Marketing Communications Assignment:

Formal Business Report Including Marketing

Communications Plan

Assessor: Tanasa Florin

Table of Contents:

1. Executive Summary

2. Strategic Audit:

• Current Brand Values

• Brand Positioning and Experience

• Customer Analysis

• Competitors Analysis

3. Brand Reincarnation:

• Ideal Positioning for the Verbury brand

• New Customer Base

4. SOSTAC:

• Situation

• Objectives

• Strategy

• Tactics

• Actions

• Control

5. Conclusion

Appendix 1

Appendix 2
 Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to present an elaborative marketing communications strategy

based on evaluation of a current company situation and strategic position. For that
purpose a strategic audit was first undertaken in order to understand the current brand
values, positioning and the brand experience. An important part of the strategic audit are
the customer analysis and the competitors analysis based on primary and secondary data
research. Understanding a companyʼs situation in terms of intangible and tangible assets,
competitors environment and current customer base is vital before undertaking any
change in brand direction and marketing communications. In this way mistakes in
marketing strategy are avoided and the efficiency of the marketing communication
campaign is increased. What follows is a section called “Brand Reincarnation” that
describes the change in marketing direction that the brand analyzed should make. The
rational behind the suggested brand reincarnation is also explained. In this case the brand
reincarnation process consists of a slight adjustment in the brand positioning and the
targeting of an additional prospective customer base. After that a detailed marketing
communication plan is presented using the SOSTAC planning system. Through the
implementation of the proposed marketing communications campaign the brand should be
able to achieve the desired positioning and reach the perspective customer without
disregarding its current customer. The campaign should also increase awareness for the
brand which is the main communications objective. The brand in question is the high-end
luxury brand Verbury. It was chosen for the analysis because it represents an interesting
case of a brand that possess the internal capabilities and assets in terms of heritage,
craftsmanship, exquisite service etc., required for being a successful luxury brand, but at
the same time is unable to communicate itself in a desirable and aspirational way to the
public. It is a brand that is stuck into its own ways while everything else-competition,
customers, ways of communication, is changing. The presented here communication
campaign strives to return Verbury to its former glory in an innovative and definite way.
 Strategic Audit

Understanding the current strategy and situation of a company is a starting point for the
development of a successful communications strategy. It is important for the management
team to have a clear idea of the current brand values and positioning before taking
decisions on the future marketing direction of the company (Corbellini & Saviolo, 2009).
• Current Brand Values:
Currently the brand Verbury is associated with “Britishness”, classic aristocracy, finest
craftsmanship, exclusivity and an elegant, understated stylistic identity. Its unique
heritage provides the brand with knowledge and expertise to offer customers a luxurious,
customized product and service. Through a partnership with the Academy of Film and
Television Arts Verbury emphasizes its origins and celebrates “excellence and expertise”
which were and continue to be the core brand values forming the companyʼs unique
selling proposition.
• Brand Positioning and Experience:
Brand positioning involves the placement of a brand and all its associations in a distinctive
place in the mind of the consumer. “Brand positioning is what drives consumer choices
through comparisons. If consumers have a clear understanding and perception of a brand,
then they are likely to place the brand in the right position in their minds and this will form a
part of their selection process” (Okonkwo, 2007: 117). “Successful brands represent a
point of view, and their positioning reinforces that” (Chernatony, 2006). There exist two
levels of positioning: a Broad Level which is about anchoring a brand to a category so a
consumer has a reference point, and a Narrow Level which involves specific brand
positioning that is attributed to each brand (Okonkwo, 2007; Chernatony, 2006).
Verbury ʼs Broad Level of Positioning
Verbury shares the broad attributes of luxury and as such is positioned as a high-end
luxury brand. According to Saviolo and Corbellini (2009) luxury brand can be described as
“coherent systems of excellence”. “Regardless of the product categories luxury brands
have a certain distinguishing traits, all of which they share” (Corbellini&Saviolo, 2009)
illustrated in the figure below:
 The Luxury Brand Experience

