1. Advertising Campaign Plans Book
Rafael Bruler | Natasha Janic | Kola Ogunshote | Chelsea Trautman | Andrew Zamorski

2. SITUATION ANALYSIS

3. Company history Abercrombie & Fitch:
Founded in 1892 by David T. Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch
Originally an elite outfitter of sporting and excursion goods known for its expensive shotguns, fishing rods, fishing boats and tents
Now a global clothing retailer based in Columbus Ohio, operating hundreds of stores and a direct-to-consumer operation. Known for cool, quality clothing
Controversial for its sexualized ads, employee dress codes, elitist attitude, discrimination against employees and alienation of some consumer segments
Now embracing lower prices, social responsibility and diversity after the exit of former CEO, Mike Jeffries
Still struggling due to recession, low consumer spending and inability to connect to young consumer targets

4. Product Information Attributes & Pricing: Iconic, modern classics
Classy and cool
Aspirational look, feel, and attitude.
Kids’ version known for its made-to-play durability, comfort and on-trend designs.
Priced at a premium due to company’s luxury image
Many consumers believe that they are overpriced.

5. Consumer Information Current users:
Young adults and college age consumers, 18 –22 years old. (Abercrombie & Fitch)
Young high school age consumers, 14–18 years old. (Hollister – which offers clothing at a lower price point than the parent brand.
Young middle school age consumers, 7–14 years old. (abercrombie kids - the children's version of the parent brand A&F).
Young adults, years old, who remain nostalgic about their college days and association with the brand (A&F)
Major competitors:
(Source Nasdaq, 2015)

6. SWOT Analysis Opportunities:
Opportunity for innovation and adoption of new marketing and advertising strategies
Opportunity to revamp the brand’s image and positioning
Opportunity to change the A&F’s corporate and brand perception for the better
A chance to address product quality, price and access
A chance to effectively confront competition and reposition for the future
Threats:
The continuing economic recession and low consumer spending
Competition from other quality brands with lower prices
Controversial company history and discriminatory employment practices
Negative posture towards some consumers, fat shaming, etc.
Declining interest and loyalty by primary consumer targets
Strengths:
A long heritage of quality craftsmanship dating back to 1892
Product availability and an existing large network of national and global retail outlets
Global brand with global recognition
Emotional connection to many generations of American youths
Current brand segmentation to target different youth segments through subsidiaries such as Hollister and abercrombie kids.
Weaknesses:
Perception as a very expensive brand
Negative perception over legal battles and controversial employment practices
Controversial perception of the company’s management and its corporate culture
Inability to connect with young millennials who have a different attitude to the company’s products and its sexualized advertising messages
Difficulty in getting information on corporate website

7. Problems and Opportunities
Problem: Declining sales and slowing corporate financial performance
Opportunity: To engage in innovation and improve sales and marketing strategies
Problem: Competition from lower priced brands
Opportunity: To differentiate the brand and highlight A&F’s brand quality and heritage
Problem: Negative perception of company culture and employment practices
Opportunity: To change perception, embrace social responsibility, improve employee engagement and build corporate credibility
Problem: Perception of brand as being too expensive
Opportunity: To address product quality, availability and competitive pricing issues
Problem: Declining interest and loyalty by primary consumer targets
Opportunity: To attract and engage young consumer targets through creative advertising and innovative social media strategies; or by targeting new consumer segments

8. KEY STRATEGIC DECISIONS

9. BACKGROUND
Today’s tech-savvy millennials are resistant to celebrity endorsers and sexualization in advertising. They rely on influencers, friends and other consumers to help shape their sense of style and drive their purchase intent from unbiased viewpoints.
A&F’s traditional, one-way communication to impose itself as an exclusive brand for the cool and popular, while not listening to the desires and tastes of a broader audience of millennials, has created a gap between the retailer and its target audience, leading to a major drop in sales and loss of market share.
The brand’s advertising approach has an artificial, unrealistic tone that does not capture the environment and lifestyles of young adults A&F is trying to reach.

10. Campaign Overarching Goal
The main focus of the year-long advertising campaign is to bring A&F closer to a broader audience of urban, dynamic and multi-tasked millennials, reaching out to them through more realistic and interactive contents that better relate to their lifestyles and situations they identify with. The campaign intends to shift consumer perception of A&F from an exclusive niche brand to a brand that fits multiple modern lifestyles

11. Target Audience
Male/Female | | Upper Class/Upper Middle Class | Interest Group: Young adults with sense of style and attitude, going to college or already pursuing a college degree and starting their professional careers.

12. Advertising Objectives and Strategy
Reposition A&F from an exclusive niche brand to a brand that fits urban millennials of multiple lifestyles, from college students to young professionals willing to make good impression in their social circle.
Strategy 1
Develop advertising content that reflects different lifestyles of young adults in different indoor/outdoor urban settings.
Use creative storytelling to capture situations the target audience can relate to and interact with.

13. Advertising Objectives and Strategy
Shift consumer perception of A&F from “an expensive brand they’re not cool enough to wear” to “a high quality brand they identify with”, increasing consumer association to the latter by 25% at the end of the campaign.
Strategy 2
Develop advertising content that’s less focused on displaying the clothes and more focused on the situations they portray or moments they capture. The advertising should “zoom out” of the product/brand and turn the spotlights to the consumer, with models representing millennials in situations they can relate to.

