Social Media Strategy for Vastrm Skillshare Class: Create a Great Social Media Strategy Instructor: Julian Cole, Digital Strategy Director at BBH NY By Dennis Demori @DennisDemori
Oct 28, 2014
Social Media Strategy for Vastrm
SkillshareClass: Create a Great Social Media StrategyInstructor: Julian Cole, Digital Strategy Director at BBH NY
By Dennis Demori
@DennisDemori
The Background
Business Problem:Consumers are unaware that Vastrm exists
Goal: Drive 100K people to Vastrm.com to learn more about their custom polo shirts
Budget:$20,000
Deadline: June 2013
Strategy: ?
Solution: ?
brief
HOW can we drive 100K people to the Vastrm site
to learn more about their custom polo shirts?
Consumer
Brand Competitor
Who is interested in custom clothes?
How do they think about the polo and custom clothes categories?
What time of year does interest spike?
Where do they live? What is their socio-economic level?
How are people finding info on custom clothes?
What is Vastrm’s current brand positioning?
How has Vastrm created interest with consumers?
What do people like about Vastrm polo shirts?
How are they ranked online?
How do other brands create awareness?
What do people like about the competition?
Questions We’ll Answer
Consumer Insights
Consumer
Brand Competitor• Primary age demo of 25-34, however, females dominate search
• Upwardly mobile, young professional males in urban areas
• Lack of awareness that polo shirts can be custom or fitted
• Searches peak in warmer months
• 22% of Vastrm searches tend to be on mobile devices
• “Custom shirts” is the most popular search term
• Roughly 1/3 of shoppers will research online before purchasing, primarily on desktop/laptop
Sources: Google Ad Planner, FB Page Analytics, Google Trends, Google Keyword Tool, Consumer BarometerVisit Appendix section for more details
Brand Insights
Consumer
Brand Competitor
• Vastrm is like “The Warby Parker” of shirts, offering a home try-on program as a key differentiator to enhance the shopping experience
• Vastrm has received positive publicity from Earned Media, however, there is still untapped potential for Paid and Owned media, especially social media sites with a heavy fashion + style presence
• Current communication messaging focuses on customization option, which makes sense since proper fit is a major desire for consumers
Sources: MixRank, Twitter Advanced Search, HackerNewsVisit Appendix section for more details
Competitor Insights
Consumer
Brand Competitor
• Similar brands to Vastrm include Indochino, Black Lapel, iTailor, Modern Tailor and Proper Cloth, however, their focus is primarily on dress shirts and suits --- NOT custom polo shirts
• Indochino has a dominating online presence for men’s custom clothes
• Indochino may attribute some success to its heavy social media presence and focus on a premium product with a custom fit
• Black Lapel seems to have a lot of traction through it’s online presence and position as a lifestyle brand for men’s clothing
Sources: MixRank, Facebook Page Analysis, Compete, Google Search, Twitter SearchVisit Appendix section for more details
consumer summary
MotivationsAspirational desire
to look and feel good
Attitudes/BehaviorsThey’ll spend more for
quality. They’re role models to their peers.
Target
“Conscious Strivers” Constantly looking at areas where they can
improve
consumer insight
Conscious Strivers already buy custom, fitted clothes. They just don’t
realize that they can get custom polo shirts that fit
great.
strategic insight
They’ll buy custom polo shirts too if they know Vastrm provides a great option.
Conscious Strivers already buy custom, fitted clothes. They just don’t
realize that they can get custom polo shirts that fit
great.
Make Vastrm synonymous with a GREAT fit
single minded proposition
Vastrm’s home try-on program lets users find the perfect fit
reasons to believe
No hassles
No measuring
No purchase necessary
big idea
Vastrm asks, "Does it fit?”
Show funny everyday situations where fit’s important
Peanut butter and _____________? Some things just don’t go together. What’s a better fit?
?
