STRATEGIC CONCEPT BOOK (1)
NATHAN FAULKNER
ID: 10860045
SECTION 1: ACADEMIC GROUNDING
SECTION 2:
3: MAGAZINE IMPLEMENTATION
List of Figures
SECTION 1: ACADEMIC GROUNDING
Figure 1. US Magazine Viewership 2012-2021 (Statista, 2022).
Figure 2. Previous Fenty Promotional Exploration (Author’s Own, 2024).
Figure 3. Process Model for Fenty (Author’s Own, 2024).
Figure 4. A Magazine’s Role in the AIDA Framework (Author’s Own, 2024).
SECTION 2: COMMERCIAL RESEARCH
Figure 5. Competitor Aesthetic Analysis Summary (Author’s Own, 2024).
Figure 6. Strategic Relevance of Magazine Content (Author’s Own, 2024).
SECTION 3: MAGAZINE IMPLEMENTATION
Figure 7. 4P Summary of Competitor Tactics (Author’s Own, 2024).
Figure 8. Flat Plan (Author’s Own, 2024).
Figure 9. Launch Strategy Timeline (Author’s Own, 2024).
Figure 10. Measuring Magazine Success (Author’s Own, 2024).
1.1 Strategic Analysis
Fenty’s strategic report analysed the brand’s relationship with both the internal and external environment, which in turn highlighted critical brand pain points and the reasons for its dissolution in 2021. The brand’s key issues are listed on the right, and aim to be tackled in the following report. This project proposes a magazine for Fenty, as part of its new diversification strategy coinciding with the brand’s relaunch. A brand magazine offers a good step forward for Fenty regarding the objectives identified in the strategic report, and will help to tackle the identified objectives in the following ways.
1.2 Promotional Objectives
Strengthen brand identity that aligns closer with Rihanna’s personal style to differentiate the brand and also entice fans and customers into buying Fenty clothing.
Prioritise authentic brand values and appeal to the new targeted age range of Gen-Z.
Boost brand awareness, including the increase of brand recognition and overall customer retention.
Optimise a multi-channel approach to create a holistic marketing communications plan and target the consumer at multiple touchpoints.
Brand Issues:
- Failure to align with Rihanna’s personal style, making the brand seem inauthentic,
- Not innovative or exciting to consumers,
- Lacking a clear brand identity to differentiate from competitors,
- Unfairly high price point which alienated the consumer
- Overcrowded luxury market sector
- Failure to focus on sustainability
1.3 Objective Fulfilment With A Magazine
A magazine is likely to increase trust and credibility in the eyes of the reader, helping the brand’s previous issues with authenticity. Her personal style will be reflected in the editorials with models wearing high-end Fenty streetwear. Exclusive interviews and insights will give fans a reason to purchase the magazine, thus, driving sales and enhancing the consumer’s relationship with the brand (Chen et al., 2022).
A magazine is an efficient way to promote Fenty’s new brand values, utilising interviews and social/ environmentally-designated sections to explain how Fenty is different to other luxury competitors.
The longevity and a lengthier “shelf-life” of a magazine (Medium, 2024) over other forms of promotional material, such as an advertising campaign or influencer post, means the brand can reach a wider audience and increase overall impact.
Accessing the magazine through both digital and physical touchpoints is perfect for an omnichannel Gen-Z consumer.
2. Build brand authenticity and trust
1. Promote new clothing range and increase sales
4. Create promotional material that aligns with Rihanna’s personal style
3. Promote sustainability
5. Create own unique brand identity
6. Create an omnichannel experience for the new consumer
1.5 The Promotional Mix
The magazine will exist in both physical and digital forms alongside other promotional tools used to rejuvinate the brand. These include a flagship store, an app, which provides a luxury take on a loyalty scheme, and various promotional campaigns. To create a holistic marketing approach, the magazine will advertise these campaigns and vice versa.