High price

Innovation and Imaginary and

creativity storytelling

Luxury Brand Tradition and

Selective distribution Experience heritage

Superior service Superior quality

Exclusive
communication

Verbury possesses all the traditional characteristics of a luxury brand according to this
model- high price, superior quality, superior service, selective distribution, tradition and
heritage. However the brand lacks association with a “powerful imaginary” that can make it
desirable and exiting- the so-called “dream factor” (Saviolo&Corbellini, 2019). It also lacks
originality associated with creativity and innovation: as Saviolo and Corbellini (2019) point
out “a luxury brand sets its own bar and does not follow fashion or consumer demand”,
instead “the brand challenges its customers, their knowledge, taste, and discernment” and
creates “virtually authoritarian culture”. In its communication strategy Asprey should focus
on innovation and creation of a “dream factor” that can be based on a celebrated creator,
mysterious production process, secret formulas or other elements that all represent
legends creating an aura of mystery and respect for the luxury brand (Saviolo&Corbellini,
2019).
Verbury Narrow Level of Positioning
Verburyʼs unique positioning among the luxury goods segment is based on its royal
heritage, finest quality, craftsmanship and expertise. Although customers recognize its
quality of products and admire its fine jewelry, many find it hard to distinguish Asprey
among competitors and to describe what Asprey stand for. This is a result of an unclear
brand positioning, various categories and the lack of aspirational draw. Hence, the
customers lack to recognize the contribution that the Asprey brand would make in their
lives. As Saviolo and Corbellini (2019) argue, branded goods are distinguished from
unbranded goods by their intrinsic and symbolic value and therefore command a premium
price. The intrinsic value is tangible and is associated with product attributes(performance,
durability, workmanship etc.) and the symbolic one is intangible and associated with the
social distinction or the emotional value the brand is able to communicate (Saviolo &
Corbellini, 2019). In the luxury goods sector where products by deffiniton should have the
highest possible quality and craftsmanship, the symbolic value is the one that
predominately drives customers buying decision nowadays. For example “Armaniʼs clothes
are made from the best materials and have a very refined look but they would just be nice
clothes if the brand Armani didnʼt create a story along with layers of memories and
emotions behind these products” (Corbellini & Saviolo, 2019, pp. 155). It is identity that
gives a brand that particular powerful feeling of uniqueness, timelessness and the
necessary authenticity that helps give an impression of appearance (Kapferer and Bastien,
2019: 62). Strong brand identity and image help the business add value to the customer
and for shareholders and over time create “brand equity”. Keller (1993) and Krishnan
(1996) talk about a model of brand image that is based on first establishing strong brand
knowledge base. Keller uses a multi- step approach to develop the brand knowledge
model (see the picture below) with two main elements- brand awareness and image.

Developing Brand Equity

Recognition
(strong exposure)
Awareness

Brand Brand Recall

Equity Knowledge (strong associations)

Associations
Image
(favorable, unique)

It is visible from the model that in order to create brand equity in the future Verbury should
first establish brand awareness by focusing in its communications strategy on creating
recognition and recall for its brand name. It should develop a strong brand image that
evokes favorable associations in consumers minds and this brand image should be based
on symbolic, intangible factors rather than product intrinsic, tangible factors. Moreover,
emotional brands are most successful in extending their product offering to respond to
their customerʼs aspirations: when you identify emotionally with a brand, you will be more
likely to buy varied products from it, even if your emotional connection was first forged
around a specific product line (Gobe, 2001:143).
The importance of the emotional bound between the brand and a customer is driven also
by the progressive shift of consumer interest and spending toward luxurious experiences
rather than luxurious products (Corbellini &Saviolo, 2009). As services, like goods before
them, increasingly become commoditized- experiences have emerged as the next step in
what is called the progression of economic value (Pine and Gilmore, 1998;97). With the
rise of the “experience economy” rises the role of the store as a communication tool as the
store represents the place where different brand manifestations converge to give the most
complete brand experience a customer can get. It offers also a multi- sensory experience
where the products, music, odors, decoration, light, logo and advertising materials are
physically accessible (Chevalier and Mazzalovo, 2008:345). After observation in the
flagship Asprey store at Bond Street, London the following conclusions on the current
Asprey brand experience can be made (based on Gobe, 2001):

