Company Weekly Edit App Layout

When the Company Weekly Edit app first launched, their interface looked like this. Oddly, none of the fonts or layouts are similar to anything used in the magazine; this may be done purposely so consumers can see it is a completely different thing to the print publication. The text is ultimately unappealing and personally turns me off wanting to read the content let alone download the app. The colours are very bright and garish, whereas the print publication focuses on pastels and soft tones. The layout looks badly and quickly put together and generally un- aesthetically pleasing. If I was to take any sort of layout direction from this in terms of my own app, I would consider using the bright colours only and take more inspiration from the print publication as I think that sums up Company more than this; consumers can easily link the Company brand to their unique layout, fonts, colours and style. 

Recently, Company updated their Weekly Edit app layout and personally I think it looks so much better! The pastel colours are more in keeping with the magazine tying in all their extensions of the brand together. This layout, fonts and style is the same as their bi-annual magazine, High Street Edit, so everything does link together nicely. This makes it a lot easier when designing the visuals of my own app as they will be in keeping with this style linking everything together. The fonts work well- a mixture of girly and bold, whilst always being legible. In addition, I think the little doodles e.g. the hearts and 'cute dress' speech bubble would be a nice touch on the app. Little quotations like 'cute dress' may also help to boost consumers self esteem as they will be getting compliments on their outfits. 

App Review- Wink n Pout

ABOUT:
'Wink n Pout is your personal stylist app, which helps you figure what flatters your body the best & styles you for any occasion.We surprise you everyday with one personalized fashion product and an outfit idea, apt for your body type & your fashion preference. You can make tons of looks around these products we hand pick for you, everyday.
You can SHOP everything you see on the app.
Add products to WANT LIST to buy them later or share it, to make sure you love what people surprise you with later ;)
EXPLORE HOW AND WHAT TO WEAR to any occasion casual / evening, we have a style solution tailored for you exclusively. 
In all Wink n Pout aims in making shopping and dressing, a hassle free experience. We, at Wink n Pout believe that every woman deserves to look good in her OWN BODY and hence become more confident and have a positive body image' - iTunes synopsis of app

REVIEW:
The app is really simple to use, upon opening it asks for some basic information e.g. age, picture, body shape, then gives options for users to select from e.g. two different types of dresses to gauge what style the consumer prefers. From here the app then asks the user to chose an event they need an outfit for from a list of several including 'gym' 'concert' 'romantic date'. Then the user has to select a top or dress from the database and the app will generate outfit suggestions. There are limited tops and dresses on the database and rarely did I find one to my personal taste, but there are lots of options. In addition, it is good that if you don't like the outfit option suggested you can ask for a new one and it will keep producing them. It's a good little app for generating outfit inspiration, however if you don't own the items in the database or anything similar then it's not helpful. Although, saying that, the purpose of the app is to help with shopping purchases, so in this sense it is good that it can show you  a range of outfit options with one key component e.g. a leopard print top. Moreover, it offers style advice on the home page advising what clothing pieces to go for in regards to your body shape.

App Review- Style Book

ABOUT

'Stylebook is designed to help you carefully curate your wardrobe so you can look effortlessly chic everyday. We want you to get the most out of what you already have in your closet and to choose new pieces that will integrate well into your wardrobe as a whole.

A little organization can go a long way when it comes to getting dressed. Mixing and matching what you own, comparing new purchases to what have in your closet, planning the outfits you'll wear on vacation, and saving all your favorite style inspirations in one place will all help you develop your personal style. This was the basic idea behind the original version of Stylebook, which has now evolved to include over 90 features.'

REVIEW

Stylebook is the 'ultimate' personal styling app. It's very sleek in it's presentation and very easy to use. I like how all the feature options are permanently down the side of the app thus are easily accessible. When uploading images to the 'closet', the app requires the item to be edited to remove all the background so it's then easier to layer up outfits. This is a nifty feature to help create the outfit look sleeker and more like Polyvore boards. Creating outfits was really simple, however like the other apps the user has to create all their own outfits. Nevertheless, you can add outfits to the calendar and plan out an entire months worth of outfits. In addition, there is also a suitcase feature to help with packing for trips. This app is the best one both aesthetically, ease-to-use and in terms of styling. It also has many of the features that I want to put in the 'Stylist Edit' app. 

App Review- Closet +

ABOUT
'Access your closet on the go! Plan ahead and create outfits for events and day to day life. Use the calendar to keep track of WHAT you wore WHEN and WHERE. Prepare a packing list for your next trip from anywhere! Share your outfit with friends before heading out to prevent "double vision" ;) 

Closet+ is a beautiful, feature-packed style assistant with unmatched functionality.' - iTunes description of the app

REVIEW
I found this app really difficult to use, although it's very sleek and stylish aesthetically, it's not clear how to use it thus it was confusing and frustrating to grasp. The only way I could generate an outfit was through the manual option rather than the standard way, as that wasn't obvious how to use at all (see image 5). Once I had created an outfit, it didn't show it properly, but merely on a revolving picture square so it is hard to see what the outfit looks like. All in all I didn't like how this app worked and couldn't figure out how to use it properly. I did however, like the feature whereby you can add a date and place to outfits so you can see how often you wore it, when the last time you wore it was and where you wore it. 

App Review- Stylish Girl

ABOUT:

'Stylish Girl is your ultimate style planner and shopping app - revolving around the clothes in your closet and the clothes you love to have. Fashion is all about how you put your clothes together, so mix and match your clothes with the Stylish Girl's FUN & EASY interface and step up your style.

