Company Website

As well as creating the Stylist Edit app's own website, I also created advertising content for the Company magazine website. Firstly, I added a tab across the top bar that now features 'Stylist Edit' redirecting consumers to the Stylist Edit website should they click on it. In the first two months of promotion there will be adverts and links on the homepage that either send consumers to the Stylist Edit website or to the article on the Company website promoting and explaining the app. I drew the website out myself retaining features from the website and using my Instagram feed I had created for social media.

Social Media Promotion

I had a lot of fun creating the social media promotion of the Stylist Edit app, although it was difficult to think of different adverts for each different platform. The Facebook page will be the main source of promotion as they have the most outreach visually via this method. In addition, they have the most followers on Facebook hence a bigger reach to different audiences. I drew out all aspects of the Facebook and Twitter Page but simply used a pre made vector for the Instagram feed and added my images into them. I took inspiration for all the posts and captions from Company's current feeds to maintain their style of writing and keeping continuity. 

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. 

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.

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.

Styling App- Brands & Companies

Initially, I thought the app would be part of the Threads brand that have created the original app for men. However, Threads isn't a brand well known enough, nor do they do a lot of promotion. Instead I feel this app would suit either a magazine or well know fashion brand much better.

• TOPSHOP- Topshop already provide a Personal Shopping service within some of their larger branches and have their own shopping app so would be potentially interested in creating this service. However, by choosing Topshop, it means the app is limited to their clothes only thus will only be used by a certain audience and demographic.
• MISSGUIDED-One of my previous ideas was to launch a Missguided shopping app but it had no USP to make it stand out. Here I could link both the shopping app and the personal styling element to give Missguided the USP it needed. Again, however, like the Topshop idea, all the clothing would be limited to Missguided only.
• JOHN LEWIS/SELFRIDGES/MARKS & SPENCER/DEBENHAMS- All these companies have their own personal shopping services within their shops. Regarding John Lewis and Marks & Spencer all the clothing again would be their own brand. Selfridges and Debenhams all have other brands within them which would diversify the clothing brought to the user, although saying that, both stores have a lot of different age ranges within their concession stands which could either be a pro or con for the service. 
• WANT WORTHY- Wantworthy was a website whereby users could add items the desired to a wishlist online. All their 'wants' would be stored and accessed at any time. Unfortunately, the website is no longer available. However, their service combined with the personal styling aspect could re launch the brand and make it a house hold name. Nevertheless, there is the downfall that because the website wasn't well known originally, it won't stand out in the market. 
• LOOKBOOK- Lookbook is already an online website and app whereby users post images of their style and other users 'hype' it if they like it. This is a site that allows anybody to gather outfit inspiration from other people's images. The personal styling service would be something totally alien to Lookbook, but the concept would work quite nicely together as they both offer outfit inspiration.
• WHAT I WORE TODAY- WIWT is a app and website similar to Lookbook but instead of professional photography, a simple mirror picture will do. Anybody can upload an image of what they wore that day and other users can star it if they like it. As with Lookbook, this is something different to what the personal stylist app would provide but it is a potential brand to affiliate with.
• COMPANY MAGAZINE- Company magazine's target market is females aged 16-30 and of those not just interested in fashion, so not only would this app would attract a wide range of users. Moreover, Company already have a separate app they release every week called the 'Weekly Edit' app, so they are already very tech savvy when it comes to new apps. Moreover, they are incredibly interactive online with their social media contact and are constantly encouraging readers to get involved with the magazine.
• ELLE- Hearst publications are also heavily involved in the creation of apps and digital content. Elle magazine would be a different direction to the service as it is working more with designer brands opposed to high street. The app would work in the same way, but would be limited to a different demographic. In addition, Elle magazine can seem quite intimidating as it is all high fashion, hence this may but some people off downloading it.
• VOGUE- The Conde Nast group are heavily involved in digital apps like Hearst. Similarly, with Elle, Vogue limits itself to designer clothing rather than high street, and again can be intimidating to some people. Moreover, Vogue have already released a styling app, but it isn't functioning anymore suggesting it wasn't successful to them. 
• "Vogue's entry is called "Vogue Stylist"—and it marks yet another blow to Blackberry users. The application, available only on the iPhone for now, allows users to click on an electronic Vogue ad (or even use the smartphone's camera to snap a photo and then upload a print Vogue ad). The app brings users to a retail Web site, where they can buy all or some of the pieces in the look.
• 
  The app can be used to upload items from one's own wardrobe and sort them by designer brand, color or trend, as identified in the current Vogue issue. Users can search trends and find suggestions–populated by computer algorithms–based on the clothes they own and the ones shown in that month's Vogue."

Styling App- Concept & Features

Whether the app is created for a magazine or a brand, the concept and main features will be the same.

CONCEPT: The app will act as a personal stylist. Upon signing up to the service, a questionnaire will need to be filled out in order to get a general idea of your basic style, height and size. From here users can begin to build up their online virtual wardrobe through the features below and let the app create outfit suggestions and what to wear suggestions for them.