1.6 Magazine Justification
The rise of social media could be said to have eradicated the need for physical print such as magazines, with information widely available online for no additional cost (Lubaroff, 2024). But, when using it as a promotional tactic, it can be a great marketing tool. Defined as a blurring of boundaries between advertising and editorial content (Van Reijmersdal et al., 2010), it promotes brand awareness ~and increase credibility (Berkbuegler, 2020). 91% of magazine-readers stated that they help to build trust (Wigginton, 2023), and so would help to disprove the previous claims of theb brand being inauthentic, with the original range failing to align with Rihanna’s personal style and lacking a distinctive brand identity (Bain, 2021). Offering the magazines in-stores could increase footfall for fans looking to buy magazines in-store, which may, in turn, generate sales, and offering it digitally could boost app downloads
Despite fears of the death of print, magazine viewership over the last ten years is consistently high (Figure 1). This is also proven by several successful examples of own-brand magazines, with both premium and retailers such as Net-a-Porter, Uniqlo and Harley Davidson all utilising magazines for promotion.
Described as a “flourishing” promotional tool for brands (Santolin, 2023), a magazine will also help target Fenty’s new consumer (see Section 4.6) and build meaningful relationships with them, which is significant for the Gen-Z audience. Leveraging the celebrity status of Rihanna and additional influencers’ will drive sales of the magazine, with exclusive interviews about the range, endorsements and collaborations all enticing the consumer to purchase. This is further explored in Section 4.5.
Offline marketing still has a sense of premium and prestige to it...It has much more impact than a $9 million ad on your phone.
- Chris Toy, CEO of MarketerHire (Waldow, 2023)
1.7 Previous Promotional Failures
Fenty implemented a range of promotional tactics during their short lifetime. This section will explore said tactics, failures and how a magazine can offer a successful alternative.
Tactic Evidence
Pop-Up Stores
Description
The brand operated pop-up stores in high-end locations of the fashion capitals of the world - New York, Paris and London, in three-month periods. This was Fenty’s way of “testing the waters” before setting up their own flagship store (Moin, 2020), which never materialised.
Successes
- Immersive store experience: NY’s store featured digital lations by Jed Skrzypczak, customers could see themselves projected on the famous Bergdorf LED windows (Leon, 2020),
- “Curvy” models in-store, pro moting diversity (Yates, 2019)
Digital Campaigns
The digital campaigns featured a promotion of clothing in an editorial light, with inspiration from Barbadian photographer Kwame Braithwaite, who used underrepresented Grandassa Models (Mower, 2019).
- Links to Rihanna’s heritage high-fashion way, linking to beliefs of diversity and inclusivity,
- Featured on brand’s website, social media and in pop-up stores: consistency across touchpoints.
Website and social media
The website featured new campaigns, a lookbook, the product range itself, promotional videos and a blog. Additionally, there was an option to join the Fenty newsletter and mailing list. Socials such as Instagram and Twitter were also used to promote campaign imagery and the clothing.
- Mailing list helps to build personal relationships with consumer,
- Promoted brand loyalty
experience: instalwhere themselves Bergdorf 2020), pro2019)
heritage in a to core inclusivity, website, pop-up
How Did It Fail?
- Over-emphasis on digital channels
- Lack of innovation/uniqueness
- Their fleeting nature failed to deliver a luxury retail experience, failing to personalise to the consumer
- Misalignment with target audience
- Lack of clear target audience
- Did not align with Rihanna’s own identity/style
- Lacked clear storytelling, which is used in luxury campaigns to target a specific audience
- Lack of collaborations and endorsements
How Will A Magazine Differ?