- CATALOG your Closet and Wish Items

- CREATE AMAZING OUTFITS anytime and anywhere;

- SHARE YOUR OUTFITS AND CLOTHES with your friends via email, Facebook or Twitter

- SHOP ONLINE. Browse Shopstyle.com, mix and match the online items against your clothes and outfits;

- GET INSPIRED with the latest fashion looks, celebrities’ fashion styles and news from selected fashion blogs and magazines.

- PACK FOR YOUR TRAVEL QUICKLY without forgetting anything behind'- iTunes description of app

REVIEW

This app's userface is very cluttered and personally I find it un-aesthetically pleasing. Ironically, it doesn't feel very 'stylish'. Nonetheless, the app is really simple to use. Uploading clothes is simple and asking each consumer to tag clothes under specific headings is a clever way of organising everything. It's also very easy to view everything within the closet visually opposed to seeing it under headings. Creating outfits is also a very easy task by selecting items and placing them together on a background. This app doesn't have any sort of editing feature so the images taken of clothing are the ones used so it's difficult to layer items on top of each other.

This app also has some really great features in the form of being able to make a visual list of what to put in one's suitcase when travelling. The shopping feature is ideal for British consumers as all the clothing is American and also very expensive. If this app was given a lot of time then it is definitely a really good way of creating an online closet. Stylish Girl doesn't actually create outfits for the user, instead the user generates their own outfits from their online closet.

Week 6

This week in class we were given details of what needs to be in our dissertations and what needs to be in our introductions given that our first introduction draft is in for Thursday. This week I am focusing on writing the introduction out and beginning the planning of the rest of my report. Although it was overwhelming all the information we were given in regards to our writing piece, it seems fairly easy to produce as it's simply writing about our own project hence I will know the information inside and out.

I have also booked Dave and the studio for my photoshoot and organised what I need and how the shoot will look. This is taking place 7th March as this was his earliest availability. Ideally I would of liked to carry out the shoot sooner, but I'm not in too much hurry for these visuals yet.

This week I also plan to play around a lot more with the personal styling apps I've found and look into the Company Weekly Edit app in more depth.

After finishing creating my customer profiles, I feel a lot more comfortable understanding the consumers of my app plus I know what areas of promotion work best for which customer, which will not only help creating the promotion but also the writing of the dissertation.

Competitors- Apps

Company don't really have any competitors in terms of their Weekly Edit app. They are the first monthly magazine to create a weekly magazine app to keep their consumers interested and to keep constantly connected to them. They don't have an app anything like the 'Stylist Edit' that I'm creating so in those terms there are no competitors. The concept of a personal styling app, however, does have some direct threats.
Competitors

• Stylebook- This app is my main competitor. It's concept is incredibly similar to my own, with only some of the features being different. Saying this however, it is an american app so is more popular in the USA than in England so far.
• Closet- This app allows users to upload images of their clothes to the app and serves as a digital wardrobe letting consumers know how often they have worn certain items of clothing. This is app is a competitor in terms of uploading outfits and having an online wardrobe, but not in the sense of personal styling.
• Wink n Pout- This app suggests clothing suggestions based on users figures and offers style advice. It doesn't require uploading own wardrobes to the app, instead just picks out products from a database. 
• Feather Report- This app is completely different from mine as it suggests outfits based on the current climate and weather report. Nevertheless, the concept of suggesting relevant outfits is similar and may be helpful leading some consumers to download this app over the Stylist Edit.

Competitors- Magazine

In terms of the magazine, Company is rather unique with their content, style and approach to their publication. They focus on a variety of features including fashion, beauty, music, celebrity, books and articles. They don't have any direct competitors, however there are other magazines that consumers can be drawn to over Company.
Competitors

• Elle- Published by the same house, Hearst, they feature the same content but for a totally different age range. Plus they focus on designer and expensive clothing with massive editorial shoots, whereas Company concentrates on street style and the high street.
• Glamour- Another glossy monthly with a similar price tag, however Glamour focuses more on celebrity, real life articles and men. It could be classed as a direct competitor for the same age but different audiences e.g. doctors/lawyers- those who aren't completely fashion focused.
• Look- a fashion weekly that focuses on celebrity gossip, fashion and beauty. This is definitely a direct competitor with content, as over the last few months Look has been featuring more and more street style and blogger content. As it's weekly, it also has a loyal fan base as consumers can access it more regularly. 
• Grazia- Another weekly concentrating on fashion, celebrity, real life and beauty. Grazia is more similar to Elle in terms of content and target audience. However, they do feature a lot of high street and would be a competitor for the older end of the demographic e.g. 25+

The following perceptual map outlines where Company sits in regards to cost and fashion content among all over popular women's magazines.

This map is only a quick mock up- a final one will be produced.