14. Advertising Objectives and Strategy
Increase consumer interaction and engagement on social media channels by 20% (number of likes, comments and shares on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, mentions and retweets on Twitter).
Strategy 3
Raise the amount of conversation on A&F’s social media channels and allow a less formal, less product-focused conversation between the brand and consumers.
Perform social media listening on a monthly basis to measure and evaluate the campaign’s impact on shifting consumer perception of A&F in social media.

15. Advertising Objectives and Strategy
10% total increase in new members/followers of A&F’s owned media channels (website sign ups, Facebook page likes, followers on Twitter and Pinterest)
Strategy 4
Through the campaign’s interactive and appealing elements, generate social media buzz to attract new visitors/members to the brand’s owned media channels.

16. Advertising Objectives and Strategy
Generate positive reviews from influencers on A&F’s repositioning efforts, outnumbering by 25% the negative stories about the brand in earned media channels. (PR/AD common goal)
Strategy 5
Reach out to key advertising trade publications and fashion bloggers so influencers acknowledge A&F’s new campaign approach towards a broader audience of millennials.
Run a brand audit every month to measure and evaluate the campaign’s impact on shifting influencer perception of A&F and generating positive reviews and endorsement.

17. Advertising Objectives and Strategy
Raise A&F’s Market share from 10.72% to 20% by the end of 2016.
Strategy 6
Regain the trust and interest from consumers that had migrated to competitors and attract new consumers through the brand’s new communication approach to increase sales and market share.

18. MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS

19. Media Objectives
Reach 70% of the target audience of young professionals ages 18-25, 2+ times per week combined across mediums during the year-long campaign.
Reach 40% of the target audience through the advertisements on television and online streaming platforms at least once per week during the year-long campaign.
Reach 50% of the target audience where they have an opportunity to interact with the brand at least once per month through social media platforms during the year-long campaign.
Reach bloggers and influencers to motivate them to generate positive digital word of mouth for A & F and its products at least once per quarter.

20. Media Mix and Rationale
Television
Online Streaming
Digital Music Service
Social Media
Social Influencers and Bloggers

21. Scheduling Strategies
Television: Prime time TV
Online streaming: Hulu
Digital Music Service: Spotify and Pandora
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat
Social Influencers and Bloggers: 1 post/quarter

22. Media Schedule and Tactics

23. CREATIVE BRIEF

24. Project Description
Sixty second television/online streaming ad to advertise A&F Jeans
Purpose:
The primary purpose of the commercial is to depict Abercrombie and Fitch as a relevant brand to the millennial generation while highlighting the quality of Abercrombie and Fitch clothing. The advertisement should initiate positive social media buzz and encourage connection to the brand’s owned media channels, leading to an increase in sales.
Style and Tone:
The advertisement should connect with the multi-tasking, social media-driven millennials with realistic content and tone. Consumers should view Abercrombie and Fitch as a brand that suits multiple modern lifestyles.

25. Copy Points:
Reflect different lifestyles of today’s various millennials
Use storytelling to capture situations relatable to target audience
Put the spotlight on Abercrombie and Fitch consumers
Benefits:
Quality craftsmanship of clothing
Highly accessible, global brand
Clothing for all occasions
Call to Action:
Encourage target audience to employ #MyFitchFit to initiate conversation about the quality and fit of Abercrombie & Fitch clothing. The #MyFitchFit campaign should inspire consumers to share how Abercrombie and Fitch fits into their way of life.

26. CREATIVE EXECUTIONS

27. Abercrombie & Fitch Commercial
Follows Creative Brief
Objective #1: Reposition A&F from an exclusive niche brand to a brand that fits urban millennials of multiple lifestyles, from college students to young professionals willing to make good impression in their social circle.
Target: Male/Female | | Upper Class/Upper Middle Class | Interest Group: Young adults with sense of style and attitude, going to college or already pursuing a college degree and starting their professional careers.
Result: Created ad that is urban millennial focused. Main character is a professional, independent, technology-minded, multi-tasking female. Sets up tagline/hashtag to use in future campaigns. Also creates a tone for the future campaigns as well. Think of the male perspective.

28. Tagline: A Brand That Fits
Take a look at Objective #1 again: Reposition A&F from an exclusive niche brand to a brand that fits urban millennials of multiple lifestyles, from college students to young professionals willing to make good impression in their social circle
Multiple meanings: the clothes fit well, the brand fits with the target audience
Objective #2: Shift consumer perception of A&F from “an expensive brand they’re not cool enough to wear” to “a high quality brand they identify with”, increasing consumer association to the latter in 25% by the end of the campaign
The tagline works in tandem with the social aspect

29. Interactive: #MyFitchFit
Objective #3
Increase consumer interaction and engagement on social media channels by 20% (number of likes, comments and shares on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, mentions and retweets on Twitter).
Objective #4
10% total increase in new members/followers of A&F’s owned media channels (website sign ups, Facebook page likes, followers on Twitter and Pinterest)
Objective #5
Generate positive reviews from influencers on A&F’s repositioning efforts, outnumbering by 25% the negative stories about the brand in earned media channels. (PR/AD common goal)
The #MyFitchFit campaign will encourage social media interaction with millennials by allowing them to share how Abercrombie and Fitch fits their lifestyle through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook posts.

30. #MyFitchFit

31. AGENCY TEAM KOLA OGUNSHOTE - ACCOUNT MANAGER
RAFAEL BRULER - PLANNING DIRECTOR
NATASHA JANIC - MEDIA DIRECTOR
CHELSEA TRAUTMAN - CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ANDREW ZAMORSKI - ART DIRECTOR