Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra 2012 Unveiled

by Fred Victor

Alessandra Ambrosio, a Brazilian beauty, just wanted to scream when she was selected to model the Fantasy Bra at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She was delighted to be chosen to wear the prestigious jewel-encrusted piece - which is redesigned every year - for the 2012 catwalk spectacular. She said: ''I just wanted to scream. But I won't lie, I was really worried.''

This year, the Fantasy Bra takes a floral theme and the $2.5 million (about RM7.6 million) design by Long Island's London Jewellers, design features a centrepiece of a 20 carat white diamond, couple with 5,200 other gems including amethysts, sapphires, rubies and diamonds set in 18-carat rose and yellow gold.

Look! This piece of art is hot, simply stunning!

The 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is set to take place on November 7, 2012 (airing on CBS in December) and will feature performances from some great artists like Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Bruno Mars. 

Previous VS angels to have donned the Fantasy Bra include the incredible Miranda Kerr, Gisele Bundchen and Heidi Klum. 

 [Video] Victoria's Secret's Floral Fantasy Bra: Behind the Scenes

Creative Advertising - Billboard

by Fred Victor

A creative billboard, an outdoor advertising method, is one of effective ways of promoting your products to the massess. Here are some inspiring and creative billboard designs. 

In brief, outdoor advertising is a distinct medium, and creative message should be specifically geared to. Your billboard message is extremely important to the overall success of your campaign. Of course, lengthy message is prohibited as passers-by will not be able to read. Images for your billboard use should be very carefully selected. After all, this image could end up being over 48 feet wide! Defects in the image will be magnified at this large size. The resolution of image is extreme important.

The Importance of Product Life Cycle in Media Planning

by Fred Victor

A company’s product life cycle (PLC) has a significant impact on decisions making when it comes to media planning as managers will make different marketing decisions at each stage in a product's life, for instance, from the beginning with the need to generate awareness for a new product, then ending with the ability to maintain that awareness.

Incorporating PLC in media planning is an essential task that must be continually undertaken. The competitive business environment is undeniable, like shifting market conditions, including the ever-changing customer needs and wants, almost always ensure that what worked in the past will not work in the future, hence requiring media planning revisions in how a product is marketed.

New Product Entry Points

When a new product is introduced, the challenge will be the effort to generate awareness for that product. At this very early stage of market introduction, the use of traditional print and broadcast media is a proven way to create awareness and ultimately demand.

Establishing the Preference

As soon as a product has public awareness, marketers begin creating product preferences among target customers. Establishing that preference over other available offerings requires telling the product's story through selected media channels. For instance, mass media can be considered including social media as it allows more information to be shared virally.

Competing in a Crowd

Often, this occurs during a product's mid-life stage where marketers begin to rely on word-of-mouth (WOM) generated through satisfied customers as well as the third-party endorsements such as celebrity endorsements.

Maintaining the Awareness

Once a product is established e.g. Secret Recipe, AirAsia etc., the advertiser's challenge is to maintain that public awareness. At this stage, mass media platform becomes important in maintaining a general level of awareness for a product where it also raises awareness among new market entrants.

Starting Over

A product or service will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns; media use declines when this happens, provided the marketers are able to introduce a brand extension or a completely new product. Of course, the life cycle starts all over again.

In other words, at every stage in a product's or service’s life cycle, marketers will critically consider the choices related to generating public awareness, customer preference, demand, and ultimately the purchase decisions. 

Advertisement is an Investment, Not Expenditure – Marketing Channel

by Fred Victor

Well, it’s a million dollar question particularly for those conservative-cum-old fashion business owners or managers. Often, advertisement is considered as expenditure. Some broiling questions like “How much we need to spend”, “Can we spend less than 3% based on total projected sales?” and other concerning matters that have put them in advertising dilemma.

In todays’ heavily brand-driven business environment, advertising budget should be considered as part of a brand investment rather than considering it as expenditure. In fact, such investment helps developing and strengthening your brand in short- and long-term, if it’s advertised (or invested) effectively.

So, isn’t it “unfortunate” to consider advertising as expenditure, but not investment? Let’s dissect the issue a bit further.

First, should advertising investment be considered as advertising expenditure/cost (like any other costs, fixed or variables) is to be passed on to the consumer? Or, should advertisement be considered as an investment by your company (for a brand) which helps increasing your brand strengths, sales and market share eventually, resulting in economies of scale which either reduces the overall cost of investment or increases the brand values to your customers, partners, shareholders and employees.

An unfortunate Pricing Example:

Product cost = Cost of Goods Sold + Direct/Indirect Costs + Manufacturing Costs + Advertising Costs

Frankly, it’s weird that advertising cost is taken into account in determining a product’s price. As a general rule of thumb, pricing methodology covers both direct/indirect cost and manufacturing costs. Advertising investment should not be included as the “returns” – brand contributions (ensued from advertisement) are expected to provide surplus (or incremental sales) towards covering direct/indirect costs.