Verbury Brand Experience

Visuals Distinctive color: royal purple; no impact from window displays: banal,
predictable, product display lack an emotional connection; architecture:
distinctive, combining modern and classic; store setting: warm, inviting,
cozy, royal certifications are hidden

Scent No distinctive scent except in the fragrance room

Sound At times inconsistent with brand image: jazz vs. disco

Touch Customers are encouraged to experience and touch products; suitable

for brand image:velvet in royal purple

Service “At Verbury every person who walks through the door is a customer”;
sales personnel are friendly, respectful,welcoming and acknowledge
each customer without being invasive, possess good knowledge of the
product and know regular customersʼ names

Online The website lacks to communicate the store experience provided

Experience by the Asprey store: it doesnʼt emphasize customization or
(website) personalized customer service; no emotional connection, not
coherent and not communicating brand image and heritage; not
telling any story.

The observation results show that Verbury is missing two very important aspects of the
total brand experience communicated through scent and website. It also doesnʼt take full
advantage of its large store windows which can be used in a creative and innovative way
to communicate brand imaginary. As Schmitt and Simonson (1997) write “smell is the most
powerful of the senses” : the differentiability of smell, the strong memory for smell and the
ability to create strong associations all make smell an ideal tool for enhancing corporate or
brand identity. Beautiful window displays are a hallmark of the luxury industry (Chevalier
and Mazzalovo, 2008). Windows are part of street advertising and if used well have the
same function for a brandʼs exposure as a billboard or a poster (Chevaler and Mazzalovo,
2008). The online brand experience on the other hand is of a huge importance for each
fashion or luxury brand nowadays and should not be underestimated. The impact of the
web in peopleʼs lives is enormous and while the power of traditional media is waning,
Internet advertising is expected to become more and more important in the future
(Corbellini and Saviolo, 2009). Furthermore, as Corbellini and Saviolo (2009) point out, in
order to reinforce the overall brand identity, traditional and digital media have to be
combined.
• Customer Analysis:
What follows is a customer analysis based on observation at the Verbury flagship store
located on Bond Street, London and short interviews with Verbury customers (see
appendix 1 for observation sheet and observation data). The observation and short
interviews were done from Monday to Saturday and were carried out in two-hour sessions
by two examiners. The total observation time is 16 hours as a total of 57 people were
observed.
The short interviews lasted on average 5 minutes each as a total of 21 short interviews
were conducted. The data collected was then processed and analyzed in order to identify
demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics of the current Verbury
customer. Demographic data can provide interesting insight into lifestyle differences
between segments (Engel et al, 1994). In the psychographic approach to reaching
segments, consumers are differentiated on the basis of differences in patterns by which
people live and spend time and money (Engel et al, 1994). In the behavioral method
buyers are differentiated on the basis of their knowledge and attitude towards a product or
its attributes, and of their response to and use of the product (Engel et al, 1994). The
results from the Asprey customer segmentation analysis are summarized in the table
below. The major segmentation variables and their typical breakdown (Kotler, 1991) are
combined with Acorn classification (www.caci.co.uk/acorn) in order to form the
demographic profile. The psychographic profile is based on VALS categorization (Mitchel,
1978) and Warnerʼs Index of Status Characteristics (Burnett, 1993) as well as on a recent
study of the luxury customer conducted for Alta Gamma Association.
 Demographic Villages with Wealthy Commuters (based on Acorn Classification)
• Age: 40 to 60 years old
• Sex: women and men
• Household Structure: 2 non-pensioner adults
• Family Life cycle: married couple, with children over 18 living on their own
but still economically dependent
• Income: combined 50000+ per month
• Credit Card Limit: 5000+
• Occupation: higher managerial/professional occupation, housewives
• Working status: full time or self employed
• Education: college graduate
• Religion: protestant
• Race: caucasian
• Nationality:
• Car Ownership: 3 cars

Psychographic Social Class: Upper uppers (Burnett, 1993)

