Jennifer Holmes

M ​ arketing Strategy The “B**” Travel Shop Completed- Prepared by:​ ​Jennifer M. Holmes, Senior Marketing Consultant ─ Overview B**.com is a new boutique online store that focuses on bringing together the “takers of the road less traveled” to share, inspire and flourish in their pursuit of an independent travel-rich lifestyle where new experiences and personal growth outweigh the value of materialistic pursuits. This travel shop will include a “Community” section composed of a blog, forum and charity link, as well as a “Shop” section offering beach bohemian-themed apparel and accessories, and adventure-related travel gear that can be purchased a la carte or via a ‘packing list’ suggestion. The boutique is entirely customer focused; Shop products will be featured with the images and videos of the customers themselves, and the content of the Community section will be inspired by and populated with the contributions of the members. 1 This Marketing Strategy sets out to identify a niche market of passionate customers for whom travel is part and parcel of their lifestyle, as well as the key goals needed to make this store stand out in its selling proposition. 1. Market Research - Apparel & Accessories E-commerce I. Market Value and Position In a report by ​ComScore​, in 2015 the highest grossing e-commerce shopping category was apparel & accessories (A&A) and growing, bringing in $51.5B in sales followed by the computer hardware category at $51.1B, which before 2015 was consistently #1 on the leaderboard. Even though the retail sector in general has been losing ground to a shift in spending on travel and dining out, A&A is doing well likely to the exponential growth of purchases being made by smart phone. This category was one of the most active on the smartphone buying spree due to several factors; 1) A&A imagery is well suited to social media platforms and small screens; 2) this category www.mixstrategymarketing.com 2 doesn’t have as many high-ticket items, meaning that more people are likely to make impulse purchases and do less research on similar competitor’s items before they hit the “buy” button; 3) barriers such as strict return policies have been greatly reduced and simplified, so the buyer sees this purchase as low risk in terms of consequences if ie/the size isn’t right. Additionally, the online A&A category has been growing robustly year over year, expanding by 19% in 2015. Although this data bodes well for the future of online sales of A&A, Amazon has the upper-hand by a long shot. ​Slice Intelligence reported that in 2016, for Millennials (aged 18-34), Amazon www.mixstrategymarketing.com 3 accounted for 17% of ALL of their online clothing purchases, double that of its closest competitor (Nordstroms). This market share choke-hold netted Amazon $16.3B (in A&A alone) and has put this category squarely in Amazon’s crosshairs. They have increased the number of clothing items they offer by 87% over last year and have launched their own brands such as Lark & Ro and is launching an athleisure line to boot. Add to this the fact that their Prime membership has grown 50% year over year, for which these customers are 5.5X more likely to shop for clothes “frequently”. This means that customer loyalty in the A&A category is likely to be driven by Prime and the promise of fast delivery, rather than give loyalty to independent online stores (unless they have a niche specialty), who typically can’t turn orders around as fast. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 4 II. Trends Based on ​insights from recent retail market research data, ​the most significant leading trends in the online retail industry include; ● ● ● Online shopping is becoming preferred to Bricks & Mortar - Since 2010, Amazon’s sales have gone from $16B to $80B in 2016. People have become comfortable purchasing items online. The convenience and discounts of e-commerce sites make them preferred over a trip to the local shopping mall, and the apparel category leads all others in terms of sales. Mobile shopping - since 2010, mobile shopping (using a smartphone to shop online) has gone from 2% to 20% in 2016 of the total consumer digital spend. This is due to the emergence of easy-to-use payment apps and responsive websites. Consumers are increasingly doing their shopping from the palm of their hand, and e-commerce sites have to be mobile friendly or die. Purchases motivated by social media “share-ability” ​- online sales are steadily increasing year over year, but there is a shift from material items (such as clothes) into food and travel. Case in point: US airlines set a record in 2016 for the most ever passengers flown in a year - 823M. And since 2005, spending in restaurant-related purchases grew twice as fast as other retail spending. A lot of motivation for this shift can be credited to the era of the social media life; younger people are focusing more of their disposable income on photo-worthy experiences, such as sandy beaches and artisan salads. Retailers giving consumers something unique and cool to tweet, IG, share or pin will have a leg up over less Social-media friendly competitors. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 5 2. Consumer Research I. Customer Needs Companies have been increasingly stepping up their customer service game by using big data to assess and accommodate the customer experience throughout the sales funnel and fulfillment phases. Because of this shift, consumers have come to expect a good fulfillment experience; customer satisfaction is generally high. So, improving customer service further than the new “norm” won’t increase “customer value” incrementally. According to the ​Harvard Business Review​, ​what are termed as “emotional motivators” can provide a better metric to gauge the future of a customer’s value than any other indicator and have become the most lucrative source of growth and profitability. This is because emotionally connected customers have ​twice the lifetime value of a highly satisfied customer. Building ​emotional connection with customers can be further optimized by creating a seamless omnichannel experience for them. This means making sure your message is consistent across platforms (ie/social media, blog, website, brick & mortar, etc.). ​Hubspot​ shows what this looks like below. Honing in on the most high-impact motivators across all of your channels is the key. Although there are hundreds of emotional motivators that drive customer behavior, according to the research study “The new science of customer emotions”, there are 10 key emotions that most www.mixstrategymarketing.com 6 significantly affect customer value across all categories studied, many of which speak to fundamental values that many consumers share, such as a need to be unique, living a meaningful life and a sense of belonging. Customers become most engaged with companies that help them to fulfill deep and sometimes unconscious desires. And it is this unconscious aspect of these desires that makes leveraging these emotional motivators a major component for companies to grow their business kind of tricky. This is because much of the time, what customers ​say and think motivates their purchase decision is not actually the thing that drives their purchases. So companies need to weave these emotions into their messaging as opposed to calling them out literally. Additionally, emotional connections with products vary across industry, category and touchpoints. To be able to optimize the use of emotional connection, a company can look at the data from their ‘highest value’ customers and conduct A/B tests of different phases in the selling funnel which incorporate the key motivators identified in the study to assess the impact of the wording of each message to see which ones most resonate with the customer. But simply asking customers www.mixstrategymarketing.com 7 outright which of these emotions most resonate will give false results because much