FMPC 500

Pretty in PINK TARTAN Promotional Plan

By Kaelin King, Katherine Koren, Khrystyna Leochko, Cally MacLean and Erika Whitehall

December 4, 2013

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Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 2

Pink Tartan’s Marketing Mix Strategy ........................................................................................... 2

Pink Tartan: The Brand ................................................................................................................... 3

Promotional Objectives and Themes .............................................................................................. 4

Target Audience of the Promotion .................................................................................................. 5

Promotions Mix .............................................................................................................................. 6

Promotions Budget.......................................................................................................................... 8

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 8

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 8

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Executive Summary Pink Tartan is a relatively unknown Canadian brand. Our promotional mix strives to resolve this through a partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), a strong Canadian cultural symbol, and an advertisement campaign in Flare, a top Canadian fashion magazine. Specifically, Pink Tartan will benefit as a corporate sponsor of TIFF as TIFF attendees are closely aligned to Pink Tartan’s target market: middle-aged, well-educated and affluent. By branding Pink Tartan’s name with TIFF, we will raise awareness of the brand among the right group of people. The Flare advertisement campaign will run for six months, and it will feature a special contest that will run in conjunction with TIFF. The winner and a guest will be flown to Toronto to attend a styling party at Pink Tartan’s flagship store during the day and a TIFF premiere during the night. The campaign and contest in Flare will benefit Pink Tartan as Flare has national distribution and its readers also fall into the same target market.

Pink Tartan’s Marketing Mix Strategy

Product Strategy Pink Tartan products include tops, knitwear, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets and outerwear.

Price/Market Level Strategy

Pink Tartan fits into the bridge price point with garments ranging from approximately $200 to $800. Tops range from $200 to $275, knitwear from $275 to $400, pants from $250 to $325, skirts from $275 to $325, dresses from $300 to $500, jackets from $500 to $700, and outerwear from $500 to $800. (Pink Tartan)

Place/Distribution Strategy Pink Tartan has selective distribution. In Canada, it is carried by Holt Renfrew stores in Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary, and Hudson’s Bay stores nationwide. There are also two Pink Tartan retail stores in Toronto. Pink Tartan is carried at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Lord and Taylor in the United States. (Pink Tartan) Selective distribution is commonly used for higher-end products as it adds an air of prestige to the brand since they are not available everywhere. (MBA Skool, 2012) Pink Tartan also offers online shopping on its website.

Past Marketing Communications & Promotional Activities

Pink Tartan is actively involved in social media with profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Polyvore, YouTube and Tumblr.

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In October 2013, Pink Tartan partnered with Tide on an exclusive collection. The Pink Tartan Washable Collection is comprised of garments that are priced from $275 to $325, and can be washed at home and do not require dry cleaning. (Little, 2013) In November 2013, Pink Tartan partnered with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. to collaborate on a limited edition mug. 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of the mug will be donated to the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation. (Newswire, 2013) Kimberley Newport-Mimran, Pink Tartan’s founder, also makes in-store appearances in support of her brand at department stores that carry her line in both Canada and the United States. Pink Tartan holds occasional fabric and sample sales at their Toronto showroom. They also participate in Black Friday and Boxing Day sales. (Pink Tartan)

Strengths & Weaknesses

The strengths of Pink Tartan’s marketing mix include their price point and selective distribution as they are in line with the brand’s target market. Another strength is that the brand offers online shopping on their website as they cater to busy women who likely do not have a great deal of time to go shopping. Some of their promotional activities are also strengths. Pink Tartan’s collaboration with Tide on a washable line permits busy women to wash these clothes at home with the rest of their laundry, instead of having to take the time to have them dry cleaned. Finally, Newport-Mimran’s in-store appearances allow her customers to be inspired by her success and to see that she is the same type of woman that they are: hardworking, busy and successful. The weakness of Pink Tartan’s marketing mix is their marketing communications, most of which is done through social media. Although Pink Tartan maintains an active online presence on many social media platforms, the brand may not be reaching their target market. For example, although many women in the 35-50 age group use Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, the average age range of Instagram, Polyvore and Tumblr users is between 18 and 29 years of age. (Widrich, 2013) Also, although Pink Tartan has accounts on many social media platforms, they are not an active user as some of their accounts are rarely used. Their Pinterest page has only three boards and eight pins, (Pink Tartan) and their Instagram contains only slightly more than 100 photos. (Pink Tartan) Their YouTube account only has four videos and was last updated two years ago. (Pink Tartan) Pink Tartan is most active on Twitter, tweeting several times per day. (Pink Tartan)

