Marist Brand PositioningChristine Ryan, Catherine Tucci, Vicky Mulé, Brittany Carmona

Final Brand Concept

What the Brand Sells & Should Sell

● The brand designs and sells T-shirts, sweatshirts and additional apparel for both men and women, workout gear,

onesies for infants, t-shirts for toddlers and kids, purses, and accessories: jewelry, scarves, cuff links, etc.

● Based on class research, customers hope to see more male-oriented products, less expensive products, and

additional clothing options.

Current Selling Model● The Marist Brand is currently sold at Fashionology - the student-developed and cultivated boutique - located in

Donnelly Hall, Fashion Plaza at Marist College.

Selling Model Recommendations

● Brick and mortar on-campus store location● E-commerce website● Social media presence: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest

*Supporting Research Findings

Target Audience Profile (Students)What defines a Millennial? ● Prizm group: Young Influentials: Midscale Middle Age w/o Kids

Demographics● 18-34 years old ● Educated; 54% of generation has at least some college education ● Students, recently graduated/looking for jobs, just starting their careers or young parents ● Likely to live with a parent, partner or roommate

Psychographics (Lifestyle, Behavior & Attitudes)● “Millennials don’t simply use gadgets - they’ve fused their social lives into them”

○ 3//4 of Millennials have social networking accounts ● Respond to engagement between brand and consumer● Family is important - they get along with their parents and value good parenting● Adventurous

Target Audience Profile (Faculty/Staff)

What defines a Gen-Xer?

● Prizm group: New Homesteaders: Upper Mid Younger w/ Kids

Demographics

● 35-50 years old○ Born between 1965-1981

● Likely married and raising children

Psychographics (Lifestyle, Behavior & Attitudes)

● Values● 80% of Gen Xers are online

○ Digital video streaming (78.7% download/stream video once per month)● Shopping habits● Newest medias for the fastest results

Target Audience Profile (Alumni)What defines a Baby Boomer?● Prizm group: New Empty Nests: Upper Mid Mature w/o Kids

Demographics

● Ages 51-69● Largest generation● College educated

○ 69% of those retired, work again

Psychographics (Lifestyle, Behavior & Attitudes)

● Values● Tech-savvy● After retirement: Active lifestyle and home improvement● While only 3-5% of marketing targets boomers…

○ Brand/ad friendly & easily reached○ Have and spend money

Customer NarrativeAlexis is a young, creative Marist student who buys clothing that promotes her personal artistry. Alexis

doesn’t simply shop - she shows, and she tells. Clothing and accessories are important to Alexis, but self-

expression, history and innovation are among her most valued ideals. On the weekend, she visits bookstores

and boutiques in New Paltz and enjoys writing and doing homework in the scenic Hudson River Valley. She

loves music, expressing herself and feels a sense of community at her home: Marist College. Her friends, peers

and surroundings inspire her work and allow her to freely tell her story. While Alexis is currently a student,

she will continue to wear Marist Brand clothing after graduation as a young professional and alumna - she

proudly displays the Marist College story, and the Marist Brand will tell her individual story for years

to come.

Key Customer Insight

The ideal customer seeks a retail brand that feels like home and tells a subtle story.

Customer Takeaway

We want the customer to feel/think that The Marist Brand…

passes along history and insight while allowing the customer to tell his or her own individual story.

Everyone Has a Story...

Brand Positioning

Inspiration: Storyteller Archetype

Archetypal Family: Artist, Creator, Entrepreneur, Storyteller, Visionary

Strengths: Charisma, Dramatic Expression. Keen insight. Intuitive understanding of the world. Empathy. Compassion.

Summary: Connects people to the shared human experience with stories that can unleash powerful emotions, build

credibility and allow for difficult topics to be explored. Using this gift to relay information and knowledge, the

Storyteller passes along history and insight, often with a bit of drama to make a point or add clarity. In many

ways, the Storyteller is the living bridge between the conscious world and the archetypal realm of the collective

unconscious. This archetype makes the covert overt, the metaphorical applicable, the separate integrated.

Brand PositioningBrand DNA: Artistry, Storyteller, Community

● Brand DNA based on customer insights:

● Marist Brand is culmination of fashion students’ creative expression

● Designers pass along Marist history into their pieces

● Designers pass along their own inspiration into their pieces

● Everyone who wears Marist Brand product has his/her own story

● Although target market is diverse - it is one community

Brand Territory: Retail; clothing, jewelry, accessories

Brand Character/Personality: Think songwriter/poet - your artistic older family member

Brand properties: Marist archive photos (Lowell Thomas travels, Greystone building,

rowing), Marist script “M,” Fashionology

Brand Positioning Statement

For Marist students, alumni, faculty and staff, River & Stone/The Marist Brand is the retail brand that tells a subtle story, because only River & Stone’s ability to

connect with its tribe of consumers drives it to create products that celebrate designers, consumers and the

history of the greater Marist community.

Brand Video

Everyone has a story, and River & Stone connects a piece of each of our stories

https://youtu.be/HOzdssuLhtw

“Everyone has a story”

River & Stone

Alternative Name Logo/Tagline“A brand fit for everyone”

Print Ad Creative 1

Print Ad Creative 2

Print Ad Creative 3

Other Print Ad examples

● She is an alumna.● He is a professor. ● He is a Marist design student.