- Offering the product physically (Section 7.3)
- Brand magazines are rare
- Key benefits such as access to launches and exclusive interviews with a subscription
- Define a clear target audience of Gen-Z and target them with campaign imagery
- Campaigns will be more streetwear-focussed
- Storytelling will be cohesive, throughout campaign imagery and the content alongside it
more the
- Lack of collaborations and endorsements
Direct-to-consumer model (Mower, 2019), reducing exclusivity of the line
- Over-emphasis on digital platforms - primarily online
- Did not optimise social media to its fullest potential, failed to build a community
- Collaborating with influencers and other celebrities for interviews and campaigns will help to reach a wider audience
- The magazine and overall brand model will be more exclusive and less accessible than before
- A magazine promotes via non-digital means
- Snippets of the magazine and hashtags will be promoted on socials - Instagram, X and TikTok
Figure 2 Previous Fenty Promotional Exploration (Author’s Own, 2024)
2.1 Marketing to Gen-Z
Research has shown different promotional tactics should be considered when targeting the new consumer, Gen-Z (Section 6.1). Described as “digital natives” (Dominguez et al., 2023), an omnichannel approach should be utilised to reach them. This involves the magazine being accessible both physically and digitally, which is supported by Ang’s (2018) findings. Ang highlighted the importance of targeting Gen-Z through multiple touchpoints and stated unique marketing tools should be used to grab Gen-Z’s attention. Despite a geographical limitation of the study, with only the Chinese population examined, further studies support the idea that this is universal; Wilson (2019) establishes that marketing is most effective for Gen-Z when it is high-quality and visual, often including a digital touchpoint. Chaney et al. (2017) found that Gen-Z prefer written communication, such as a magazine, due to its rarity and the oversaturation of information caused by the internet. Both Wilson and Chaney’s findings can be used to support Ang, demonstrating a need for unique marketing tactics that are available in both physical and digital form.
2.2 The Role of Promotion
The 4P’s, introduced by McCarthy (1960), helps brands to create a holistic approach to their marketing plan. While the 7C’s (Cutlip and Center, 1952) offers a more customer-based approach, promotion plays a significant role in both models, with the socio-cultural, AIDA, promotional approach being favoured by Nielsen (2012). AIDA, Attention-Interest-Desire-Action, examines the cognitive behaviours of the target audience, with the customer at the forefront when determining marketing tactics. As noted by Blythe (2006), it is difficult for a brand to cover all four points with one promotional tool. So, a combination of promotional tactics should be utilised to target the consumer and drive purchases.
2.3 The Subscription Model
In recent times, due to the rise of the internet and changing consumer demands, online subscription models have evolved. Now, it is common for subscriptions to include additional content or features online (Bradstreet, 2022), to provide consumers with an incentive to purchase. Studies by Ayman and Kaya (2020) support the concept of online subscriptions, specifically when targeting Gen-Z, with the benefits including heightened loyalty, greater brand awareness and increased sales. Although, they emphasise the demand of ease-of-access which is crucial for a Gen-Z target audience. This is further demonstrated by Bradstreet (2022), who discovered the main selling points of a digital subscription were accessibility and convenience. However, he also ensures not to overlook the importance of physical copies, with survey results displaying a slight positive skew toward printed magazines, due to nostalgia and a removal of distractions. Thus, the conclusion can be drawn that a mixture of tactics would be beneficial for a brand, which is supported by Cope and Maloney (2019), who argues a hybrid approach is the most effective approach, with broader appeal.
2.4 The Importance of Brand Values
When targeting Gen-Z, aligning the brand with their core values and beliefs is crucial, and believed to be effective when attempting to persuade the group’s purchase intentions (McKeever et al., 2021). A commitment to sustainability would be beneficial for Fenty according to Alders and Bottcher (2023), with 72% of consumers saying they look for brand transparency. With this in mind, a sustainability section of the magazine would be beneficial when targeting this audience. This is further supported by both Swinscoe et al. (2023), who emphasises the importance of sustainability in the consumer decision-making process, and Wilson (2019), who states Gen-Z’s core values must be recognised in order to successfully promote to them. An efficient way to do this would be through celebrity endorsement, with the advocation of core values that align with their personal beliefs. For Fenty, leveraging Rihanna as a figurehead to promote brand values would be beneficial, boosting Fenty’s authenticity and appeal (Cope and Maloney, 2019).