Pink Tartan: The Brand

Pink Tartan was founded in Toronto, Canada in 2002 by Kimberley Newport-Mimran. The line is carried at Holt Renfrew and the Hudson’s Bay in Canada. Pink Tartan also has two retail

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stores in Toronto, in Yorkville and in Bayview Village. The brand recently expanded into the American market and is carried by Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Lord and Taylor. Additionally, Newport-Mimran opened a Pink Tartan office in New York City in 2004. (Pink Tartan) Pink Tartan’s brand elements include their logo, which features black uppercase letters in a simple font on a white background. This logo is perhaps used as a simple, clean, understated look is the epitome of the brand and appeals to their target market. Pink Tartan rarely uses hashtags on their social media platforms. Hashtags they have used in the past include #pinktartan, #fall, #fashion and #tfw, which are not memorable or unique and therefore do not attract much attention to the brand. (Pink Tartan) Perhaps Pink Tartan does not use hashtags often as hashtags appeal to a younger audience and not their target market. Pink Tartan’s symbol is a flower motif, either in white or pink, on a background of either pink or white. They do not have a slogan or use characters.

Figure 1: Pink Tartan's logo (Marc, 2013) Pink Tartan has poor brand equity. Brand equity is defined as “the value of a brand. From a consumer perspective, brand equity is based on consumer attitudes about positive brand attributes and favourable consequences of brand use.” (Gunelius) Brand equity is tied to brand experience. Consumers go through “five stages of brand experience that lead to positive brand equity.” (Gunelius) The five stages are brand awareness (do consumers know about the brand?), brand recognition (do consumers recognize the brand from its competition?), brand trial (have consumers tried the brand?), brand preference (do consumers like the brand and have they made repeat purchases?), and brand loyalty (do consumers feel emotionally connected to the brand and therefore demand it as no other brand will do?). (Gunelius) Pink Tartan is at the first stage of brand experience as many consumers are completely unaware of them, and thus they have poor brand equity.

Promotional Objectives and Themes The objective of our promotion is to both increase awareness and recognition of the Pink Tartan brand in Canada as well as to increase sales. Newport-Mimran’s husband, Joe Mimran is the founder of both Club Monaco and Joe Fresh. Although Mimran no longer owns Club Monaco, he actively promotes his Joe Fresh brand. Joe Fresh has been very successful, generating sales of almost $1 billion in Canada and expanding into the United States. (Strauss, 2012) Furthermore the brand is carried in Loblaws Companies stores, Canada’s largest grocery chain. (Strauss, 2012) As such, Mimran-Newport has been eclipsed by her husband’s success. Through our

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promotion, we are striving to move Pink Tartan out of the shadow of Joe Fresh and establish it as a Canadian brand in its own right.

Target Audience of the Promotion

The target audience of our promotion is the same group as Pink Tartan’s target market: mature, affluent, well-educated, urban, professional women. Newport-Mimran has said of her line, “these are pieces that you live in, you love them, they fit you well, and they have functionality that takes you from day to dinner, office to playground and all the other places you have to go in life.” (Little, 2013) Her customer is “a stylish, busy woman whose clothes need to work for her and yet make her feel confident of looking great.” (Marko, 2013)

Demographic Characteristics Our promotion is targeted to women aged 35 to 50. They are married with young to teenage children. They are highly educated and employed in professional occupations including business, public relations, human resources and law. They are home or condominium owners.

Geographic Characteristics Our promotion is aimed at women living in the urban and suburban areas of Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax.

Psychographic Characteristics The goal of our promotion is to appeal to busy professional wives and mothers with many commitments. Monday to Friday, they are working 9 to 5 jobs and running to work meetings. They spend their weekends running errands, with their families and preparing for the week ahead. On Saturday night, they can be found on a date night with their husbands at a popular high end restaurant or wine bar. These women are affluent, of high social standing and politically centre-left. Their Consumer VALS group is Achiever. They are:

Motivated by the desire for achievement, Achievers have goal-oriented lifestyles and a deep commitment to career and family. Their social lives reflect this focus and are structured around family, their place of worship, and work. Achievers live conventional lives, are politically conservative, and respect authority and the status quo. They value consensus, predictability, and stability over risk, intimacy, and self-discovery. With many wants and needs, Achievers are active in the consumer marketplace. Image is important to Achievers; they favor established, prestige products and services that demonstrate success to their peers. Because of their busy lives, they are often interested in a variety of time-saving devices. (Strategic Business Insights, 2009-2013)

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Behaviouristic Characteristics Our promotion is oriented towards image-conscious women. They shop at Pink Tartan because they favour high quality, stylish, yet functional garments that work with their busy lifestyles. They wear Pink Tartan garments to work, during the weekend and on a night out. They are loyal to the brand because it fits their needs.