Lifestyle:
Inconspicuous (according to research for Alta Gamma Association)
• they value uniqueness, materialism, status and pleasure
• expect high levels of craftsmanship
• interested in product categories such as jewelry, watches, bags and
furniture
Thinkers (according to VALS (Mitchel, 1978))
• they are motivated by ideals
• mature, satisfied, comfortable and reflective people who value order,
knowledge and resposibility
• tend to be well educated and actively seek out information in the decision
making process
• well informed about world and national issues
• moderate respect towards status quo institutions and authority but open to
new ideas
• high incomes but conservative and practical
Personality: conservative, casual, simple look, elegant, good manners
Interests: music (classical, opera), fine arts and antiques, National Trust,
Snow skiing
Shopping: wine buyers
Holidays: winter snow and winter sun
Use of internet: to buy/research cars and make holiday bookings

Behavioural • Occasions: special occasions

• Benefits: quality, customer service
• User status: regular user
• Loyalty status: medium
• Readiness stage: interested
• Attitude toward product: positive
• Buyer: women and men
• User: mostly women
• Shopping habit: most of the people that enter the store are couples
In conclusion, Verbury current customer can be categorized as “Old Money” (Ziccardi,
2001). This is the traditional category of those who have inherited their wealth and who
manage a business that they have inherited or who have a standard of living that is not
related to their salary. They belong to the Upper-upper class which means that they are
 part of prominent families with at least second or triad generation wealth. according to
Kapferer and Bastien (1991) categorization of luxury customers, Verbury fits the category
of Internalized luxury: comprising the search for an authentic experience, almost an art of
living, exclusive and therefore distinguishing you from others through a discreet elitism.
• Competitors analysis:
A successful positioning differentiates the firm from its competitors providing it with unique
competitive advantage and its uniqueness is tied to the firmʼs ability to offer a specific
segment of customers a particular set of benefits (Saviolo& Testa, 2002). Since
competitive advantage is a relative concept, a company that has a poor understanding of
its competitors can have no understanding of itself (Hooley et al, 2003). That is why
competitors analysis is vital for the success of each company strategy. In what follows
analysis of the competitive environment in which Asprey operates will be undertaken. The
logic of the analysis is presented in the scheme below.

Strategic Groups in Jewelry/Watches Analysis of the 3 main

the Global Luxury Specialists competitors
Goods Retailing Segment: (according to
Positioning Maps Lehman&Winer(1991)

The concept of strategic groups is used in order to identify the organizations within the
luxury goods sector that have similar strategic characteristics, follow similar strategies or
compete on similar bases (McGee et al, 1986). The following graphical illustration gives an
idea of the way the luxury goods sector is segmented in terms of price and distribution
level.

Price
Asprey Boucheron Jewelry/Watches Specialists

Cartier Bulgari

Tiffani & Co Fashion/Leather Specialists

Chopard

De Beers Hermes Chanel

Perfumes/Cosmetics Specialists
Dior Valentino LVMH Gucci

Prada Giorgio Armani Dior Perfumes

Shiseido Estee Lauder

Clarins

Selective distribution Extended Distribution

Three strategic groups can be distinguished:
1) Perfumes/Cosmetics Specialists: this is the so-called “accessible luxuryʼ” that almost
everyone can afford. Distribution is extensive and price is low to medium. The
incumbents from this strategic group specialize in high quality beauty products and use
mass marketing to advertise their product offer. Nowadays barriers to entry of this
strategic group are lower to the benefit of the players from the other two strategic
groups which use the strength of their brand names and introduce perfumes and
cosmetics to enter the accessible luxury segment and compete with the specialistsʼ
brands.
2) Fashion/Leather Specialists: this group includes the lifestyle luxury players. Here the
incumbents success depends on distinctive style, restricted distribution, selective
communication and strong brand name based on a unique designer personality or rich
heritage. Prices are relatively high and usually product range is extended to many
different categories- clothing, bags, shoes, home wear etc. An important communication
tool for these players is the participation in an annual fashion show.
3) Jewelry/Watches Specialists: in this strategic group are positioned competitors that offer
the so-called “extra luxury”-unique pieces and luxury experience, exclusive rare
materials, made-to measure services and the highest level of craftsmanship. Prices are
very high and the distribution is even more restricted. Marketing communications are
also very selective, mainly CRM is used. Some of the brands positioned here have
extended their product range to high quality leather accessories and perfumes but their
core competence remains within the jewelry/watches production. Asprey is part of this
strategic group because although it has a quite extended product range, its internal
characteristics such as company history,culture of craftsmanship and made-to-measure
services and the way they are marketed and distributed correspond to those of the
jewelry/watches specialists.