3.1 The Importance of a Process Model in a Marketing PlanCommunications Plan
To understand the relevance of a magazine when marketing Fenty, a process model (Figure 3) has been designed to display the processes involved and how best to integrate the magazine into the overall communications strategy. Defined by Schultz et al. (1994), integrated marketing communications describes a multi-channel approach, designed to reach the desired audience with a singular unified message. It details a holistic approach to marketing, with the customer at the centre, proven to boost consumer profitability, equity and loyalty (Hofmaier, 2015). This is especially significant in a modern and overcrowded marketplace, where businesses should aim to create long-term relationships with consumers (Kitchen and Burgmann, 2010), and a significant factor considering the weak competitive advantage Fenty previously had.
Process models are also significant as they signify a business shift from problem-solving to problem-processing, with the issues and continuous improvements (Negele et al., 1999), being reviewed through a feedback loop (Slack and Jones, 2019). This links to the afore-mentioned holistic approach, allowing the business to consider the business operations as a whole, including the consideration of inputs from other projects, as to enhance cohesiveness, linking to the IMC. This allows for the magazine to coincide with other brand events, such as the app launch and flagship store opening.
Another way in which a process model is beneficial is through the provision of measureable results Through the comparison of performance metrics, KPIs and other quantitative outputs, the process model allows businesses to measure the effectiveness of a marketing effort (PBPM, 2023). This is crucial for shareholders in Fenty, and helps to allocate resources to the magazine, including a financial budget. This is key. Additionally, said quantitative outputs, including consumer metrics, can be beneficial when drafting future editions, helping to tailor it further to the desired target audience, thus building stronger brand-consumer relationships and gaining competitive advantage
3.2
Process Model Development
The process model designed in Figure 2 follows the SOSTAC model closely, devised by Smith (2011). SOSTAC, an acronym for Situational analysis, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action and Control, is effective when devising a promotional marketing plan attempting to achieve specific promotional objectives. It also helps with the concept of IMC, encouraging businesses to look at how different departments and activities interact with each other.
Effectiveness if improved further when combined with additional process models that are superior at measuring success, for example, the strategic implementation portion of the Traditional Strategic Management Process (Johnson and Scholes, 1993). Monitoring and evaluation is said to help businesses learn from mistakes, catch problems efficiently and early, and improves future decision-making based on successful marketing attempts (Soken-Huberty, 2023).
3.3 Fenty’s Process Model
A flow chart approach was used to represent how the key activities are linked together and how each step culminates to form the final successful product (Trott, 2017). It is detailed on the right, in Figure 2.
Key:
Strategic Analysis
Define Strategic Objectives
Do objectives align with strategic analysis findings?
Set Promotional Aims Does the strategy support promotional aims and objectives?
Will it help to create an integrated marketing approach?
Campaign Development: Concept development, consideration of promotional marketing mix
Creative Execution
Internal analysis: SWOT, value chain
External analysis: Five Forces, PESTLE
Confer with marketing department
Set magazine objectives, competitive analysis and comparison
Outsource to a design agency Create in-house
Does the magazine require specialist knowledge?
Research into the type of content attractive to new target consumer Magazine
Campaign Implementation: Budget and resource allocation, timeline and schedule
Campaign Monitoring: Track effectiveness of promotion
Was the campaign successful in achieving the promotional objectives? NO YES
Future Planning: Key findings for future editions
Coincide campaign with other departments launches, e.g., flagship store opening in New York
Using quantitative analysis of KPI’s, finances (profit/loss), key successes and failures
Figure 3: Process Model for Fenty (Author’s Own, 2024)
4.1 Magazine Aims
As part of Fenty’s diversification strategy, it is crucial to utilise promotional tools that are unique, appeal to the consumer, and differentiate the brand from competitors. A socio-cultural approach will be used (Nielsen, 2012), encapsulating a range of promotional tactics used to boost Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action (AIDA). The magazine’s relationship with each factor of AIDA is listed below.
