H&MBy Ed Watts

Recent Ogilvy Intern (UK) and aspiring Junior Planner

The Key Challenge

H&M as a brand is having a small identity crisis, they are slipping away from the front runners in the low priced fashion market. H+M have diluted their core brand values, as a result of an over reliance on ‘celebrity’ driven marketing and promotional strategy est. 2004. Customers now wait for the next Celeb/Designer offering rather than regularly shopping at H&M for their fast fashion needs. The younger generation are fashion conscious, they want to look great and current at the lowest possible cost, but they also want a sense of belonging within a fast paced fashion culture.

H&M’s ambition to help the world to look beautiful, desirable and sustainable is somewhat flawed. In the past H&M have been wrought with stories of low wage labour as well as poor working conditions, evidently this will have impacted the overall brand image which is exacerbated by a developing generation of young, savvy and well connected customer base.

The core objective for H&M - is to increase business revenues of $50million in 2013 (not selling 1 million units of BB Shoes at

$50) by re-claiming and overhauling their brand position as the leading global retailer within the fast fashion market.

Core Objective

Target Audience and MindsetH&M believe they should be targeting the social lubricants the Males/Females aged

between 18-24 and are the centre of their particular networks, who lead without leading but you follow because you trust them & want to be like them.

To some degree the above statement is true. However, H&M need to focus there messaging on a wider scale across the 14 - 35 range as younger and younger teens and older adults become increasingly fashion conscious.

Over the past five years one has noticed a stark change in how young adults interact with fashion. They look for customisation, individuality and identity. To some level, a counterculture movement has seeped into fashion, where many young aspiring fashionistas are looking to move away form the norm. They want to stamp there mark on the world and use fashion as a voice to express there inner-self.

H&M’s target audience are customers who want to build their own identity through fashion, their way. They want to have control over what they wear and how they wear it. One would argue the need to communicate personalisation and ownership is key.

The BarriersThe current brand positioning of H&M is a barrier to its upward extension

H&M are known for bringing high end cat walk fashion to the masses and to some degree are recognised as Massperational fashion and this maybe a problem.

Constant battle against key competitors for a larger share of the fast fashion market. Including, Uniqlo’s domination over the digital marketing sphere.

Consumer trends are ever-evolving and H&M must keep there fingers on the pulse and there ear to the ground. If they do not they will be left behind.

InsightsThe onset of the global recession in 2008 has led many consumers to re-evaluate their spending habits, and opt for the more modest option. Flashy, as well as formal clothing, began to feel a little crass - rough and ready was in. H&M’s strategy as of late, regarding there ties with high end fashion maybe the nail in the coffin for upward extension.

Customers want to keep things simple. Nostalgia is in the air, many consumers are beginning to relate to the simpler times of past years, where decisions where easy, life wasn't so fast and life was a personal endeavour.

Consumers are becoming more wary of mass luxury and the pretence. The rarer the better. The realer the better. However, to some degree the sense of niche, individuality and variety is always reflected in retailing where high streets and malls can have a cloned appearance. Thus, consumers are trying to search for an outlet to bring an element of personalisation to their fashion lives.

The role of communications•To communicate the importance of people to fashion, to

open up a new world where interaction is at it’s core. To maintain a select core of Style leaders affiliated with the brand but to allow for organic conversation to grow with these Leaders and H&M core audience.

•To communicate the fundamental fact that H&M deliver fashion at low cost prices but also engage and empower young fashion consumers to customise, personalise and create an identity.

Key Point to be Delivered

H&M ‘The Peoples Fashion’

Channels

•Digital

•PR - H&M Stylers

H&M’s The Peoples Blog• A fashion blog moderated by H&M but run by the people. It will be a platform for

young aspiring designers and fashionistas to swap story’s new styles and trends and more importantly tips on how to custom yourself with H&M. Customised tabs related to all things fashion and new styling tips from professional fashion stylers.With structured feedback loops H&M will be able to react in real time to changing tastes and or new ideas.

• Aim to target key fashion influencers and bloggers to help PR the blog socially.

• H&M will run a new H&M designers scheme twice a year, any aspiring designer will have the opportunity to show there work with the opportunity to have a small line produced and sold across UK stores. These designers will be voted in by the public and will generate a strong emotional affiliation with the chosen line.

• By harnessing customers own thoughts and views on current fashion in a confined and organic digital space will empower teh target audience to interact and feel apart of H&M culture.

H&M Interactive Fashion• Interactive Fashion application, where customers can

mix and match styles on there mobile or tablet device on the go or in store and see there own personal style come alive.

•This can be shared and uploaded to live feeds in all store, where their own styling will be displayed. Embedding the idea of ‘Peoples Fashion’ and personalising the shopping experience. H&M can also offer discount if other store goers purchase that particular styling.

H&M Stylers

•H&M Stylers is a travelling fashion show, where local fashionistas and aspiring designers will get to compile a personalised range of fashion stylings for the catwalk. This will be backed with live interactive games and twitter feeds online, where members of the H&M ‘Peoples blog’ will be able to comment and aide the stylers to create a wonderful show.

Final Thought

•As this is a integrated piece of creative, it will be key to strategise a simple but effective UX journey across all key touch points over the three concepts

5 Key Questions

• Do you think your ‘celebrity’ driven marketing and promotional strategy est. 2004 lacks relevance?

• Why would you want to move into the low priced basketball shoe market and compete against established competition and why do you believe customers will respond to this?

• Am I right in saying you would like to increase your revenue by $50mill in 2013?

• Do you feel you are placing to much emphasis on being massperational and not enough on being personal?

• What do you have against the colour beige?

Thanks