In order to narrow the analysis it is convenient that one focuses on the particular strategic
group of the jewelry/watches specialists. The first positioning map shows the way the
main competitors are situated in terms of their internal capability for product customization
and the size of their product range. One must agree that Asprey occupies a very good
competitive position since not many jewelry/watches specialists can offer such a wide
product range most of which is fully customizable (refer to the graph below). Aspreyʼs
internal capabilities form a great part of its competitive advantage.
 Customization

Narrow Wide
Product Product
Range Range

Standardization

The second positioning map gives an idea of how the competitors are positioned in
consumers minds- as associated predominately with tangible benefits(product quality,
materials, product durability etc.) or intangible values (love, friendship, sensuality,
femininity etc.) versus brand awareness. This positioning map relates largely to how the
brand is communicated to the public. It is evident that despite Aspreyʼs competitive internal
capabilities(as illustrated on the previous map), the brand name suffers from low
awareness relatively to the rest of the incumbents. Moreover, while most of the
competitors in the segment communicate their brands through emotional and intangible
values and try to make them aspirational, Aspreyʼs brand name is associated only with
tangible benefits which implies that solely customers with rational purchase motivations
are attracted. However, nowadays selling the best product is not enough, especially in the
luxury goods market where the exceptional quality of materials and craftsmanship is a
characteristic of all existing players. Thatʼs why in order to differentiate from competitors a
brand needs to offer something more- it should establish an emotional connection with the
client based on intangible assets that are not imitable. As pointed out by Webb (2018)
“communications are increasingly focused on developing brand values rather than selling
products”. It is also worth mentioning that the competitors with larger product range are
usually those whose brands are communicated through intangible values. The logic being
that since their core competence is in jewelry and watches, the only way to sustain other
product categories and make people buy them is to make the brand aspirational.