Promotions Mix

PART A) Sponsorship At The Toronto International Film Festival In order to raise Pink Tartan’s brand awareness and establish it as a strong Canadian brand in its own right, we have decided to become a corporate sponsor for the Toronto International Film Festival. Sponsorship of this event is ideal for a company like Pink Tartan as the attendee demographics of the event are closely aligned with the target market of Pink Tartan. On average, TIFF attendees tend to be middle aged, educated and wealthy with discernable tastes as demonstrated by their attendance of the film festival. (TIFF, 2011) TIFF is also an ideal choice as it has become a strong symbol of Canada and a source of pride for many Canadians. It is also an excellent opportunity for the development of Pink Tartan’s brand awareness as the festival is on average attended by 1.4 million people every year and has extensive media coverage as hundreds of celebrities are in attendance. (TIFF, 2011) Corporate sponsorship of TIFF has many benefits including corporate tickets to film screenings, the ability to run sampling booths onsite, as well as the inclusion of the Pink Tartan logo on selected TIFF promotional materials and website. By branding the Pink Tartan name with that of TIFF, we are not only strengthening the company’s awareness as well as creating an association of Canadian pride many people have with TIFF with Pink Tartan. In addition to this corporate sponsorship, Pink Tartan will be hosting a ‘Pretty in Pink Tartan’ styling party that will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, September 6, 2014 to kick off the start of the festival. Still maintaining the link with TIFF, this event will invite individuals to receive professional advice from Pink Tartan’s knowledgeable staff about how to create an amazing nighttime look, perfect for attending a screening or program like those held during TIFF. Also maintaining Pink Tartan’s association with Canada and promoting Pink Tartan’s national pride, we will be inviting select female Canadian celebrities (Kim Cattrall, Nelly Furtado and Rachel McAdams) to be guests of honour at this exclusive event and participate in the styling sessions in order to prepare them for the many TIFF events they will be attending. These Canadian icons were selected as they themselves fall within Pink Tartan’s target market, fit with the brand image, and have already demonstrated their love of the brand as they have been photographed wearing Pink Tartan (Waisberg, 2008).

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This event will be held at Pink Tartan’s flagship store in Yorkville, not far from many of the TIFF events and programs. Invitations will be sent to current Pink Tartan customers, who are permitted to bring a friend to the event in order to increase their likeliness of attendance, as well as promote the brand through word of mouth. Events will include a welcome speech from Kimberley Newport-Mimram, the brand’s designer and founder, followed by individual styling sessions and group sessions on how to create a glamorous look perfect for any TIFF event. Guests will be able to peruse the current collection and use the pieces to gather inspiration for their looks. Refreshments, including tea, coffee and cupcakes will be served throughout the duration of the event, and the event will be hosted by a professional DJ. By hosting a styling party for existing customers, Pink Tartan hopes to develop their personal relationship and truly show these individuals that the brand cares for them and is there for their every need. Also, while welcoming celebrities to adopt the brand, Pink Tartan hopes to increase their media exposure during the TIFF events and attract a wider audience that has not been previously reached. As a corporate sponsor of TIFF, many additional opportunities to raise brand awareness do exist (such as hosting a booth with a step and repeat featuring the Pink Tartan logo where individuals would be photographed on their way to TIFF events) but will not be discussed as they fall outside the scope of this assignment.

PART B) Advertisement Campaign in FLARE Our second promotional component will be to run an advertisement in Flare that will raise Pink Tartan’s brand awareness nationwide and promote a special contest that will run in conjunction with TIFF. Flare was chosen as its target market relates to that of Pink Tartan. Demographic information gathered by Flare demonstrates that the average reader is female, 39 years of age, and is fairly wealthy, currently employed and married (Flare, 2013). Also, the circulation of this magazine is quite extensive as it reaches over 1.1 million fashion oriented Canadians each month (Flare, 2013). The advertisement will run in 6 editions of Flare leading up to the start of TIFF (2014 March edition to 2014 August edition) and will feature a contest where a lucky individual and a friend will win a trip to Toronto to attend a screening at TIFF. The prize will run September 5th and 6th, 2014, and will include transportation, accommodations in a downtown Toronto hotel, and an invitation to the Pretty in Pink styling party where both winners will be personally styled in Pink Tartan clothing to wear to the TIFF screening.

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By advertising in a nationally distributed fashion magazine, Pink Tartan is increasing their visibility among its targeted customer base. Also, by promoting their sponsorship with TIFF, they are again promoting their Canadian identity and pride as a sponsor, and are sending a unified message across all marketing channels.