of the time the customer is not aware that these values are driving their behaviours. The messaging that resonates the most should become the basis of all communication with both new and existing customers, consistently across all channels. According to the Harvard Business Review’s article “​The new science of customer emotions​”, ​We find that customers become more valuable at each step of a predictable “emotional connection pathway” as they transition from (1) being unconnected to (2) being highly satisfied to (3) perceiving brand differentiation to (4) being fully connected. Ensuring you follow this pathway and are cognizant of the transitional phases will allow you to optimize your emotional connection and build a long-term strong bond with your customers. The focus on emotional connection as a key customer strategy not only increases the value of existing customers, but also increases word-of-mouth referrals and reduces attrition rates, since customers who feel closely connected to your brand are more likely to share, advocate and exhibit a high level of loyalty that non-emotion based customer service efforts cannot match. II. Online Shopping Trends BigCommerce commissioned a study to provide insight into the 2017 trending landscape of e-commerce. For online shopping in general, 51% of (North) Americans prefer to shop online over traditional bricks & mortar, and 80% of them have made an online purchase within the last month. The average (North) American allocates 64% of their shopping budget to online channels. 60% of online shoppers have purchased clothes, shoes and accessories from large retailers, 54% from marketplaces, ​45% from online boutiques​ and 44% from category-specific sites. Interestingly, while online orders increased by 8.9% in Q3’16, Average Order Value (AOV) only increased by 0.2%, indicating that online purchases are more spread out; rather than buying multiple items from one online store at a time, purchases are distributed across a number of companies and at a higher frequency over the course of any given month. In terms of influencing factors, 42% of online shoppers are swayed by the recommendations of friends/family. In fact, referral/word of mouth advertising is twice as effective as paid ads for online shoppers. As to what the consumer's physical location is at the time of their purchases, it is interesting to note that 43% of (North) Americans have made an online purchase while in bed. Of Millennials and GenXer’s, 29% have made their online purchases from the office and 31% have done so from the bathroom (side-note - according to a gastroenterologist interviewed by Women’s Health, the best time of day to drop a deuce is in the morning). This insightful information may serve as a useful marketing tool for businesses to plan their advertising and social media timing around these “captive audience” moments; in the morning and at 10:30/11pm - just before the average bedtime. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 8 For online shoppers, friction to purchase was caused by: ● ● ● ● Shipping costs; 66% of shoppers (72% of female shoppers and 59% of males) have abandoned a purchase due to these fees. Images; 78% of shoppers wanted to see more visual content from e-commerce stores. Reviews; 69% of shoppers wanted to see more reviews than were available. Constant digital sales plugs; In a ​study by Marketing Sherpa​, consumers were asked which types of ads they found most annoying; Pop-ups, smartphone ads, video ads, website banner ads, Social media ads, podcast ads and sponsored ads on blogs were the top offenders. If you want to turn a customer off from purchasing from your online store, the number one way to do this is by throwing multiple pop-ups at them. Many online stores use 3 or more pop-ups in a single customer session - ‘Join our mailing list’, ‘Jane Doe just bought this item’, ‘Only 2 units left in inventory’, chat-bots, etc. DON’T DO IT (unless you want customers to abandon ship before they even get to know you)! In general, consumer trends ​data is showing that the vast majority of people (70% of US adult consumers) are redefining the meaning of the “good life”. It is less about materialistic things and more about pursuing activities that make life more meaningful and reflect their core values. The need to belong to a community has also drastically increased, with 88% of women and 83% of men stating that they would be more likely to support businesses which prioritize purpose over profit. “What a company stands for will actually have increasing importance in the viability of their brand.” ​For B**, focusing the unique sales proposition on human connection and publicly supporting a charity will support a more connected and loyal consumer base. III. Generation, Gender and Location In terms of trends by generation split, (note: this section excludes baby-boomers and the silent generation), 67% of Millennials prefer to shop online, while 56% of GenXer’s prefer online to in-store; for both these generations, the average amount of time spent shopping online each week is 6 hours. By gender, 28% more men shop online than women. Shoppers who reside in urban cores spend more money online than people residing in the suburbs or rural areas. 63% of suburbanites say shipping charges are their least favourite part of online shopping, while 38% of rural shoppers are concerned about their online privacy. Social media provides Incentive to take action; ● 30% of online shoppers say they would be likely to make a ​purchase through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat, but ​an average 50% do NOT trust advertisements featured on Social media platforms​, according to a ​MetLabs survey​. This means businesses need to use Social media to dialogue with consumers and offer subtle links to a purchase option, rather than using ads to spur sales from Social platforms. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 9 ● ● 51% of Millennials and 36% of GenXer’s are likely to purchase via Social Media. In general, men are somewhat more likely to purchase items via Social Media than women. By online category, the generational and gender split of where consumers do most of their shopping shows that GenX women skew highest in Marketplace and Category specific Webstores; all demographics are relatively even in their propensity for large retailers, while female Millennials and GenXer’s are the majority of independent boutique shoppers. Although consumers spend the least amount of their online shopping budget on independent boutiques, those that shop at these stores are more likely to say they enjoyed the experience than the average shopper in other categories (55% vs. 45%). Of those shoppers going to independent boutiques, 27% have purchased clothes, shoes and accessories from these vendors. Demographic Marketplace (ie/Amazon) Large Retailer (ie/Nordstrom) Independent Boutiques Category Specific Webstores Millennials 48% 76% 46% 29% GenXer’s 56% 76% 49% 37% Women 56% 74% 48% 40% Men 52% 75% 39% 31% City Dwellers 49% 76% 45% 30% Suburbanites 60% 73% 44% 42% Rural Residents 58% 71% 39% 40% For an ecommerce site like B**, as an independent boutique, female Millennials and GenXer’s living in the urban core are the best place to start in terms of narrowing down the mass market. Some words about Generations: As a general rule of thumb, Millennials were born between 1982 and 2004; GenXer’s were born between 1965 and 1984. However, according to ​TheAtlantic.com​, there is a big grey area surrounding where the demarcation point is between Millennials and GenXer’s, simply because there wasn’t necessarily a defining moment in history for each of these generations like there were for the Silent Generation and Baby-boomers. Even the Census Bureau does not put a specific age range between the two groups as there seems to be much overlap in the cultural and www.mixstrategymarketing.com 10 sociological markers that these groups identify