Intangible/Emotional
Association

Low High
Awareness Awareness

Tangible
Associations

The next step in the competitors analysis is identification and assessment of the three
main Aspreyʼs competitors according to Lehmann and Winer (1991) model. The model
aims at assessing competitors current objectives, current strategies, resource profile and
log term strategy. For the purpose of the analysis data from both secondary (websites,
articles, corporate reports etc.) and primary research (observation) was collected and
conclusions were drawn for each assessment category on the basis of the following
indicators (Lehman & Winer, 1991):
1) Key indicators of current objectives: stated goals, ownership, investment priorities,
market assumptions
2) Key indicators of current strategies: advertising and media messages, new product
introductions, distribution channels used
3) Key indicators of resource profile: promotional expenditure, financial resources,
marketing assets, production capabilities
4) Key indicators of long-term strategy: past strategies, past and current reactions, past
successes and failures
The results are summarized in the table below.
Overview of the Three main Competitors
Bulgari
Current • increase efficiency and
Objectives decrease expenses(in view
of the current economic
climate)
• increase traffic and stimulate
interest
• preserve the image of the
brand by avoiding price
reductions and not engaging
in trade overload
Current • use charity as a new
Strategies motivation for buying
jewelry
• mix precious and non
precious materials to create
statement watches with an
impact
• target a younger more
impulsive purchased through
fragrances
• develop leather accessories
for longer daily utilization
• focus on CRM and POP
marketing
• foster brand image through
fine vintage jewelry
exhibitions
• move from a product
specific campaign to a brand
campaign to benefit all
categories
Resource Four main assets:
Profile • strong brand
• articulated product
portfolio:diversified product
offer and price range but
only including categories in
which the quality of
materials is a key
• international retail network
• motivated management team
(family members)
Cartier
• target the “new rich” in
developing markets but at
the same time maintain its
image and exclusivity for its
existing customers
• increase presence in China
• focus on watches- claimed to
be the new “it” category
• engage in charity initiatives
(ex: Women Initiative
award)
• promote brand image
through association with
Contemporary Art (Cartier
Foundation for
Contemporary Art)
• celebrities endorsement and
involvement in charity
initiatives (Rosario Dawson,
Rachel Weisz, Kirsten
Dunst)
• CRM (ex: Cartier Club)
• translate the Cartier luxury
experience in a web context
(My Space Love Cartier
Page, Cartier online
magazine)
• reduce the number of retail
outlets in US and Europe
• strong brand name and well
communicated heritage
• part of Richemont Group:
access to financial support
and managerial expertise in
luxury jewelry and watches
• well diversified product
portfolio targeted at both
younger and older customer
base
Boucheron
• reinforce the brand image
capitalizing on “creative
spirit”
• become the ultimate
French luxury jewelry
house in China
• grow watches and
sunglasses categories
• create a luxury online
experience that truly
translates the brand
• leverage on the signature
design: nature and animal
symbols (ex: iGoogle
Boucheron page design,
collaboration with Vertu
for the creation of
Boucheron phones)
• emphasize heritage,
sensuality and femininity
in design and marketing
• develop both fine jewelry
(price around 50 000$)
and costume jewelry
(price around 5000$)
• employ a “Radical
approach about
fun” (according to CEO
Jean-Christoph Bedos)
• organize events with
bloggers
• distinctive design
• well communicated
country-of-origin
• part of Gucci Group:
financial and managerial
support
 Bulgari Cartier Boucheron

Long Term • gain market share • attract younger customer • become leader in
Objectives • improve competitive • sales developing markets
position • penetrate new markets (ex;China, Dubai)
• take advantage of • realize the brand potential to • attract younger customers
opportunities now in order its fullest
to profit when the market
stabilizes

As a result of the analysis several common trends can be identified:

• focus on attracting younger customer base
• focus on developing markets, in particular Asia, China
• understanding of the advantages of the internet as a marketing tool
• understanding of the importance of intangible value for brand building
• engagement in charity initiatives- a new purchasing motivation for luxury customers
• emphasis on watches- seen as the new “it” category.