Attention - consumer becomes aware of the product/brand. A magazine will generate a customer’s attention through its promotion on social media and the app. Other promotional tactics used to promote the magazine is listed in Section 7.4.
Interest - the generation of intrigue when the consumer learns more about the brand. A magazine is a great tool to generate interest, doing it in a non-formal, fun and visual way. This links to the target consumer (Wilson, 2019).
Desire - when the consumer wishes to purchase your product. Again, a magazine is a visual advertisement. High-fashion imagery appealing to consumer preferences will be leveraged, making editorials aspirational for the reader.
Action - the act of purchasing a product. Through digital subscriptions, the instantly shoppable feature allows consumers to buy products as they see them, making the reader transition into a buyer seamlessly.
4.2 New Target Consumer
Figure 4 A magazine’s role in the AIDA framework, derived from Lewis (1898)
It is important for promotional tactics to target the desired audience specifically. Generational differences are explored by Chaney et al. (2017), who argues the importance of generation-specific marketing, which is the most efficient way to boost brand awareness and sales. For the Fenty magazine, a consumer-based approach focussed on the trends they adopt and values they hold is crucial, in order to appeal to the new consumer. Authenticity is key to this age group, with access to more information than any other generation, due to the rise of the internet (Kardes et al., 2014), so a genuine approach linking to Rihanna’s core beliefs of diversity, sustainability and inclusivity would be beneficial. This was a major issue for the brand previously, with an unclear target audience and unauthentic clothing range, explored in Section 4.6. A high-fashion and editorial approach will be leveraged, in order to attract the desired type of consumer, explored in Section 4.7. Targeting the consumer directly will lead to greater repeat purchases, increased customer loyalty, and grow subscription rates (Sternadori and Holmes, 2020).
Surveys have found gen-z can spend an hour each week reading magazines. It is about unplugging from the digital noise and slowing down.
- Print Business, 2024
The previous Fenty line was used had an ambiguous target audience, seemingly aimed at those with a minimal aesthetic, nothing like Rihanna’s herself (Section 5.1). The issue with the clothing that it was nothing innovative, with brands like The Row monopolising the quiet luxury industry already and doing it much more successfully. The aesthetic was considered unremarkable, mundane and pedestrian
The new Fenty consumer is modern, experimental and androgynous. They feature in the early adopters category of Roger’s (1995) Diffusion Curve, making the target consumer very fashion-forward. Aligning with the new brand’s style, which takes inspiration from Rihanna herself, who adopts from contemporary streetwear culture of the 90s/00s, the consumer is a young, well-earning urbanite who takes influence from runway shows - with favourite brands such as Diesel, Jean Paul Gaultier, No Faith Studios, Balenciaga, DSquared2, and Vetements (impact explored further in Section 5.2). They enjoy thrifting and upcycling, which betters the environment. Creating clothing closely aligning with the aesthetic featured above will provide a more authentic brand identity
4.5 Consumer Type
Several points of reference for the new Fenty clothing were considered when deciding on overall clothing aesthetic and artistic direction. Largely, for womenswear this came from Rihanna and her own personal style, and menswear came from her partner, ASAP Rocky, who are both known for incorporating high fashion gender-bending streetwear into their everyday looks. This is explored further in a style dissection, seen in Section 5.1. The Instagram influencers featured below convey the ideal consumer type; they would be wearers of the new Fenty range and readers of the magazine. They offer their own take on current trends, leading to high-end and experimental results.