with, such as the rise of technology and social platforms, and political & economic turmoil. To target both groups in marketing efforts, this grey area can be used to advantage, because many messages will appeal equally to both groups - with the caveat that very different messages need to be used on the other ends of the spectrum. In general, each generation’s core values can be summarized as follows; ● ● Core values of Millennials include a sense of selflessness (charity), teamwork (social connection) and a reverence for the wisdom of their elders, as they tend to have a close “friend-like” relationship with their parents. Because they were showered with attention by their parents, they have a higher sense of self-confidence and optimism than GenXers. They have a strong sense of individuality and ​like to be seen as unique​. Lifestyle-wise, they are marrying and having children later in life, change jobs/careers frequently and make travel and fun meaningful experiences a top priority. For ​GenXer’s​, some of the Millennial’s core values are shared, such as the prioritization of fun and meaningful experiences​. However, GenXer’s have insecurities about relationships - they want to know and be known but are afraid that showing their true self may lead to rejection. They also don’t want to be pigeon-holed - they value their freedom and want to be seen as unique individuals who can contribute value to society. They are not big fans of following the rules and prefer to be spontaneous. As such, they may not change jobs as much as Millennials, but their motivation surrounding money is the same work to live, not live to work​. For GenXer’s who have children, they tend to be very close with their kids and don’t want to make the same mistakes as their parents, who were generally more aloof with their offspring. This is also where Millennials and GenXer’s connect - they already have similar values in the ​close parent/child relationship between their generations. To align messaging accordingly, the key attributes of ​convergence and divergence of values are summarized here: Convergent Divergent Millennials GenXer’s Free-Agents Self-confident Insecure sense of self Meaningful Experiences and Fun Diversity / Multi-cultural Don’t like labels Individuality and uniqueness Civic-minded / Charity Conservative Independence Eager to spend money Save, save, save www.mixstrategymarketing.com 11 Work/Life balance - work to live Need continuous feedback and validation Not enamoured by public recognition Close values and relationship between these two generations Ambitious but not entirely focused Focused on results 3. Target Market for B** I. Millennial Adventure Travelers The travel category fueling the growth of this industry is adventure travel, with Millennials dominating the t​ rend​. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 12 Representing approximately ​79M people in the US alone​, these globetrotters are also heavy social media users and they will post profusely about their experiences before, during and after their trips. They are also heavily influenced by Social media friends and IRL friends/family to decide where their next vacation will be. The average Millennial traveler takes 2.38 trips per year; and a drastic 80% of Millennials travel ​regularly​, taking at least one leisure trip in 2016. They see travel as a part of their way of life, and a necessity, with their focus being on “relaxing and connecting”. The majority of Millennials do not want to go to cliche / tourist trodden destinations, preferring instead to those that are ‘off the beaten track” to pursue unique and authentic experiences. However, their travel destination decisions are heavily influenced by the availability of Wifi - they do not want to go off the grid. As Millennials are by their generational definition very much community oriented, sustainable and environmentally friendly considerations factor greatly into their travel plans. ​To speak to this important subject, campaigns around the world have been put in place to offer sustainable forms of travel; Millennials are more interested in any environmental or social impact they may make at the destination they will visit, and hence will gravitate towards travel companies that focus on these values. A word about pricing​: Millennials like to shop while they travel - before and after. However, price plays a big part in their purchase decisions. According to a ​2017 Nielson study​, promotions drive the purchase for 46% of Millennial travellers. II. “Work/Life balance” Seekers This target market represents an ​estimated 42M people in the US alone. It is comprised of 65/35 split of parents to non-parents in the Millennial and GenX generations. Work/Life balance is increasingly becoming a much sought after goal for Millennials and GenXer’s. One of the principle methods people are using to instill work/life balance is through remote or flexible working arrangements. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 13 43% of the 2016 US workforce worked remotely at least part of the time according to a ​recent study​, up 4% from 2012. This represents a large volume of workers - 54M of the 127M adult Americans that were employed as of ​August 2017​. And 78% of total workers (99M) were in the 25-54 age group. FlexJobs.com reports that 68% of respondents of a recent study feel stressed by their current work/life imbalance. Of job seekers looking for flexible positions (ie/telecommute, flexible hours, or part-time), a whopping 72% preferred being able to telecommute full-time. Respondents reacted strongly to how flexible work would positively affect their lives. When it comes to their personal health and relationships: ● ● ● ● ● 94% thought it would have a positive impact on their personal life. 90% thought a flexible job would help them take better care of themselves. 89% believed it would decrease their levels of stress. 87% said it would create more time to spend with family or friends. 93% of respondents with children thought having a job with work flexibility would help them be a more involved parent. Additionally, the ​Gig Economy (a trending category consisting of freelance/free agent professionals) represents 50-68M workers. The Gig workforce is growing 5x faster than the US workforce. This Gig workforce is contributing about $1Trillion to the economy per year. And these professionals are being led by the Millennials, with the GenXer’s closely on their heels. In terms of travel, a ​recent study by USA Travel Trends indicates that in 2016 an average of 51.9% Americans traveled to an international destination (29% of whom were traveling for adventure or leisure purposes); 79% of which were Millennials and GenX. An extremely important element of this target market is the female solo traveler. According to Trek Soft, “​In 2014, 72% of American women took a solo adventure. That number is only set to increase in the next few years, as more and more women are taking trips tailored to www.mixstrategymarketing.com 14 their needs. And it doesn't look like you would expect. Women aren't looking for the gender stereotypes that are often marketed to them. Forget the 5-star hotel and spa days, they want real adventure.