1. Running Head: Marketing, Advertising and Promotional Strategy for Michael Kors
Marketing, Advertising and Promotional strategy for Michael Kors
Kristina Masten
The Art Institute of Phoenix
2. Running Head: Marketing, Advertising and Promotional Strategy for Michael Kors 2
Marketing, Advertising and Promotional Strategy
Executive Summary
Michael Kors is a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready
to wear. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products
through his Michael Kors and MICHAEL, Michael Kors labels, including accessories, footwear,
watches, jewelry, men’s and women’s ready to wear, and a full line of fragrance products.
Michael Kors stores are operated, either directly or through licensing partners, in some of the
most prestigious cities in the world, including New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago, London,
Milan, Paris, Munich, Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Michael Kors has
consistently had increases in sales in America and in Europe.
Currently the Michael Kors company is doing lots of philanthropist work with a goal to
stop world hunger and has given his employees the opportunity to work the food kitchens and
help out during the business day. My vision is to see Michael Kors company also support
environmental initiatives in his stores. Michael has always supported the green movement but
has not officially done anything to change the company’s carbon footprint or offer any
environmentally friendly garments or changes in his stores. The only environmentally friendly
project I have seen was to have a slightly greener store built that was going to have energy
saving lighting and the like.
The plan I have will help the Michael Kors brand actually show they are trying to keep
with the times and offer a more sustainable product line. . As the new fashion marketing
consultant I would suggest the brand start a recycling program in their stores. I know this not a
common practice for a luxury brand, but it will capture the heart and values of its 18 -31 year old
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consumers who are fashionable and environmentally savvy. The stores will have a recycling
program taking in any old clothing the consumer has for recycling and the customer will receive
a 15% off coupon to use in the store. The clothing will then be used to make denim products that
are 20% or greater recycled cotton. This new line under his affordable luxury line would carry
denim jeans that have been made from recycled cotton fiber. Now you can hand in any clothes
you no longer want. That way, we can reduce waste and give old products a new life. Eventually,
we’ll close the loop on textiles so nothing ever goes to waste. The campaign would help bring
awareness to the environmental movement and keep Michael one step ahead of the other luxury
brands who may want to jump on the recycling bandwagon. There would be advertising in the
store to support the new recycling movement within the company. Michael Kors does not have a
good sustainability ranking and this initiative could help improve those numbers for the
company. The project could be the first step towards the company becoming more sustainable as
a whole. I would like to see a commitment to changing the way Michael Kors makes, uses and
dispose of clothes. The new program can save natural resources and contribute to reduced
environmental impact by avoiding textile waste. Michael Kors will use I: Collect a garment
collection and recycling program which already works with many large companies including
H&M to recycle clothing into recycled fiber that can be made into clothing and other products.
Product - The collection I would like to focus my efforts around as the marketing consultant is
the Michael by Michael Kors women’s jeans line. I would like to add a new segment to the
Michael by Michael Kors line of clothing. The current line offers young fashionable pieces and
denim that Is right on cue with what's going on in fashion. The line does not offer anything that
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is eco-friendly or sustainable. The line as described by Michael Kors: “MICHAEL by Michael
Kors is about a certain attitude more than anything; she’s cool and of-the moment but not trendy.
She’s a traveler and engaged in the world around her in terms of pop culture, art, food and her
friends. She gets dressed she’s interested in pieces she can mix up as opposed to creating a head-
to-toe look. But the Michael Kors collection customer pulls MICHAEL by Michael Kors items
into her wardrobe also, with pieces that give her a fresh take on something or adds a little
unexpected moment to her look."
Price- The original Michael by Michael Kors line is considered affordable luxury with items
starting at 38 dollars for bikini bottoms up to 995.00 dollars for a Jacket. The market segment
which Michael is trying to hit with this line is the young hip woman. She is willing to buy
Michael Kors for the quality and the look. The new denim line would cost more as they would be
sustainable jeans that were made with recycled materials. The Jeans price point would be the
same as his traditional Michael by Michael Kors line.
Promotion- The first ad I would create would be called be the introduction ad for “green with
envy”, Michael Kors. The images would be of women wearing the new recycled Jean fashions
and would be in line with his current advertising showing women getting on planes, cars and
yachts to jet off to fabulous places. I believe we don't want to dilute or change the esthetic of the
brand just open it up to the people who love Michaels Kors but maybe wouldn't shop there
because it’s not green and sustainable. The other thing I would include would be a look book
showing some of the jean paired with other Michael Kors clothing item from his other Michael
Kors lines. The look book could be sent out in the mail to high-end neighborhoods near the
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stores. The look book for this collection like his other lines can be added to the website for
people to look up. The Twitter and Facebook marketing campaigns would be # Green with envy
or #going green with Michael and invite people to post pictures of how they are wearing the new
recycled fiber denim pieces. There will also be store signage that talks about their future efforts
to be more green and sustainable and how you can recycle your clothing at any store through the
new recycling program with I:CO that will put be put into place.
Place- I would like to improve the brands presence in the market place by opening up Michael
Kors to the ecofriendly chic who will love Michael Kors even more now that he has become
more green and sustainable. The main stores can do a pop up shop arrangement with in there
store to draw attention to the recycled denim line. The new items later can be worked into the
normal store floor plan. I don't want to change the way the stores are currently set up or add new
stores to the mix.