Having said that, advertising investment is not a cost in the same manner as fixed or variable costs or any other attributable overheads, but measured as a long-term investment in your brand on which the brand must generate “returns”.

In sum, “returns” should be a matter to deal with when it comes to investment in advertisements. It’s all about the potential returns from the (advertisement) investment, where (a) brands strengths (ensued from brand exposure), (b) sales (ensued from product/brand exposure), and (c) market share (ensued from product exposure) are factors that to be achieved.

As far as advertisement is concerned, expenditure ... is irrelevant!

Corporate (Business) Strategy Examples

by Fred Victor

In general, every organization will establish its own set of business strategies in order to support the missions and vision, and ultimately achieve goals. In other words, leaders who take the initiative to analyze and understand their market, industry and other external factors can actually develop strategies that are most likely successful.

As a matter of business strategies, there are various types in order to outplay the competition and ultimately generate business “growth”. To achieve both, your business must find, evaluate and select a strategy to capture a potential market.

Two classical examples are illustrated here. More importantly, there are attractive strategies available to small and medium businesses to compete against the scale economies that larger competitors are able to achieve.

Luxury Brand-focused: LEXUS

Some companies choose to position their products (or services) at the high end of the overall competitive pricing scale. Brand like LEXUS is best to illustrate this!

Luxury brands appeal to a distinct group of consumers with ample disposable income and the desire to purchase exclusive products. Companies that choose this strategy are able to increase their ROI (Return on Investment) through product cost versus volume. The customers may be fewer, but they will buy more expensively.

Back in 1957, when TOYOTA entered the American market, they were not considered a threat at all to the American auto industry. It was believed that TOYOTA cars had no appeal to American consumers. But, in the 1970s, there were problems such as the 1973 Oil Embargo, environmental regulations, and quality control issues with some American cars. In response to these “opportunities” (when most people considered it as “crises”), TOYOTA aggressively marketed their cars to Americans as being fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly, and having better build quality than the American cars.

What’s more, TOYOTA marketed their cars as being hip and fun with memorable and fun-filled slogans like, “you asked for it, you got it, Toyota,” and with commercials involving young TOYOTA drivers jumping in the air. As a result, TOYOTA’s marketing campaign along with continuing problems from the Big Three auto manufacturers, allowed import cars to make up about 20%of the American car market by 1980.

After successfully gaining a sizable market share in the American market, TOYOTA decided to create the LEXUS brand in 1989. LEXUS is crafted to target the luxury car market segment which was dominated by Mercedes-Benz and BMW … at that time.

They decided to create a new brand because of their brand image portrayed as only offered fun and fuel-efficient compact cars. As a matter of brand differentiation strategy, the introduction of luxury models into TOYOTA existing lineup would dilute the TOYOTA brand.

Hence, TOYOTA marketing strategy was to position LEXUS as a separate company with almost no references to TOYOTA. Heavy emphases towards quality customer service and a separate dealership network from TOYOTA were implemented. Such business/marketing strategy has allowed LEXUS to outplay its competitors like BUICK, MERCURY and LINCOLN, and become one of the best-selling luxury cars in the US by 2000!

Niche Market-focused: PEPSI

Most often, when a market, business or other external factors forces a business to make important decisions about future direction of their operation vis-à-vis the rest of business initiatives and directions, niche markets are particularly interesting for business looking to grow and/or to change, perhaps.

Niche markets consist of groups of consumers (often considered as market segments) within a larger marketplace who have similar demographic, buying behavior and/or lifestyle characteristics.

Therefore, a niche-focused business strategy targets a narrow group of consumers with a product and/or service designed specifically to meet their needs and wants.

The cola wars between PEPSI and COKE began in the late 1930s when PEPSI started making gains in the market. PEPSI realized that African Americans were an untapped niche market at the time, and that PEPSI stood to gain market share by targeting its advertising directly towards them.

In 1940, PEPSI CEO Walter Mack had the unprecedented idea of putting together a "negro-markets" department. Edward Boyd led the team of 12 black professionals, making Boyd one of the first black executives in corporate America. He and his group developed a marketing strategy seeking brand loyalty among African Americans.

The strategy was one of the first attempts at niche marketing, and it worked!

PEPSI sales in targeted communities shot up over one concerted two-week campaign by 13%.

What’s more, PEPSI was a sponsor of the exhibition, its early efforts at workforce integration and racial harmony are clearly good public relations almost six decades later.

