Fashion Promotion Through Advertising and the Press

Objectives:Explain the purposes for, and levels of, fashion promotionDescribe fashion promotion planning, follow-through, budgeting, and ethicsSummarize the purposes for, and types of, fashion advertisingDescribe advertising agencies and freelancersSummarize advertising strategy and mediaExplain how to develop effective print advertisementsIdentify parts of print advertisementsDefine public relations and publicityGive examples of the fashion press

Fashion Promotion

Promotion mix in fashion includes advertising, public relations, publicity, visual merchandising, and special eventsMix based on characteristics of products and the market

Advertising Mix

Fashion Cycle Promotion

PEAK

RISE

OBSOLESCENCEINTRODUCTION

DECLINE

Introduce trends and create interest in new fashions

Store persuades consumers that theirs is the best

Stores emphasize price with large markdowns

Motivate consumer to increase desire for fashion

Gain consumer loyalty with reduced prices

Purposes of Fashion Promotion

InformPersuadeRemind Consumers gain information about what they want, why they want it, and when and where to buy itEncourages additional purchases

Promotion Levels

Distribution chain

Promotion happens through all levels of production and distribution

Apparel

Retail

Consumers

TextilesTrade

Promotion

Retail Promotion

Consumer Promotion

Promotion Program 6-Month Plan

Promotion goals and objectives for selling certain merchandise; depends on How long company has been established Size, location, image, and philosophy Nature of the competition

Message or themeSpecific activitiesTiming of the activitiesMedia mix to be usedAssignments of responsibilityBudgetEvaluation methods

Putting the Promotion Plan into Action

Six-month plan Calendars chart each

promotion activity month-by-month

Show planning, budgeting, and preparation needed before each event

Stores may involve the following: Promotion directors Ad agencies or

consultants

Calculating Promotion Expenses

Usually 5%-8% of firm’s anticipated annual sales

Use previous year’s expenditures as a base and then add percent based on sales trends

Sometimes based on what competitors spend (hard to obtain this information)

Allocating Promotion Budgets

Top-down Senior management

develops promotion budget allocations

Bottom-up Merchandising employees

develop a promotion plan and estimate budget needed to carry out plan

Affordability Allocating what company

feels they can afford

Ethics in Promotion

Deceptive promotion occurs when information presented misleadsDeceptive prices Retailers put higher prices

on items before marking them down

Deceptive products Making false or misleading

claims about productsDeceptive sales Bait and switch

Types of AdvertisingProduct Designed to sell specific

merchandise or services

Institutional Designed to sell the

image or reputation of an organization

National Companies that sell

products nationwide

Regional and Local Retailers in same area

Cooperative Advertising

The sharing of advertising and its costs by two or more organizationsProducers of brand-name goods may help retailers with local advertising and costsManufacturers may place restrictions on retailers to qualify for co-op money

Pros and Cons to Coop

Additional product exposure

Share ad costs

Producer prestige

Retail prestige

Manufacturers get retailer feedback

Local ads get better placement and cost

May tempt retailers to buy wrong products

Lots of record keeping

Retailers may overcharge manufacturer

Effects stores with set ad contracts

Competition

Extra work for buyer and ad departments

Advertising Services and Strategies

Advertising agencies provide advertising expertiseHelp in planning an advertising platform that Defines target market Summarizes product

features that will please Sets general theme Coordinates

advertising pieces

Advertising Media Forms

NewspapersMagazinesOutdoor (billboards)Direct mailProduct packagingRadioTelevisionVideo and DVDWeb sites

Effective Print AdsMotivate consumer to buyEye-catchingCommunicate clearly to target audienceComponents of print ads Headline Copy and illustrations Logo and/or slogan White space

Layout: How elements of ad are put together

Public RelationsActivities planned to build good relations with customers, stockholders, government, community groups, and laborPublicity: Unpaid media coverage about an organizationPress releases: Written “news” to media that they may or may not use

Functions of the Fashion Press

Communicate fashion information to consumersPublish advertisementsShop worldwide markets for newsworthy stylesPerform market researchInfluence manufacturers to create new itemsProvide industry informationProvide point of sale ads to retailersFashion shows and seminars

Do You Know . . .

Have you ever been tricked by a deceptive price or product promotion practice? A deceptive sales practice?How would you design a press kit for a new jean called “Easy Rider?” What information would it contain?