Brand Reincarnation

Luxury brand management is a balancing act: keeping with traditions, breaking from them,
balancing old and new, nurturing the roots of tradition and know how but at the same time
staying fresh, relevant and contemporary (Corbellini&Saviolo, 2009). According to
Corbellini and Saviolo (2009) “keeping the dream alive” is the key success factor in this
industry. “The difference between brands that are successful for generations and all the
others lies in their approach to the future. Brands that wonʼt last are happy with the existing
product, while great brands are never happy with here and now and constantly seek new
improvements in order to satisfy a changing and increasingly sophisticated consumer
base” (Corbellini&Saviolo, 2009,pp.161). These brands create the future with a solid
grounding in their past.
• Ideal Positioning for the Verbury brand:
In positioning Verbury the brand must become synonymous with luxury. By focusing on its
legacy and traditions to strengthen it core jewelry product Verbury becomes Britainʼs
jewelry brand. Furthermore, in positing Verbury among the leading luxury players, like
Cartier, Bulgari and Bocheron, Aspreyʼs competitive advantage lies in its prestigious royal
heritage. Enabling Verbury to advertise itself not as luxury brand but a prestigious supplier
of the ultimate of luxuries- fit for royalty. To do this, Verbury needs to establish an
emotional connection with the consumer through a brand that is associated with passion,
mystery, power and sensuality through an inimitable style.
In short, Verbury will become the ultimate jeweler by focusing on an updated image of the
brand that encompasses passion, mystery, power and sensuality through an inimitable
style that revitalizes the brand for consumers today.
In order to achieve that, an effective story about the Verbury brand should be developed
and communicated to the public. As Corbellini and Saviolo (2009) write storytelling is an
integral part of modern branding- a strategic tool for communicating brand values. If a
brand is willing to be more than just a list of adjectives and wants to achieve depth and
realism, the brand needs to have come from somewhere and be going somewhere
(Corbellini&Saviolo, 2009). Furthermore, companies build their brands through stories that
explain to the customer the buying and using experience- storytelling is also about
educating about the product and its quality. In successful storytelling history plays a vital
role. Many companies, as Verbury, have a long history. However, history becomes
“heritage” only when the company is able to create a charming story around it
(Corbellini&Saviolo, 2009). According to Saviolo and Corbellini (2009) heritage is made of
four components: place (ex: London, England for Verbury); people (founder, the family,
designer etc.); the brand legend (the story told as legend: the artof travel for Vuitton,
Feraragamo as shoemaker of the stars,ex: Asprey and its long history of serving the Royal
family); the products in terms of iconic products (the trench for Burberry, the Kelly for
Hermes,ex: the “Verbury diamond cut” for Verbury). Competitors can imitate a brand or its
products but cannot imitate its heritage. Thatʼs why Verbury should better exploit its
heritage in its communication in order to make it better known and create a reference in
consumers minds that immediately connects the name “Verbury” to royalty and the
luxurious lifestyle of traditional aristocrats. Emotional associations such as passion,
mystery, power and sensuality logically follow. As Corbellini and Saviolo (2009) point out
passion in luxury is a requirement because we are working with beauty, excellence in
craftsmanship, history and culture. Passion must be authentic and transmitted to the
customer, along with pride in the brand represented. In historic luxury brands the search
for excellence, ethics and passion are ever-present- they constitute the value dimension
that shapes also the service policy (Corbellini & Saviolo, 2009).
The positioning map below shows the current and the new intended Verbury brand
positioning in consumers minds according to whether it is associated with celebrity lifestyle
or aristocratic lifestyle and whether is transmits emotional or rational values. It is evident
from the positioning map that the Verbury brand currently has an unclear positioning
according to the celebrity vs. royalty dimension and lacks emotional added value to its
offering. These two aspects should be the focus of the future communications campaign.
 Emotional

Empty
Spot !

Celebrity Royalty

Rational

Brands are dynamic offerings. They have to evolve to reflect the changing demands of
customers as they gain more experience, as well as continually maintaining a position of
strength against ever-changing competition (Chernatony, 2006).
• New Customer Base:
In order to become one of the powerful luxury brands and remain relevant in the future,
Verbury should attract a new customer base composed of younger consumers. As
previously shown in the Strategic audit section the current Verbury customers are affluent
men and women in the age range of 40 to 60 years. This customer segment is usually
loyal towards favorite brands but is aging and its numbers are constantly decreasing. In
order to ensure profitability for the future Verbury should target younger wealthy customers
as well. Without disregarding its current customers, the brand should focus its marketing
communications campaign on attracting a group of people with a different customer profile.
The characteristics of this new customer profile are summarized in the table below as
demographic and psychographic analysis is made similarly to the analysis of the current
customers presented before.
Demographic • Age: 30 to 40 years old
• Sex: women and men
• Household structure: 1 or2 non-pensioner adults
• Family Life cycle: single or newly weds
• Income: 20000+ per month (fixed plus other income)
• Credit card limit: 5000+
• Occupation: middle managerial/professional occupation
• Working status: full time working
• Education: college graduate
• Religion: protestant
• Race: caucasian
• Nationality: -
• Car ownership: 2 cars

Psychographic Social class: Uppers (Burnett, 1993)