​” An ​estimated 32 million single American women traveled at least once in the last year, and about 30% of them hit the road 5 times or more, according to the Travel Industry Association. An estimated $120B was spent by women on solo travel. A common misconception, the vast majority of these solo female travelers are not Millennials but rather GenXer’s; ​the average age of the female solo traveler is 47​, with a relatively high level of disposable income. The most common reason that women reported traveling alone is because they deeply value their independence, are sophisticated enough not to need a companion and are going on their lone adventure to reconnect with themselves or pursue a personal aspect of their life journey. ​Significantly, this group of daring women is only getting started​. Cynthia Dunbar, general manager of REI Adventures told Condé Nast Traveler that ​“since 2010, women traveling with us has grown by 60 percent, and we continue to see this figure grow steadily each year. Last year alone, 58 percent of all our guests were women." ​Since many more women will be taking up the solo travel torch in the months and years to come, although there is a lot of advice on the web, what to wear/pack information can be overwhelming, so there is a huge untapped potential to simplify their first trip by kitting them up in a simple/easy to use “One-stop shop for getting travel-ready”. III. Digital Nomads The “digital nomad” is a location independent worker who typically moves to a new global location every few months. The digital age allows for location flexible employment; and the growing trend of Millennials and GenXer’s to focus on new experiences in favor of high salaries makes this lifestyle appealing to this type of person. Although the size of this target market is hard to quantify, some qualitative ​research on the matter puts the ​US number at between 21-33M workers - about 20% of the American workforce. Globally, some following the movement believe there will be over 1 billion digital nomads by the year 2035...that’s not that far away! According to a ​recent qualitative study by DigitalNomadHelp.com, which surveyed a cross section of self-proclaimed ​digital nomads (location independent workers), most respondents were in the 25-34 age bracket, with 20% being in the 35-44 range​. 51% were women, the majority of whom specialized in writing, marketing and ecommerce jobs, most of which were classified as freelance. Overall, 22% worked in the software engineering field. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 15 88% of all digital nomads have university educations and 42% originate from the USA. 50% of respondents reported monthly incomes in excess of $2000, with average monthly expenses (food, lodging, entertainment) of $1285, indicating a fairly sizeable disposable income. Of the major regions from which digital nomads work, the bulk of them were in Asia (45%), Western Europe (16%) and Central/South America (14%). According to a ​2016 survey conducted by Global Digital Nomads, 40% of respondents were not yet, but working towards, being completely location independent. The vast majority (more than 98%) do not have children, and 35% travel solo, while 29% travel with friends/family only sometimes. 67% work from their “home/lodging” and 36% work in cafes or co-working spaces. 64% have a home-base/primary location that they reside in for 6 months or more per year. Interestingly, a whopping 85% of those surveyed say they are happy with their nomad lifestyle. ​(Important note: some take offence to the “Nomad” title and prefer to use “Location Independent” as a way to describe themselves.) www.mixstrategymarketing.com 16 4. Competitive Analysis - Travel/Beach Inspired “Boho” Online Boutiques I. FreePeople.com Free People is a well established brand and originally began as a wholesale business, designing and manufacturing their clothes and later moving to include retail (Bricks & Mortar boutiques starting in 2002 and online beginning in 2004). It is an off-shoot of the very successful URBAN OUTFITTERS brand (originally called Free People which opened in the ‘70’s). They design labels like Ecote, Cooperative and Anthropologie. Freepeople.com online boutique ​sells hundreds of items - clothes, active wear, outerwear, shoes, accessories, swimwear, intimates and health & beauty products. Target Market During 2001, we realized that it was really Free People that invoked some of our favourite images, those of ​femininity, courage, and spirit​. It was time to get back to our roots. Free People shed its junior image and evolved into a more mature, contemporary brand. This allowed ​twenty-something women to appreciate the line of clothing that catered to their ​intelligence, creativity and individuality​, while keeping with its great quality and affordability. And that's just who we wanted to reach: ​a 26-year-old girl, smart, creative, confident and comfortable in all aspects of her being, free and adventurous, sweet to tough to tomboy to romantic. A girl who likes to keep busy and push life to its limits, with traveling and hanging out and everything in between​. Customer Engagement A Customer review input star option is provided for each product, but many items have 0 reviews. Those products that are marked as “Top Rated” all have reviews of 4+ stars, but typically from less than 10 people. However, they have a very strong Social Media presence and following; 3M+ on Instagram, 1M+ on Facebook and 570K+ on Pinterest. They sometimes feature IG followers wearing their clothes (who have a variation of followers and are not just influencer level IG’ers). www.mixstrategymarketing.com 17 It is possible to purchase wholesale from Free People if an account is approved, however, many of their products are “FP Exclusive”. Interestingly, they also offer “Wellness Retreat” travel packages. Based on photos of past retreats, many of the women who attended were definitely not in their 20’s (which is their target demographic). FP features some customer testimonials (about the retreats) here. Other activities on the FP website include a blog, which spans subjects on Pop-up store announcements, Health, Environmental conservation tips, Wellness and Beauty tips. Their blog links to each blogger’s personal site, and invites customers to comment/dialogue, but there doesn’t seem to be much engagement. The largest amount of online engagement is through their “FPMe Community” where they post Instagram pics of customers (lots of them) and feature various charity and health related events inviting FPMe members to join in. You need to create an account to join the FPMe Community. Product Offering Summary as it relates to potential B** comparable products ● ● ● ● Clothes (dresses and blouses)​: Majority of dresses are $150-$300+ and blouses range from $50-$150. Some beach-boho style, but mostly urban chic. Accessories (necklaces, bracelets, rings)​: Majority of pieces are priced over $100, but some ~$50 pieces are sold. Most of the necklaces are FP Exclusive. Swimwear​: Very expensive (ie/bikini bottoms for $80+), but good variety of one and two pieces and not just cliche string-bikinis. Offers a small selection of surfwear. Travel Gear: ​N/A Observations of different USP to B** ● ● ● ● ● HUGE presence, not really a ‘boutique’ due to its well known brand and volume of products - it started as a grass-roots company but no longer has the emotional connection that B** would emphasize. Free People is a Bricks & Mortar, Online retailer and a wholesaler equally. It doesn’t fit the same business model as B**, which is about “being on the move” and nomad-inspired (ie/not physically rooted). B** can relate to its customers because it “lives” in the same space and lifestyle as them. Free People do not focus on one kind of “female traveler” - it’s vague. B** would be positioned as beach-bum / adventure travelers. They do not offer travel gear (only wellness retreats). There are no packing lists to help travelers plan for trips. They seem to cater to higher end customers who can afford paying $150+ on a maxi dress. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 18 ● ● Although there are some ‘vegan’ product offerings, eco-friendly products are not their mainstay. Site is uber professional and sleek - sophisticated but uninviting unless’ you fancy’. Things to keep in mind ie/Best Practices inspired by Free People ● ● ● ● ● ● Tell the story (history) behind the store with an authentic voice. Use Social Media to feature customers and have a “community” section (but that doesn’t require signing up). Feature guest blogs and link to their personal blogs to double the audience. Consider having a “Sale” tab to sell slow-movers at a discount IF they are in B**’s inventory and a “New” tab to feature new products to give them an introduction. Use review star option beside each product. IMPORTANT​: Other online stores have apparently been using FP images as their own and selling cheap knock-offs. Ie/ ​Bohowildboutique.com is a great example who have been called out on the FB Buyer Beware site. For B**, it would be smart to offer a ​‘satisfaction’ guarantee and emphasize QUALITY and the use of domestic (not China) suppliers. Following are some examples of their products which most closely resemble what B** would sell. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 19 www.mixstrategymarketing.com 20 www.mixstrategymarketing.com 21 II. Gypsyoutfitters.com Gypsy Outfitters is an online store hosted on Shopify. Their positioning is “your go-to affordable fashion boutique”, communicated through the following messaging: Our love for all things free spirited speared the launch of Gypsy Outfitters. We will bring you found and sourced clothing from around the world including upcycled jewelry, home decor for your bohemian room and amazing gypsy cowgirl styles! We offer all of the latest fashion trends from around the world at affordable prices and outstanding quality. We receive new merchandise everyday and make customer service our number one priority. Gypsy Outfitters offers ​hundreds of items in clothes (including a Plus size section), intimates, shoes, accessories, homewares and novelty gifts. Target Market Gypsy Outfitters seem to target ​Millennial women who are free-spirited​, with a Southern/Country twist​. Customer service and quality are part of their USP. They also use a liberal amount of Plus-sized models, which is great, and seems to indicate their target market includes ​women large and small​. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 22 Customer Engagement A Customer review star input option is provided for each product, but many items have 0 reviews. In addition to offering magnified views of the products, as well as “PayPal Credit” (for 6 months), they have also embedded YouTube videos with SOME of their products, including a narrative. Great idea! Their social media presence is ample with 10K Instagram followers and 100K+ followers on Facebook, as well as 25K+ followers on Pinterest. Gypsy Outfitters has a blog, but mostly just posts articles about clothing outfit ideas. A couple of their tabs come up empty with “that page no longer exists” messages. Product Offering Summary as it relates to potential B** comparable products: ● ● ● ● Clothes (dresses and blouses)​: Most are priced around the $50 mark; very affordable with a wide range of styles, but with no real common theme. Accessories (necklaces, bracelets, rings)​: Mid-volume offering of accessories, with all ranging in the $20 or less price. This seems to indicate that the jewelry is of poor quality. Very limited offering of rings. Swimwear​: N/A Travel Gear:​ N/A Observations of different USP to B** ● ● ● ● ● Gypsy Outfitters do not use very engaging product descriptions - very short and without details. They do not focus on travelers. B** would be positioned as products for warm climate destination travellers. Gypsy Outfitters do not offer travel gear or swimwear, but does offer intimates (which B** would not). There are no packing lists to help travelers plan for trips. Seem to cater to lower end customers who want to pay $50 on a maxi dress, but it should be questioned whether the quality statement can really be authentic at that price point. Things to keep in mind (ie/what to do or not do) inspired by Gypsy Outfitters ● ● ● ● Make compelling, humorous and detailed descriptions for each product. Take YouTube videos of featured products with a narrative to talk about the piece. Consider having a variation of boho styles ie/Asian, South American, Polynesian but with a clear theme ie/warm weather destinations. Have a more robust blog that encourages dialogue. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 23 Following are some examples of their products which most closely resemble what B** would sell - “B**” styles. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 24 www.mixstrategymarketing.com 25 III. Encircled.ca www.mixstrategymarketing.com 26 Encircled is a Canadian online store hosted on Shopify. Their positioning is “Be more with less”, communicated through the following messaging: You deserve a wardrobe you can feel proud of. Encircled makes ​sweatshop-free, minimalist clothing from eco-friendly materials in Toronto, Canada. We focus on impeccable fit, high-quality fabrics, and creating versatile designs that you can wear every day of the week. Say good-bye to struggling with what to wear in the morning. SAY HELLO TO ENCIRCLED. From the initial inspiration for our designs to the box arriving at your doorstep, Encircled is committed to high ethical standards in everything we do. We constantly review all areas of our business to learn how we can do better. ​We value progress over perfection​. We believe transparency is essential to positive change in the fashion industry. Sustainability and the environment are at the core of every decision we make. Encircled offers ​a limited number of items in clothing and headbands. Most of their products are offered in 4 non-patterned colours (ie/same dress, choice of 4 different colours) . Target Market Encircled’s target market seems to be ​eco-conscious minimalist urban women (a mix of millennial and GenX) who work in the office but take weekend trips and periodic vacations further afield. Customer Engagement A Customer review star input option is provided beside each product. Encircled has 10K Instagram followers and 7K+ followers on Facebook, as well as 23K+ followers on Pinterest. They have been featured in publications like the Globe & Mail and Canadian Geographic (which they highlight on their website). Encircled ​refer to their blog as a ‘journal’ and post articles on a wide range of topics including weekend getaways, international travel, office tips, fashion and lifestyle and tying them all back to wardrobe suggestions (great idea!). There is a small amount of customer interaction/comments. Website design is sleek and sophisticated with models of all types. Product Offering Summary as it relates to potential B** comparable products: ● ● ● Clothes (dresses and blouses)​: Limited dresses and tops at higher end pricing with quality fabrics. Accessories (necklaces, bracelets, rings)​: N/A Swimwear​: N/A www.mixstrategymarketing.com 27 ● Travel Gear: ​N/A Observations of different USP to B** ● ● ● Urban dweller who travels less frequently. Apparel is one tone, muted colours and not spirited; it is very sophisticated and conservative. There are no packing lists to help travelers plan for trips. Things to keep in mind (ie/what to do or not do) inspired by Encircled ● ● Keep a journal instead of a blog. Always tie blog posts back to wardrobe suggestions. Following are some examples of their products which most closely resemble what B** would sell - “B**” styles. IV. Travelfashiongirl.com Travel Fashion Girl is primarily a blog all about how to travel light anywhere in the world. The main items promoted are a “How To” series of books and videos. They also provide a www.mixstrategymarketing.com 28 link on their website to retailers who sell apparel, accessories and travel gear. Their positioning is “Minimize your luggage, maximize your style”, communicated through the following messaging: Via links to Marketplaces (ie/Zappos) and Large Retailers (ie/Nordstrom), Travel Fashion Girl’s followers can access ​a wide selection of items in apparel, accessories, swimwear, shoes, luggage and travel gear. But these items are all on separate websites and you cannot purchase multiple items from different retailers in one order - they all have to be purchased on the individual websites. So really, Travel Fashion Girl is not an online retailer, but simply provides