Brand Name: "Michael "by Michael Kors “Green with Envy” Collection
MissionStatement of Brand: Michael Kors is the leading American designer for luxury sports
wear. The company's heritage is rooted in producing women's ready to wear that is sleek, sexy,
sophisticated, graphic, American sportswear. It is their mission to bring this vision and lifestyle
to women and men around the world with all their products. This company embraces the highest
standards of creativity, integrity and quality.
Products: Michael by Michael Kors for women denim jeans
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Problem Statement: Michael by Michael Kors line does not offer a more ecofriendly green
option for his younger more environmentally friendly consumers.
Objective: Convince the audience of younger females 18-31 years old that Michael Kors does
have an ecofriendly and environmentally conscience side.
Target Market Description: Younger females 18-31 who want the Michael Kors name but may
not normally be able to afford to purchase his high quality fashion and who want to be
environmentally friendly.
Message to be communicated: Michael Kors has a commitment to be more environmentally
friendly with his new “green with Envy” collection. He wants to appeal to a larger market that is
interested in the environment and being ecofriendly.
Media to be used: a look book on the website and print showing how you can combine the
upcycled pieces with new pieces from the line. A social media campaign to include Facebook
and twitter could be used to promote the new environmentally friendly image for the new
recycled denim collection. Also, a magazine ad to introduce the new line.
Goals:
1. Educate customers on sustainability
2. Create new social media accounts for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and
Pinterest to launch new "Green with Envy" line of recycled fiber denim.
3. 3% Social media increase across all platforms in first month
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4. Increase of target age of 18-30 for Facebookfans by 2% in first month.
The social media message we are sending will be one of sustainability and
about recycling of clothing into new fabrics to help the environment. I have
selected to stay with the current social media platforms that the company is already
using I just want to open new accounts for this new productline. Each social media
platform will be worked into the teams Michael already has in place. New items
and posts will be updated daily on all social media Facebookwill mostly be
pictures and charts that show how the recycling program is going and how much
they have recycled and pictures of the new garments. All other platforms will be
the same facts about recycling and educating the consumer and will postabout how
much has been recycled. When new garments are released those will be also be
posted on social media. I would like to start the hash tag of #GreenwithEnvy for
all platforms that supporthashtags when posting about this new line of clothing. I
would also like to have people postpictures of themselves wearing the new denim
line and hashtag the photo #GreenwithEnvy
Facebook:
I: Collect USA (I:CO®) announced its partnership with Michael Kors who is
a New York City-based fashion designer of American sportswear. I:CO's fabric
recycling initiative is coming to all Michael Kors stores in the United States, thus
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display the company’s commitment to bringing in some sustainability and creating
an infrastructure that supports a circular economy for its "Green with Envy" line.
Check it out at a store near you. # GreenwithEnvy #MichaelKors
Facebook:
Sustainability : "Sustainability is an economic state where the demands placed
upon the environment by people and commerce can be met without reducing the
capacity of the environment to provide for future generations." Ecology of
commerce #GreenwithEnvy #MichaelKors #Sustainabledenim
Facebook/Twitter:
Help close the loop on sustainability with the
"Green with Envy" denim line by Michael Kors #GreenwithEnvy
Facebook:
Do you believe in reincarnation Michael Kors does with its new "Green with
Envy" Collection see your garments recycled into new denim Jeans
Facebook/Twitter:
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Posta picture of you wearing your new "GreenwithEnvy" denim and show the
world how you wear your Kors!
Twitter:
"Green with Envy" denim line by Michael Kors #GreenwithEnvy
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Pinterest:
"Green with Envy" denim by Michael Kors
Try our sustainable recycled fiber denim jeans.
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Currently the Michael Kors brand only does advertisements for his high end
line Michael Kors, not the ready to wear line of Michael by Michael Kors with the
introduction of the new line. I would add social media just for this new denim
collection. New advertising for the new line would be done to market to the
woman who wants Kors but would like to help the plant.
At this time Michael has a very strong social media presence with over 16
million fans on Facebook, 3.6 million followers on twitter and 5.3 million users on
Instagram as well as over a million followers on Pinterest. The new marketing will
engage these old users to also follow the new fan pages as this is a new direction
for Michael Kors. The new line will be offering sustainable recycled cotton denim
jeans as an additional option to his already affordable Michael by Michael Kors
line. All comments and posts will be responded too in 24 hours.
Michael Kors already has a strong website presence and a new section about
the new line will be created with the video on why recycling is important and other
important information about new products and the 20% off discountfor recycling
any garment or garments. http://www.michaelkors.com/
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All stores will launch this new line with advertising and signage in store,
stores in larger markets will also show a video that will explain why recycling is
important and what becomes of recycled items. If you recycle you will get a 20%
off couponfor use in the store. Watch I: Collect video here:
https://youtu.be/Jb3MbyjTFTI.
The new Michael Kors “Green with Envy” collection will be made with recycled cotton
fiber. The denim jeans will come in four shades of blue with the option to run additional colors
in the future. The I: Collect company will be helping with the collection process and recycling of
the products into fibers that will then be used in the denim collection. The line will help show
that Michael Kors does understand client’s environmental concerns and wants to offer them a
collection that will make them feel good about their purchase.
