American apparelpitch

American Apparel

American Apparel

ChangesBrand S.W.O.TImage S.W.O.TBrand ObjectivesCampaign MessagesWorkplace Ethics

New Communication StrategiesVisual IdentityAdverts MoodboardCalanderBudgetMeasurment of Success

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer, based in downtown Los Angeles, CA. Within our business model, knitting, dyeing, cutting, sewing, photography, marketing and design all happen in the company’s facilities in Los Angeles, creating a shorter turnaround and a greater ability to service the need of our clients.

American Apparel operates the largest factory in the United States, at a time when most apparel production has moved offshore. We currently employ approxi-mately 10,000 people globally (about 5,000 in LA).

Our dye houses in downtown LA allows us to test, develop and implement new colours across our product line, without delays that many other manufactures experience.

From our soft smooth cotton to our innovative blends our fabric is what gives our durable garments it superior fit and makes them ideal for customization and embellishment.

American Apparel leverages art, design and technology to advance the business process, while continuing to pioneer industry standards of social and environmental responsibility in the workplace.

The Face of American Apparel is Changing...

American Apparel has long been established as one of Americas trendiest brand with quality, consistency in design and pioneer-ing manufacturing traditions.

Today the brand is no longer exclusive for young adults in urban cities, but has devel-oped to a leading basic brand for people of all ages, with both wholesale and retail division globally.

However, the brand itself has had very little transformation despite its growing expan-sion into new countries and the current market conditions.

It is time for a change in American Apparel both in management and its visual identity. Founder Dov Charney, that took the concept of making plain clothes fashionable and created the largest vertical integration opera-tion in America, have decided to step down as CEO and take a non-management creative director role.

A new management with heavy retail store experience will be introduce and take over American Apparel to create a strong retail environment and secure financial issues.

American Apparel’s origin leverage for art, design and technology will still advance the business process, while continuing to pioneer industrial standards of social and environmental responsibility to the workplace.

Doing so American Apparel can differentiate itself as a forward thinking brand that reflects American Apparel’s initiative to new and current target markets through innovative and dynamic change, whilst retaining what’s epitomizes the brand: that of quality, liberated and consistency in design.

American Apparel new management will reassure financial stability and reposition the brands current reputation. Change is visual identity to its origin beliefs as a young, freethinking and honest brand to cut the gape between its current communication strategies and the brand core values.

American Apparel

S- Brand fair play- Leading sustainable business model- Manufacture leading-edge- Socially responsible- Quality merchandise- Focus on sustainable fashion and production - Sweatshop free- Trendsetter brand- Cult status with large consumer group

T - Dov Charney poor judgement- Financial issues - Alienated costumers - Rising cotton prices- Failing sales

O- Social good- Communication with publics- Product development to a better appeal to its customers- Reposition current reputation on social media channels - The advantage of online shopping- Reassuring financial stability

W- CEO Dov Charney and his mis-management- Stock stability- Hiring policies- Undesirable Public image- Financial reports - Overexpansion

American Apparel

Bran

d

Imag

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T- Sexual harassment and lawsuits- Dov Charney behaviour and mis-management - Other retail brand’s with stronger image/identity - Financhial problems

W- Slowly becoming an ironic representation of exploitation- Provocative advertising techniques – porn related- Unorthodox business practices- Mixed message to consumers, serious risk to the integrity of the company

O- Re-brand AA core mission to the public- Move to a classier aesthetic advertising strategy - Change policies to create new consumer groups

S- Sweatshop free- Made in USA- Domestic fair labour practices - Fair treatment to garment workers- Young, freethinking and honest

American Apparel

Brand Objectives

- Make cooperated changes in management to reposition current beliefs about American Apparel, to be taken serious and seen as a responsible brand by new investors and con-sumer groups. - Change current communication strategies to restore American Apparel reputation and become a desirable brand again.

- Reassuring financial stability, with less external advertising, reduce cannibalization and opening of new stores to fit market conditions.

- Priorities American Apparel’s values inside their innovative business model and develop a strong persona as a leading sustainable company with focus on environmental manu-facturing production.

American Apparel

Campaign Messages- Restore American Apparel’s reputation as responsible, yet a youthful, freethinking and colourful brand with changes in management and store-to-store relationships.

- Cut external advertising to gain a less exposed brand profile and focus on social media chan-nels to drive current and new consumers to the online store.

- Increase positive press coverage and create awareness around American Apparel innovative environmental policies as a sustainable company.

American Apparel

Workplace Ethics

Campaign Messages:

- Make cooperated changes in management to reposition current beliefs about American Ap-parel. To be taken serious and seen as a respon-sible brand by new investors and costumers.