Appropriate Promotion For Each Consumer

CORE CUSTOMER

• Social Media Marketing
• Celebrity Endorsement (Bloggers/Vloggers)
• Mail Outs
• Magazine Advert/Editorial
• New Look Sponsorship
• Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model Sponsorship
• Banner Ads
• Website Content
• Word of Mouth
• Indoor Promotion e.g. At Graduate Fashion Week/ Company Blogger Awards

SECONDARY/ASPIRATIONAL CUSTOMER

• Social Media Marketing
• Celebrity Endorsements (Bloggers/Vloggers)
• Magazine Advert/Editorial
• New Look Sponsorship
• Banner Ads
• Word of Mouth

TERTIARY CUSTOMER

• Social Media Marketing
• Magazine Advert/Editorial
• Banner Ads
• Word of Mouth
• Searching the App Store

Creative- Photoshoot Idea

Although I'm still concentrating on researching at the moment, I do want to start creating visual content for the app, so I can move on to the promotion. As the app works on images of users own clothes my initial photoshoot concept is simple. On a white background I want to take images of a range of clothes and outfit suggestions so I have content for the app visuals. I also want to take images of a hand holding an iPad or iPhone so I have my own images to implement app screenshots into.
For example:

                     

Tertiary Customer Profile

• AGE- 27
• GENDER- Female
• ADDRESS- Newcastle
• MARITAL STATUS- Engaged
• DRIVE- Nissan Micra
• JOB- Nurse
• EDUCATION- Graduated
• SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook
• MAGAZINES- Company, Look, Cosmopolitan, Glamour
• SIBLINGS- Two brothers, one sister
• MAKE UP- Clinique, MAC, Clarins
• PERFUME- Dior, YSL
• CLOTHES SHOPPING- Topshop, River Island, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins
• HOBBIES-Cinema, eating out, partying with friends, reading, going the gym
• MUSIC- Indie music, rock
• TECHNOLOGY- iPhone
• TELEVISION-  Comedy shows
• FOOD- Takeaways, sandwiches, quick foods. Shops at Sainsburys/Asda/corner shop
• HOLIDAYS- City breaks, likes the culture, Europe

DAY IN THE LIFE

Being a nurse means she works all hours so doesn't have a particular routine. She drives to work every day, often working very long shifts. She is tired quite a lot, so shopping and planning outfits is in the back of her mind. She enjoys reading fashion magazines, but it's not her main focus when buying magazines. She aspires to look nice but rarely has the time to go through her wardrobe and try potential outfits on. She enjoys frequently taking city breaks so having an outfit suggester would save time and keep her self esteem boosted. She often shops online buying quite a lot of things at once, for example basics, never really has the time to sift through the trends therefore the feature that suggests clothing to go with her existing wardrobe is perfect for her. 

Secondary Customer Profile (Aspirational Customer)

• AGE- 15
• GENDER- Female
• ADDRESS- Chester
• MARITAL STATUS- Single
• DRIVE- No
• JOB- No
• EDUCATION- High school about to begin work for GCSE's
• SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr (follows lots of fashion blogs on Blogger and Tumblr)
• MAGAZINES- Company, Look, Vogue, Grazia, Now, Heat
• SIBLINGS- One sister
• MAKE UP- Rimmel, Barry M, Collection Cosmetics, Bourjois
• PERFUME- Vera Wang, celebrity perfumes e.g. One Direction/Katy Perry
• CLOTHES SHOPPING- Primark, Missguided, New Look, some Topshop and River Island
• HOBBIES-Shopping, cinema, eating out, reading magazines, playing sports, 
• MUSIC- Chart music, One Direction, Beyonce, wants to start going to festivals and gigs
• TECHNOLOGY- iPhone, laptop, family iPad
• TELEVISION- Reality tv, TOWIE, Made In Chelsea, Vampire Diaries, Hollyoaks. Watches vloggers on Youtube.
• FOOD- Pasta, Nandos, Chinese takeaway, McDonalds, chocolate. Home cooked meals
• HOLIDAYS- Family holidays all across the world, but regularly goes Portugal 

DAY IN THE LIFE

Wakes up, breakfast prepared by mother (toast or cereal), gets ready for school using predominately Rimmel make up. Then driven to school by mother in BMW. At school, she studies creative subjects. Following school, she plays sports extra curriculum- netball and dance. In her spare time she reads fashion magazines and fashion blogs aspiring to be able to wear and buy the clothes featured within them. She is an aspirational customer in the sense that she wants to use the app to be part of the Company brand, and also help her feel like her current wardrobe is fashionable given that she doesn't have a disposable income to spend a lot on clothes. She often watches reality tv and watches vloggers on Youtube. 

Feedback- Styling Student & Blogger

I decided to ask some bloggers and 'Company girls' what they think on the app and gather some feedback from them. I asked blogger and styling student Helena Lester-Card from 'Bell's Fashion' what she thought of the concept, given that she is definitely a 'Company girl' due to her fashion individuality, interest in up and coming music, and is active on all social media platforms. She is also studying styling, so she could also provide a view on the app from a stylist lookout.

Her response:

'I've had a look at your uni blog and think your idea for the app is really strong. The whole concept for reworking pieces you already have is something I'm particularly keen on as I hate the thought of people over buying mass produced items and only wearing them once or twice (why I love vintage and independent brands so much). Girls are always asking friends/family/boyfs for styling advice so being able to have the advice available on an app on your phone is ideal and the fact you would be building self-esteem whilst giving advice is amazing!!

Company seems like the perfect magazine to pair with as they have the best friend kinda vibes when you read it and the app sounds similar to that!'

I think the image of Company acting like a best friend giving fashion advice is really strong and something that is definitely true of the magazine's ethos and something to consider a lot when creating the app and promotion.