FEATURES: 

• Wishlist- users can add items they desire to a personal wishlist and check off if they purchase them
• Wardrobe- users can either upload images of their own clothes or source them from an online database and add them to their 'wardrobe', so the app can create outfit suggestions. Items bought from the wishlist will automatically be added to the wardrobe. If they do not wish to add their own clothes, they can create a dream wardrobe whereby the app will still create outfit suggestions.
• Occasion- users can select options and the app will create outfits accordingly. E.g. 'Date night', 'Night out' or 'Shopping trip'
• Moodboards- users can create moodboards using their own wardrobe pieces or items they desire- think Polyvore. In addition, an option can be selected for users who don't want to add their wardrobe for the app to create generic moodboards for them to gather inspiration from, e.g. 'summer floral looks'.
• Style- users will be able to search an online database of street style and catwalk looks to gather inspiration also. They can upload their own images (think What I Wore Today) and have an online profile. THIS FEATURE WOULD WORK BETTER FOR A MAGAZINE STYLE APP.

All the features can be shared via social media. SOME FEATURES MAY CHANGE ONCE SURVEY RESULTS COME BACK AND THROUGH FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.

Styling App- Men's

Despite initially wanting to focus my app on womenswear, I've decided to look into menswear to see if I would enjoy creating a styling app for men.

• The original idea stemmed from the company Threads creating an app of this principle for men with busy lifestyles who don't have the time to shop and put outfits together. The article I found on the Business of Fashion website outlined their concept. 'Now, a London-based start-up called Thread is tackling the problem with a blend of man and machine, using intelligent algorithms to help professional, human stylists be more efficient and deliver personalised fashion recommendations at scale.' '“Thread gives people their own personal shopper for free to help them find the clothes they love,” said O’Neill. “It solves a problem I had personally for many years: I wanted to dress well, but I was busy and didn’t have time to shop regularly. 
• The app works as such- Thread is free for consumers. After signing up, users are prompted to answer a detailed, multi-part questionnaire that asks them about their personal style, size, brand preferences, typical spend per product category, preferred fits, dressing habits and income. Ultimately, they are paired with a human stylist who (during business hours) engages them via live chat to further refine their profile, which contains over 30 different factors. Based on these profiles, an algorithm searches through a database of 10,000 hand-created outfits and sends users five new looks every Friday.

• Users are asked to rate the looks, further feeding the algorithm and refining their profile, and can choose to “try on” the items that they like, which Thread dispatches to them for free (for orders over £50, or about $80). “It’s free shipping both ways, and they only pay if they decide to keep it. We wanted to recreate the experience of a stylist dropping off the clothes to your house as much as possible,” said O’Neill. Users can also contact their stylists at any time for specific advice or hand-curated recommendations
• The concept here is that the app provides a free personal stylist on hand and even provides the clothes, taking the shopping experience to the next level. As men don't enjoy shopping either, this app brings them the best of both worlds.

There aren't half as many male fashion apps, magazines or styling content as there is for women, so potentially this is a good avenue to take. The main style stop for men is Mr Porter, the male equivalent to the female designer site Net-A-Porter. On their website they have a tab dedicated to Style where consumers can gain access to trends, how to wear it, advice, live chats to real style advisers etc.  If the concept was to be brought to  a man, Mr Porter would be perfect as they already engage in the styling side of things a lot. In addition, they already have a shopping app, which shows that their target audience use apps regularly and would be likely to use a similar personal styling app. 

• There is a competitor for this sort of app in the form of 'Cool Guy' an app that lets the user curate outfits using online content and his wardrobe. 'The men's version of Stylish Girl, Cool Guy lets you create outfits, pack for trips, and search through your own closet to create looks. There's also a news section that curates content from fashion blogs and magazines, as well as a shopping feature where you can add items to your wish list and see when they go on sale' (Article link here) The following features are all something I would consider putting in my own app.
  

Initial Idea #5- Styling App

• As I want to create this styling app for women, it could be produced as for the same company as Threads (makers of the original) or an entirely new brand all together. This could be an existing company or a new one. 
• There would be features including the ability to upload images of your own clothes, create moodboards (similar to those of Polyvore) and create wishlists of items you want (like the service Wantworthy).

Polyvore board & Wantworthy page

• The company Threads already offer a personal styling service for woman but as of yet have only created the app for men. Their personal styling services include 'Wardrobe Refresh' package, 'Personal Shopping', 'Effortless Shopping', 'Special Occasion' and 'New Start' package. All of these services cost over £500, which suggests that the app (if made for Threads) would have to be a paid for app. 
• There are a few similar services currently on the market so to make this app different it would have to integrate these features but also some unique ones to stand out from the crowd. An article on fastcompany.com outlines some of the best fashion stylist apps available at the moment; 'Starting with Go Shop! from Ovi, which is an up-to-date directory of shops helping you navigate through hundreds of stores by giving you lists and reviews of the stores closest to you. Ask A Stylist iPhone app gives you one to one personal advice about what to wear and more importantly, what not to wear. Then finally, Touch Closet, on iPhone, helps you put your whole wardrobe on your phone and gives you a bit of inspiration to make sure you mix and match your look.'
• In addition there is an online programme called 'Stylebook' which allows users to upload images of their own wardrobes, whilst personal stylists help them make the most out of their current clothes and mix and match their style.

Initial Idea #5- Styling App

A London based fashion company called Thread have recently launched their own personal stylist application for busy men who don’t have time to peruse outfits but still want to look good. The app uses personal shoppers to find clothes suited to them and create entire outfits that the user can buy without the consumer having to go through the shopping experience. This application is currently only available for men, so to expand there would be an app created for women. As women enjoy the shopping experience this part of the app would be changed. Instead women can upload what’s already in their wardrobes and the stylists can create outfits that way, as well as suggesting things to buy that will go with their closet and general style.

*I found out about this service through the following article on Business of Fashion here