For consumer magazines, the editorial content should be matched to the lifestyle, interests and activities of the readers. - Juska, 2022
5.1 Style Dissection
EDGY MAXIMALIST
Full Gucci ensemble, with a metal headpiece, lace and latex crop-top, faux fur and dragon-motif low-rise trousers. Jewellery stacking is present hanging Y2K necklaces. MILAN FW, 2022
RIHANNA AND ASAP ROCKY’S THEM ONE OF THE MOST STYLISH - Tom Baker for Highsnobiety,
THE MET GALA, 2023 NEW
Full Gucci ensemble, with a classic shirt, tie and blazer paired with tartan kilt and a trio of belts. Gold Bucheron jewellery and silver broach complete the look.
EXPERIMENTAL
ROCKY’S STREET-STYLE MAKE
STYLISH COUPLES IN HISTORY.
Highsnobiety, 2022
TREND-SETTER
5.2 Competitor Inspiration - Aesthetic
This section will examine the new Fenty’s competitors. An exploration of their aesthetic, and their approach to creating content and promoting products will highlight possible avenues for Fenty to explore in their brand resurgence.
With Gen-Y and Z as the desired target audience for the new Fenty line, the brand will take inspiration from current consumer trends, including the rise of high-end streetwear. White (2023) details the “love-affair” between said consumer and streetwear, crediting this to the rise of popular street brands such as Supreme, and Palace, who both form points of aesthetic inspiration. However, a greater luxury feel will be adopted in line with the traditional LVMH pricing strategy, following in the footsteps of heritage brands such as Vetements, DSquared2 and Diesel, and independent brand No Faith Studios. Evidence for consumer demand for these brands can be seen notably with Diesel, with 70% of their SS23 runway audience consisting 18-25 year olds.
Supreme made their mark on the luxury fashion industry through their redefinition of partially-unisex streetwear (Yotka, 2020). Through high-profile collaborations with artists and other nonstreetwear brands such as Nike and Gucci, they quickly became one of the most successful brands in the 2010s amongst Gen-Z. They also However, their recent decline has been observed, with critics stating a loss in revenue due to a narrow creative aesthetic that do not align with current consumer trends, over-reliance on gimics and reduced exclusivity (Mistry, 2023). This is also shown through a reduction in resale value for the brand, seen on StockX (2024).
The subversive luxury brand has become one of the most significant players in contemporary street fashion, known for its unconventional approach to styling and androgyny (Highsnobiety, 2024). Originally only womenswear, the move to genderless clothing appealed to the “edgy” young consumer (Butler, 2016). Their clothing is consistently a political commentary, often anti-establishment, but previously faced scrutiny for “basic” pieces and unreasonably high prices (NSS, 2021). Though, Vetements has since since had a resurgence, with their SS24 show being one of PFW’s most-viewed; the brand was praised for their subversion of brand staples into “enormous drapery” (Silbert, 2023).
Cologne-based independent brand No/Faith Studios have gained rapid popularity due to their subversion of traditional silhouettes. Described as experimental by Kessler (2022), who also listed them on Vogue’s brands-to-watch list, she details their “inventive silhouettes and dramatic oversizing”. NFS hold a luxury price-point, well-praised for their handmade denim and leather distressing and unique pairing of wardrobe staples. Aligning with Fenty, they create provocative urban streetwear, heavily inspired by the trending Y2K era and 90s skater aesthetic - blending them together in gender-fluid and diverse high-fashion ensemble (Lorenzo, 2023).
Diesel’s recent resurgence has been credited to new creative director Glenn Martens. Having previously described the brand as going through a “midlife crisis”, the brand became one of MFW’s most successful shows when Martens refuelled the brand, leveraging the brand’s past success in the 90s and 2000s (Kelly, 2023). The brand has been praised for their inclusivity, controversy and upcycling - with denim of the SS22 collection being fully sustainable, and making up 40% of the collection (Kelly, 2023).