- Reassuring financial stability, with less adver-tising, reduce cannibalization and opening of new stores to fit market conditions.

- Restore American Apparel reputation as a re-sponsible, yet youthful, freethinking and honest brand with new management and store-to-store relationship to improve retail service experienc-es.

It is time for American Apparel to create a strong retail environment and become a responsible company that is aware and connected with the current market conditions. A new management with strong experience in retail stores will be introduced to operate American Apparel in March 2013.

American Apparel founder Dov Charney will step down as CEO and take a non-management creative director role, both to change the brand perceptions from new investors and to secure the financial situation. The new management will cut extrenal advertising, reduce cannibaliza-tion and stop opening of new stores .

American Apparel must be taken as a responsi-ble and aware brand to gain interest from new investors.

American Apparel

With the change in management a Workplace Ethic Communication Campaign will be intro-duced to secure employee’s happiness and restore their beliefs in the corporation by creat-ing safe working environment in retail store, to avoid future harassment lawsuit and bad press.

Workplace Ethic Campaign will start in March 2012 with sensitivity training seminars, case studies on policy shifts and informative videos on website. Workshops will take place in May to share employees experience and feelings about the new policy.

American Apparel current costumer service po-lices in store have been lacking to attract new consumer and give them a retail experience they want to share to others.

A friendlier greeting policy will be introduced and employees will be encouraged to create a young and freethinking environment inside their stores. Monthly communication with manager and corporation will be demanded.

Store activities and events will be held to cre-ate awareness of the new polices. With key tra-diional and new media present. Employees and stores will be tested with secret shoppers and evaluations from management and costumers.

American Apparel will gain a new reputation for its new management and by improving cos-tumer service inside stores, a larger consumer group will be attracted and get to know Ameri-can Apparel true identity, as a fun, honest and freethinking brand.

The campaign will promote American Apparel social responsibility and provide key media with press release introducing new management and new policy inside corporation. American Appar-el employees will gain better working conditions and greater corporate transparency.

The workplace ethic campaign will go over a pe-riod of 12 months, but will also continue into the future to keep employees updated and informed about the brand employee and costumer poli-cies.

Campaign Messages:

- Change current communication strategies to restore American Apparel’s reputation and be-come a desirable brand again.

- Cut external advertising to gain a less exposed brand profile and focus on social media chan-nels to drive current and new consumers to on-line store.

American Apparel’s current communication strategies and the company’s values has developed a wide cape the last few years and lost its meaning. Looking at their current Facebook/Twitter account and advertising there is little that links the company together. Giving consumers and new investors a mixed message of what American Apparel really stands for.

American Apparel communication strategies needs to emphasize the company’s innovative business model, their leverage in art, design and technology and it’s strongly feel about impor-tant political issues.

NewCommunicationStrategy

American Apparel

By building up a strong social media persona, using channels as Facebook Timeline, Twitter, Vimeo and American Apparel own community website, American Apparel can restore their current reputation and enlighten the brand core values and innovative business model.

To improve this a social media team will be put together to give weekly updates and news on all social media channels and become American Apparel’s main source of communication for the first six months during the 12-month period.

Facebook Timeline will be launched in mid-March 2012 and include American Apparel high-lights through out their history and up till today. The Facebook page will be fully operated by the social media team and won’t allow followers to post on wall.

All post will be distributed by American Ap-parel and only allow interaction from followers in comment boxes. The page will then have a clean look and represent American Apparel as a responsible, but current brand.

Social media will become a big part of the brand future campaigns and drive consumers to American Apparel online store with visual as teasers of new products, behind-the-scene im-agery from new campaigns and videos that will re-educate consumers about the brand.

The Internet will provide the brand with an un-limited wealth of opportunities, reaching a wider audience in a cost effective and efficient way. This will be American Apparel main source of communication and interaction between the brand and its target consumer for the first six month of the campaign.

Promoting through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will be a relatively cost free form of communication and an effec-tive form of media to target American Apparel demographic audience of 20-35 years.

Visual Identity

Campaign Messages:

- Increase positive press coverage and create awareness around American Apparel’s inno-vative environmental polices as a sustainable company.

- Priorities American Apparel’s values inside their innovative business model and develop a strong persona as a leading sustainable com-pany with focus on environmental manufactur-ing production.

- Change American Apparel current visual iden-tity and bring it back to its origin values as a fun, freethinking and honest brand.

American Apparel cult status has been a vital part of the brand’s survival and continued suc-cess, both at home and abroad that realizing its target demographic. Over the past decade, the company has slowly moved from being pure novelty to a highly respected fashion and social emblem by it costumers.

This transformation takes place only in an age where heightened political interest amongst younger people is especially prominent. Con-sumers that buy American Apparel are able to identify themselves in the message the brand stands for.