Promotions Budget The budget for our promotions mix is as follows:

ITEM PRICE Flare advertising: one page ad for 6 months $21,715.00 Contest: airfare $1,963.82 Contest: hotel room at Intercontinental Toronto Centre $860.20 Contest: town car for six hours $584.78 TIFF sponsorship $40,000.00 Mini cupcakes (300) $525.00 Catering (tea, coffee, napkins, plates, set-up, etc.) $750.00 DJ (Humber College student) FREE (internship hours for student) Set-up (Humber College students) FREE (internship hours for student) L’Oreal makeup artists and hairstylists FREE (publicity for L’Oreal) TOTAL $66,398.80

Conclusion In conclusion, Pink Tartan is a Canadian ready-to-wear clothing line created by Kimberley Newport-Mimran. Pink Tartan has little brand awareness, which our promotional mix seeks to rectify. Our promotional mix involves a corporate sponsorship of the Toronto International Film Festival as well as an advertisement campaign and contest that will run in Flare. These promotions will help to increase awareness of Pink Tartan as both TIFF and Flare are well-known Canadian brands. In addition, the target markets of all three brands are strongly connected: middle-aged, well-educated, affluent, professional, married women.

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Bibliography Fibre 2 Fashion. (2013, September 5). Tide Pods Partners Kimberley for Pink Tartan Washable

Line. Retrieved from Fibre 2 Fashion: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/News/apparel-News/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=151641.

Flare. (2013). Flare Media Kit 2013. Retrieved from http://www.flare.com/wp-

content/uploads/2013/02/FLARE-2013-Media-kit.pdf. Gunelius, S. (n.d.). Brand Equity Basics - Part 1: What is Brand Equity? Retrieved from Ask

Your Target Market: http://aytm.com/blog/research-junction/brand-equity-basics-1. Little, M. (2013, October 21). Washable Luxury at Pink Tartan. Retrieved from Urban

Expressions: http://www.urbanexpressions.ca/fashion/story/washable-luxury-at-pink-tartan.

Marc, R. a. (2013, March 19). Pink Tartan F/W 2013 - Toronto Fashion Week. Retrieved from

Toronto is Fashion: http://www.torontoisfashion.com/2013/03/pink-tartan-fw-2013-toronto-fashion-week.html.

Marko, M. (2013, September 30). Wash and Wear Luxury from Pink Tartan Designer Kimberley

Newport-Mimran. Retrieved from Vancouver Sun: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Wash+wear+luxury+from+Pink+Tartan+designer+Kimberly+Newport+Mimran/8978924/story.html.

MBA Skool. (2012). Selective Distribution. Retrieved from MBA Skool:

http://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/operations-logistics-supply-chain-terms/2385-selective-distribution.html.

Newswire. (2013, November 25). A Perfect Cup for a Worthy Cause: Pink Tartan and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' Keurig Brand Launch Limited Edition Designer Cup Collaboration to Benefit the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation. Retrieved from Newswire: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1267397/a-perfect-cup-for-a-worthy-cause-pink-tartan-and-green-mountain-coffee-roasters-keurig-brand-launch-limited-edition-designer-cup-collaboration-to-bene.

Pink Tartan. (n.d.). About Pink Tartan. Retrieved from Pink Tartan:

http://pinktartan.com/ca/about. Pink Tartan. (n.d.). Pink Tartan. Retrieved from Pink Tartan: http://pinktartan.com/ca. Pink Tartan. (n.d.). Pink Tartan. Retrieved from Instagram: http://instagram.com/Pink_Tartan. Pink Tartan. (n.d.). Pink Tartan. Retrieved from YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/PinkTartanVideos/videos.

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Pink Tartan. (n.d.). Pink Tartan. Retrieved from Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pinktartan.

Pink Tartan. (n.d.). Pink Tartan. Retrieved from Twitter: https://twitter.com/PINK_TARTAN.

Strategic Business Insights. (2009-2013). Achievers. Retrieved from Strategic Business Insights: http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/ustypes/achievers.shtml.

Strauss, M. (2012, July 25). Loblaw's Joe Fresh Hooks Up With J.C. Penney. Retrieved from The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/loblaws-joe-fresh-hooks-up-with-jc-penney/article4439978.

TIFF. (2011). Toronto International Film Festival Sponsorship Opportunities. Retrieved from http://tiff.net/pdfs/2012SponsorshipOpportunities.pdf.

Waisberg, D. (2008). Meet The Mimrams: A Fashion Couple. Retrieved from http://www.waisberg.ca/article_bus_mimrans.html.