links to suggested wardrobe selections. Target Market Fashionable female travelers who are going to all types of destinations (including Round-the-World (RTW), warm climate, mild climate and country specific) and who want advice and packing lists to plan for their trips. The followers range from Millennial to GenX, whether traveling for business, adventure or urban culture. Customer Engagement A Customer review input is used through the retailers they linked to, not Travel Fashion Girl directly. TFG has 13K+ Instagram followers and 56K+ followers on Facebook, as well as 64K followers on Pinterest. Travel Fashion Girl has an extremely robust blog section, covering a wide variety of travel related topics with an emphasis on packing lists specific to type of trip and even country specific. However, the packing lists are really articles written with picture wardrobes as examples - they are not checklists or items for sale. Travel Fashion Girl is rated as the #1 Blog for female travelers; they have been featured on Cosmopolitan, USA Today, Fox News, Huffington Post, etc. Travel Fashion Girl has a good amount of customer engagement and shares/answers their blog comments. The website is bold, image rich, well organized and contains well defined sections. On the shop tab, www.mixstrategymarketing.com 29 galleries are featured with a reasonable amount of variety in each category. If you click on an item, you are brought to a separate tab which is the separate retailers websites and which not only includes the item you clicked on, but also other similar items depending upon the retailer. All fulfillment and customer service is performed independently by the retailers as the “shop” is separate from the Travel Fashion Girl website. Very unique but a bit confusing. Travel Fashion Girl don’t seem to be making any money from their wardrobe suggestions. Product Offering Summary as it relates to potential B** comparable products ● ● ● ● Clothes (dresses and blouses)​: Wide selection of low to high-end priced apparel. Accessories (necklaces, bracelets, rings)​: Wide selection of low to high-end priced accessories. Swimwear​: Wide selection of low to high-end priced swim and beachwear. Travel Gear: ​Wide selection of low to high-end priced luggage and gear. Observations of different USP to B** ● ● Fashion Travel Girl is a blog and seller of How-To books/Videos who also make wardrobe suggestions linked to other retailers; they do not these products sell directly. Destinations/trip types are wide ranging and the blog/lists focus on carry-on only. Things to keep in mind (ie/what to do or not do) inspired by Fashion Travel Girl ● ● Emphasize the customer’s problems regarding travel challenges and how B** can provide solutions; be helpful with tips and tricks, and prominently acknowledge that each traveler is unique. Make the packing ‘lists’ simple and easy to use; FTG’s site makes traveling look a bit overwhelming with all the different destinations, types of trips and seasons. Following are some examples of their product suggestions which most closely resemble what B** would sell. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 30 www.mixstrategymarketing.com 31 V. Madlyaddictive.com Madly Addictive is an American online boutique style store (host platform unknown) that is inspired by the owners’ love of travel. Their positioning is “Travel for all the believers and dreamers of the world”, communicated through the following messaging: To create top quality, socially conscious fashion that inspires and elevates your travel style. We are passionate believers in travel, adventure, dream chasing and social change. We aim to promote awareness for small businesses and spark a passion to connect the world. Quality and social sustainability are at the core of our beliefs. Our tops are made in 100% NO sweat shop www.mixstrategymarketing.com 32 manufacturing facilities with solar powered sewing and cutting floors. They are designed for the softest fit and comfort. Locally printed in Miami, Florida allowing us to also support our community of small businesses. Doing what makes you feel alive, going after what makes you happy and sharing that happiness and love with the world. Go on an adventure, give back, make a change, create something beautiful and be you! Despite the fear, despite the doubt you go for what you want. Find your passion and get addicted. Madly Addictive offers ​a limited number of items​ in the apparel category. Target Market Madly Addictive’s target seems to be young Millennial females who have wanderlust but are more fashionistas rather than adventurer’s. Customer Engagement A Customer review option is available but is in a ‘contact form’ format as opposed to a star rating; there seem to be little to no reviews. Madly Addictive has 2.5K Instagram followers, a Facebook page that is unavailable and 125 followers on Pinterest. They do not include any customer testimonials but do encourage customers to follow them on Social Media for a chance to be featured. Madly Addictive’s blog posts are abundant and very helpful, with topics such as tips on traveling on a budget, local foods, travel destinations and more. The website is beautifully set up with lots of glossy travel pictures of the owners, done professionally. Product descriptions are very brief and a few are missing prices. Product Offering Summary as it relates to potential B** comparable products: ● ● ● ● Clothes (dresses and blouses)​: Tanks and t-shirts only, priced reasonably with most of them being branded pieces. Accessories (necklaces, bracelets, rings)​: Limited bandanas only Swimwear​: Limited bathing suit cover-ups from Thailand Travel Gear: ​Limited backpacks for day use, sourced by them in Vietnam Observations of different USP to B** ● ● ● Almost all of Madly Addicted products are branded and their product line is focused on tops. They have a great passion, but it seems to be directed AT the customer instead of a dialogue WITH them. Although these products are great for traveling, they do not give the customer enough to make an outfit or help with a packing list. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 33 ● Their positioning includes a statement about ‘giving back’ but there seems no place to link to charities or communities. Things to keep in mind (ie/what to do or not do) inspired by Madly Addictive ● ● ● Use travel images throughout to give the site authenticity Use star ratings, not contact forms Use more details and verbage for the product descriptions. Following are some examples of their products which most closely resemble what B** would sell. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 34 VI. Price Comparisons - based on similar basic offerings B** Reco* Free People Gypsy Outfitters Encircled Travel Fashion Girl** Madly Addictive Dresses Blouses Accessories Swimwear Travel Packs $80 $45 $30 $60 $200 $175 $85 $50 $150 N/A $50 $35 $20 N/A N/A $140 $60 N/A N/A N/A $75 $45 $25 $50 $150 $40*** $30 $10 N/A $47*** * B** should price its product line at the mid-range, using promotional discounts to bring the price down further to meet the buyer motivators identified earlier in this document. ** Travel Fashion Girl does not sell any of the products listed; the prices are an average of those retailers articles that TFG recommends. ***These products are not exactly comparable as they are low-end (dress) or very small (travel pack). www.mixstrategymarketing.com 35 5. SWOT - B** 6. Customer Segmentation I. Work/Life Balance Seekers Millennial and GenXer Work/Life Balance seekers represent 32.8M (North) Americans, 51.9% of whom traveled at least once in 2016 to an international destination, and 29% of whom traveled for adventure/leisure. 