Defining an iconic Strategy
For my Master’s in Branding thesis project at the
School of Visual Arts, I worked with the creative team from Proctor & Gamble to research, analyse, and define an actionable strategy for elevating the Frederic Fekkai brand across the consumer touchpoints of events,
digital, & retail.
The project began with a deep dive into the world of beauty—from luxury salons, to mass market retailers—
we researched every inch of the competitive landscape and beauty market, marrying this research to cultural insights to create a conceptual framework for the brand.
Brands become iconic by creating a
meaningful difference in people’s lives.
With the framework in place, we worked to define the brand’s overall equity by first interviewing Frederic Fekkai as well as key internal stakeholders to determine the driving philosophy and underlying passions of the brand. Second, we studied their products, creating an in-depth taxonomy not only of customer benefits, but also of key emotional touch points.
Having defined the brand equity, we brainstormed the core truth of the brand, it’s charcater and values. This truth, “every woman is beautiful”, became the guidelight for all the future creative work under the inspirational vision, “Beauty Starts with You.”
The creative challenge was in activating this core truth, creating excitememnt and buzz for a new “masstige” audience while not alienating their core luxury customer.
for the subsequent creative strategy.
To generate buzz for the brand, I proposed building branded “pop-up salons” which could be deployed at key events and locations, offering free blow outs and beauty refreshes. Not only would this generate goodwill by tapping into the power of reciprocity, but it would strengthen the appeal of Fekkai within the consumer’s brand assocation universe.
Expanding the product line along the core truth took the form of “reframe kits” centered along the concept of transitions. The concept is that there are opportunities throughout the day when women want to refresh themselves in order to feel beautiful, and just as they refresh their lipstick from time to time, Fekkai can provide a product allowing them to refresh their hair.
Exploring the retail shelf, I proposed exploring the idea of digital/social by installing interactive displays in stores. More than simple vehicles for marketting camapigns, they could be truly interactive devices, offering personal recommendations for hair care products based on customer interaction, a digital Fekkai salon experience!