Do these things fit? We didn’t think so, but you know what always does? A Vastrm custom polo…fb.me/2qix8jxm
Vastrm is all about great fit. What are two things that don’t go together? Striped shirts and striped ties? fb.me/2qix5cxm
How can you spot a bad fit?
There are certain things in life that are an obvious mismatch (screen doors on submarines, anyone?). Sometimes we see things that subconsciously don’t go together, but we have trouble articulating why.
Take a look at the example in the first photo. Besides the fact that the tie is too short, we have a wide striped shirt paired with a wide striped
Vastrm Communications Framework
CR
EATI
VE
Desired Response
Buy Vastrm polo shirts
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Vastrm Blog Gmail WSJ Coworkers Svpply NY Times Google Search YouTube Men’s Fashion Blogs
Awareness
Why proper fit matters
Researching
Vastrm is the best option of a great fitting polo shirt
Buying Moment
Vastrm’s home try-on program means you’ll get exactly what you
want
• Blogger outreach• Facebook
Advertising• Microsite• Paid search• Social bookmarking• Twitter ads• Web banners
• Blogger outreach
• Community Mgmnt
• Earned Media• Email lists• Microsite
• Community Mgmnt
• Email lists• Owned media• Remarketing
MED
IA
Current Consumer BehaviorUpwardly Mobile Males 25-34
Vastrm Digital Ecosystem
Vastrm site
Pages
AdsSearch
Blogger outreach
Email lists
Banners
Earned media
Community Management
Awareness
Researching
Buying Moment
Owned media
Remarketing
key performance indicators
Retention70% positive sentiment
3K Facebook Likes3K Twitter Fans
5 comments per blog post
Purchase75 people purchase through home try-on
programPreference
15% increase in purchase preference
Consideration10,166 visitors to the Vastrm site by June 2013
Awareness12,707,500 Impressions to the Target Market (Facebook,
Twitter)2 articles by popular men’s fashion blogs
Features in GQ, Details and Esquire
budget
Facebook Ads $5,000
Twitter Ads $600
Microsite $8,000
Blogger Outreach
$400
Search $2,000
Banners $2,000
Community Mgr $2,000
Total $20,000
Questions?
appendix
consumer
Who is interested in custom clothes?
Source: Google Ad Planner. Filter: “Men’s Clothing” and “Suits and Business Attire”
Google Ad Planner indicates a primary age demo of 25-34 (secondary demo is 18-24), however,
the gender skew tends to be female, perhaps indicating that they are shopping for men
consumer
Vastrm Facebook fans tend to be 25-34 years old (validating Google Ad Planner),
similar to other custom men’s clothing retailers like Black Lapel, Indochino, iTailor, Modern Tailor and Proper Cloth
Who is interested in custom clothes?
Source: Facebook Page Analytics
consumer
1. People look for “custom shirts” and “polo shirts,” but seldom “custom polo shirts” or “fitted polo shirts,” indicating a lack of awareness that this product is available
2. Seasonality: Searches peak in warmer months (August for “polo shirts” and Sept. for “custom shirts”, indicating an opportunity for a combined product
How do they think about the polo shirt and custom clothes categories?
Source: Google TrendsFilter: Limit to U.S., past 36 months (Jan.’10-Jan.’13)
AugustAugus
tAugus
t
SeptSept
Sept
consumer
People searching for “custom shirts” and “polo shirts” tend to live in similar metro areas
(NY, FL, TX and Southern CA), suggesting an upwardly mobile, young professional
Source: Google TrendsFilter: Limit to U.S., past 36 months (Jan.’10-Jan.’13)
Where do they live? What is their socio-economic level?
consumer
22% of Vastrm searches tend to be on mobile devices, while Black Lapel leads the competitor set with 24% of mobile
searches
Source: Google Keyword ToolFilters: Category – Custom Clothing; Locations – United States* Mobile/(Desktop and Laptop) = % Mobile
How are people finding info on custom clothes?
