits in different size should be available for free to anyone who wants to have the PINK booth experience. After the promotional campaign is over, if anyone who wants to use a PINK booth should buy it either online or in-store.

Generation Z holds the largest number of tech-savvy consumers and is the most likely generation that would completely embrace and accept technology into their lives. “Like Millennials, Pivotals operate in a market guided by technological advancements and a social landscape spanning the physical and digital worlds” (Fromm & Read, 2018).

In 2014, Japanese popular fashion, home and lifestyle retailer, Urban Research, already launched a trial pop-up store (Japanconsuming, 2018) and popular fast-fashion brand Topshop partnered with AR Door to bring the AR experience to their Moscow store by using Kinect for the virtual fitting rooms (Sheehan, 2018).

The brand could make use of this technology for all of their lingerie and apparel lines, as well as for the beauty products.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Collaborations

As a Mintel report about consumer perceptions on lingerie brands shows, people see Victoria’s Secret as trend-setting and fashionable compared to other lingerie specialists.

Past collaborations have proven to be very successful and brought the brand great revenue. In 2017 Victoria’s Secret teamed up with Balmain and had creative director Olivier Rousteing helping the VS team design custom runway looks and a retail collection available both in-store and online, which subsequently sold out really fast. Hence, other collaborations with fashion brands like OFF-White for a relaxed, streetwear inspired collection of underwear and apparel would suit the preferences of younger demographics. Street style is becoming increasingly important in today’s youth culture

In addition, after talking to Victoria’s Secret customers we found that many of them only buy beauty products as they consider other items to be over-priced. Collaborating with established or online famous makeup artists for a dedicated Victoria’s Secret makeup line should also be highly appreciated by their customers.

Making changes while keeping the current aesthetic (feminine, sexy, stylish) and colour-scheme is important as we do not intend to alienate the current consumer that enjoys the designs and overall visual identity of the brand. Primary research revealed that people associate the brand with the colours they use (pink) and identify it as trend-setting and fashion-focused (Mintel, 2018).

References:

Sheehan, A. (2018, Feb 21). How These Retailers Use Augmented Reality to Enhance the Customer Experience. Retrieved from: https://www.shopify.com/retail/how-these-retailers-are-using-augmented-reality-to-enhance-the-customer-experience

Japanconsuming (2014, July 7, 12:00). In Japan, Urban Research Experiments with Virtual Changing Booths. Retrieved from: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/fashion-tech/japan-urban-research-experiments-virtual-changing-booths

Alvarez, E. (2017, Jan 30). Gap envisions a future with augmented-reality 'dressing rooms'. Retrieved from: https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/30/gap-augmented-reality-dressing-rooms/)

Du, L., Takahashi M. & Alpeyev P. (2018, July 4, 6:49 AM GMT+1). Top Japan Fashion Site Bets Big on Private Brand, Body Scanning. Retrieved from: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-04/top-japan-fashion-site-bets-big-on-private-brand-body-scanning

Bloom, A. (2017, Nov 8, 05:30). Op-Ed | Why Augmented Reality Changes Everything. Retrieved from: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-ed-why-augmented-reality-changes-everything

Nakamura Y. (2018, Nov 1, 12:20 AM GMT). Zozo Ditches Body-Measuring Suit, Saying No Longer Needed. Retrieved from: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-31/zozo-ditches-body-measuring-suit-saying-it-s-no-longer-needed

Fromm J. (2018, Jan 10, 11:00am). How Much Financial Influence Does Gen Z Have?. Retrieved from:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2018/01/10/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-financial-impact-of-gen-z-influence/#226cbe6656fc

Fromm J. (2017, Dec 13, 11:00am). Why Label Transparency Matters When It Comes To Millennial Brand Loyalty. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2017/12/13/why-label-transparency-matters-when-it-comes-to-millennial-brand-loyalty/#4ddf289e3dac

Fromm J. & Read A. (2018). Marketing to Gen Z: the rules for reaching this vast, and very different, generation of influencers. Published by AMACOM

Masback G. (2016). The voice of gen z: Understanding the attitudes & attributes of America’s next “greatest generation”. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Manavis S. (2018, Nov 16). Why Victoria’s Secret is struggling to be “woke”; Vol. 147 Issue 5445, p18-19. Source: New Statesman

Strahan E. J., Lafrance A., Wilson A. E., Ethier N. (Wilfrid Laurier University); Spencer S. J., Zanna M. P. (University of Waterloo) (2007, Aug 14). Victoria’s Dirty Secret: How Sociocultural Norms Influence Adolescent Girls and Women.