Week 5

Although I had spent a lot of time last week gathering information about my target customer, this week I have been refining that information and organising my research to form three customer profiles. The first one is the core consumer, the one who the app is aimed at and will be the majority user of it. This customer is the one that I've gathered the most information for so far. The secondary consumer is an aspirational one; a user who isn't within the target market but will aspire to use the product and it's functions. Finally, a tertiary consumer, these will also be an aspirational consumer, but within the target market area. For example, nurses or laywers who aren't necessarily fashion-focused but still want to look stylish.

In addition, I have also downloaded the main competitor app, called Stylebook. It has features very similar to my idea, so I want to test it out and evaluate the pros and cons of the concept.

Core Customer Profile

• AGE- 21
• GENDER- Female
• ADDRESS- Manchester
• MARITAL STATUS- Boyfriend
• DRIVE- Vauxhall Corsa
• JOB- Sales Assistant at Topshop
• EDUCATION- University studying Fashion
• SOCIAL MEDIA- Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr, has own fashion blog
• MAGAZINES- Company, Look, Elle
• SIBLINGS- One brother
• MAKE UP- MAC, Rimmel, Barry M
• PERFUME- Marc Jacobs
• CLOTHES SHOPPING- Topshop, River Island, Primark, Missguided, Vintage
• HOBBIES-Shopping, cinema, eating out, partying with friends
• MUSIC- Chart music, Arctic Monkeys, Beyonce, Vaccines, Rudimental, Disclosure, enjoys going to festivals
• TECHNOLOGY- iPad, iPhone, Apple Mac, DSLR cameras
• TELEVISION- Reality tv, TOWIE, Made In Chelsea, Gossip Girl, Sex and the City
• FOOD- Pasta, Nandos, Chinese takeaway, salads, chocolate. Shops at Tesco/Sainsburys/corner shop
• HOLIDAYS- City breaks, girls holidays, Ibiza, Malia etc

DAY IN THE LIFE

Wake up, has cereal/toast for breakfast, gets ready for uni using MAC makeup, dresses in mainly Topshop and River Island clothing. Lives at uni so doesn't have to commute. Has class in the morning, uses stationary from WHSmith- girly, pink and purple. After uni, grabs a meal deal lunch from Tesco, and goes to work at Topshop in the afternoon. Following work, gets a taxi home and makes pasta for tea whilst watching the soaps with her flatmates. Some nights will be spent doing uni work, some going out partying with friends in the city, some on date nights with her boyfriend. Any spare time she gets is spent fashion blogging and going to blogging events.

Feedback #3

This week the feedback session focused on customer profiles and who will be the end user of my product. Having already researched into the core Company consumer I told Paz how Victoria White (Company editor) views her readers (see here) and he agreed that's the level of detail that should be going into the customer profile we create. Not only should the customer profiles be in depth of what the person likes, but also represent 'a day in the life', so that when the time comes to create the promotion, it's easy to see which the key consumer will respond and react to.

Moreover, an aspirational customer profile board is needed to represent the customers who will aspire to the product. In my case, these will be those out of the target market range who 'aspire' of dressing a certain way. These could be early teens who are still at school who want to look fashionable, but also it could be those in the target age range who don't necessarily have the most 'fashionable' of jobs, e.g. lawyers, doctors, teachers. Different customer profiles need different forms of promotion to attract. Therefore, not only will a core customer profile board need to be created but also an aspirational one, which shows off the secondary and tertiary consumers.

Customer Profile Research #4

The following is a rough customer profile board based around my previous findings about Company magazine readers. Although this board is more focused to their magazine's demographic, the majority of items are the same. However, the Stylist App doesn't just lend itself to the stereotypical 'Company girl', but also the readers who are not necessarily studying fashion, e.g. law students, doctors, creative writers, cooks etc. Nevertheless, as the editor pointed out, Company's readers all want to be fashion forward in their own unique style meaning the Stylist App will cater to everyone's needs. 

Week 4- Update

After writing my proposal and getting the approval from Paz that it was okay, I've been feeling a lot more positive about my concept. At the beginning of the week I felt rather scattered with my idea and that everything felt all over the place. I've managed to finalise the concept of my app and know what features I want to go in it, and after researching on Mintel, I feel comfortable that there is a gap in the market for this kind of product. Moreover, I am happy with my decision on creating this service for Company. Following my proposal I have been researching into Company's history and target reader to help create a customer profile for my app.

I've also spoken to a girl who works at Company magazine, Gemma Royston-Claire who thinks the app is a really good idea and wants to see some mock up images to share with her colleagues to generate some feedback for me.

Customer Profile Research #3

In every issue, Company invites its readers to style up three trends their way in the feature 'Street Girl'. Company are very focused on street style, blogger's style and wearing trends in a unique way not how the catwalk presented it. All the girls used in this feature are either bloggers and simply readers of the magazine; real girls not models. This gives some indication of what Company deems to be a 'Company Girl', and thus who their target reader and customer is, thus the target consumer of the Stylist Edit app.

Customer Profile Research #2

• Company's publishing house, Hearst has the following description about Company's target readership: 'For fashion forward, fun-loving, festival-going, music-downloading, street-styling obsessed young British women. For women who want to see the world, change the world and do it all in the latest trends. In short- Company girls rock!'

Hearst also had the following figures about Company's readership: 

• Adult Readership: 478,000,  Female Readership: 452,000,  Median Age: 25
• 36% of readers are AB ACORN group. 
• 67% of readers are ABC1 ACORN group.
• 95% of readers are female, 5% are male.

