Victoria's Secret Brand Marketing Report

Recommendation Ideas

-New range based around celebrating women and their empowerment

-Plus-size and diverse models integrated into the shows

-Collaboration with outside influencers e.g Music Industry

-New angels added into the mix

-Bringing in new market by updating brand values

-Social media influencers to widen the market


Defining Ideas
New Valentines Range based around Self-Love and feeling good in your own skin. Regrams will appear on the Instagram and a hashtag will be made to connect social channels

Collaboration with Haim (Girl power band) to bring in a new-wave feminism customer and update the brands values and bring positive associations to the brand. Posted via social channels on both the band and brands instagram

Social Media focus to utilise the 62M followers. Use relevant, elite influencers to promote the brand. Regram and sponsorships with influencers to make this more relevant to the consumer but keep up the glam aesthetic.
Make use of instagram stories. Use this as a platform to keep the consumer interested, sustainability, new in, collars and regrams will be posted via stories and highlights

Feedback From First Report Draft Submission

To work on:

Needed headings
-Needed to revisit the sub headings numbering style
-Discussions overlap in Brand Market Position
-Need a segmentation strategy for the Consumer Demographic section e.g Social Media

Brand Marketing Report First Draft

Executive Summary:
 This report will include research into possible reasons for Victoria’s Secret’s decline and proposed solutions. Body image, sustainability and overall values of the brand will be discussed. Primary research used was interviews, observations, surveys and focus groups. Secondary research focused on Mintel reports, past surveys, social media and articles on the brand. The quantitive research suggested Victoria’s Secret must change their values in order to coincide with consumer demographics. The brand is ‘luxury’ but the target market doesn’t have the income to match the prices tag so turns the consumer to opt for a more reasonably priced brand. We’re looking into the outdated imagery of Victoria’s Secret and how newly emerging competitors are combatting body positivity and inclusivity. The goal is to bring a wider audience into the brand.

The Brand: 
Victoria’s Secret is a well-established lingerie brand, playing on sultry and sexy branding. The report looks into the position in the market and the values of the brands. It delves into the marketing of the fashion show and the loss in views and why this might be. As one of the biggest lingerie brands, the report discusses the current flaws in the brand compared to the current market. Barr, N. (2013) stated that Victoria’s Secret began in 1977 when Roy Raymond was buying lingerie for his wife. He wanted to create and experience for men where they felt comfortable shopping, creating a sexy and inviting atmosphere. However revolutionary this brand was, it was near bankruptcy within 5 years of opening. Leslie Wexner then bought the company. This was around women’s sexual liberation and the birth control pill, attitudes were changing. The brand needed to appeal to women. Later, it was branded as the media’s image of a fantasy and broadened the market for a more affordable luxury brand. This worked, it was on trend and a new wave of sexy. Fast-forward almost 50 years later, women’s values have changed. Feminism and the ‘me too’ movement have taken over as we have become a more inclusive and mindful society. Victoria’s Secret has failed to address this in the brand, refusing to use trans of plus-size models, Phelps. N (2018) spoke to chief marketing director of L Brans, Ed Razek. He classed the shows as a ‘fantasy’ and these models don’t fit into this. Causing a big amount of backlash, this may be one of the reasons for their decline. Research into consumer values, the online industry, and the rise in social media correlate with the decline in Victoria’s Secret. This report puts forwards suggestions for the brand to increase their relevancy and broaden their market. 

PESTEL: 
Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands (unknown), brands themselves as a value-led organisation. Speaking on reducing their fashion footprint, sourcing, workers right and environmental damage. However, organisations have seen the brands flaws. The Rainforest Action Network (2015) said L Brands made the list of brands causing damage to the rainforest, which was based on land grabbing policies, abusing human rights and destructing forest-dependant communities. They have been called out on lack of traceability for their materials and part of the growing problem for the environment. The International Trade Union Confederation (2011) found in three factories, workers were abused, forced to work overtime and paid less than minimum wage, L Brands sourced materials from here. There has been a staggering rise in the online industry over the past few years. However, In regards to lingerie, Mintel Academic (2018) 82% of women have purchased their lingerie in-store, this is supported by an interview with Victoria’s Secret manager and Trainer who stated 70% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. It suggests that women value the in-store experience and expert fitting Victoria’s Secret offers. Consumer values have changed, Nu-nude protested the non-inclusive values of the VS Fashion Show outside of Oxford Street, women are becoming more body positive. The consumer demographic is 16-24, according to Mintel (2018), they spend on average £33 yearly on underwear and loungewear. This doesn’t match the luxury price tag of Victoria’s Secrets products. As this is their consumer demographics they may need to reduce prices in order to re-gain this consumer back. 

Victoria's Secret Presentation: Formative Feedback

Mood Board: Proposed Consumer Demographic

This Mood Board reflects my proposal for the consumers of the brand moving forward. I aim to not alienate the current consumer, looking at the stats they still have a huge following and strong identity that isn't to be moved away from so the brand is unrecongnisable. I want to keep the glam and affordable luxury identity of the brand. Attracting slightly older consumers from 18-28. Still keeping the young consumer involved in the brand. Here the consumer is one of women working together in a sisterhood and holding empowerment close to their values. The whole look is 'Girl Power' and a strong women following. I want women to feel empowered and have a sense of self-love in underwear so this is the direction I want to take the brand. An inclusive brand equals a diverse range of women wanting to feel part of the brand too. The consumer comes with a new-wacve feminism and forward-thinking mindset.

Mood Board: Proposed Marketing Position

This Mood Board showcases my ideas for Victoria's Secret's proposed Market Position. Taking inspiration from Savage X Fenty and their newly inspiring and empowering attitude this is the direction I want the brand to take. Focusing on lacy patterned bras for a new line featuring a self love motive for a valentines day launch. The windows shown by the 'GRL PWR' image will be the forefront of female power. Still keeping the colour scheme and glam aspect. Images will hold editorial style but less retouched and more diverse models added into the mix. E.g Pink Backgrounds. My main focus is a female band collab with Haim. Being the forefront of an all female sister group, this band fits the values, look and attitide for the emerging market I want VS to relate to. The collab will have 'logo' love with a girl boss vibe behind it. Lots of lace, pink but comfy and on-brand pieces will be included in the collection. This will be hyped around Instagram and have a countdown via social channels. Haim would do shop tours and promote the collab via their instagram too. The Fashion Show will integrate a new wave of models but will run throughout the show to normalise this.