68% of this group describe themselves as stressed out, which could account for their propensity for travel and its restorative effects. This group sees themselves as independent and are looking for meaningful unique experiences. Like the Traveling Millennials, they use SM to share their pictures, but 50% do not trust advertisements on SM. In terms of purchasing, this group allocates 64% of their shopping budget to online channels and 47.5% enjoy shopping at online boutiques. ​Most importantly, a large portion of this segment is fueled by the accelerating trend of female solo travel​. 32M www.mixstrategymarketing.com 36 American women traveled alone in 2016, 30% of which made five trips or more within a 12 month period. They spent an average $120B. Although many are making Europe their destination, 59% are heading south to warmer climates. Comprised of mostly GenXers and with an average age of 47, these ladies are looking for balance and meaning, are on personal journeys, are more adventurous than their predecessors and have the sophistication and disposable income to make their travel dreams a reality. II. Traveling Millennials This segment represents 63.2M (North) Americans ​who travel an average of 2.36 times per year. 75% want to travel abroad​. Aged under 35, 67% of these folks prefer to shop onine, 46% enjoy shopping at online boutiques, 51% will buy through Social Media platforms (but 46% do not trust advertisements on SM). They are community oriented, eager to spend money, are looking for meaningful experiences over materialism, embrace diversity and like to share their experiences through heavy use of SM. III. Digital Nomads This segment represents a minimum of 21M (North) Americans, and is in an accelerated growth mode. Currently, ​an additional 21.6M remote workers are on their way to location independence in the near future​. These workers who are in transition will be in need of getting kitting up, and due to all of the overwhelming information on how to do this, using a “one-stop shop to get travel-ready” would be of benefit. Whether already location independent or about to be, this crowd are tech savvy, value meaning over money, are independent and heavy SM users. Roughly 40% of the existing Digital Nomad crowd are women, but with the huge boost of solo female traveler trend, there is great opportunity to appeal to these newcomers. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 37 7. Customer Profiles I. Solo Adventure Chick Financially independent, courageous and proud of the scars and wisdom she has earned over her life, the Solo Adventure Chick is now in her mid-forties. She has the time, money and gumption to set off on a personal journey into adventure. Although concerned about making sure her destination is safe for lone women, she isn’t afraid of trying new things and will research the best places to go that will be both safe and stunning. She is an entrepreneur and is contemplating taking a hiatus or bringing her work on the road if it means she can temporarily relocate to an exotic location to fulfill her dreams, wanderlust and the need for a simple, less stressful lifestyle. Solo Adventure Chick is more interested in being a free spirit, repelling the conservative rule-follower image. She’s intent on creating more work/life balance and reducing the stress of her professional life. When not dressing for work, she reflects her gypsy soul with a wardrobe that is bohemian themed, and likes to adorn her flowing maxi dresses or tunics & jean shorts with funky unique bangles. Adventurous, she is working on her bucket list, and this includes trying sports she never would have considered 10 years ago - like surfing. She is determined to set her anxiety aside and let her soul sing and her blood flow. But being well educated and successful in her career, she also knows that preparation and having a plan to make sure her trip is all it can be is essential. She will research online for travel tips tailored to her needs and will favor apparel and accessories that are travel friendly yet stylish. Her stash will also be well stocked with clothes that are comfortable and airplane, hiking and touring friendly. Not quite ready for backpack minimalism, she will over-pack and check her luggage until she becomes a more seasoned traveler - she www.mixstrategymarketing.com 38 doesn’t want to be left unprepared, nor is she flitting to multiple destinations in one trip. Although she has a healthy disposable income, she is smart with her money and will look for good value for money and more budget friendly accommodations. She doesn’t want a 5 star hotel - she wants to be immersed in the culture of her destination and move out of her comfort zone. Her go-to social media platforms are Facebook and Pinterest, although within the last year she has jumped onto the Instagram band-wagon and plans to populate it with images from her trip. II. Round the World (RTW) Millennial Whether on a adult version of a gap year (between jobs) or taking small hiatuses from her current job every few months, the RTW Millennial is full of sprite and optimism for the future. She highly prioritizes life experiences and wants to get as many stamps in her passport as possible - the more countries the better. Because she’s traveling on a budget, having saved her money for just this purpose, she looks for destinations that are off the beaten track and haven’t yet had prices for food and shelter sky-rocket due to a tourism glut. She is a free-thinking liberal, values diversity and supports causes that make the world a better place. Aged between 25 and 35 years old, well-educated and working in the knowledge based industry, the RTW Millennial lives a simple life as a minimalist and doesn’t have a lot of stuff, nor does she covet luxury living. But stress and not getting enough sleep are a constant irritant which she looks towards travel to offset. Socializing is a big part of her life, whether in person or online. She is a big user of Instagram and Pinterest; she has a Facebook account but doesn’t use it much. Single, the RTW Millennial isn’t ready for a committed relationship as her priority is her relationship with herself and growing as a person. She reflects this spiritual mindset in her clothing with bohemian style clothes and accessories but prefers comfort over classy. Up for anything, she is full of energy, adventurous and wants to do activities that challenge her mentally and physically, including rappelling waterfalls or www.mixstrategymarketing.com 39 zipline through jungle canopies. Her preference for being on the move, only staying in one place for a few weeks, she relies on carry-on friendly luggage only - the standard back-pack. With her minimalist style and need for mobility on her long voyage, she does a lot of research to see how she can fit the most essentials into the smallest space, without giving up room for her electronics. III. Newly Location Independent Graduated from college; check. Worked for a couple of high tech companies; check. Saved some money to get her started; check. Now tired of the hectic stressful “9-5” work life, this Newly Location Independent young woman is ready to go into business for herself as a freelancer. In her mid twenties to early thirties, she’s self-confident, willing to take some professional risks and has no intention of living the white picket fence life any time soon. She spends a lot of time online for both business and pleasure, working on client projects, blogging her experiences and of course posting all of her progress on Instagram and Facebook. Because she is WiFi dependent for work and her writing hobby, she travels to locations where reliable internet is widespread. Being from a northern US state, she’s starting her Location Independent journey in a place where the beer is cold, the weather is warm and is exotic enough to be Instagram-worthy. One of the things that attracted her to the digital nomad lifestyle is the “chill vibes” created by so many companies promoting advertisements that feature people surfing. She is attracted to being a part of that culture. She plans on staying in one place for only a couple of months before moving on to another country, then spending a few months a year back in her hometown to see family and friends. At the beginning of her freelance career, she is concerned with not having enough clothes to wear so has a tendency to www.mixstrategymarketing.com 40 overpack, but after her first year of the nomad life, she’s become a pro and goes with just a backpack. No matter how many garments she packs, a unique fashion style is a big part of her identity, and being enamoured of the “chill surf life” image, she likes to wear clothes that are beach themed, casual and colorful. Funky rings and bracelets round out her look. Looks aside, she has a passion for volunteering and looks for opportunities to help out in each community that she temporarily settles in. Still unsure of what kind of income she will be able to bring in as a freelancer, she’s careful with her money and purchases items that will last through her adventures but that don’t cost a fortune. She is also planning on soaking up the culture, socializing with new found friends and trying activities popular in her temporary hometown, so includes some playful / dressy clothes in her suitcase to meet the occasion. 