When Company revamped their magazine in 2012, they did so to fit in with their readership and the impact social media now has on their lives. (Information from Press Gazette)

• Company magazine unveiled a new 'streetwise'design on Monday to reflect the popularity of fashion blogging and social media trends amongst young women
• The new look is inspired by the success of Company's bi-annual sister title, High Street Edit.
• Following research into the purchasing habits of 19-30 year old women, Company will feature shorter, 'bite sized'articles and more images and illustration to mirror social networking platforms.
• Victoria White, editor of Company, said: 'The new look gives Company a point of difference at the newsstand which is what our readers are looking for. The size and format of the magazine is completely unique to the UK market. White said the new design was "a total reinvention of the traditional women's magazine."
• 'Social media is such an important part of any media company's overall strategy. Young people today are more tuned into Twitter and Facebook than ever and we have recognised the resurgence of social media by including design influences from the blogosphere," she said.
• 'Brands that don't engage with their target audiences on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are likely to be left behind and lose touch.'
• Ella Dolphin, group publishing director of Hearst's young women's group, said the new magazine will appeal to 'the girl who dreams of being street-style spotted, who loves the nice things in life and documents them all using her camera phone.

Customer Profile Research #1

• Victoria White, the editor of Company describes the 'Company girl' (Hearst): 
• Company is the go-to brand in the UK for creative fashionistas. The girl who gets dressed each morning and dreams of being street style spotted. The girl who loves fashion but doesn’t want to just follow the trends - she sets her own fashion agenda. She’s creative, she’s visual and she loves the freedom to express herself that fashion and beauty give her. 
  
  She’s on Twitter and Facebook. She blogs. She lives to share. She’s on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, her visual references are huge. She sees life through her camera phone and then she shares it.
  
  Company girls touch the brand via the innovative print product and love the feel of its matt paper and homemade scripty typefaces. They love the fact it looks unlike anything else in print and they get the references to blogging and street style photography. They also connect with the world of Company via the website company.co.uk, the weekly app for iphone, Company Weekly Edit and the bi-annual fashion title Company High Street Edit. 
  
  
  She can also attend Company career forum events, listen to Company playlists on Spotify or come and party with Company in Ibiza each year. If she's a serious Company fan she will be a member of the Company Collective a private facebook group where readers and staff interact to discuss all things Company. 
  
  The Company reader is stylish, individual, creative, opinionated, ambitious and cool. She comes to Company for street style fashion, edgy beauty ideas, nail art inspo, playlist ideas, rising star interviews, career advice, blogging tips and high street shopping. And then she tweets us a pic of how she's recreated something we've suggested she try. And Company tweets her back….'

Given that the editor of Company wrote this piece shows who she believes is her target audience. Although there are no statistics in this, it's clear to see that their target readership is digital savvy and very stylish in her own right, not necessarily a fashion follower.

Proposal

The Project & Rationale:

·         A personal styling app for women that generates outfit suggestions through algorithm technology for the Company magazine brand.

·         By uploading images of own clothes, the app will create outfit ideas to help utilise user’s existing wardrobes, and give future purchase suggestions.

·         Aiming to boost self-esteem and help users re-cycle their wardrobes in current financial times. In addition, generates a personal bond between Company and the consumer.

Despite coming out of the recession slightly, consumers attitudes towards spending have changed dramatically; 'The continuing tough economic climate, however, has meant that females have become more discerning about what they buy and how much they pay for it' (Mintel: Womenswear April 2013) . 2012 saw an annual income increase of 34% for charity shops (Telegraph.co.uk May 2012) suggesting that consumers no longer want to spend vast amounts of money on new clothes. Whilst eBay also became the most popular website for fashion in 2013 no doubt due to its bargain reputation. Mintel also reported that 68% of shoppers were selling unwanted clothing online to make room for new clothes. (Mintel: Fashion Online, August 2013)
The service that the 'Stylist Edit' app will provide is the utilisation of a consumer’s wardrobe; generating outfit suggestions based on a user's current wardrobe as well as clothing recommendations from shops. 'Stylist Edit' will teach users how to style their wardrobes to their full potential with every trend, which therefore saves consumers money and also time. Mintel reported that retailers are looking to provide 'more targeted product recommendations' (Mintel: E-Commerce July 2013), and thus this app personally recommends products based on user's wardrobes. The technology behind this is mainly algorithm based, the same technology behind Netflix’s world famous ‘most effective personal recommendation engines’ (Businessoffashion.com , May 2012). In addition, there will also be some human input provided by the staffs who work on the other apps that Company magazine provide. 
Company is the perfect magazine for this service as although fashion is one of their main features, their content (both online and print) focuses on a variety of topics catering to a range of audiences. Company is the first magazine to launch a personal stylist app setting them apart from their competitors. There is a similar app to 'Stylist Edit' available, called 'Stylebook' that is very popular in the US, therefore this app would be unique within the UK.

Objectives

• Help consumers utilise their existing wardrobes given the current financial climate.
• Increase brand loyalty
• Increase self-esteem within users
• Stand out against competitors
• Engages with their reader on a more personal level

Key Performance Indicators

• The amount of downloads over a certain period of time
• The continual use of the app
• Social media sharing

Consumer Action

• FEEL IT- The app will boost consumers self-esteem and confidence through a new appearance. With Company being a well-known brand, their judgment is trusted.
• DO IT- It generates a personal bond between the brand and user; users feel more connected to Company. The app encourages people to connect with a new technology.
• GET IT- The app shows consumers how to get the most from their wardrobes and enhance their personal style.
• SHARE IT- Social media will be used to promote, but also to connect with consumers e.g. through hashtags
• SEE IT- Visual promotion will be through social media and adverts in their magazine. Company work hard at their social media promotion to ensure it reaches a wide audience.