Brand Mobile Desktop and Laptop % Mobile*
Vastrm 58 260 22
Black Lapel 1,300 5,400 24
Indochino 5,400 33,100 16
iTailor 480 5,400 8
Modern Tailor 590 4,400 13
Proper Cloth 320 2,400 13
Local Monthly Searches
consumer
“Custom shirts” is the most popular search term for these brands
How are people finding info on custom clothes?
Source: Google Keyword ToolFilters: Category – Custom Clothing; Locations – United States* Mobile/(Desktop and Laptop) = % Mobile
consumer
• 32% of purchasers did research online before purchasing
• 15% of users used a search engine to do research before purchasing
• 16% research on a desktop/laptop before purchase; 5% on mobile; 0.6% on tablet
Source: Consumer BarometerFilters: Products – Clothing & Accessories; Countries – USA; Age – Below 40
How are people finding info on custom clothes?
brand What is Vastrm’s current positioning?
“The
for shirts”
Jonathan Tang, Vastrm Founder
Ycombinator Demo Day
Vastrm’s home try-on program lets people:
• Touch/feel the product• Replicate the in-store experience• Ensure proper fit
brand What is Vastrm’s current positioning?
brand How has Vastrm created interest with consumers?
5 text ads since Aug. 16th, 2011
owned media
earned media
paid media
Active: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Style Forum, Vastrm blog Missing: Lyst, Tumblr and Svpply (popular fashion sites)
Promotions: Gift cards, seasonal sales (Ex: Winter Holiday), store credit, promoting specific items (Ex: black polos)
Positive publicity from NYTimes, TechCrunch, Forbes, Inc., AngelList, KevinRose.com,
Source: MixRankFilter: Vastrm.com
brand How has Vastrm created interest with consumers?
Source: MixRankFilter: Vastrm.com
Current communication messaging: custom design, personalization, unique, work or play, gift ideas, simplicity
brand How has Vastrm created interest with consumers?
Top ad traffic sources based on number of monthly unique visitors are allcustomwear.com, cosmosmith.com and iznadgold.com
Source: MixRankFilter: Vastrm.com
brand What do people like about Vastrm polo shirts?
Sources: Twitter Advanced Search; Hacker News
Proper fit is a recurring theme on social media
Sources: Facebook Page Analytics, Compete.com
competitor
How are they ranked online?
Likes Unique Visitors/m
o
Year founded
Black Lapel 19,952 3,290 2011
Indochino 70,964 11,134 2006
iTailor 8,200 10,580 1971
Modern Tailor 3,438 9,453 2007
Proper Cloth 2,733 1,507 2008
Indochino has the most Facebook ‘likes’ and the most Unique Visitors. Black Lapel has the 2nd most ‘likes’ and is 2nd to last in
traffic, but has scaled faster than competitors.
Mainly focuses on Banner Ads
owned media
earned media
paid media
Highly active presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.
Positive buzz on Lifehacker, Forbes, etc.
Sources: MixRank, Google SearchFilter: Indochino.com
competitor
Brand Snapshot: Indochino
Current communication messaging: dress pants, custom, made to measure, premium, modern fit, free shipping
Top ad traffic sources based on number of monthly unique visitors are artofmanliness.com, greenweddingshoes.com and
stylecrave.com
Overall, consumer sentiment is very positive
Source: Facebook Page Analysis, Twitter
competitor
Brand Snapshot: Indochino
MixRank data not available. Can be difficult to search because it has a similar name to competitor “Blank Label” and Johnnie Walker Black Label whiskey.
owned media
earned media
paid media
Highly active Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Tumblr
Positive buzz on AskAndyAboutClothes.com, Lifehacker and other fashion + style blogs
Source: Facebook Page, Twitter Advanced SearchFilter: BlackLapel.com
competitor
Brand Snapshot: Black Lapel
Current communication messaging: focuses on positioning itself as a lifestyle brand instead of on specific product benefits
Source: Twitter Search, Facebook Page AnalysisFilter: BlackLapel.com
competitor
Brand Snapshot: Black Lapel
Black Lapel is a lifestyle brand heavily engaged with its audience