rebranding and repositioning house of neeta lulla through public

“REBRANDING AND REPOSITIONING HOUSE OF NEETA
LULLA THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS”
PW PR & BRAND CONSULTANCY, INDIA
SUBMITTED BY
SHRADDHA BHANUSHALI
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2016
MASTER OF FASHION MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF FASHION MANAGEMENT STUDIES
NATIONAL INSITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY
(MUMBAI)
I
DECLARATION
I, SHRADDHA BHANUSHALI, STUDENT OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, MUMBAI , STUDYING IN MFM
SEMESTER IV, HEREBY DECLARE THAT I HAVE COMPLETED THIS
PROJECT ENTITLED “REBRANDING AND REPOSITIONING HOUSE
OF NEETA LULLA THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS” IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE GRADUATION
PROJECT FOR THE DEGREE OF THE MASTERS IN FASHION
MANAGEMENT COURSE DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2016
I FURTHER DECLARE THAT INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY ME IS
TRUE AND ORIGINAL TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
DATE:
SHRADDHA BHANUSHALI
PLACE: MUMBAI
II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I, SHRADDHA BHANUSHALI STUDENT OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
FASHION TECHNOLOGY, MUMBAI, STUDYING IN MFM SEMESTER
IV WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE DIRECTOR Smt. NILIMA RANI
SINGH FOR THEIR CONSTANT SUPPORT IN THIS ENDEAVOUR. ALSO
THE COURSE CENTER HEAD AND THE PROJECT MENTOR Ms.
LIPI CHOUDHARY FOR THEIR VALUABLE SUPPORT AND
GUIDANCE DURING THIS PROJECT.
ALSO MY INDUSTRY MENTOR Mr. PARIKSHAT WADHWANI WHO
HELPED ME WITH THEIR PRICELESS EXPERIENCE AND
KNOWLEDGE, WITHOUT WHICH THIS PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
SHRADDHA
BHANUSHALI
III
ANNEXURE-IV
(External Jury Examination Proceeding)
NIFT: MUMBAI
Proceedings of the MFM GRP External Jury Examination of Mr./Ms.
____________________
held at
am/pm on
in <NIFT, Mumbai>
The GRP Internal Jury Examination of Ms. Shraddha Bhanushali on her MFM
GRP report entitled “REBRANDING AND REPOSITIONING HOUSE OF
NEETA LULLA THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS” was conducted in <
NIFT Mumbai> at am/pm on
.
The following members of the External Jury were present:
1.
2.
3.
4.
<Name, Designation & Address>
<Name, Designation & Address>
<Name, Designation & Address>
<Name, Designation & Address>
IV
RECOMMENDATION
The Research scholar Ms. Shraddha Bhanushali presented the salient features
of her GRP work. This was followed by questions from the External Jury
members. The questions raised by the Jury Examiners were also put to the
scholar. The scholar answered the questions to the full satisfaction of the jury
members.
Based on the scholar’s research work, her presentation and also the
clarifications and answers by the scholar to the questions, the board
recommends that Mr./Ms.___________________________, be awarded the
Master Degree in "Master of Fashion Management (MFM)"
1. (Name of the Jury Member with Signature)
2. (Name of the Jury Member with Signature)
3. (Name of the Jury Member with Signature)
4. (Name of the Jury Member with Signature)
V
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This project basically includes the deep meaning of Public Relation functions
and its importance in the fashion industry. The project titled as ‘Rebranding and
Repositioning House of Neeta Lulla through Public Relations’ explains the
efforts taken by PW PR & Brand Consultancy to reposition the Label to target
the younger audience. It focuses on what are the main factors influencing
consumer behavior of today’s youth in terms of buying patterns and how to
change those factors to change the perception of today’s young female audience
towards the label.
The project states the following objectives like To understand the Public
Relation process of PW PR & Brand Consultancy, to Rebrand and Re- position
House of Neeta Lulla Label to appeal to the younger customers, to understand
importance of Public Relations for Fashion Designers, study the daily activities
performed by a Fashion Publicist and Role, Responsibilities and Skills required
by a Fashion Publicist.
House of Neeta Lulla is a fashion label with high importance to traditional
heritage of India. Neeta Lulla who is famous for making exquisite designs for
the Indian Women to enhance their beauty and elegance with great importance
to Indian values and cultures.
House of Neeta Lulla’s Image in the Media was more of a veteran label with
only focus on Bridal Wear. Neeta Lulla wanted to change the face of her label.
She wanted to make it for appealing and more targeted towards today’s
generation.
She wanted her label to stand out for individual young female who love to stay
on trend and also admires Indian designs.
The focus of the project is to introduce House of Neeta Lulla in a new and
effective mode through Public Relations efforts.
Today’s youth constitute large customer base for fashion and apparel sector.
Also due to increase in globalization, the employment opportunities has
increased and today’s youth wants to spend more. They have also become
fashion conscious and image conscious due to increase in social media usage.
VI
Due to today’s young generation’s change in taste and preferences, it has
significant impact on Indian design aesthetics and popular fashion.
The research method undertaken was Qualitative research which heavily rely on
personal observations. Qualitative research is collecting, analyzing and
interpreting data by observing what people do and say.
The Primary data collection for the project was done through personal
interviews and personal observation. The secondary data was collected through
internet research, magazines, and e-books.
Hence the project includes the deep summary about the efforts taken by PW PR
& Brand Consultancy to reposition Neeta Lulla Label to target young audience
and its effects and outcome.
VII
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 – COMPANY PROFILE ...................................................................................... 1
1.2. PW PR CLIENTS .................................................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 2 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 16
2.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................ 16
2.2 SOURCE OF DATA- ............................................................................................................ 16
2.3 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION- ....................................................................................... 16
2.4 SAMPLE SIZE ..................................................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER 3 - ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS.......................................................................... 18
3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 18
3.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ............................................................................... 20
3. 3 PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES .............................................................................. 24
3. 4 PR PROFESSIONALS .......................................................................................................... 26
3. 5. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE PRESS ................................................................................. 28
3. 6. FASHION PR .................................................................................................................... 29
3. 7 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FASHION PUBLICIST ................................................... 31
3.8. COMPONENTS OF FASHION PR......................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER 4 - PWPR MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS .............................................................. 36
4.1 CELEBRITY SPOTTING ........................................................................................................ 36
4.2. EDITORIAL FEATURES ....................................................................................................... 41
4.3. EVENTS AND LAUNCHES ................................................................................................... 46
4.4. COLLABORATIONS AND POTENTIAL RETAILING OPTIONS .................................................. 59
CHAPTER 5 - REBRANDING AND REPOSITIONING HOUSE OF NEETA LULLA THROUGH
PUBLIC RELATIONS ......................................................................................................... 63
5.1. SCENARIO ANALYSIS.................................................................................................... 64
5.2. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION .......................................................................................... 65
5.3 DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGY............................................................................................ 67
5.4. IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGY ..................................................................................... 76
5.5 OUTCOME ........................................................................................................................ 85
CHAPTER 6 - BENEFIT TO THE COMPANY AND SELF LEARNINGS ....................................... 95
ANNEXURE I ................................................................................................................. 114
WEBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 115
0
CHAPTER 1 – COMPANY PROFILE
1.1 ABOUT PW PR
Parkishat Wadhwani Public Relations and Brand Consultancy (PW PR) is
founded by Parikshat Wadhwani in year 2011.
After completing his graduation, Parikshat Wadhwani started his career in Public
Relations. After gaining experience and knowledge about public relation
industry, he started his own firm called PW PR & Brand Consultancy.
PW PR was first into food PR where they used to launch restaurants and lounges.
Majority of food chains and restaurants have been handled by PW PR. Some of
the famous restaurants launched by PW PR includes names like Mamagoto, Sassy
Spoon, the big nasty, loca loca, to name a few.
After successfully launching food restaurants and eateries, PW PR then shifted
their base in another territory. Parikshat Wadhwani always had penchant towards
fashion and hence he started with Fashion PR.
A 6 year old company is an well-known PR agencies in the industry with high
reputation and trust. PW PR had opportunity to work with greatest names in
fashion. Following are Present and past client lists of PW PR & Brand
Consultancy.
1
PW PR & Brand Consultancy is new and small but they have created a niche for
themselves in the fashion industry.
The Company has a lean organisational structure and a democratic way of
working. All the employees are welcomed to give their suggestions and provide
scope for improvement. It provides a sense of belonging to all the employees due
the free functioning of the firm.
A 6 year old company is an well-known PR agencies in the industry with high
reputation and trust. PW PR had opportunity to work with greatest names in
fashion. Following are Present and past client lists of PW PR & Brand
Consultancy.
2
1.2. PW PR CLIENTS
1.2.1 Neeta Lulla
From simplicity to royalty, Neeta Lulla has it all to her credit. Neeta Lulla has
been one name which has been prevalent in the industry since two decades now.
The designer has been an active contributor in giving the actors a look to die
for. Her designs have not only been recognized in India, but have also acquired
great acclaims globally. The designer has made a niche for herself, creating the
costumes of the era long lost. The challenge to create designs for the high
profile and larger than life movies like Jodha Akhbar and Devdas have been
very well met by Neeta Lulla, who tuned them to the richness and charismatic
period of the movies. From the elegant look of Chandni and the underdone
colors of Yuva, to the majestic appearance of Paro and the recent Jodha, the
talented designer has each time surpassed her own record, to create a new high.
Early Life
Neeta Lulla started as an assistant to the former Indian leading fashion
choreographer, Jeanne Naoroji, in the late 1980's. After gaining experience and
knowledge in the field, she started off with her first venture in Bollywood with
the film Tamasha, with Kimi Katkar. However, the glare of publicity that
3
brought her instant stardom in the fashion world of Bollywood came with the
movie 'Lamhe'. The simple yet elegant look of Sridevi won her not only great
accolades, but also a national award for designing great attires. Her journey in
the fashion fraternity has no looking back since then.
Career and Success
The ingenious capabilities of Neeta Lulla has kept her going strong past two
splendid decades, with almost over 350 movies to her credit. They have also
won her national award. Globally, Neeta Lulla has done a number of shows in
U.S., Canada, Monte Carlo and Rome. Apart from being the 'desi' style guru,
she has also had impressive international victory. She was commissioned to
design all the costumes for Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole in the Hollywood
mega film 'One Night with the King'. Neeta is also designing costumes for
Gurinder Chadha-Paul Myeda's 'Mistress of Spices', with Aishwarya Rai once
again in the lead. She is also working for Tanuja Chandra's English film and one
more untitled Hollywood film.
Influences over the years
With 25 years of fashion experience, she has evolved as a fashion designer
tremendously and onto superior levels. With the passing years, her collections
have aimed at matching the advancing fashion tastes of the generations today.
More quality oriented fabrics like cotton, georgette, chiffon, net, silk, etc are a
part of her collections, which are witnessed in her trend setting designer saris
and other such traditional outfits. More beads, shimmering threads, frills and
delicate colors have been added to her collections.
Brand and Clientele
An expert in bridal trousseau and a national award winner, Neeta Lulla has a
whole bunch of Bollywood biggies in her kitty as her clientele. From Sridevi,
Juhi Chawla, Tabu, Mahima Chowdhary to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and
Abhishek Bachchan the designer has roped them all. After designing for movies
and the who's who of the industry, the designer has moved a step further and
launched a flagship store in Mumbai. This two-storey showroom, made of
ivory, dull gold and aquamarine, has two lines of collection. While the
basement caters to the bridal lounge (Neeta Lulla Couture), the ground floor
holds diffusion line (Neeta Lulla Nishq).