Week 4

After spending last week researching into my two chosen ideas I was able to make a decision about which direction to take my final campaign in. After deciding that I am going to do the styling app for my final campaign I can now focus on writing my proposal. Moreover, I am also going to continue the research into my app and divide up the research into the different elements needed.

When writing my proposal, it is essential that I come up with a USP for my product. So far I've realised that my product has a USP and an ESP which are the following:

• USP- Only magazine to currently have an app like this 
• ESP- It will boost users self-esteem and confidence. 

Hopefully, further research into statistics, competitors and personal styling services will draw up more USPs before I submit my final proposal on Thursday.

Chat With Personal Stylist

Following the feedback session with Paz, I emailed a few personal stylists to gather their thoughts on the concept and ultimately distinguish what will differ between the services the app can provide over a human. The only stylist yet to reply is Martine Alexander, a stylist based in Manchester with an incredible famous reputation within the North West. Her bio can be found here.

Her responses to my questions are as such:

• What personal styling services do you offer? Private styling is only 30% of my business now, the rest is styling celebrities for red carpet and photo shoots, plus fashion campaign styling.
• Private client services include a Wardrobe Detox and Personal Shopping: http://martinealexander.co.uk/personal-styling
• What do the majority of people need help with? E.g. shopping for their correct body shape, styling the new trends So many different varieties... I think you’d have to ask people that use stylists to answer that
• Do you deal with mainly women? And of what age range? Yes women 90%
• Do you mainly style for events like award shows? If not, what else? If you’re talking private clients its mainly day to day wardrobe
• What can a personal stylist offer that an app can't? And do you think there is anything that an app could offer that a human personal stylist couldn't? In person its so much more personal and confidential. I use a LOT of psychology when I style someone, an app cant compete with that… how would an app deal with someone crying or can it sense someone’s body language?
• Do you think that a personal styling app would work as a concept and be something people would use? I honestly don’t know as an app is based on statistic, rather than emotion, which is what private clients have…

She highlights that psychology is important within her job and that essentially an app can't respond to people's reactions. However, my app won't be as in depth as this and instead of acting as a complete personal stylist it merely offers a selection of suggestions for the user to chose from. I really liked her response about the app being based on statistic, so I think its important to have human input where-ever possible from the staff who run the other Company apps. In addition, a personal stylist app can never live up to a human being in the way in which Martine outlined, nonetheless, the app will be able to provide suggestions and over continuous use of the app be able to understand what the consumer likes and doesn't like, thus becoming more personal.

Stylist App- Company Magazine

Company magazine came out top on my survey for magazines people read the most. Although I wanted to create this app for Elle or Vogue, I felt that there was a wider audience range with Company magazine and also, Elle and Vogue can feel quite intimidating to consumers who aren't necessarily big fashion magazine readers. Moreover, my survey also showed me that most people aren't bothered or don't want designer clothing within the features of the app thus Company magazine was a more suited audience.

BASIC INFO (information gathered from BRAD)

• Established: 1978
• Editorial Profile: Covers all aspects of 'Freedom Years'- from work and finance to relationships, setting up home, fashion, beauty and style. News, features and health issues
• Target Audience: 18-28 years old women in their freedom years, single, working up market, no children
• Circulation between 1st July 2013- 31st Dec 2013: 88,059

• NRS	Adults ABC1	Adults C2DE	Adults 15 to 44	Adults 45 plus	Men	Women
  Total number ('000)	319	158	402	76	26	452

• 2010 saw the launch of bi-annual 'High Street Edit' (Hearst.co.uk)
• Facebook likes: 49,386
• Twitter Followers: 88.1K
• Instagram Followers: 36,633

ABOUT COMPANY MAGAZINE

• Company magazine is all encompassing brand that encapsulates the freedom years of women. It prides itself on being on multi-platforms; print, digital and social media.
• It supports Britain's Next Top Model and the winner always gets the front cover of Company for that month. 
• It launched it's own shop recently whereby users can buy items directly from the website. Currently it only has a few brands, but is ever expanding. 
• They regularly put on events like Company Fashion Forum or Beauty Forum, inviting readers to come down and experience a live talk with industry experts. Company pride themselves on being driven to help women achieve their careers. 
• Moreover, every September they allow a group of graduate students (doesn't have to be fashion grads) to guest edit the magazine and create their own content.
• In addition, Company recently launched the Company Academy; a competition to get work published within Company. The categories included 'creative writer' 'journalist' 'photographer', not all things fashion based.
• They are a big ambassador of street style and feature this heavily within the magazine, website and social media platforms. They are constantly interacting with their consumer through their social media platforms, magazine and website, and asking for consumer's input. They also have their own Spotify playlists that readers can listen to, as well as parties in Ibiza every summer that readers are invited to.