8. Positioning for B** The rapid increase in frequent and long term travel trends shows a large interest in packing lists. An Incognito Google search shows that over 20M searches with the key-words “Packing List” have been performed recently. And although a couple of online stores have blogs that list packing essentials or template lists, there are no online stores found that offer shopping by list essentials. The USP for B** is a ​“One stop get-travel-ready shop”; an online store where you can find stylish travel-friendly apparel, accessories and gear for warm climate destinations which can be purchased either a la carte, and/or by using the website’s “buy using a packing list” tool​. This will allow customers a way to print an empty list, buy items on the list and print what has been ticked off and what still needs to be obtained, or just purchase items to top-up their existing travel packs. I. B** helps you get packed and ready for your trip, stress-free Two thirds of all Millennials and GenXer’s report that they are stressed beyond reasonable levels. Further, according to ​The Huffington Post​, 52% of Millennials and 45% of GenXer’s say their stress levels have increased over the last five years. Travel and pursuing meaningful experiences is a major driver of reducing stress, but the planning of the trip - figuring out where to go, how much it will cost, flights, accommodations and packing - is stressful in itself. B** takes the pain out of the packing part of the planning process by offering a packing list tool that guides you through the purchase and/or place-holding of warm-climate-friendly stylish and comfortable clothes, as well as funky accessories and all the travel gear you need to get going, Check, check and check. www.mixstrategymarketing.com 41 II. Unique beach-boho style for adventure travelers Being free-spirits, B** customers want to look unique and stand out in a crowd, while also reflecting their gypsy souls by wearing colorful, flowing and beachy garments, and comfortable funky travel wear for the airplane, the hike or the beach bonfire. Style doesn’t have to take a backseat to the practical needs of the traveler, especially when just a few pieces can be swapped amongst a compact wardrobe to create different looks, and given added flare with different accessories. B** offers apparel and accessories that are easily interchangeable and a sure fire way to tailor a unique look. To show how very unique each outfit can be made, B** uses customers with an IG account as the catalog ‘models’, showing variations on how different people paired different pieces, and putting their own spin on their outfits. Proof that individual style is a breeze! III. Forum for advice, community discussion and charity With so many people traveling to so many places these days, and with a plethora of vivid Instagram images of exotic places, there is a lot to talk about! B** gives its customers a place to hear, be heard, get or give advice, and most of all, gather inspiration. But the focus is not just on our own journeys to the exotic places on our itineraries; B** is very much aware of how fortunate we all are to have the ability to fulfill what we see as the necessity of travel to a meaningful life. So to spread the love, B** prominently features and links to We.org, as well as making donations each year as a percentage of proceeds earned from the online boutique. We are all in this together, and B** is a meeting place to help each other lead a life of adventure and authenticity. 9. Messaging for B** The overarching messaging of B** is a stress-free packing & shop experience, with unique and stylish apparel, accessories and travel gear for warm-climate destinations - at reasonable prices - and with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Frequent discounts and tithing promotions make B** even more affordable and give customers a community oriented “feel good” vibe. High Impact Emotional Motivators that are common among Millennials and GenXer’s (Stand out from the crowd, Sense of well-being, Sense of thrill and a Sense of belonging) will be used in the overarching messaging. For the niche customer profiles, variations of the messaging will be used in order to optimally resonate and closely identify with each of the three individuals, including generation-specific emotional motivators. Key words and emotional motivators for each profile are as follows; www.mixstrategymarketing.com 42 I. Key Words for the Solo Adventure Chick Words: Independence, Adventure, Courage, Journey, Carefree, Getting out of comfort zone, Taking the road less traveled Motivators: ​Be the person I want to be, Feel secure II. Key Words for the RTW Millennial Words: ​Budget, Minimalism, Exotic, Explore, Experience, Learning, Off the beaten path Motivators:​ Have confidence in the future, Protect the environment III. Key Words for the Newly Location Independent Words:​ Autonomous, Entrepreneur, Trend-setter, Brave, Follow my own path, No more 9-5 Motivators: ​ Succeed in life, Feel a sense of freedom 10. Strategic Goals for B** I. Community / Social Engagement with Segments As the travel community in general is highly engaged and connected with fellow travelers, a blog and forum should be created, targeting the three identified customer segments. This should be regularly promoted, linked and co-written with guest bloggers, especially those with some influence. Since all three customer segments are heavy Social Media users, it should be invested in to build a following to create awareness and word of mouth. Research indicates that Instagram and Facebook are the two most preferred SM platforms for travel related sharing, so the focus should be on these two, followed by Pinterest as time permits. II. New Customer Acquisition Through Referral www.mixstrategymarketing.com 43 Since word of mouth is the most effective and affordable method of acquisition, Influencer level bloggers should be approached about commission-based passive income agreements, by which they would earn a % of the profits for any products that B** successfully sells as a result of a link from the Influencer’s blog, website or SM account. This agreement would also involve the Influencer making bi-weekly posts on their SM feeds about B**, and linking blog posts to the B** website if the blog content is relevant to apparel and accessories. III. Customer-focused website and advertising/promotion The B** website should be built as a stress problem-solver (via use of a “shop by packing list” tool) and reflect the uniqueness of its products by featuring IG users as the models in the catalogue. The site should also contain a tab that showcases User-Generated Content (UGC) from B** customers and a Charity tab to convey our shared passion for civic duty and social responsibility. www.mixstrategymarketing.com