Filmography
Some of the famous movies Neeta Lulla has been a part of are:
Jodhaa Akbar
Devdas
Kisna
4




Yuva
Taal
Hum Aapke hai Kaun
Hero no 1
AWARDS









National Film Award for Best Costume Design 2012 for Balgandharva
National Film Award for Best Costume Design 2009 for Jodhaa Akbar.
IIFA Best Costume Design Award 2009 for Jodhaa Akbar.
Kingfisher Fashion Award 2005 for Contribution to Fashion.
Bollywood Movie Award – Best Costume Designer 2003 for Devdas.
Zee Cine Award for Best Costume Designer 2003 for Devdas.
National Film Award for Best Costume Design 2002 for Devdas.
Bollywood Movie Award – Best Costume Designer 2001 for Mission
Kashmir.
IIFA Best Costume Design Award 2000 for Taal
5
1.2.2 NISHKA LULLA
Nishka Lulla is a name which has set a distinct identity of being a young, crisp
and dynamic designer who graduated from SNDT College, Mumbai. Nishka
Lulla is currently one of the leading designers in the fashion industry, brain-child
behind two established lines of clothing: ‘Nisshk’, the traditional fusion line and
the new born ‘Nishka Lulla’ the boho traveller chic prêt-e-porter line. Passionate
about design since childhood, she always wanted to be a designer. She polished
her skills and expertise by assisting under mentor, Neeta Lulla.
Nishka dazzled through to spotlight after winning the ‘Creative Excellence
Award’ for the ‘Barbie all Doll'd up’ show at the Lakme Fashion Week 2009,
where India's leading designers participated to design an outfit for Barbie for her
50th Anniversary. The outfit today is being displayed at the Barbie museum
internationally. Adding to her accolades, Nishka also recently bagged the Grazia
Young Fashion Award for “Designer of the Year 2014”.
6
Nishka Lulla had designed luxury home linen collection with Portico New York,
called Bohemian. She has also collaborated with international beauty brand
Lancome India to launch their product, where she designed a line inspired by the
product. Nishka has recently collaborated with the Indian highstreet label 109F
to launch a collection of easy-to-wear pieces that will be sold across various doors
of the latter.
Nishka Lulla also partnered with beauty giant – Clinique to launch their Pop
Artistry collection for Spring Summer 2016 in Mumbai.
Nishka's clientele includes top notch Indian celebrities like Sonam Kapoor,
Shraddha Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Alia
Bhatt, Lara Dutta, Sonakshi Sinha, Kajol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin,
Jacqueline Fernandez, Kiran Rao, Genelia D'souza, Sameera Reddy, Dia Mirza,
Evelyn Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Tammana, Nimrat Kaur and Tanisha
Mukherjee, to name a few.
7
1.2.3 NATASHA J
NATASHA DAVDA
After Natasha Davda’s tryst with Vogue as a freelance fashion researcher in 2009,
the designer briefly began her professional association with designers and export
houses trying to grasp as much knowledge and experience from professionals in
the industry. She continued her journey until she started focusing on the launch
of her own label.
It was in 2011, her private label-Natasha J was launched, as a way to truly satisfy
her design instincts. This is where Natasha gave her penchant for stylish clothes
a free reign, while maintaining the wear-ability of each garment.
Natasha’s creative bent is naturally inherited with her father involved in the
making of fine diamond jewellery and her mother who is a commercial artist. It
was her natural flair for style and a keen eye for global trends that made Natasha
pursue her dream.
To further expand her knowledge that Natasha decided to take up a three-year
fashion course at SNDT, Mumbai, following which she further enrolled herself
8
in a few short and specialized courses at Fashion Institute of Technology, New
York.
ABOUT THE LABEL - NATASHA J
Natasha J-wear is the perfect blend of comfort and style, while maintaining the
wear-ability of each garment. The mix-n-match separates make a statement
individually or as an ensemble, while allowing the wearer to cater to their
personal distinctive style.
The collections are always commercially viable due to the suitability to the Indian
consumer and of course, the use of fine quality fabrics. Each piece is well suited
to wear for any special occasion at any destination.
Natasha’s design sensibility and a personal touch of detailing add a unique touch
to each and every piece available in the collection. It is the quirky elements, mix
of color blocking and prints, or even an over the top bold tassel; that makes it a
must-have piece in every wardrobe.
The label’s key focus is separates which are chic and on trend, and are crafted to
suit all body types.
Natasha J is currently available at ATOSA, AZA and her flagship studio in
Mumbai.
9
1.2.4. AMY BILLIMORIA
Amy Billimoria who is a graduate in apparel manufacturing and designing from
the SNDT University of Fashion Designing, has been a part of the Indian fashion
fraternity for twenty four long years.
Specializing in couture and bridal fashion, Amy Billimoria has been trained with
the stalwarts of the Indian fashion industry and today is a mentor at many of
Mumbai’s leading fashion colleges like SNDT and B.D Somani college of
Fashion Design. The designer strongly supports Eco Fashion curbing textile
wastage keeping Reuse, Reduce and Recycle as the core essence of her design
philosophy. An Eco Fashion initiative ‘Earth 21’ by Couturier Amy Billimoria
saw a grand launch during the Earth Week finale which was unveiled by
international icon Shoaib Akhtar.
Amy Billimoria carries many accolades like the Lions Gold Awards, Manikchand
Designer of the year, Leela Trophy for best embellishment, Femina Chrysalis
Alumni Trophy and Garden Vareli Best Sari Choli Design to name a few.
Amy has had the opportunity of dressing some of the most prominent faces from
royal families and the film fraternity like Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari,
10
Shruti Hassan, Richa Chadda, Tabu, Ileana D'Cruz, Hema Malini, Sania Mirza,
Shoaib Akhtar and the likes.
11
1.2.5 LABEL BOSQUARE
Label BoSquare is founded by Designer Nitin Singh who wants to make Indian
men stylish and suave. He designs traditional silhouettes with quirky touch.
BoSquare showcases an artistically suave collection with an edge of quirkiness.
With brilliant deep shades of blue, green, maroon to staple hues of grey, black
and white, the label bestows an enigmatic approach towards bespoke apparel
making. Using rich textures like linens, velvets and Banarasi brocades, the
pieces are fit for every occasion and personality.
With elan and elegance, BoSquare brings stylish yet edgy ensembles to reflect
the dapper side of men in the city.
Label Bosquare has been loved by celebrities like Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan,
Irfan Khan, Fawad Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput, to name a few.
12
1.2.6. OLDER CLIENTS
1. Sailex
Sailex Ngairangbam completed his schooling from Imphal,
Manipur. He pursued a fashion design degree at NIFT,
Bangalore and graduated in 2005. He followed this up with a
masters’ degree from Domus Academy, Milan (2007). As part
of his training, he undertook internships at Frankie Morello and
Rafael Lopez, and also worked on projects with Costume
National, Marina Rinaldi, Patrizia Pepe and Havaianas.
Sailex is a premium to luxury clothing label, designed by Sailex
Ngairangbam. It started out as a women’s eveningwear label in
2008, but over the years, the studio has expanded its product
ranges.
Babita Malkani
Babita Malkani started her career in 1988 and has been a
regular at various fashion events in India and Internationally.
Babita's niche involves embracing rich fabrics with spirited
cuts and shapes that reflect contemporary high fashion.
Malkani often incorporates arty expressions and her
experiences into her works - with a healthy inspiration from
nature.
The designer has showcased her collections at Dubai Fashion
Week 2009, Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2010 and
Global Runway’s Night Out Spring-Summer 2010 in New York.
2.
Hema Kaul
Hema Kaul is an Indian designer based in Dubai. As the
eldest of three children, Kaul took over the family business
at an early age, but has always nurtured a love for design in
all its forms. Kaul travels around the world, staying on top
of things and remaining up to date on the trendiest clothes
and on style in general.
13
HEMA The Label traces her design aesthetics to western couture
with european styles & minimal designs heightened with glamor of
every ensemble.
She retails in multi designer stores like Fuel, Pernia’s pop up shop,
and also through her own website.
3.
Nisha Sainani
Nisha Sainani, a Mumbai-based designer, launched her
label in the year 2008.
Inspired by her travels coupled with her passion for
fashion, Nisha Sainani was determined to follow her
dream which led her to fashion school and further on to
explore the fashion design industry.
Nisha Sainani’s collections focus on urban luxury prêt
& ready to wear, a niche that she has discovered in the
past few years.
4. Priyanka Parekh
Priyanka Parekh, a luxury pret label founded by Kolkata
based designer Priyanka Parekh.
The journey for Parekh in the world of fashion started
early and she followed her dreams by pursuing a formal
education with NIFT Kolkata.
14
Parekh launched her first flagship store, PRIYANKA PAREKH in Kolkata in
2014.Parekh made her debut this year at the renowned multi-designer store,
Atosa in Mumbai with the A/W 2015 collection.
5. SASS by Pooja S.
Pooja S was inclined towards fashion since a very young
age and was very certain to make a career out of it.
Given Pooja’s natural inclination towards fashion she
wanted to capitalize on her knowledge, thus she went
ahead to pursue a few short degree courses in this space.
Pooja draws her inspiration from nature and her children,
which is very prominent in her collections featuring floral
prints against a vibrant color palette in a range of styles
from resort to evening wear. Each and every creation of Sass by Pooja exudes
sensuality which is sure to make heads turn once carried off.
15
CHAPTER 2 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A Qualitative Research Analysis was done to understand the scenario and to
develop strategies accordingly.
2.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To understand the Public Relation process of PW PR & Brand Consultancy
2. To Rebrand and Re- position House of Neeta Lulla Label to appeal to the
younger customers
3. To understand importance of Public Relations for Fashion Designers
4. Study the daily activities performed by a Fashion Publicist
5. Role, Responsibilities and Skills required by a Fashion Publicist.
2.2 SOURCE OF DATAMedia professionals, Fashion stylists, customers of high end designer wear
2.3 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTIONQualitative research presents non-quantitative type of analysis. Qualitative
research is collecting, analyzing and interpreting data by observing what people
do and say. Qualitative research refers to the meanings, definitions,
characteristics, symbols, metaphors, and description of things. It is much more
subjective and uses very different methods of collecting information, mainly
individual, in-depth interviews and focus groups.
The nature of this type of research is exploratory and open ended. Small number
of people are interviewed in depth.
The qualitative data gathering strategies used for this study is as follows:
Interviews
Face to face interviews were conducted to gather responses from the respondents.
This method allows the researcher to establish rapport with the potential
participants and also to clarify ambiguous answers and also to provide necessary
information to them.
16
Telephone interviews are less time consuming and less expensive and the
researcher has ready access to anyone on the planet who has telephone.
Telephonic interviews were conducted to gather responses from the respondents.
General Observations
The research executive has to observe employees, customers, type of
merchandise in store, type of retail format, size of store, etc. to get basic
information about retailer. These observations must be noted down.
2.4 SAMPLE SIZE
There is no fixed sample size for the research.
17
CHAPTER 3 - ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Every organisation, no matter how large or small, ultimately depends on its
reputation for survival and success.
Customers, suppliers, employees, investors, journalists and regulators can have a
powerful impact. They all have an opinion about the organisations they come into
contact with - whether good or bad, right or wrong. These perceptions will drive
their decisions about whether they want to work with, shop with and support these
organisations.
In today's competitive market, reputation can be a company's biggest asset – the
thing that makes you stand out from the crowd and gives you a competitive edge.
Effective PR can help manage reputation by communicating and building good
relationships with all organisation stakeholders.
Public Relations is about reputation - the result of what you do, what you say and
what
others
say
about
you.
Public Relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of
earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is
the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual
understanding between an organisation and its publics.
3.1.1 Terms
The following terms are used in the definition of PR:



'Organisation' can be a government body, a business, a profession, a public
service or a body concerned with health, culture, education - indeed any
corporate or voluntary body large or small.
'Publics' are audiences that are important to the organisation. They include
customers - existing and potential; employees and management; investors;
media; government; suppliers; opinion-formers.
'Understanding' is a two-way process. To be effective, an organisation
needs to listen to the opinions of those with whom it deals and not solely
provide information. Issuing a barrage of propaganda is not enough in
today's open society.
18
Public relations success requires a deep understanding of the interests and
concerns of each the client's many publics. The public relations professional must
know how to effectively address those concerns using the most powerful tool of
the PR trade: publicity [source: Bureau of Labor Statistics].
Entrepreneur.com defines public relations purely in terms of publicity work,
describing PR as "Using the news or business press to carry positive stories about
your company or your products; cultivating a good relationship with local press
representatives" [source: Entrepreneur.com].
In many cases, the chief duty of the public relations professional is to draft press
releases, which are sent to targeted members of the media. But to limit the scope
of the public relations definition to publicity alone would be to underestimate the
growing influence and reach of PR.
For example, Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes is scheduled to speak at the
Public Relations Society of America's annual conference about "public
diplomacy," a branch of government public relations. Public diplomacy is
shaping the image of a nation (in this case, the United States) in the eyes of both
traditional allies and enemy states.
Today's public relations professional does much more than sit behind a desk
faxing out press releases. More than ever, he's the public face of the client. It's the
PR professional who organizes community outreach and volunteer programs. It's
the PR representative who cultivates relationships with potential investors. And
it's the PR executive who goes on the cable TV news program to answer the tough
questions.
Public relations (PR) is the way organisations, companies and individuals
communicate with the public and media. A PR specialist communicates with the
target audience directly or indirectly through media with an aim to create and
maintain a positive image and create a strong relationship with the audience.
Examples include press releases, newsletters, public appearances, etc. as well as
utilisation of the world wide web.
19
3.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public relations arrived with the development of mass media. At the turn of the
20th century, "muckraking" journalists were stirring up public dissent against the
powerful monopolies and wealthy industrialists who ruled the day. Early public
relations firms combated the bad press by placing positive stories about their
clients in newspapers.
Former journalists, such as Ivy Lee, used the first press releases to feed
newspapers "the facts" about his misunderstood clients, namely the railroad and
tobacco industries, and J.D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil.
Lee and company became so good at whitewashing even the darkest corporate
sins that PR professionals earned a reputation as "spin doctors."
Much time has passed since the days of Ivy Lee, and to label today's PR
professionals as dishonest would be to ignore how pervasive and important their
work has become to people and organizations of all shapes and sizes -- small
businesses, authors, activists, universities, and non-profit organizations -- not just
big business and big government.
Public relations has been with us for thousands of years.
The Greeks had a word for it: sematikos: to signify, to mean. Semantikos means
semantics, which can be defined as how to get people to believe things and do
things. That is not a bad definition of public relations.
In 50 B.C. Julius Caesar wrote the first campaign biography, Caesar’s Gallic
Wars. He publicized his military exploits to convince the Roman people that he
would make the best head of state. Candidates for political office continue to
publicize themselves with campaign biographies and accounts of military exploits
to this day.
In 394 A.D., St. Augustine was a professor of rhetoric in Milan, the capitol of the
Western Roman Empire. He delivered the regular eulogies to the emperor and
was the closest thing to a minister of propaganda for the imperial court. Thus, St.
Augustine was one of the first people in charge of public relations. The modern
equivalent would be the President’s press secretary or communication director.
In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote “The Crisis,” a pamphlet which convinced the
soldiers of Washington’s army to stay and fight at a time when so many were
prepared to desert so they could escape the cold and the hardships of a winter
campaign. Paine was a master of political propaganda whose writing could get
people to do things and believe things.
20
Benjamin Franklin made it a rule to forbear all contradiction to others, and all
positive assertions of his own. He would say, "I conceive” or "'I apprehend" or "I
imagine” a thing to be so, or it appears to be so. Franklin pioneered the rules for
"personal relations" in an era before mass media had made possible a profession
called "public relations."
In the middle of the 19th century appeared a man who was to become one of the
leading publicists of all time, P. T. Barnum. His accomplishments include the
founding of the American Museum and the establishment of the Barnum and
Bailey Circus. Barnum was a master of promotion who could fill his enterprises
with customers by using what we today would call sleazy methods of publicity.
For example, he announced that his museum would exhibit a 161-year-old
woman who had been Washington's nurse. He produced an elderly woman and a
forged birth certificate to make his case.
William Seward, Lincoln's secretary of state in 1861, gained a large American
audience through his understanding of how to use the press. He told his friend
Jefferson Davis (they were friends before the war): "I speak to the newspapers –
they have a large audience and can repeat a thousand times what I want to impress
on the public.”
Public relations became a profession in 1903 as Ivy Lee undertook to advise John
D. Rockefeller on how to conduct his public relations. Rockefeller owned coal
mines and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Miners were on strike and the railroad
hushed up the facts when its trains were involved with accidents.
Lee advised Rockefeller to visit the coal mines and talk to the miners. Rockefeller
spent time listening to the complaints of the miners, improved their conditions,
danced with their wives, and became a hero to the miners.
After a railroad accident, Lee invited reporters to inspect the wreck and get the
facts. The Pennsylvania Railroad then obtained its first favorable press coverage.
Lee professionalized public relations by following these principles:
1. Tell the truth
2. Provide accurate facts
3. The public relations director must have access to top management and must be
able to influence decisions
Lee defined public relations, saying: Public relations means the actual
relationship of the company to the people and that relationship involves more
than talk. The company must act by performing good deeds.
21
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH:
1. Warren Buffet of Salomon Brothers: "If you lose money for the company, I
will be understanding. If you lose one shred of the company’s reputation, I will
be ruthless.”
2. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn commenting on the integrity of Army
Chief-of-Staff George Marshall: “When General Marshall comes to talk to us, we
forget whether we are Democrats or Republicans. We just remember that we are
in
the presence of a man who is telling the truth.""
Public relations took the next step toward professionalism in 1918 as Edward
Bernays advised the President of the new country of Czechoslovakia to announce
independence on a Monday, rather than on a Sunday to get maximum press
coverage.
In 1923, Bernays published “Crystallizing Public Opinion,” in which he
established several public relations principles. He said that public relations had
these functions:
• To interpret the client to the public, which means promoting the client
• To interpret the public to the client, which means operating the company in such
a way as to gain the approval of the public.
Bernays and Lee were stressing the idea that the corporation should accept social
responsibility. Bernays’ ideas about social responsibility led to his refusal to
accept unethical clients.
He created the concept that there are many publics and each public needs to be
appealed to. He advised public relations professionals to seek out group leaders
and other key communicators (opinion leaders), who would be able to pass along
ideas to other members of the public.
Other Bernays concepts include:
a. Public relations is a public service
b. Public relations should promote new ideas and progress
c. Public relations should build a public conscience
Bernays put his ideas into practice when he took on as clients Proctor and Gamble
and the Columbian Rope Company. Proctor and Gamble had produced a radio
commercial, which was offensive to African-Americans.
Bernays took these steps:
a. He changed the commercial
22
b. He got the company to offer African-Americans significant jobs
c. He invited them to tour the plant
d. He featured African-Americans in the company newsletter The Columbian
Rope Company had an anti-union image.
Bernays took these steps:
a. He produced a radio program featuring union and management panelists
b. He induced the company to bargain with the union
c. He offered tours of the plant
d. He convinced the company to sponsor a vocational program
Edward Bernays may truly be called the father of public relations and Ivy Lee the
first public relations counselor
23
3. 3 PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
PR specialists and firms use a number of tools and techniques to boost their
clients’ public image and help them form a meaningful relationship with the
target audience. To achieve that, they use tools such as news releases and
statements for media, newsletters, organisation and participation at public events
conferences, conventions, awards, etc.. PR specialists of course also utilise the
Internet tools such as social media networks and blogs. Through the mentioned
tools, PR specialists give the target audience a better insight into their clients’
activities and products/services as well as increase publicity.
Sending press releases has become much easier with e-mail. With a few simple
mouse clicks, a public relations specialist can send tens or thousands of press
releases to a targeted group of journalists.
This practice, however, has given rise to press release spam, meaning that
journalists are more likely to press the delete key before even opening the
message. There are some companies who advertise spam-free press release
services. These companies claim to have access to reporters and editors at top
publications. The company will write and distribute a press release for a fee.
Another advance in PR technology is the Web itself. By building a well-designed
Web site, a company, individual or organization can share information that
polishes its image and furthers its agenda.
Web sites are also an excellent way to get the right information to journalists.
Most large organizations and businesses include a media room on their official
Web site. This area of the site is used to publish all press releases, company
history, executive bios, high-resolution digital photos and even downloadable,
digital press kits. Rather than seeking out media attention through mass-e-mailed
press releases, a good Web site will draw in journalists by itself.
One of the biggest PR challenges posed by technology is the explosion of social
media, sometimes called Web 2.0. Social media includes social networking Web
sites like Facebook and MySpace, and user-generated content communities like
YouTube.
But the effect of Web 2.0 is much wider and deeper than a few Web sites. There
now exists an entire generation of young people who have grown up online. This
Net Generation doesn't know life without a cell phone and an e-mail account.
They're used to searching for all their information online and are distrustful of
"official" opinions or anything that smells of advertising.
24
This generation is unreachable by press releases. Their opinion-makers are
bloggers and peers, not paid critics. Sure, it's possible to e-mail traditional press
releases to bloggers, but such transparently promotional messages are likely to
ignored.
Brian Solis is a PR consultant and avid blogger who offers advice for PR firms
eager to tap into social media. Solis emphasizes that social media represents more
of a sociological change than a technical one. This generation prizes honesty,
engagement and transparency over anything else. For a company to get its
message to an online community, it must join that community. And not as a
spectator, but as a passionate participant; a real fan.
Solis recommends that companies invest more in community managers, people
in charge of tracking and managing a client's image online. These community
managers scour company message boards, read industry blogs and most
importantly, communicate with the public. Their responses should reflect the
opinions of real people.
This might explain the surge of executive blogs on many official company Web
sites. Consumers like to know there are real people behind these businesses,
people who have strong opinions about hot issues and who are engaging with
their public. This idea of an active, two-way dialogue between corporation and
consumer is key to managing an image with social media.
There's a danger, however, in coming across as an out-of-touch corporate shill
trying to play the social media game. Some companies have engaged in a practice
called Astroturfing, or creating fake grassroots media. An example of Astroturf
would be posting a video on YouTube that appears to have been made by two
geeks in Iowa, but was really produced by a room of Madison Avenue suits.
Yet another danger of the online era is the ability of a negative news story to spin
out of control in a matter of hours, rather than days. Blogs pick up bad press and
instantly amplify it to the world. Amateur journalists armed with camera phones
can break an embarrassing story and have it on the national news by six o'clock.
It's becoming harder and harder for a small PR staff to combat these well-armed
masses of opinion-makers.
25
3. 4 PR PROFESSIONALS
PR professionals spend a lot of time cultivating relationships with journalists and
other members of the mass media. This is done by researching which journalists
write about the client's industry or personal interests. A PR professional might
contact the journalist to find out more about the types of stories he's looking for
and how he likes to receive story pitches. A journalist is much more likely to read
a press release that's fresh, timely, from a recognizable source and targeted
specifically to his interests.
Another job of public relations is to create a press kit, or media kit. A journalist
might request a press kit as a follow-up to a press release. The press kit contains
everything the journalist needs to understand who the client is and what the client
does. That could include:






Executive profiles
Quick facts about an organization, such as its company history
Photographs
Detailed product descriptions; even samples
Recent press releases
Business card of PR representative
People who work in PR are regarded as experts in media relations. They're often
asked to train employees on how to effectively communicate with the media,
particularly during print or TV interviews. Here's some of the interview advice
dispensed by media trainers:





Be prepared with a few simple, key messages.
Think like a reporter; prepare answers for questions that are likely to
arise.
Use the "blocking and bridging" technique to steer answers in the right
direction. For example, use the phrases: "Now that's an interesting
question…" followed by "what's important to remember is…" or "the real
issue today is…".
Never lie to a reporter or say "no comment" Better to say you're
"carefully reviewing" all the facts.
For TV interviews, look comfortable and feel conversational, but never
mistake an interview for a conversation.
The PR department is responsible for organizing and holding press conferences
when appropriate. Not all news merits a press conference. There must be more to
the conference than just the reading of a press release. Journalists will only attend
a press conference if it promises to announce a truly unique, timely event,
complete with exciting visuals, experts and important officials in attendance.
26
Press conferences allow PR professionals to reach all potential media outlets at
once --print, broadcast and Web. If you successfully attract a crowd of reporters,
you can capitalize on the natural competitiveness of journalists, who will try to
"out-scoop" each other on a truly exciting story.
Some PR professionals are turning to Web press conferences to save money and
to increase the odds that busy journalists will attend. Web press conferences
use Web conferencing software to stream a video presentation online in real time.
Public relations professionals also manage crises. "All publicity is good
publicity," claims the old PR adage. But one piece of really bad press can tarnish
the well-honed image of a business, college or politician for good. According to
a 2007 survey by Harris Interactive, 15 percent of consumers would never again
purchase a recalled brand. PR experts create a crisis management plan to respond
quickly and proactively when a potentially damaging story is breaking.
27
3. 5. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE PRESS
Public relations can't function without the press. PR professionals spend most of
their day maintaining existing relationships and cultivating new ones with
journalists and other members of the mass media. Journalists are bombarded with
press releases – the Los Angeles Times receives hundreds a week. Reporters are
most likely to pay attention to those from a trusted source.
For a PR person to win that trust, he issues press releases targeted to the
journalist's "beat," or expertise. Press releases should read like actual stories, not
just bullet points extolling the client's virtues. There has to be something truly
newsworthy about the release or it will be ignored.
Technically, journalists don't need press releases and PR contacts to do their jobs,
but it can make the task of filling a daily newspaper or nightly news broadcast
much easier. A well-written press release with a real news hook can translate
directly into a story, saving a journalist valuable time tracking down sources and
assembling facts.
In a perfect PR world, clients never make mistakes and the press never asks for
information that isn't on the official statement. But when the media comes calling,
PR departments and publicists are the first line of defense.
It's a hard fact of life for the PR professional. You crave media attention when
the news is good and flee from the spotlight when things go bad. As we discussed
earlier, a good PR department will have a plan in place and a skilled spokesman
on hand to make sure that the press hears something other than the classic "No
comment."
If a client feels a newspaper is misrepresenting the facts, the PR professional does
have some weapons in his arsenal. One option is to write an Op-Ed piece telling
the client's side of the story and submit it to the newspaper for publication.
If the newspaper won't accept the editorial, another option is something called
an advertorial. Advertorials are paid advertisements that look and read like a
regular Op-Ed piece in a newspaper. Different newspapers have different policies
about what kind of information can appear in a paid ad, but many will simply
print an advertorial with a special banner that's says "advertisement." Ethical or
not, studies have shown that readers still have a hard time distinguishing between
advertorials and regular editorials.
28
3. 6. FASHION PR
The fashion world is dependent on creating trends that attract and retain the
attention of a clothes-conscious public. The role of a public relations
representative in this industry is critical because she puts the face of her client
companies out in the world. This person is responsible for marketing the latest
fashions in a creative way, creating a buzz among influential journalists and
bloggers.
3.6.1. Forging Press Relations
Promoting a fashion business is the number-one goal of a public relations
representative in this field. Lindsay Green, communications director for the Jill
Stuart Company, revealed in a 2011 interview with "The Gloss" that she spends
most of her time getting the word out about the company's line. This involves
working with editors who will write articles about the company for leading
fashion magazines. It takes a business-oriented mind as well as an interest in
fashion to create the materials necessary to get your company's name in the
media.
3.6.2. Building a Brand
Elaine Quan, The Bay's senior public relations manager, says that an important
portion of her time is devoted to the planning and execution of shows and other
promotional events. According to a 2011 interview with Love Sewing, she claims
the most important aspect of her job in public relations is to clearly define and
maintain her company's "brand." Good public relations representatives must
strive to keep their promotions consistent by never sending out a mixed message.
For example, if your company's line is geared toward professional dress, you want
to create professional-styled events that will attract customers interested in that
niche.
3.6.3. Communicating the Message
Fashion public relations specialists spent much of their time in interactions with
company staff, including designers and marketing executives, as well as with
vendors and customers. The public relations specialist encourages key buyers to
carry the fashion line or promote it at events. Good communication skills are
essential.
29
3.6.4. Handling Complaints
Fashion public relations representatives also can expect to handle complaints on
a frequent basis. They may have to pacify customers regarding incorrect or late
shipments, damaged merchandise or other misunderstandings. They should be
ready to smile, listen and cheerfully resolve complaints so that the customer gets
his satisfaction and you gain his trust in working directly with you.
30
3. 7 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FASHION PUBLICIST
The world of Fashion Public Relations is an exhilarating, fast-paced field where
the hours are long, and the work is extensive. Those who have mastered the skills
of promoting fashion to a clothes-conscious public will prosper. It is a hands-on
job, working with either a single brand or many brands, small or major, that’s
learned by doing.
The fashion industry is not a minor industry. Quite the opposite, it’s huge.
Furthermore, fashion dictates many of the behaviours and attitudes of the public.
But it’s a full industry that is highly competitive. Although it is an exciting area,
it is also a stressful one, particularly during Fashion Week, a most important week
for the fashion industry.
The role of a Public Relations Representative in the fashion world is critical and
any individual attempting to explore this world must be proficient at the following
steps:
1. CREATE A STRONG BRAND FOR THE CLIENT
What is a strong brand in the fashion industry? It’s the one image that every
member of the public must have when they think of your client’s styles. Failure
to create a distinctive brand will most certainly mean failure for the client. This
is the single most important job of a Fashion Public Relations professional, and
it is where all other responsibilities in the industry are born. The PR professional
is in the background, but the brand must always be front and center.
2. THE PUBLICIST MUST KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH FASHION
EDITORS
One of the most important jobs for a Fashion Public Relations professional is to
work with the editors of fashion magazines, particularly major fashion
magazines. It’s the PR professional’s responsibility to develop relationships with
fashion editors and their writing and photography teams. Effective buzz is created
by fashion magazine teams to launch and promote a line. However, not every
fashion designer’s creation will make it into the pages of major fashion
magazines. As with all things in the fashion business, competition is severe. What
can you do to beat the competition for your clients?
3. YOU MUST WORK WITH MODELS AND CELEBRITIES
New fashion won’t see the light of day if it is not presented by people who are
admired by the public. That would include not only beautiful well-known models
but also celebrities. When a celebrity wears a certain piece, the public, by way of
31
fashion magazines and other venues, find out about it and want it. The fashion
publicist is expected to attend fashion shows, red carpet events, award shows, and
other events that cater to the clients fashions. He/she is expected to do everything
possible to get the word out. Here is where people skills are crucial. Mingling
with some of the most important persons in the fashion industry, and word
spreads fast. Failure to communicate efficiently and present a pleasing image will
be a certain failure for your efforts as a PR professional and for the clients.
4. UNDERSTANDING MEDIA TRENDS
Interviews, press conferences, and press releases are an important part of the
responsibilities of a Fashion Public Relations professional. A PR person must
keep a strong relationship with the media. The ability to work with the media in
gaining continued attention for the client’s fashion is how to keep the fashion
front and center in the public’s eye. While doing that, a PR fashion professional
must have the skills to handle the tough questions.
5. INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND JUGGLING MULTIPLE
INTERESTS ARE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS
With billions of people on social media, it is not an element of society that a
Fashion Public Relations professional can ignore. Instagram, for example, is an
active social media tool to display fashion to the public. There are at least 300
million people on Instagram who can be shown a client’s styles on a daily basis.
Also, in addition to revealing and presenting the clothes themselves, the day to
day operations of a PR professional is increasingly about giving the public a more
intimate look into the behind the scenes details of the fashion brand.
The life of a Public Relations Fashion Specialist is an exciting one for someone
who believes in the fashion and who can sincerely commit to the lines
represented. You must be hardworking, personable, innovated and organized to
be a successful Fashion Public Relations Specialist.
32
3.8. COMPONENTS OF FASHION PR
3.8.1. Media Relations
Media relations involves working with media for the purpose of informing the
public of an organization's mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent
and credible manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people
responsible for producing the news and features in the mass media. The goal of
media relations is to maximize positive coverage in the mass media without
paying for it directly through advertising.
It is possible for communication between the media and the organization to be
initiated by either side, however dealing with the media presents unique
challenges in that the news media cannot be controlled — they have ultimate
control over whether stories pitched to them are of interest to their audiences.
The media can consist of thousands of magazine publications, newspapers, and
TV and radio stations. Therefore, when a "newsworthy" event occurs in an
organization, a media list can assist in determining which media outlet may be
the most interested in a particular story.
3.8.2. Celebrity spotting and endorsements
One of the most important aspect of fashion PR is celebrity spotting. This means,
sending sample pieces to celebrity stylists from the clients to the celebrity to wear
the outfits for an event, award show, movie promotions etc. Celebrities are the
most influential personality to influence consumer purchasing decision. If a
celebrity wears a designer’s outfit, it directly increases the value of the brand or
label in the consumer’s eye. Sourcing requests for celebrities is everyday job for
a fashion publicist. This is an important factor to increase the visibility of the
brand or label.
Publicists have to quantify and qualify the use of celebrities in
their marketing campaigns by evaluating the awareness generated, appeal, and
relevance to a brand's image and the celebrity's influence on consumer buying
behavior.
Social media such as Twitter have become increasingly popular mediums for
celebrities to endorse brands and to attempt to influence purchasing behavior.
According to Bloomberg News, social-media-ad spending was expected to reach
a total of $4.8 billion at the end of 2012 and $9.8 billion by 2016. Advertising
and marketing companies sponsor celebrities to tweet and influence thousands
(sometimes millions) of their followers to buy brand product.
33
3.8.3. Strategic communication
The term “strategic communications” has become popular over the last two
decades. It means infusing communications efforts with an agenda and a master
plan. Typically, that master plan involves promoting the brand of an organization,
urging people to do specific actions, or advocating particular legislation.
The field of ‘communications’ is broad, encompassing professionals who create
news or want to push information to the public (public relations, public
information, marketing), people who deliver news and media to the public
(journalists, audio and video producers, public speakers, educators), and people
who study the interplay of media and society (researchers).
Strategic communications fuses the “pushing” and the “delivering.” According
to Shayna Englin, who teaches public relations and corporate communications at
Georgetown, “being strategic means communicating the best message, through
the right channels, measured against well-considered organizational and
communications-specific goals. It’s the difference between doing
communications stuff, and doing the right communications stuff.”
Strategic communication management could be defined as the systematic
planning and realization of information flow, communication, media
development and image care in a long-term horizon. It conveys deliberate
message(s) through the most suitable media to the designated audience(s) at the
appropriate time to contribute to and achieve the desired long-term effect.
Communication management is process creation. It has to bring three factors into
balance: the message(s), the media channel(s) and the audience(s)
The authors elaborate that: "Six relevant disciplines are involved in the
development, implementation, and assessment of communications by
organizations: management, marketing, public relations, technical
communication, political communication, and information/social marketing
campaigns." Although the authors see strategic communication as "an emerging
paradigm," this clarification defines strategic communication as a set of tools, not
as a discipline. Marketing, public relations etc. themselves are no disciplines, but
approaches drawn from broader fields, such as economics and communication.
Although the purposeful use of communication - strategic communication - is
highly relevant for development, this approach alone is not sufficient to
understand the breadth, depth, and wealth of communication as it affects
development and reform effectiveness.
Strategic Communication (SC) provides a conceptual umbrella that enables
organizations to integrate their disparate messaging efforts. It allows them to
34
create and distribute communications that, while different in style and purpose,
have an inner coherence. This consistency can, in some instances, foster an echo
chamber that reinforces the organizational message and brand. At minimum, it
prevents contradictory, confusing messaging to different groups across all media
platforms.
35
CHAPTER 4 - PWPR MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
4.1 CELEBRITY SPOTTING
The most important function of PW PR is to push their client’s ensembles for
celebrity spotting. Celebrity spotting is the most important and beneficial way for
creating a buzz in Media for the client.
The affinity consumers have for certain celebrities can greatly influence their
purchases. People may have the attitude, "If the product is good enough for her,
it's good enough for me." This philosophy is often the impetus behind
advertisements for makeup, skin creams, hair products and attire.
Also Celebrities create brand awareness for the product. And they build it much
more quickly than traditional types of marketing. Brand awareness measures the
percentage of people who are familiar with a particular brand. Upcoming
Designers spend lots of money and time for exposure to incrementally increase
brand awareness among consumers.
Also if a celebrity is wearing a particular designer’s outfit, it also helps in
positioning of the label. Product positioning is placing a company's products in
the best possible light in the minds of a target group. So when a celebrity wears
any outfit from a particular designer, it automatically positions the label as a very
high end label in the minds of consumer.
36
1. Sourcing request
from stylists
2. Sending Clients
Look Book to
stylists
4. Inform the stylist
about the
availability of the
selections
3. Receiving
Selections from the
stylists
5. Handover the
outfits
6. Track the
sourcing
8. Receiving the
outfits
7. Circulating the
pictures to Media
37
The process of Celebrity spotting is explained as follows:
1.Sourcing request from stylists.
The first step in celebrity spotting is sample request from celebrity stylist for
events, launches, award shows, charity functions, film promotions etc. The
celebrity stylists send request to the Publicist for their celebrities and also send
the mood board and references for the desired look.
2. Sending Clients Look Book to stylists
After receiving the request, the publicists send new collection Look Books of
their respective clients to the stylist. A Look Book is a series of photographs
which showcases designer’s collection. It is very important to shoot a great Look
Book to attract Media’s attention and to increase chances of editorial features.
3. Receiving Selections from the Stylists
So after sending Look Books to the stylist, they select few outfits which they feel,