COMPANY WEEKLY EDIT APP

• October 2012 saw the launch of their Weekly Edit app. A mini mobile magazine released every Thursday for 69p that co-insides with their monthly magazine. They are the first and only magazine to do this at the moment, which shows they would be very on board with creating a personal styling app. 
• 'Alongside the editorial content, the Company Weekly Edit utilises its digital platform by offering links to iTunes to buy recommended music, as well as integrates social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. In what is being described as an "industry first", the mobile magazine's cover each week will feature a reader selected by the Company team. In a statement, Company - published by Hearst Magazines UK - said that the app was aimed at the "swipe girl" who wants easy access to latest fashion, beauty and weekly entertainment news on their phone. "With fifteen regular stories each week including street style, blogger of the week, trending this week, intern Instagram and week in style the app has all the editorial pillars of the print mag but in a snappier, 'read-it-on-the-bus' format," the magazine said. "It features video content, links to iTunes to buy recommended music and the ability to share stories across Facebook and Twitter. "It also allows fashion obsessed readers to click to buy and also to save anything they love to their camera roll. And in a real industry first the cover each week will feature a reader selected by the Company team." (Digital Spy)
  
  

Chosen Idea

After much deliberation I have decided to focus my Final Campaign on the Personal Styling app. Considering the flaws and limitations of the Boyfriend Creche, I felt that that idea would run out of steam and not be strong enough to maintain an entire campaign. Moreover, I feel I will have more fun and really enjoy getting to work with the styling app. Also, I want to work for Company magazine in the future or at least the magazine and fashion industry therefore my styling app works better for me than the creation of the Boyfriend Creche.

My final concept is thus:

• A personal styling app for Company magazine.
• Users can upload images of their wardrobe or download them from a database of clothes on the app. From here the app will generate outfit suggestions based on the current wardrobe. The app can recommend clothing from other stores that would integrate well within their current closet also. Users can also ask the app for specific outfit suggestions e.g. 'festival' 'date night'. All outfit suggestions can be saved and shared via social media.
• The app works well as it helps users to utilise their current wardrobe and given the recession the UK is in, this app will help promote the recycling of old clothes in the wardrobe.
• In addition, the app will work alongside the magazine; pages will be interactive and require users to scan the page. Clothes found in the magazine can be added to a wishlist as they can when sourced on the database, and again outfit suggestions can be made through this so users can shop for entire outfits rather than one off pieces they may not wear again.
• On the Company website, they often do live chats with the workers. Every so often there could be live style Q&As as their videos are very popular online.
• Over time the app could run vouchers with the brands featured in the app e.g. if they create an outfit with Missguided clothing, they can receive a discount. Moreover, there can be competitions to win Company magazine subscriptions or clothing vouchers when outfits are shared through social media. ASOS do something similar on their app where consumers upload images of themselves in ASOS clothing and get entered into a draw to win. 

Feedback #2

Prior to having my second feedback, I had already eliminated the Boyfriend Creche from my options. However I still discussed this option with Paz.

Boyfriend Creche 

• I outlined the limitations and we both agreed that in hindsight although the concept is a good idea, realistically it wouldn't go far enough. 
• Paz also addressed the flaw that men can simply go and wait in a coffee shop for their partners, there doesn't have to be a designated room for them to sit in.

Styling App

• This was seen as my strongest idea.
• I addressed the situation that my app feels a little all over the place at the moment, as I haven't decided what brand I want to do it for, whether I even want to do it for a brand, what the USP for it is etc, and that ultimately I feel very overwhelmed.
• We worked out that by having the app connected to a brand it would stand out more as people would know that it's a brand people can trust opposed to a stand alone app that may not get any exposure. 
• In addition, Paz recommended I speak to some personal stylists and gather an idea of what the provide and how their service would differ from the app. I have emailed some stylists that I know off and am currently waiting for their response.
• He also suggested I make a list of pros and cons about my app 
• And also consider other people that would use the app who aren't necessarily the 'fashion' type e.g. scientists and lawyers who don't have time to put outfits together. This is a reason I am leaning towards creating the app for Company magazine as they had a wide spectrum of readers plus their magazine content doesn't focus on just fashion, they feature articles on an array of topics.  

Styling App- Survey Results

I conducted a survey based on the creation of a personal styling app intended for a magazine. The results were mainly what I was expecting/hoping, but there were some things that I wasn't expecting. I thought a lot more 20-24 year olds would be using fashion apps regularly, especially given that the majority of survey recipients have an iPhone. The apps that were commented on were Style.com and Polyvore, which bodes well given that I want to add a Polyvore style feature into my app. As the majority of people who took the survey were aged between 20 and 24, it's not surprising that they favoured high street brands over designer ones. This is making me reconsider creating the app for the likes of Vogue and Elle but instead focus on a magazine like Company. This is further backed up when it came our as the most popular magazine, closely followed by Vogue, Elle and Look. Look magazine may be something to consider, however they don't have any existing sort of app which suggests that they aren't interested in that market or don't have the budget. A feature suggested for the app was clothing suggestions suited to one's body type and shape which is definitely something to look into and implement. Moreover, most people use Tumblr, ASOS Fashion Finder and Pinterest for their styling needs, so these are all avenues to look into when thinking of designing the app and coming up with features.

Boyfriend Creche- Limitations

Upon reviewing my research and survey results I accumulated the following limitations to my service.