Fashion Show Theme Samples

by Fred Victor

In my opinion, fashion shows are cool by nature. There are many elements needed in order to vow the audience (but not to overwhelm them). Among the many elements, the “theme” and its scripts are hyper important. They actually play as the introduction before the showing, scripts are therefore further telling in-depth stories and/or ideas about the showing.

I’ve recently authored some interesting themes (I believe), and was recently shown at Tropicana City Mall, Malaysia.

Here you go:-

Summer Beach Party

“The bed sheet you wear tells quite a story, 
Probably it’s self-esteem with glory, 
Whether it’s a blaze of glory or story, 
Let’s find a story in this summer beach party …”

Fansy World

“Sleeping in a world of fantasy, 
It’s something everyone wants to be, 
If you wanted it desperately, 
Let’s chase a dream in this world of fansy …”

Princess Party

“Are you the pretty princess of party, 
As tasty as a strawberry, 
Loves party music like Katy Perry, 
Oh pretty, let’s get to the princess party …”

Glimmer & Glamour

“Like jewelries that twinkle, 
As glamour as a luxury label, 
It’s a sense of comfort that most lovable, 
A décor with glimmer and glamour, simply incredible …”

Golden Egyptian

“The royal and luxury is always fine, 
Egyptian pyramids were once upon the time, 
If you need a bed sheet to appear in lines, 
A fabric dressed Golden Egyptian is right on the line …”

Beautiful Night

“Is tonight gonna be a good night? 
Need a wonderful and restful night, 
Asked if which bed sheet will treat me right? 
And I’d say “darling, I just want a beautiful night …”

Fashion Show Planning Guide

by Fred Victor

Well, fashion shows are fun, and great ways to introduce a fashion line and/or fashion store/boutique to the public or the fashion community.

Although organizing a fashion show can be extremely time-consuming as it requires hard teamwork involved, it will pay off in the end.  

Besides, highlighting the problems within the community or industry is another extreme valuable thing to deal with. You may consider addressing issues on global warming, healthy living, recycling, child abuse and other issues. Having said that, it’s not a one-man-show task, but a team!

Therefore, planning a fashion show requires lots of attention and detailed-understanding throughout the show. The following tips may provide a guidance to plan and implement a successful show.

So, let’s get down to the business!

1. Make an ideal budget, sponsorships are always considerable.

2. Venue for the show is important as it dictates the date and length of your show. Consider whether it will be possible for you to hold rehearsals.

3. Recruit your team such as show producer, backstage manager, entertainment manager, stylist / wardrobe manager, hair & makeup artist, casting manager, program and guest list manager, promotional manager (see note below for their basic job description respectively).

4. Pick a theme. A fashion show themed as “eco fashion” doesn’t mean it has to follow a particular format. Just be as creative as you like. Enjoy it and have fun!

5. Decide the length and layout of the catwalk.

6. Be creative! You can consider having dance routines, live music or magic show to be part of your show.

7. Think about how you are going to introduce your show.

8. Investigate need for special permits, licenses, insurance etc.

9. Pick a good photographer.

10. Make sure the show starts within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, it’s respectful of the guests.

11. Understand the taste of journalists, editors and media partners that you invited.

12. Be creative on your script with great emcee. Audience will certainly be attracted.

13. Have some sort of fun-filled description of any add-on accessories for the emcee to speak about, this adds sense of humour and helps guests to remember certain fashion line after seeing them only for 30-plus seconds each.

14. Don’t forget to bring enough body makeup for any unexpected suntan lines of body blemishes on your models.

15. Have great dressers who can quickly assist your models to dress, especially the model that will be shown a lot.

16. Don’t forget the double tape (for you to mark out the shape and length of the catwalk).

17. Arrange for photos of VIPs, celebrities, committees, models etc.

18. Don’t blow out guests’ eardrums! Play congruent music for each mood set, make sure it has a good beat that doesn’t urge he models to walk too fast). Transition music is important too.

19. Meet and greet with the designers after the show for media.

20. Don’t forget to recognize the sponsors (you should find sponsors to collaborate if you’re new).

21. Simulcasts your show on large screens to the right and/or left of the stage. Webcast it, and send out bulk e-mail targeting buyers who may not be able to attend the show.

22. Last but not least, REHEARSE, REHEARSE, and REHEARSE!!

NOTE TO YOUR TEAM

Show Producer ensures that everyone else knows what they are doing and are doing it.

Backstage Manager ensures that everything goes exactly to plan on the day.

Entertainment Manager informs the other performers about rehearsal times and dates.

Stylist/wardrobe Manager is responsible for the content of the show.

Hair and Make-up Artist creates image for the models.

Casting Manager makes certain that all models know what they are doing.

Program and Guest list Manager designs the show program and compiles as well as manage guest list.

Promotional Manager advertises the event.