Widrich, L. (2013, May 2). Social Media in 2013: User Demographics for Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Retrieved from Buffer: http://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-in-2013-user-demographics-for-twitter-facebook-pinterest-and-instagram.

ENTER TO WIN

You could win a trip to Toronto for you and a

friend during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Prize includes flight, 2 nights accommodation,

tickets to a movie premiere and an invitation to a private styling party at

Pink Tartan, with celebrities in attendance!

To enter visit pinktartan.com for more details

proud sponsor of

#PinkTartanAtTiff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2014 CONTACT: Anita Matte, ASC Public Relations, Inc.

Phone: 416-845-3235 E-mail: anita@asc-to.com

PRETTY IN PINK TARTAN! PINK TARTAN INVITES YOU TO OUR STYLING PARTY

Toronto, ON – August 11, 2014 – In celebration of Pink Tartan’s corporate sponsorship of The

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Pink Tartan will be holding a styling party on September 6, 2014 at their flagship Yorkville store. This is Pink Tartan’s inaugural year as a sponsor of the festival. The party begins at 2pm and features professional advice from Pink Tartan’s knowledgeable staff about how to create an amazing nighttime look, perfect for the TIFF red carpet. In addition, there will be professional makeup artists and hairstylists from L’Oreal Canada onsite to complete the look. Pink Tartan founder/designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran is incredibly excited for her brand’s sponsorship of TIFF. “As a child growing up in Niagara Falls, my mom used to take me every year into the city to see the celebrities walking the TIFF red carpet. It is only fitting that twenty-five years later, my brand can help make events like this possible,” says Newport-Mimran. TIFF organizer Noah Cowan is pleased to welcome Pink Tartan as a corporate sponsor. “We are always actively looking for corporate sponsors in order to create the best experience for TIFF goers. It is serendipitous that a strong Canadian clothing brand like Pink Tartan is able to sponsor the Canadian cultural event of the year. It is my great pleasure to welcome Pink Tartan to the TIFF family,” says Cowan. Pink Tartan is a clothing retailer that produces stylish ready-to-wear clothing for the fashion-conscious, professional woman. Launched in 2002, they have grown to become a leading Canadian brand carried in Holt Renfrew, The Hudson’s Bay and Pink Tartan stores.

YOU ARE INVITED TO

Pretty

77 Yorkville Ave | Toronto, ON

09 06 14DayMonth Year

Join us for a celebration of Canadian style at our Yorkville �agship Store

#PinkTartanAtTiff

pinktartan.com

in

proud sponsor of

2:00 PM

about

• Pink Tartan was created in 2002 by Kimberley Newport-Mimran

• Pink Tartan produces stylish ready-to-wear clothing for the modern profes-

sional woman

• Newport-Mimran, a graduate of George Brown College’s Fashion Mer-

chandising and Manufacturing program, drew inspiration for her brand from

her sophisticated and fashionable grandmother

• Before creating Pink Tartan, Newport-Mimran gained extensive industry ex-

perience as a buyer for the Hudson’s Bay, and a product developer/designer

for Club Monaco and its lifestyle brand Caban

• In 2004, Newport-Mimran expanded her business, opening a Pink Tartan

office in New York City

• In 2010, Newport-Mimran launched a flagship lifestyle store in Toronto’s

affluent Yorkville neighbourhood. This location features the entire Pink Tartan

line along with books, trinkets, art and designer pieces that complement her

designs.

• In 2012, a second retail store was opened in Toronto in the Bayview Village

Shopping Centre

• In just ten years, Newport-Mimran has transformed Pink Tartan into a global

brand. In Canada, it is carried at Holt Renfrew and the Hudson’s Bay. Saks

Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Lord and Taylor carry the

line in the United States. Pink Tartan is also carried in speciality stores in the

Americas, Europe and the Middle East

2PM Arrivals

2:30PM Welcome speech by Kimberley Newport-Mimran

3PM Personal styling sessions for our Pretty in PINK TARTAN contest winner & guest

4PM Styling Session 1: Transform your outfit from day to TIFF

4:45PM Styling Session 2: Fall’s hottest looks

5:15PM Preview of our Spring 2015 RTW Collection

Cupcakes and tea & coffee will be served from 2PM-6PMCelebrity appearances between 3PM-5PM

L’Oreal makeup artists & hairstylists will be on hand from 3PM-6PM to transform your look

Instagram and tweet about the party using the hashtag #PinkTartanAtTiff

Prettyin

Schedule of EventsSaturday, September 6th, 2014

Styling Party | 2PM-6PM