• Initially, if the 'boyfriend creche' has everything men like doing in it e.g. watch sports, play on games consoles, then why would they even bother coming shopping with their partners? They could just stay at home. Equally, if they do come and spend the day at the creche, what was the point of them accompanying their partner?
• Moreover, men could simply come to the 'boyfriend creche' without a partner; they could just come to use the facilities rather than use it for it's proper use. Hence there would have to be some sort of system whereby guys could only use the service if they had a girl with them shopping. This could be counter-acted by women having to sign their partners in and out.
• In addition, to avoid overcrowding there would have to be a time slot system. This could work with the idea of proving they are shopping with a woman; like the Ikea concept, women could be given a buzzer that rings when their partner's allocated time is up. The Ikea stores only allowed 30 minutes but that wouldn't be enough in big shopping centres, so hourly or two-hourly slots are more practical.
• In terms of generating money, the service could be free for the first hour and any time after that has to be paid extra for. Or, instead, women could have to spend a minimum amount in a shop before men are allowed access to the creche. This would generate more sales for women's shops and also encourage men to help their partners shop. The minimum amount could depend on the shopping centre itself e.g. The Trafford Centre minimum could be between £40-£50, whilst somewhere much smaller like The Potteries could be between £20-£30.

Boyfriend Creche- Survey Results

The results of my survey have surprised me. I imagined that most men wouldn't enjoy partaking in shopping at all and would use this facility a lot. However, my results have shown that actually a service like this wouldn't necessarily make men want to go shopping with their partners more, or even leave their partners to go and use the man creche. Unsurprisingly, however  were the results of what features men would use within the 'creches'. If I was to develop this idea further, the only feature I would remove is the headphones and maybe the foosball table. 

Stylist App- Mintel Findings

WOMENSWEAR APRIL 2013

• 'Clothes remain high up on women's spending priorities lending the womenswear clothing sector an element of resilience. The continuing touch economic climate however, has meant that females have become more discerning about what they buy and how the pay for it, meaning retailers need to compete even more for their custom.' - Given that women are more concerned about their spending habits means that an app that utilises their current wardrobe would help them get more from the money they've already spent on clothes.
• 'Young consumers aged 16-24, who are the most fashion conscious and the main clothes shoppers are facing rising social and financial pressures and as a result are beginning to rein in their spending on fashion' - 16-24 are the main age range for the app so it links in well that this target market are beginning to evaluate their spending habits. Consequently, this app is perfect to help them still feel fashionable and on trend but with their current wardrobe.
• 'Women's clothing sales have risen 14% over the last five years to reach £20.7 billion in 2012...Mintel forecasts that the women's fashion sector will grow in value by 12% between 2012 and 2017.'
• 'Primark is the most popular womenswear retailer, with around 14.2 million women shopping there, equivalent to over half of the female population. Most popular with 16-24s.'- Women want fast fashion at cheaper prices. However, if they made better use of their wardrobes they could afford more expensive pieces that enhance their current closet. 
• 'Women are increasingly only buying clothes when they are reduced, comparing prices more before buying and purchasing cheaper items from their usual stores.'

FASHION ONLINE AUGUST 2013

• 'Shopping for clothes is a truly cross-channel experience and while people are increasingly purchasing clothes online, they also use the internet to just browse and still visit stores.'- Shopping online is becoming increasingly more popular showing that shopping on the high street is losing its touch slightly. More people interact on a digital level- perfect for an app.
• 'Mintel estimates that online sales of clothing and footwear will increase by 18% to reach £7.1 billion in 2013 as fashion has outperformed all other sectors online.'
• 'Almost two fifths of internet clothes shoppers bought clothing from eBay in the last year, making it the most popular website for fashion.' - Again, people want high street clothing but at discounted prices.
• '68% of consumers were selling unwanted clothes online to make room in wardrobes for new clothes.'

E-COMMERCE JULY 2013

• 'Some 54% of smartphone/ tablet owners told us they had shopped via a mobile device away from home in the past year.'
• Retailers will need to develop an online proposition that is mobile-centered: more targeted product recommendations, predictive search, navigation designed principality for smaller screens, new payment options and simpler (preferably single click) checkouts.' - The app will be able to provide more personal recommendations for users that co-inside with their current wardrobe.
• '63% of online shoppers were buying clothing and footwear'

ONLINE FASHION SALES GROW FASTER THAN HIGH STREET- JANUARY 2013

• 'Multichannel retailers are increasingly focusing on improving their online offer as online sales growth is outpacing store sales. Consumers are taking advantage of the benefits offered by online shopping, which includes comparing prices using different devices and reserving and collecting in-store. While a growing appetite for fashion e-commerce is being boosted by burgeoning smartphone and tablet ownership, barriers such as websites with slow loading times and security issues are putting shoppers off using these devices to actually purchase clothes online.'
• 'Eight in ten consumers say that shopping online helps in avoiding crowds in shops and three quarters say that browsing online has reduced the amount of time they spend in stores.' 
• 'However, over half (53%) of shoppers also use the internet to compare prices and hunt out the best bargains, as cost-conscious shoppers tighten their purse strings in the current era of austerity. As consumers become more skilled at seeking out bargains, the importance of brand or retailer loyalty is waning and shopping around will rise.'- Shoppers are more focused on bargain hunting, hence the need for this app to make the best of a consumer's existing wardrobe.
• 'Burgeoning smartphone and tablet ownership has helped fuel interest in online fashion as shoppers are using their devices to research clothing brands, read reviews and make purchases. Total retail search volumes of clothing rose by 20% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the previous year. The latest Google Online Retail Monitor in partnership with the British Retail Consortium showed the extent to which search volumes on tablet devices outpaced those on any other devices including smartphones. Clothing showed the strongest growth rate of all categories for tablet retail search volumes, increasing 273% during the same period, compared with an 87% rise in smartphone search volumes'- The app will be able to link straight to websites on mobile devices so consumers can make purchases.