fits the reference and send pictures of those to the publicist to check its
availability. Selections are mostly send either through Mails or WhatsApp for
faster response.
4. Inform the stylist about the availability of the selected outfits
After receiving the selections from the stylist, the publicist checks the availability
of the outfits. Mostly, Publicist always have sample pieces of the designer’s
collection in the office. And then he/she checks if the outfits are available. But
sometimes, publicist doesn't have sample pieces in office, then he/she has to get
in touch with the respective designer to check the availability of the outfit.
So if the outfits are available, those are called from the designers to the office.
Also, a very important point to be taken into consideration is the size of the
celebrity. This is because all the sample sizes in designers are Size ’S’. So it is
very important to check if it will fit to the said celebrity. But Mostly, the stylist
mentions the size during sourcing requests only and most of the celebrities are of
size ’S’.
After checking the necessary considerations, the stylists are informed about the
availability of the outfits.
38
5. Handover the outfits
After informing the stylist about the availability of the outfits, the pieces are
handed over to the stylists. Sometimes the delivery of the outfits is taken by the
stylist itself or through their assistants or office runner. Sometimes, the delivery
of the pieces needs to be done by the designer of publicist’s office to the stylists.
The very important document required while handing over the sample pieces to
the stylists is sourcing letter.
Sourcing Letter is a document which a PR office issues which guarantees that the
outfits taken will be received on time and in right condition by the stylist. In the
event that the stylist is failed to send the outfits back in the said time and in right
condition, he/she is entitled to pay 100% of the price of the outfit.
The stylist needs to sign the sourcing letter and 2 copies needs to prepare. One
for the stylist and one for the PR agency records.
Sourcing letter includes details like:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Description of the outfit
Designers name
Number of pieces
Sourcing Date
Return Date
Stylists personal details
6. Track the sourcing
The most important and action- oriented step in the sourcing process is to track
the sourcing. Here, the publicist should be in constant touch with the stylist to
check whether the celebrity is wearing the outfit for the said event. This is
because, the stylist never takes outfit from one PR agency or one designer. They
take multiple options from various designers as options for the celebrity.
To influence and motivate the stylist to use our client’s outfit is very important to
create buzz. This can be done if you have good relations with the stylist and
his/her team.
7. Circulating the pictures to Media
If the celebrity wears the clients’ outfit, the stylist is supposed to send pictures to
the PR agency. These pictures are then circulated to all the fashion and Bollywood
media like fashion magazines, fashion blogs, Instagram accounts, Bollywood
blogs, celebrity fashion blogs and so on.
This ensures maximum exposure for clients to increase their Label awareness
among their target audience. This is a very important step as this creates the buzz
in the media for the designer.
39
8. Receiving the outfits.
After the event is over, the stylist needs to return the outfits to the PR agency
before the stipulated time period.
Also a very important task needs to be done when the outfits are received to the
office. The publicist needs to check if the outfits are in right condition. A
thorough checking is done of all the garments which has gone out for the
celebrity to check if there are stains, dirt, dust, etc. on the pieces. If so, the
garments are sent back to the stylist and they are supposed to dry clean the
garments and send it back again.
If the damage is beyond repair, so the stylist needs to pay 100% of the MRP of
the pieces to the designer, as stated in the sourcing letter, as compensation.
40
4.2. EDITORIAL FEATURES
A magazine is a periodical publication containing a variety of articles, generally
financed by advertising, purchased by readers, or both.
Magazines are typically published weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly or
quarterly, with a date on the cover that is later than the date it is actually
published. They are often printed in colour on coated paper, and are bound with
a soft cover
A very important function done by publicist is pushing client’s collection for
editorial features in magazines. Editorial features are generated and produced by
magazine feature editors, journalists or freelance writers.
There is no advertiser influence in the creation of editorial features. But
journalists always use images to enhance their article. In all cases, the editor's
decision is final.
Where editorial features have been created in association with a specific
advertiser or event promoter, this will be acknowledged.
In the field of fashion publishing, the term has been adapted to refer to photoeditorials – features with often full-page photographs on a particular theme,
designer, model or other single topic, with or (as a photo-essay) without
accompanying text.
Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and
sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an
opinionated news story or article.
Editorial features are very important to influence the customers and to create a
positioning for the designers.
Fashion magazines have always been a great source of information to all the
fashion fanatics who like to explore the fashion world and new brands and labels.
Fashion features in magazines are excellent way of introducing the client’s
designs, work, and also personal life.
Not only magazines but newspapers also are a very important communication
form to communicate with the target audience.
Newspapers –a traditional form of media that still have a lasting presence.
Newspapers may be struggling in certain parts of the world, but they still reach
numerous people every day with information they want to see. Many newspapers
are also online, which gives people instant access to breaking news.
41
The reputation of a newspaper is transferred over to the businesses or individuals
that advertise within it. Most people who subscribe to a newspaper will read it
regularly because the respect the content it contains. This also means they’ll be
automatically willing to accept the value proposition offered in it because the
overall product they are using [the newspaper] is already seen as valuable.
Many people take newspapers with them during their commute to work. They’ll
read a paper at the doctor’s office or while eating lunch. This means the brand
recognition opportunities follow each footstep taken for continued recognition.
In some ways, there isn’t a better way to obtain multiple chances for brand
exposure thanks to the portability of most newspapers.
A very important feature in newspapers can be done in ‘Column’. A column is a
recurring piece or article in a newspaper, where a writer expresses his/her own
opinion in few columns allotted to him by the newspaper organization. Columns
are written by columnists.
There are various types of column which are useful for fashion publicist such as
fashion column, feature column, events column, which are published every day.
And as newspaper has such a brilliant exposure and circulation, it is very
important to push your client related stories to create maximum brand awareness
and visibility.
42
The process of Editorial feature is as follows:
1. Editorial/Story
request from
writers
2. Forwarding the
request to the
clients
4. Sending
responses to the
writers
3. Receiving
responses/Images
from the clients
5. Track the story
6. Sending
coverage to
Clients
43
1. Editorial/Story Request from writers
The first step in editorial feature is receiving request from magazine editors or
writers for a particular story or theme. There are two types of request:
a) Responses feature request
In this, the writers request responses or bytes from the designers for their
story or column. For eg, if the theme is ‘How to style yourself in Pantone
shade this summer’, the editors request styling tips or bytes from clients
where they say or write their opinion or their way of styling the pantone
shades.
b) Images feature request
In this, the writers request High Resolution images according to the theme.
For eg, if the theme is ‘Resort Wear’, so the publicist needs to send High
Resolution images from the client’s collection according to the theme. It is
always mandatory to send 1 MB and 300 DPI (Dots per inch) and above
size images to magazines and newspapers to have better clarity when the
images are printed.
2. Forwarding the request to the clients
After receiving the request from the writers, the same is forwarded to client. This
is done to take client’s permission, if he/she wants to do the story and also if it’s
a response feature request then to take their responses and bytes for the story.
3. Receiving responses/ Images from the clients
After sending the request to the clients, now comes the action part in the process.
Here, the client is supposed to send responses and opinions to the publicist on the
said theme or story. A detailed description for the questions needs to be given.
4. Sending responses to the writers
When the client sends the responses or images for the story, the same is checked
by the publicist for any error or mistakes. It is very important to proofread the
information before sending it out to the editors or writers. After thorough
checking, the same is then forwarded to the writer.
It is very important to adhere to the time limit given by the writer. Because if the
time limit crosses, there is no point sending the responses.
5. Track the story
The very important step in editorial spotting is to track the story. In magazines,
the story comes out after a month as the magazine comes out monthly. So the
story comes out, next month. In Newspaper, the story comes out according to the
44
article date. Sometimes the article comes out a day after, or weekly or on
weekends. This totally depends upon when the column’s date.
It is very important to stay in constant touch with the editors or writers for
tracking the story.
6. Sending coverage to Clients.
After tracking the story, the coverage is then sent to the client. It is very important
to send the coverage to the client to show them the work done by the writer and
if there is any negative publicity involved or any such statement involved which
was not sent by the client.
45
4.3. EVENTS AND LAUNCHES
It is very important to always have events, new collaborations, new collection
launches to always be in media and in eye of consumers. In fashion industry,
events are of high importance for socialization and to introduce your collection
to the elite class of the fraternity such as magazine editors, newspaper journalist,
socialists, celebrities etc to create the buzz.
These launches give the public and the media a chance to hear everything about
the designer and his/her collection before any negative reviews are given.
The task of putting together these launch events could fall to a designer and his
or her team or some outside company. PW PR was responsible to invite all the
fashion fraternity and to guide the designer for the event.
Following points are very important to have a successful launch event:
Venue
Most launch events happen in Sub urban or in town where the designer is located.
Sometimes these launches are held at designer’s stores or good resto bars or in
five star hotels so that there is room for the media and photographers. The venue
depends on how big the designer is, how big the event is supposed to be and how
much money the designer wants to invest in the market introduction.
Timing
Usually the introduction of a new collection launches are during the fashion
season i.e Spring-Summer or Autumn-Winter. But nowadays holiday season is
the new trend in fashion industry. Millions of people watch these events and
announcing the new collection or collaboration or new store launch and social
media marketing during these events will create a buzz.
Food
The food menu totally depends upon the time of the event. Mostly the events take
place at early evening or late evening. Mostly the food served is finger foods or
a full-course meal if the event is at night.
The small details
These may not seem like a big deal, but they could make or break an event. Most
product launches include an information packet that is given to the guests. These
packages need to be ready to go and there need to be enough for everyone. The
convention or meeting planner is responsible for making sure the small details
are handled.
46
Product launches are some of the most exciting events for any meeting planner.
But these events are also the most stressful. The key, as it is for any event, is in
proper planning.
1. Information
from the client
about the event
2. Helping the
client for the
event Setup
3. Planning the
event
6. Follow up
with the invites
5. Sending
invites
4. Preparing list
for invites
7. Prepare RSVP
List
8. Event Day
9. Post Event
Press Release
12. Send the
coverage to the
Client
11. Track the
coverage
10. Follow up
for the Press
Release
47
Process for events and Launches:
1. Information from the client about the event
The first step for a successful event launch is to take all the information from the
designer about the event. Information on purpose of the event, venue, special
guest, celebrity attending, media invites etc should be given to the publicist. A
meeting is set before 3-4 weeks for the event, with designer and the publicist team
to acquire all the necessary details about the event. The publicist also provides
some advice to the designer to make the event better and successful.
2. Helping the client for the event Setup
Next step is to assist the designer for the event planning and launch. This includes
venue selection, food and drinks selection, media invites, celebrity appearance
for the event, etc. It is very important to always always be in touch with the
designer for smooth functioning
3. Planning the event
Mostly the designer hires an event planning company to manage the event but
sometimes the events are managed in house with designer’s employees.
4. Preparing list for invites
The very essential task while planning an event is to make invite list. This
includes all the guests to be invited for the event. This includes all the fashion and
lifestyle magazine editors, sub editors, fashion stylists, fashion influencers,
feature writers, newspaper journalist, event photographers, fashion bloggers and
so on.
After creating the guest list, it is approved by the designer. Here He/she can add
or subtract names from the invite list.
And after the approval, a final invite list is made.
The invite list looks as follows:
48
5. Sending Invites
After the final list is made with the approval from the designer, the invites are
send out to the target media list. The invites are of two types:
a) Hard copies invites
This are the hard copy invites which are sent to the address of the guest. Hard
copy invites are mostly done for special or grand events. This invites are sent in
a proper box, with a printed invitation card, munchies and a small gift.
Hard copy invites look like as follows:
49
b) E-vites
Due to extreme digitalization and great computer technology, most of today’s
work happens online. Nowadays, invites are sent online via emails to all the target
media list. This is done as its easy and it reaches fast to the guest.
Example of E-vite is as follows:
50
6. Follow up with the invites
After sending invites, the next day is for follow ups. Follow ups are done to get
R.S.V.Ps for the event. This is mostly done through calling them on their personal
contact numbers or on the office landlines. Sometimes the follow ups are also
done via emails. The follow up enables to have a personal contact with media and
to notify them about the invite and also to give them information about the event
personally and directly The aim is to have maximum media people for the event
to create the publicity and PR for your client. This is a very important step to have
a successful event launch.
51
7. Prepare RSVP List
The next step is to create a R.S.V.P list with all the confirmed names for the event.
Here a proper list is made with the names of all the people who will attend the
event. After the final R.S.V.P list is made, it is then sent to the designer.
The RSVP List is prepared as follows:
52
8. Event Day
Here comes the important day- the event day. The event day is the action day for
the designer and the publicist. Proper organization is the key to a successful event.
Properly organized venue, décor, and other details always create the right
impression. The publicist should always reach one hour before the event starts to
check upon all the necessary details of the event and to ensure smooth
functioning. Having chaos in an event is always bad for the designer’s PR hence
the publicist should be very careful to carry out the event very smoothly and
gracefully. All the guest should be introduced to the designer and should walk
through the new collection or new product line of the designer. The publicist
should explain the theme behind the new collection and designer’s inspiration for
it. Also, the publicist should seek out opportunities for any further features or
interviews in any magazines or newspapers for the client.
Event day are supposed to be the most important day to socialize with all the
media people to maintain good media relations. In the field of Public Relations,
it is always good to have contacts in the said field and good connections with all
the media personnels.
Also, a very important part on event day is celebrity appearances. It is always
necessary to have a celebrity muse of the evening. This is because celebrity
increases the glamour quotient for the event and also increases media publicity.
In India, Bollywood celebrities are very famous and when a Bollywood celebrity
is involved in the event, it always catches the media as well as the potential
customer’s attention. Having a celebrity on board is a pricy affair but sometimes
some celebrity comes in as a ‘friends of the brand’ or they just come to support
their designer friend for his/her new venture or new collection.
Celebrity often wear outfit from the new collection launch. This is done to create
maximum exposure for the new collection as celebrity pictures are carried very
quickly to all the blogs, newspapers, magazines etc.
Also, a very important part for the event is to have a photographer on board for
the event. This is because, the event photographer clicks all the pictures of the
event and also of all the media present including the magazine editors to
celebrities. This is a very important aspect of event as this pictures later on gets
printed in magazines, newspapers and online blogs which is very important part