American Apparel needs to take advantage of this and reposition their reputation and brand identity to their actually beliefs and not use their out-dated shock-tactics, that only gain them bad press and don’t fit to their long achieving goal as a sustainable vertical integrated company.

Higher product price has been crucial to keep the domestic manufacturing safe and beneficial conditions for workers. Los Angeles Mayor An-tonio Villariaigost has praised American Apparel for not outsourcing their company and keeping their producing in downtown Los Angels.

From March 2012 American Apparel will cut advertising with 70% and carefully place ad-verts in media that target the brand demograph-ic audience. Social media channels will be the main source of communication for the first six months.

American Apparel is currently overexposed and need to reposition their brand image by taking a silent profile for six month to let peoples perceptions about American Apparel change and be ready for the new visual campaign.

American Apparel will collaborate with high pro-filed bloggers in the U.S. to re-launch their “Sus-tainable Edition” label that feature 100% organic cotton. The label stands form American Apparel core values and empathise the band hard work for a sustainable manufacturing company.

This advertising campaign will be the start of American Apparel new visual identity. Profes-sional photographer and stylist will be used to create a fun and freethinking imagery with focus on the products and the bloggers personality.

The photo shoot will be taken place in June on location in Los Angels and inside American Ap-parel manufactory in Downtown Los Angeles.

Campaign material as behind the scene and a tour inside the manufactory with the blogger will be published on social media channels in July.

The campaign will be launch in traditional and new media in August and costumer events will be held in key store location in Williamsburg, Florida, Philadelphia and Los Angels.

Where guest are encourage to show up in out-fits that highlight their take on American Ap-parel to enter a competition to win a visit to the manufactory in Los Angels hosted by the blog-ger. The winner will be chosen in September and invited to the manufactory in Los Angels in November; the social media team will cover it on all channels.

The blogger will also collaborate with American Apparel for the Spring 2013 campaign.

American Apparel

Moodboard New Visual Identity

Calendar

March 2012- Introduce new management- Start Workplace Ethics Campaign- Contain a low exposure profile, cut external ads with 70% - Launch Facebook Timeline – with high lights of companys business- Introduce new management for key traditional and new media

April - Build up a strong social media profile with often updates and teasers of new products and news within American Apparel- Workshop and seminars with employees

May - Launch new employee polices – with secret shopper in stores- Evaluate process

June- Start collaboration with blogger- Shoot new advert with professional photographer

July- Behind the scene shoot on facebook/Twitter/Website- Teaser video with blogger

August - Launch “Sustainable Edition” campiagn photo - Create instore events in key areas, cover everything on facebook/twitter- Invite key press and bloggers/celeb- Have blogger on key talkshows in America: Ellen, The Late Show etc.- Release ads in key media

American Apparel

September- Employee evaluation - Evaluate success of campaign

November- In depth coverage of AA sustainable beliefs on social media channels- Tour with blogger in Los Angeles manufactury - Spring ad shoot for follow up campaign

December- Social media campaign for Christmas shopping

January 2013- behind the scene of new campaign- social media campaign- celebrate the new year with an event

Februarry- Release spring add in key traditional and new media- Evaluation of full campaign - Continue new employee policies in future campaigns

Social Media Channels

Teasers and behind-the-scene imageryNew product in store/online shopProduct of the weekCelebs in American ApparelManufactury worker profileCharity project

BudgetWorkplace Ethics

- 20,000 to seminars and trainers- 10,000 developement of video and material- 5,000 to workshops- 2,000 to media kit

New Communication Strategy

- 30,000 to social media team- 10,000 to development of material to social channels

Visual Identity

- 40,000 to professional photographer- 20,000 to launch event- 60,000 to advert placement in key media- 5,000 to distrinbute competition- 2,000 to coverage from social media

Total Cost of Campaign:

- £ 195,000

American Apparel

To measure this communication campaign we can look at the average amount of visi-tor’s and followers on the different social media channels, as they are the main source of communication. Interaction and follower’s comment can show if they like the regular update from the brand and give an idea of what consumer wants.

Programs as Google Alert can easily show how much press coverage the new commu-nication campaign has gained and how much the public talks about the campaign.

Criteria for Success and Measurement Tools

Result from online sales during the campaign can also measure how effective the campaign has been.

To see if the campaign has reached its main objectives, can be measured in press cover-age and overall sale result.

The Workplace Ethic campaign can be meas-ured with focus groups and questionaire with consumers. Analysis of press coverage, what reactions comes from the media? Is the brand still a target for bad press?

American Apparel

Renate Lyse Laastad BA Fashion Public Relation Year 2

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