As one of the most notable names in the fashion industry, DSquared2 is known for its trend-setting and edgy designs, crediting their success to celebrity endorsements, controversy and 2000s pop culture (Abad, 2020). They have recently spiked in popularity due to their androgynous and high-fashion approach to streetwear, appealing to the Gen-Z consumer. Priding themselves on a camp and maximalist aesthetic, they have a unique approach to layering which helps to break stereotypes, notably with menswear collections that embrace the feminine - with men sporting low-waist jeans, cowboy boots and lace camisoles during FW23 (Hidayah, 2023).W
5.3 Competitor Summary
In terms of aesthetic and promotional tactics, the aforementioned brands (section 5.2) have been ranked from most to least relevant when tailoring Fenty’s business model to the new consumer.
Competitor
Aspirational competitor
Inspirational Points (To Adopt)
- Gender-bending and androgyny, especially with menswear,
- Bold design choices and celebrity endorsements,
- Unorthodox yet nostalgic approach to layering including blending of couture with casualwear,
- Collections have strong storytelling
Aspirational competitor - Campaigns call back to their heritage,
- Emphasis on sustainability in their collections,
- Consistency between promotional imagery, runway shows and RTW.
Lessons for Fenty (To Avoid)
- Lacking focus on sustainability,
- Less graphic tees; Fenty will be slightly more sophisticated,
- Clothing to align closer with Rihanna’s own personal style (Section 5.1).
Aspirational competitor
- Close to Rihanna’s own personal style,
- Y2K feel of bagginess and layering, with staples,
- Exciting and experimental silhouettes.
- Lacking androgyny,
- Slightly more minimalist with more wearable pieces,
- Less reliance on denim - own brand niche to be discovered.
- “A hoodie is not enough (anymore) to sell well, [it] at least needs to be minimal and sustainable” (NSS Magazine, 2021) - greater emphasis on current trends and well as sustainability,
- No gimics
Direct competitor
- Successful blending of avant-garde with streetwear, similar to Rick Owens,
- Marketing strategy built on exclusivity,
- Diverse representation,
- Focus on craftmanship, using high-quality materials.
- Less dark aesthetic, aligning with Rihanna’s own personal colourful style,
- Sustainability,
- More traditional marketing techniques - including physical media e.g., a brand magazine.
Direct competitor
- Brand collaborations (but at less frequent rate),
- Business model founded on exclusivity,
- Blend of luxury and streetwear,
- Targeting of urban youth
- Stay true to core brand identity,
- Do not rely on logomania - align clothing more with current trends, mixing minimalism/quiet luxury with streetwear,
- Greater emphasis on unisex
6.1 Curating Content for Gen-Z
Featuring articles specifically targeted to Gen-Z’s core interests will help Fenty to build a strong relationship with the consumer and help the magazine to reach a wider audience than only Rihanna’s fanbase. As digital natives (AECF, 2024), there should be a clear link between Fenty’s physical and digital, such as a physical QR code allowing the magazine to transport the consumer to the brand website. The content should also be authentic, with the generation valuing openness and dialogue (Francis and Hoefel, 2020), from a genuine social and political point of view, aligning with Rihanna’s own values. This can be tackled in numerous ways, such as through unfiltered interviews, with both celebrities and activists, sections designated to sustainability and transparency, and partnering with organisations that share Fenty’s brand values A behind-the-scenes feature would also improve the brand’s relatability, which is significant considering its price-point. An exclusive look at products, including future launches and brand events, would also make it more personal to the consumer, making them feel connected
Key findings:
- 62% of Gen-Z are willing to pay more for sustainably-made products (Petro, 2020),
- 88% of Gen-Z prefer brands to blend digital and physical channels (Accenture, 2021), - 91% expect to receive consistent information over multiple channels (Kirk, 2018), - 67% willing to pay for unique brand experiences (Fromm, 2021),
- 70% are likely to invest in “tangible” products (Fromm, 2021).
Gen-Z’s Core Characteristics:
E. Casey Foundation, 2024)