to spread out the news to readers and potential buyers.
Publicist is also responsible for any interview, bytes, videos, etc to be taken by
the media of the designer for the new venture or new collection launch. For eg, if
53
Vogue wants to a quick social media video with the designer, then the publicist
needs to take responsibility of the said activity.
Events and launch parties are very important day for any publicist as this create
the maximum buzz in the media for the designer and its new venture.
9. Post Event Release
After the event is over, a very crucial task to be done is to send out post event
release to all the media personality, newspaper journalists, online blogs, etc to
start the buzz. If you want your event to shine and be well-attended by your target
audience, you want to create a buzz by sending out a press release.
Post event release is a document which give insights about the event, purpose of
the event, happenings at the event, people who attended, about the venture, about
the designer and event images.
Post event release is an integral part for any event. This sends out the message to
everyone about the event.
THE 6 ESSENTIAL POINTS OF HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE
FOR AN EVENT
a) Headline. Grab the reader’s attention with a strong, catchy headline with
keywords that people will most likely use in their search. This is the opener
and what will make the reader want to read on. Include the name of the
event and either the location or theme of the event But you are not supposed
to give too many details up front.
b) Summary. Next, writing a summary of one to four sentences for the event.
It may be a good idea to write this section last, after you have written the
rest of the press release. It will be easier to summarize after the rest of the
points down.
c) Dateline and lead paragraph. These elements range from 25 to 30 words
and answer the “who, what, why, when, where and how” questions of thr
event. Keep the text simple and stick to the critical elements of the
information. The format is: City, State, (name of service or publisher of the
press release, e.g. GOOGLE), Month, Day, Year – details.
54
d) Body. The body of the press release is where you really get to tell the story
of the event. This portion of the release will usually have two or three
paragraphs. Always Use the first paragraph to elaborate on the details of
the event. Talk about the target audience, any guests who will be featured
and their background, and the benefits of attending. If the venue is historic
or ties in with your event in some way or the date coincides with history or
a special anniversary with your company, mention this. This part of the
press release can be a bit more descriptive than previous sections.
e) The boilerplate statement follows the body. The boilerplate is a chunk of
text that can be used repeatedly, just as an “About” page is used on a
website. This is where the details about the designer are listed. It can
contain the mission and vision for the company. This is the public persona
you wish to project for your client.
f) Finally, the press release should include contact information. This is the
client’s name, telephone number, website address, the name of the key
person to contact about the release, and an email address.
The press release is always sent via mail to all the media fraternity.
55
Sample Press Release is as follows:
#FlauntYourTrueColours at the collection unveiling of 109 ̊F by Nishka
Lulla
Mumbai, 22nd March, 2016 - High-street fashion label, 109 ̊F, and fashion
designer, Nishka Lulla, unveiled their brand new collection at Tote on the Turf.
Models flaunted the vibrant collection featuring jumpsuits, dresses, Nishka’s
signature twin-sets and more. Dreamcatchers and florals were the predominant
motifs accompanied by bright summery hues.
Athiya Shetty flaunted her inner fashionista donned in 109 ̊F by Nishka Lullla at
the event.
109 ̊F is a high-street, new age fashion brand that brings finely-crafted designs
for the urban Indian woman. The collection design is inspired by the floral and
tribal arts, and reflects the bohemian mood of the urban girl who is passionate
and fuss-free.
Ideal for every young woman with streaks of irreverence hot-stamped into her
DNA, the styles can be identified by young women all over. The splashes of neon
reflect their fun, non-conformist side and inspire free-spirited women to flaunt
their true colours.
Sharing her excitement, designer Nishka Lulla said, “I am so glad to collaborate
with 109 ̊F! I think it’s a great fit as the focus of the brand is comfort and style
which compliments my sensibilities as a designer”.
Speaking about the association, Mr. Rahul Mehta, Managing Director, 109 ̊F said,
“This is one of our most exciting new collections and it’s truly global in its
aesthetic. It gives you a fresh burst of confidence and energy”.
The collection will be in stores in the 1st week of April in Mumbai, Delhi,
Bangalore, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Pune. The price ranges from INR 1800 –
3500.
About Creative Group
Creative Group, founded in 1973, is one of India's leading exporters, exporting
garments to most leading Fashion Houses across Europe and America.
56
In 2006, realizing its ability and versatility of offering creatively designed
women’s wear across various categories 109°F brought international fashion
options with Indian sensibilities.
In a short span of time 109°F has become one of the leading brands in its category
in India.
About Nishka Lulla
Nishka Lulla, who graduated from SNDT College in Mumbai, is a name that has
set a distinct identity of being a young, crisp and dynamic designer. Nishka Lulla
is currently one of the leading designers in the fashion industry, brain-child
behind two established clothing lines: “Nisshk”, a traditional fusion line and the
new born “Nishka Lulla”, the boho traveller chic prêt-e-porter line.
Nishka dazzled through to spotlight after winning the “Creative Excellence
Award” for the “Barbie all Doll'd up” show at Lakme Fashion Week 2009, where
India's leading designers participated to design an outfit for Barbie’s 50th
Anniversary. The outfit today is being displayed at the Barbie museum
internationally. Adding to her accolades, Nishka also recently bagged the Grazia
award for “Designer of the Year 2014”.
For further information, please contact:
Shraddha Bhanushali PW PR
[email protected]
57
10.Follow up for the post event Press Release
After a day of sending the post event press release to the media, it is necessary to
follow up with them for the story. This is done to check whether they have
received the press release note in their mailbox. If they have not received it, it is
resent to them. If they have received it, then the first step is to ask them if they
got a chance to see the post event release for the event. Here, you can also give
certain details about the event to them. It is very necessary to create a good image
about the event in front of the media. Also it is necessary to inform them about
the celebrity appearances for the event. This is mostly done to influence them to
carry the story in their next magazine or day after edition of the newspapers.
11. Track the coverage
The next step is to track the event coverage. This is a very important step to check
whether newspapers, online blogs, magazines have carried the story in their
respective medium. Excellent blowout is necessary for a successful event. It is
very crucial to have maximum coverage for the event. Here, similar to celebrity
spotting tracking, it is very important to have good contacts with all the media
people to be in constant touch with them for the coverage.
12. Send coverage to the client
The next very important step in this process is to send coverage to the client.
Client should be given a detail description about the coverage for the event.
58
4.4. COLLABORATIONS AND POTENTIAL RETAILING OPTIONS
A very important function performed by PW PR is to identify potential
collaborations and retailing options for the designers.
4.4.1 Collaboration:
Collaborative Marketing, in a nutshell, is the process of sharing resources to
increase leads, brand, and influence. Not surprisingly, the Internet has made the
option of collaborative marketing easier than ever.
All the concept takes is a common purpose. When companies come together with
a common audience, or goal, or a common mission or interest, they can band
together in any number of ways to create an influence and a presence that is
greater than the sum of its parts.
Basically, the concept allows complementary and similar companies to unite for
a brilliant ad campaign or new product or new line. The concept isn’t just about
just saving money. It also provides collective strength to each participating
company’s brand and credibility.
Pulling the top names together dramatically increases the brand recognition,
customer value, and customer retention for each. A merchant with limited ability
to promote and market on their own can become substantial and trusted far more
readily with the support and the help of an umbrella merchant or brand.
Types of Collaborations:
1. Functional collaborations:
This type of collaboration describes collaboration done vertically. This defines
doing collaborations among the same industry. For eg, Nishka Lulla designs a
special line for fashion brand 109F is an example of functional collaborations.
2. Cross - Functional collaborations:
Cross - functional collaborations are the collaborations done horizontally. This
means these collaborations which are done among different industry in the
market. For eg, Masaba Gupta designs range of shower gels for Fiama De Wills
is an example of cross - functional collaboration.
59
It is very important to have collaborations with brands and have many advantages
to it:
1. Add Value
The opportunities are there, with creative thinking, for many brands be they local,
national or global to benefit from increased growth through a more collaborative
approach in their brand strategy.
By applying a more strategic approach and aligning themselves with compatible
partners, brands can offer increased value to their customer, boost the brand
experience and grow profitability. Nike and Apple currently collaborate with the
Nike+ project; a product that combines Apple’s electronic technology with
Nike’s sporting technology to offer customers of both brands a collaborative
lifestyle package.
2. Increased Market Reach & Access to New Customers
Brand collaboration offers the potential of introducing one brand to another’s
audience; expanding brand reach and enhancing awareness of both brand
collaborators. This form of collaboration is mutually beneficial to both non
competing brands.
Chevrolet cars enlisted designer Isaac Mizrahi to collaborate on a collection of
clothing and fashion items linked to Chevorlet’s Malibu brand line. The
collaboration between the brands was seen as a good fit because both brands were
looking to reach a style-conscious female audience with a well-designed,
appealing, high quality product. The collaboration aimed at getting women to
take a closer look at a brand that might otherwise miss their attention.
3. Increase Brand Awareness
There has been an explosion of collaboration between luxury fashion houses and
high street retailer brands. Swedish retailer H&M has collaborated with some of
the biggest fashion designers offering their customers limited edition collections
at affordable prices. The partnership between the luxury brand and the high street
brand is in essence a promotional tactic boosting advertising and driving traffic.
The high street brand benefits from the collaboration by drawing increased
demand, greater consumer attention and increased media coverage.
While fast fashion collaborations frequently offer little return in immediate
profitability levels to the high fashion houses, they do however provide a
60
meaningful way to increase brand awareness and gain access to customers in
emerging markets that are not yet ready to house a flagship store, but with whom
they wish to start building brand awareness and nurture a relationship for the
future. The collaboration is also seen as a gateway purchase for the bigger
paychecks that they will one day yield.
H&M and Lanvin’s collaboration benefits H&M in terms of sales volume, but as
it coincides with the launch of Lanvin’s new e-commerce website media coverage
is also likely to pay off for the high end retailer.
eBay are offering their customers a ‘Holiday Collective’; an exclusive new
collaboration of original, limited edition ranges of clothes, travel experiences,
electrical goods and more. eBay benefits from the partnerships with an extended
brand offering for their customers and their collaborative partners gain valuable
access to the substantial eBay customer base and consequently increased brand
awareness with their target customers.
4. Enter New Markets
Fiat cars are attempting to crack the lucrative American market with a
collaboration strategy. For any foreign brand trying to become better known in
America, partnering with a brand that is already renowned, particularly a ‘made
in the U.S.A.’ staple, can be a great strategy.
Fiat is doing just that by participating in the 20th anniversary of the Monopoly
Game contest at McDonald's. The brand is aiming to get more attention in the
American media while further embedding itself in American culture through the
McDonalds tie-in. Its hoping the collaboration will help raise awareness with an
audience that still tends to favour bigger cars. The opportunity for such extensive
exposure outweighs any potential perceived cheapening of the Fiat brand risked
by tying in with the fast-food giant.
Brand collaboration is an effective way to surprise your customers and attract
new ones. Whether you are refreshing your brand image, introducing new
features, entering a new market or launching a new product line, brand
collaboration can offer several very significant benefits to brands. In fact, brand
coalitions could talk not only to customers but also to investors and regulators, if
brands lobby their own interests.
A word of caution though, brand alliances are not always guarantees for success.
Collaboration strategies fail if there is not equal value for both brands in the
61
relationship, if the brand’s value or positioning does not match each other, or if
the customer does not easily understand the strategy.
4.4.2. Potential Retailing Options:
PW PR and brand consultancy was not only responsible to do all the PR efforts
but also about brand visibility. Brand visibility in terms of retailing. PWPR used
to advice designers for stocking their pieces in various platforms- both online and
offline. PW PR used to draft business and profit plans for designers to retail in
various stores.
1. Multi – Designer StoresThese are the stores which stocks best pieces from all the leading designers. Such
stores increases label visibilities and also increases sales. Examples of such stores
are AZA, Ensemble, Bombay Electric, Atosa, Le Mill, Fuel, Ogaan etc.
2. Online Stores
E-commerce is booming these days and customers like to shop online. These
online stores provide wide range from all the designers at convenience of your
home. Examples of such stores are Pernia’s Pop up shop, Exclusively. In etc.
3. Exhibitions and pop up stores
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display
of a selection of items. Face-to-face meetings mean that you can have a
conversation with customers. As well as presenting your products and services,
you get the opportunity to find out more about your customers and their needs.
As well as making sales, exhibitions can be used to forge new relationships,
strengthen existing alliances, build databases, generate positive PR,
conduct market research, recruit new staff and build your brand
Nowadays, a new trend of pop up stores are very much in demand. The term "popup" refers to the short-term duration of the stores, which "pop up" one day and
are
gone
the
next.
62
CHAPTER 5 - REBRANDING AND REPOSITIONING HOUSE OF
NEETA LULLA THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS
The project assigned from the company was ‘Rebranding and Repositioning
House of Neeta Lulla through Public Relations’
Neeta Lulla who is a well-known fashion designer in the industry from decades.
Neeta Lulla whirled into the fashion scene more than two decades ago. Hailed as
the 'Czarina of Indian Fashion', Neeta Lulla is today a force to reckon with in the
glamour and the fashion retail industry. Her designs have not only been
recognized in India, but have also acquired great acclaims globally.
Expertise, clarity and creativity, humility arising from quiet confidence has
earned her both respect and clientele of Bollywood’s famous personalities such
as Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Rani
Mukherjee, Juhi Chawla, Sridevi, Shilpa Shetty, and Sushmita Sen just to name
a few.
From simplicity to royalty, Neeta Lulla has it all to her credit. Neeta Lulla has
been one name which has been prevalent in the industry since two decades now.
The designer has been an active contributor in giving the actors a look to die for.
Her designs have not only been recognized in India, but have also acquired great
acclaims globally. The designer has made a niche for herself, creating the
costumes of the era long lost. The challenge to create designs for the high profile
and larger than life movies like Jodha Akhbar and Devdas have been very well
met by Neeta Lulla, who tuned them to the richness and charismatic period of the
movies. From the elegant look of Chandni and the underdone colors of Yuva, to
the majestic appearance of Paro and the recent Jodha, the talented designer has
each time surpassed her own record, to create a new high.
63
5.1.
SCENARIO ANALYSIS
Scenario analysis is a process of analyzing possible future events by considering
alternative possible outcomes.
House of Neeta Lulla is a fashion label with high importance to traditional
heritage of India. Neeta Lulla who is famous for making exquisite designs for the
Indian Women to enhance their beauty and elegance with great importance to
Indian values and cultures.
Neeta Lulla who has designed film costumes for movies like Lamhe, Taal,
Devdas etc. which were all very traditional and Indian wear. Neeta Lulla has
always done designs which have great artwork and inspiration from parts of India.
Also, Neeta Lulla is known only for bridal lehengas and heavy bridal wear. Most
of the clientele of House of Neeta Lulla are women shopping for their wedding
trousseau, functions or special days and festivals.
Also, the celebrity spottings for House of Neeta Lulla included all mature and
well known celebrities like Aishwarya Rai, Hema Malini, Tanisha Mukherjee, etc
which created a mature image for House of Neeta Lulla.
House of Neeta Lulla is also well known label among customers but only for
bridal wear. The sales were all time high during wedding seasons and festival
times. But the sales were stagnant during off season.
House of Neeta Lulla was a label targeted towards:








Mature Indian female, aged 25-40,
Affluent, from upper class society,
Working in a good organization at top level, owns business, socialite
Highly social, loves to attend high socialite parties
Very particular about her image in society
Loves Indian heritage and values
Respects Indian culture
Likes Indian handwork and Indian artwork
64
5.2.
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The problem associated with House of Neeta Lulla is as follows:
5.2.1 Focused positioning
The positioning strategy of House of Neeta Lulla was niche positioning.
In essence, the firm virtually becomes a ‘big fish in a small pond’. The firm’s
competitive advantage comes both from its expertise (as it’s a specialist) and from
having a high market share (of a relatively small market segment). As a result,
many potential competitors do not deem it viable to directly compete against
niche marketers.
Niche Positioning is a somewhat rare strategy to implement and the term is
sometimes confused with one-to-one marketing and being a small market player.
Most small businesses are generally not niche marketers; they simply have a very
small share of a large segment (whereas niche marketers have a large market
share in a small/tight segment).
Due to focused positioning, the clientele is stagnant only for wedding trousseau
and festival buying. The positioning was for older women who has high value for
Indian heritage and designs. The image presentation for House of Neeta Lulla
was a very matured label for older women. Due to this the younger generation
always saw this label as not fit for them. The technique and designs were also
focused for the mature class women.
5.2.2 Mature silhouettes and designs
Silhouettes are e basic outline of the clothing on the body or the overall shape of
the garment devoid of embellishment. It's about shape and outline. terms such as
"hourglass" "pear" "apple" "bouffant" are some standard silhouette words
commonly used.
The silhouette should adhere to many of the elements and principles of good
design, line, flow, form, proportion and balance. It should enhance the body and
not overwhelm it. The silhouette should tell part of the design story and work
with the materials, construction details and any embellishments to make a welldesigned garment that looks as good when worn as it did in the designer's
imagination.
The major problem for House of Neeta Lulla was the mature designs and
Silhouettes. Due to availability of high end and young Indian designers, there are
65
reformation in techniques and designs which appeals to the young generation and
young brides.
The embroidery techniques and silhouettes of House of Neeta Lulla are very
matured and archaic with major focus on heavy embroidery and Zardosi work.
Such old techniques are mostly loved by older women but are not appealing to
the Gen Y females.
Also, the Silhouettes were stuck in just heavy embroidery sarees, lehengas, long
gowns, etc which was not alluring enough for people who love to experiment with
silhouettes.
House of Neeta Lulla’s Image in the Media was more of a veteran label with only
focus on Bridal Wear.
Neeta Lulla wanted to change the face of her label. She wanted to make it for
appealing and more targeted towards today’s generation.
She wanted her label to stand out for individual young female who love to stay
on trend and also admires Indian designs.
The major problem here was to re-introduce the label and re-position it in the
media and fashion industry.
The focus was to introduce House of Neeta Lulla in a new way through Public
Relations efforts.
66
5.3 DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGY
After thorough Research of House of Neeta Lulla through Primary and
secondary methods, we arrived on the following strategy:
5.3.1 Re- introducing House of Neeta Lulla in Lakme Fashion Week
Summer Resort 2016
Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) is a bi-annual fashion event that takes place
in Mumbai. Its Summer-Resort show takes place in February whiles the WinterFestive show takes place in August.
It is considered a premier fashion event in India. It is run by Fashion Design
Council of India (FDCI) and the title sponsor is Lakme.
Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) is jointly organized by Lakmé, the No.1 cosmetics
and beauty services brand in India and IMG Reliance, the global leader in sports
and entertainment event marketing and management. LFW has been conceived
and created with a vision to “Redefine the future of fashion and Integrate India
into the global fashion world”. LFW is organized twice every year.
Lakme Fashion Week is considered as the game changing event in fashion
industry. Here, lot of trends are set and lot of fashion rules are made. Fashion
Media promotes the best trends and fashion stylists source the greatest looks from
Lakme Fashion Week.
So, the first strategy was to re–introduce House of Neeta Lulla in Lakme Fashion
Week Summer Resort 16. This is because LFW is the best place to showcase the
new collection which reaches out to all the audience which includes Fashion
Media, vendors, retailers, fashion stylists, celebrities, clients and general public.
As LFW is the most celebrated fashion event, people always have eye on this
event.
67
For any designer Lakme fashion week is a platform to showcase their talent and
to enhance the brand image. So for rebranding House of Neeta Lulla, the biggest
platform to break the news was Lakme Fashion Week. Lakme Fashion Week
enables you to reach the wider audience with minimal efforts on advertising and
marketing.
5.3.2. Modern designs and Silhouettes
To target the younger audience for House of Neeta Lulla, the most important
strategy to implement was to design a collection with a modern look. To reintroduce House of Neeta Lulla it was very crucial to have a collection which
attracts the youth generation.
The Indian demographic landscape has witnessed enormous changes in the past
few decades. The increase in income levels, priority given toward education, and
rapid industrialization coupled with liberalization policies pursued relentlessly by
the Indian government has transformed the Indian economy. Indian values and
national culture have not been spared from the attack from Western values.
Research suggests that recent years have seen a change in consumption
preferences of Indian consumers (Dwivedi 2010; KPMG 2009) that consequently
may affect their values.
Today’s youth constitute large customer base for fashion and apparel sector. Also
due to increase in globalization, the employment opportunities has increased and
today’s youth wants to spend more. They have also become fashion conscious
and image conscious due to increase in social media usage. Due to today’s young
generation’s change in taste and preferences, have significant impact on Indian
design aesthetics and popular fashion.
The young generation wants something novel. They want something which is
new and innovative. They don’t want to wear what everyone is wearing. They
want to be different than others. Hence they always choose apparels which are
different and not very common in the market. They want to stand out and feel that
they are different and better than others in terms of fashion and couture.
The phenomenon of Catch’em Young gives more advantages to the marketers.
“From pester power; kids have changed their role to become influencers. In fact,
in the older age groups, kids have actually become consultants, whom parents
turn to for advice during the decision making process.
This means that nowadays children influence the buying behavior of a
consumer who is from the old age group. Hence nowadays parents consult their
daughters/son while making a purchase. Hence it is very important to target the
younger generation with modern techniques and modern designs.
68
Also nowadays people are more open in doing experiments even during weddings
and functions. Hence change in silhouettes is also very important to attract the
new customers and to retain the old customers.
For Lakme fashion Week collection, the main aim was to make a modern yet
traditional pieces. The positioning strategy for House of Neeta Lulla was not to
completely shift from the Unique Selling point of the label which is inspiration
from the Indian roots and values, but to introduce modern cuts, silhouettes and
designs.
5.3.3. Increase young celebrity spotting
If a celebrity is wearing a particular designer’s outfit, it also helps in positioning
of the label. Product positioning is placing a company's products in the best
possible light in the minds of a target group. So when a celebrity wears any outfit
from a particular designer, it automatically positions the label as a very high end
label in the minds of consumer.
Indian consumers are very influenced by Bollywood celebrities. They have this
common perception that if a celebrity is wearing the outfit, it has to be great. This
perception of Indian consumers enables a fashion designer to position the label
swiftly.
As the main aim of rebranding House of Neeta Lulla was to target the younger
generation.
So, the first step was to increase young celebrity association with the label. As
the new collection was re invented with a modern twist, and this demanded to
increase the young celebrity spotting in the new collection.
Major Fashion influencers and young celebrity have always been the source of
fashion inspiration for majority of people. The phenomenal growth of social
networking has also spawned a plethora of self-styled celebrities, also known as
fashion bloggers who have made a name for themselves on video-sharing
websites; sometimes without any discernible talent.
As long as the celebrity is authentic, he or she can help to lend credibility to a
brand and influence the way it is perceived. Many consumers believe that if a
product is good enough for a star, it is good enough for them.
While most apparent among the younger generation, celebrity influence exists
across all age groups. Tweens and teens idolize the icons of the youth whereas
adults tend to admire older, more enduring celebrities.
In the battle for the mind, you get the customer excited by showing him a known
face, and an effective demand is created. In short it helps increase the recall value
of the brand. A piece of research states that the target audience age group of 1530 gets influenced first by cricketers, then Bollywood stars and only then music,
69
festivals and food.
Celebrity association is important because the qualities associated with the
endorser are associated with the brand and the brand therefore remains at the top
of the consumer's mind. A celebrity's preference for a brand gives out a persuasive
message and hence, because the celebrity is benefiting from the brand, the
consumer will also benefit. There is a demographic and psychographic
connection between the stars and their fans. Demographic connection establishes
that different stars appeal differently to various demographic segments i.e. age,
gender, class, geography etc., while psychographic connection establishes that
stars are loved and adored by their fans. Some stars have a universal appeal and
therefore prove to be a good bet to generate interest among the masses. Another
invaluable benefit from celebrity endorsements is the public relation
opportunities.
Hence to influence and create brand awareness, it was very important to upsurge
the young celebrity to wear House of Neeta Lulla Label. Due to increase in young
celebrity spotting, it is easier to make the new collection more visible in the minds
of the consumers.
5.3.4. Redefining the target group and positioning
Segmenting a market has widely been debated over the years as researchers have
argued over what variables to consider when dividing the market. Approaches
through social, economic and individual factors, such as brand loyalty, have been
considered along with the more widely recognized geographic, physiographic,
demographic and behavioral variables proposed by Philip Kotler.
Targeting is a follow on process from segmentation, and is the process of actually
determining the select markets and planning the advertising media used to make
the segment appealing.
Positioning is the final stage in the ‘STP’ process and focuses on how the
customer ultimately views your product or service in comparison to your
competitors and is important in gaining a competitive advantage in the market.
House of Neeta Lulla was a label targeted towards:




Mature Indian female, aged 25-40,
Affluent, from upper class society,
Working in a good organization at top level, owns business, socialite
Highly social, loves to attend high socialite parties
70




Very particular about her image in society
Loves Indian heritage and values
Respects Indian culture
Likes Indian handwork and Indian artwork
But now the targeting and positioning was needed to be changed. So the new
target group was:









Young Indian female, aged 21-40,
Affluent, from upper middle class, upper class society
Working in a good organization at top level, owns business, socialite
Highly social, loves to attend parties
Fashion conscious, follows trends, experiments
Follows fashion influencers, celebrities, fashion bloggers
Loves Indian heritage and values
Respects Indian culture
Likes Indian handwork and Indian artwork
71
Previous Perpetual Map
Traditional Designs
Target
GroupOld Age
group
Target GroupYoung Age
Group
Modern Designs
72
Perceptual Mapping also known as positioning mapping is the use of graphs to
identify the positioning of products/brands that consumers have, and find their
preference. The graphs lay out an X and Y axis with variables and ranges from
the most desirable to least desirable. For instance, the far right may be listed as
‘Upper class’ while the left side will be ‘Lower Class’. This allows for the
placement of business names to help find the position that consumers place these
businesses in relation to the variables listed.
Perceptual mapping is a diagrammatic technique used by asset marketers that
attempts to visually display the perceptions of customers or potential customers.
Typically the position of a product, product line ,or brand, of a company is
displayed relative to their competition.
The earlier positioning strategy for House of Neeta Lulla was targeted towards
older age group with focus on traditional designs.
Here as you can see above, the positioning map states the position of Neeta Lulla
Label as high on traditional designs and targeted towards older age group.
This means that customer’s perception towards Neeta Lulla label was that of a
traditional couture maker with target audience as older aged female.
73
Re- positioning Strategy
Target
GroupOld Age
group
Target GroupYoung Age Group
Modern Designs
74
Above is the new perpetual map for repositioning Neeta Lulla Label.
Repositioning refers to the major change in positioning for the brand/product. To
successfully reposition a product, the firm has to change the target
market’s understanding of the product. This is sometimes a challenge,
particularly for well-established or strongly branded products.
Firms may consider repositioning a product due to declining performance or due
to major shifts in the environment. Many firms choose to launch a new product
(or brand) instead of repositioning because of the effort and cost required to
successfully implement the change.
The new positioning strategy moves Neeta Lulla label towards the Modern
Design and Young age group.
75
5.4. IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGY
5.4.1 Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2016
The first step was to design an exclusive collection for Lakme Fashion Week.
The collection was named #SheIsMe which was inspired by women
Empowerment. The collection showcased Always inspired by the strength of the
feminine, this season Neeta Lulla is telling the story of the woman as a
flower. The collection speaks to her ethereal beauty and gentleness, but also an
inherent tenacity in the face of abuse.
The collection was modern and edgy but also had her expertise in traditional wear.
Neeta Lulla’s Summer Resort Collection at LFW 2016
76
Neeta Lulla’s Summer Resort Collection at LFW 2016
77
Pre Show, an innovative social media campaign was introduced as #SheIsMe
which was dedicated to Women of Substance where people have to post a picture
about women empowerment and what they think, how they relate to #SheIsMe.
Also to increase the awareness, there was a contest held on the theme #SheIsMe
where contestants had to upload a video/picture about how they relate to
#SheIsMe and they could win 2 invites for Neeta Lulla’s Lakme Fashion Week
Show.
78
Neeta Lulla’s runway presentation included a powerful dance recital (Fusion of
Chinese Warrior and Kathak) by Actress and Entrepreneur - Pernia Qureshi to
communicate the social message against women abuse, and further moved onto
women achievers from different walks of life, taking to the ramp. Imminent
personalities like Designer & Politician - Shaina NC, Yes Bank’s Radha
Kapoor, celebrity dietician - Pooja Makhija, Mural Artist - Rouble Nagi and
Award winning documentary filmer, Vibha Bakshi supported the cause by
walking for Neeta Lulla earlier this evening.
Pernia Qureshi performs at Neeta Lulla ‘s show at Lakme Fashion Week 2016
The front row of a fully packed house was graced by Smita Thackeray, Juhi
Chawla, Swara Bhaskar, Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani, Poonam Sinha,
Divya Khosla Kumar, Ishita Dutta, Nishka Lulla Mehra, Maria Goretti and
Arshad Warsi, Manasi Scott, Shibhani Kashyap, Eli Avram, Shibani
Dandekar, Gabriella Demetriades, Rakulpreet, Sunny Singh and Sana
Khan to name a few.
79
80
5.4.2. Collection
New and modern silhouettes and cool tones ruled the Neeta Lulla’s Collection.
The embellishments and prints gave a fresh twist to her LFW collection.
The Cherry Blossom, a symbol of feminine passion and power in the Chinese
culture forms the central motif of the collection along with the Osmanthus, which
is associated with a woman’s essence of love and sensuality. Androgynous
silhouettes softened with lace and structured styles balanced with
drapesshowcase the contrasts of a woman’s character. In the modern world where
she is also taking on traditionally male roles outside the home, her clothing
is herarmour speaking to her state of mind and helping her confidently transition
through the myriad parts she plays through her life.
Neeta Lulla’s immense expertise in prints and embellishment takes the collection
through an entire gamut, from elegant eveningwear to glamourous resort bridal
wear. A pioneer of resort wear in India, this season she brings to the runway
draped jackets that have been teamed with anarkalis, polo shirts as crop tops, and
off-shoulder blouses casually paired with printed draped pants and embroidered
lehengas for the edgy friend of the bride, while jumpsuits and capes keep it ideal
for those who have wanderlust on their mind.
Fabrics remain soft and strong with crepe, tulle and lace, seamlessly mixing
Edwardian cuts, androgynous silhouettes and feminine styles. For example
jackets and tops are cut on the bias lending an added an extra swing to the step
and in a new style, pants are made sensual with draping. The pretty colour palette
moves from the fresh and floral of pink, wild rose, olive green, tangerine, etc to
the dark hues of dried earth.
Speaking about the collection Neeta Lulla says, “This collection in its entirety
speaks to a woman’s characteristics. You see the vibrancy of the Cherry Blossom
and the Osmanthus transition into the colours of dried flowers and cracked
mother Earth. Just as these magnificent miracles of nature respond to tenderness
and care but can also just as easily dry away with neglect, a woman’s spirit
begins to wither under any physical or emotional abuse. We need to raise our
voice against this.”
81
82
5.4.3. Increase in Young Celebrity Spotting
During Show, the celebrity invitees were mostly young celebrities, fashion
media, top stylists and fashion influencers.
This was the first step to change consumer’s perception towards the Label.
Young celebrities like Divya Khosla Kumar, Ishita Dutta, Manasi Scott,
Shibhani Kashyap, Eli Avram, Shibani Dandekar, Gabriella Demetriades,
Rakulpreet, Sunny Singh and Sana Khan were among the front row celebrities
for Neeta Lulla’s show.
All the young celebrities were wearing outfits from Neeta Lulla’s new
collection. This enables to enhance the wearability and awareness about the new
collection. Also to shift the target group’s perception, this was the best move of
PW PR to work towards the goal.
Eli
Avram in
Neeta
Lulla’s
creation
83
Charmee Kaur and Divya Khosla Kumar in Neeta Lulla Creation
84
5.5 OUTCOME
5.5.1. Lakme Fashion Week Coverage
After the show, the fashion media loved the show and the new and incredible
collection created lot of buzz and news in the media.
Following are few pictures which showcase the buzz created by Neeta Lulla’s
new collection in the fashion media.
85
86
Bombay Times
87
Social Media Posts for Lakme Fashion Show
Name of the Account
Organisation
Likes
VogueIndia
Fashion Magazine
3138k
ElleIndia
Fashion Magazine
5083k
Angasutra
Graziaindia
Multi Designer Store
1.6k
fashion Magazine
652
Afashionistasdiaries
online fashion account
988
Exclusivelycom
Online Designer Store
192
AzaFashions
Multi Designer Store
440
BazaarBridein
Fashion Magazine
327
MissMalini
Online Blog
593
MissMalini
Online Blog
784
Love and other bugs
Fashion Blogger
283
Elleindia(Facebook)
Fashion Magazine
2.5k
Femina India
Fashion and Lifestyle Magazine
5251k
HellomagIndia
Lifestyle Magazine
130
Elleindia(Facebook)
Fashion Magazine
934
GraziaIndia(Facebook)
Fashion Magazine
149
88
5.5.2. Celebrity Spotting
The Celebrity sourcings where only provided to top celebs and young
celebrities to influence the target market’s perception. After the Lakme Fashion
show, all the fashion stylists loved the collection. They started blocking the
looks for their respective celebrities.
Few of the Neeta Lulla’s Look worn by young celebrities are as follows:
Actress Aditi Rao Hydari in Neeta Lulla’s creation
89
Filmmaker Divya Khosla Kumar in Neeta Lulla’s LFW collection for GIMA
Awards
90
Actress Neha Dhupia in Neeta Lulla’s LFW collection
91
Femina Miss India-Vartika Singh in Neeta Lulla creations
92
Actress Sarah Jane Dias in Neeta Lulla
Actress Swara Bhaskar in Neeta Lulla
93
Actress Sunny Leone in Neeta Lulla for Wedding Times Magazine Shoot
94
CHAPTER 6 - BENEFIT TO THE COMPANY AND SELF LEARNINGS
Benefits to the Company
1. Successfully completed celebrity
sourcing and spotting.
Juhi Chawla in Nachiket Barve for shoot
Juhi Chawla in Nachiket Barve for her
movie promotions
Ileana D’cruz in Nachiket Barve at Filmfare
Awards
Kajol in Amy Billimoria
95
Sonam
Kapoor in
Natasha J
Label for
Neerja
Movie
Promotions
Aftab Shivdasani in
Label BoSquare
Ambika Anand at Band Baja Baraat in Nisha Sainani
96
2. Created Launch Plan for Menswear Label BoSquare for their ‘Botany
Collection’.
BOSQUARE
BOTANY LAUNCH PLAN
IDEAS
DETAILS
CAMPAIGN
"BEAUTY OF
MOTHER NATURE"
- To
launch an
innovative
campaign
"Beauty of
Mother
Nature"
REQUIREMEN
TS
Information and
images, media
gifts from
BoSquare
TIMELIN
E
Last week
of March
- PW PR
to work on
exclusive
stories for
pre launch
stories.
- To send
out
Hardcopy
of the
Lookbook
to
Magazines
with a
gift(Bow
Tie, Cuff
links, Tie
pins etc
from the
new
collection)
97
Publication to Target:
Magazines
1.GQ
2.The Man
3.
Mansworld
4. Maxim
5. Men's
Health
6.
Wedding
Vows
Information and
images from
BoSquare
First/secon
d week of
April
Contact them for
collaboration
Second
week of
April
Newspape
rs
1. Mid
Day
2. Indian
Express
3. Sunday
Mid Day
4. DNA
After Hrs
5.
Afternoon
DC
6. ET
Panache
Onlines
GQ Online
Mansworld
Online
The Man
Website
Bloggers Activity
Campaign
#BeautyOfMotherNat
ure
Bloggers
to
associate
withSarang
Patil- He is
got the
style
Riaan
George
Usaamah
SiddiqueThe
Dapper
98
Label
NikhilThe
Fashionist
Duo
Contests/Giveways
- Contests
with
bloggers
such as
"What you
feel is the
amazing
thing about
Nature and
why
Participant
s can
repost the
image and
tag
BoSquare
and write
answers in
the caption
- Winner
to get
goodies
from
BoSquare
Sourcing
- To start
pitching
for trend
stories and
product
placements
- To start
sourcing to
A-lister
celebrities
and
magazine
shoots
Goodies from
BoSquare for the
winner
Second
week of
April
From last
week of
April
99
3. Successfully completed editorial shoot sourcing.
Parineeti Chopra wearing
Nishka Lulla on Man’s World
Magazine’s cover page.
100
Emraan Hashmi wearing
Label BoSquare on The
Man magazine’s cover page.
101
Model wearing BoSquare’s ensemble for Splendor Magazine, Berlin
102
4. Helped the clients during Events, Launches and shoots.
L-R Aastha Sharma, Sonal Chauhan, Nishka Lulla and Mandana Karimi
at the launch of Nishka Lulla's collaboration with Clinique for the Pop
Artistry collection
103
Designer Nishka Lulla and Athiya Shetty and Models at the launch of
Nishka for 109F
104
Shamita Shetty (wearing Amy's design and Ghanasingh Be True Jewels) with
Amy Billimoria and Krishaa & Gautam Ghanasingh
Farzad & Amy Billimoria with Krishaa & Gautam Ghanasingh
105
5. Successfully completed editorial features and response stories for clients
Nitin Singh of Label BoSquare’s interview in magazine Man’s World
106
Bridal Makeover Story for Amy Billimoria in Wedding Times magazine
107
Natasha J’s feature in Society Magazine
108
Designer Nisha Sainani’s story in Youth Inc Magazine
109
Holi Story in Newspaper DNA After Hrs, for all the designers
110
6. Helped Nishka Lulla and Neeta Lulla during Lakme Fashion Week show,
Summer Resort 2016.
Nishka Lulla at her LFW SR 2016
111
Neeta Lulla’s LFW SR 2016 show
112
7. Handled day to day connections with clients.
8. Provided company with much needed information on potential features in
various magazines.
9. Provided company with various potential collaboration ideas for clients
and worked on it.
10.Worked on post event releases, did follow up on stories and maintained
contacts with all the fashion Media.
Self-Learning
1. Learnt in detail about the Fashion Public Relation mechanism and its
working.
2. Learnt about the Fashion couture and premium market scenario in
Mumbai.
3. Learnt about fashion marketing for Fashion designers.
4. Learnt Time management and to get work done in a stipulated time
period.
5. Learnt about Fashion Media, Media, Journalists etc and their working.
6. Learnt about problem solving and crisis management in Public Relations.
7. Learnt about Fashion event management.
113
ANNEXURE I
SAMPLE SOURCING LETTER
114
WEBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-3509266841/determinants-of-the-buyingbehavior-of-young-consumers

http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/37291/3/chapter1.pdf

http://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/the-10-best-indian-fashion-designers-youshould-know/

http://www.vogue.in/content/neeta-lulla-at-lakme-fashion-week-summerresort-2016/#scust0

http://www.indobase.com/fashion/fashion-designers/neeta-lulla.html

http://store.neetalulla.com/bridal-couture
115