Lifestyle:
Meaning Seekers (according to research for Alata Gamma Association)
• They value time, freedom, space, meaningful experiences, hedonic, self-
identity.
• They seek detailed information about products such as their origins,
ingredients and their manufacturing, updated on scientific research
concerning health and the environment, make choices that reflect their
convictions, live the dream.
Innovators (according to VALS (Mitchel, 1978))
• Innovators are successful, sophisticated, take-charge people with high
self-esteem. They have such abundant resources.
• They are change leaders and are the most receptive to new ideas and
technologies. Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases
reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and services.
• Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status or power but
as an expression of their taste, independence, and personality. Innovators
are among the established and emerging leaders in business and
government, yet they continue to seek challenges.
• Their lives are characterized by variety. Their possessions and recreation
reflect a cultivated taste for the finer things in life.
Personality: personal sense of style, elegant, good manners, confident,
sociable, cultured
Interests: jazz music, fine arts, theatre, snow skiing, dinning out, charity,
private parties, networking
Shopping: wine buyer
Holidays: mostly winter snow, but also winter sun
Use of Internet: to research interests and buy online.
 SOSTAC

There are many different approaches to building a marketing communications plan but one
of the most frequently used is the so-called SOSTAC which stand for Situation analysis,
Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action and Control (Smith & Taylor, 2004). What follows is a
detailed outline of a marketing communications plan for the Asprey brand formed using the
SOSTAC structure.
• Situation:
As a form of situation analysis was already presented in the Strategic audit section, here
the focus will be on Verbury ʼs current financial performance and the performance of its
newly introduced website.
The Verbury brand is distributed through mono-brand outlets in the UK (London,
Berkshire), USA (New York, Miami, Honululu, Berevly Hills), Switzerland (St. Moritz),
Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya), UAE (Dubai) and Malaysia (Kuala Lampur). The most
important of which is the London Bond Street store because it generates 70-80% of the
sale volume.
However the latest Asprey turnover (31/03/2018) is 17,175 th GBP and is decreasing since
2004 (Fame report). The profit margin (31/03/2018) is -39,41% and it is worst than in 2017.
As for the new informative website launched in November 2008 the results show a
disappointing performance as well. The following graphs from www.alexa.com (accessed
28/03/2019) show the performance of www.asprey.com relatively to the three main
competitorsʼ websites in terms of daily page views, daily reach and daily traffic.
As it is visible from the graphs Verbury ʼs website performance is much worse than that of
its main competitors with the exception of www.boucheron.com. This is mainly due to the
fact that the website fails to communicate the brand “story” and lacks images that evoke
emotional values- it simply presents the product in a catalogue style format. People that
visit the Verbury website (see picture below for breakdown by country) are not engaged in
the brand experience and not motivated to frequent the website.

If Verbury continues to do not take advantage of the possibilities that the Internet offers for
brand image enhancement, its brand awareness will continue to be lower than the one of
competitors and this will continue affecting profits. As Corbellini and Saviolo (2009) write
fashion websites and communities, fashion and luxury portals and social networks are
profoundly changing the language of communication which has to be more and more
interactive, made-to-measure, informative and inclusive.
Overall the strategic audit and situation analysis point out to the following issues that must
be addressed by Verbury:
• Lack of clear positioning;
• Lack of brand awareness;
• Brand values are not successfully communicated;
• Incoherent brand communications lacking innovation in terms of message and channels
used;
• Target is very narrow and aging.

• Objectives:
1. Marketing Objectives
• Increase sales of Bond street Verbury store by 10 per cent over the next 12 months
• Increase the existing customer base by 25 per cent over the next 12 months by
targeting a younger Verbury target market.
2. Communications Objectives
• Increase Verbury brand awareness by 50 per cent over the next 12 months among 40 to
60 year old, upper upper class women and men (current customer profile).
• Generate Verbury brand awareness of 25 per cent over the next 12 months among 30
to 40 year old, up and coming professional women and men (prospect customer
profile).
• To revitalize Verbury image from an old, monotonous brand that only focus on quality
to an up-to date aspirational luxury brand enhancing its aristocratic heritage by
developing an emotional connection with the current and prospect customers.
• Strategy:
The aim of the whole campaign will be to integrate all communication tools through one
powerful concept creating a memorable brand experience and at the same time
generating word of mouth as well as brand awareness. The strategy consists of two
stages. Stage one aims to raise brand awareness and create brand experience. Stage
two, aims to increase top of mind.
Phase one
Firstly the story around the brand should be created. To do that we are first launching a
viral short movie of 5 minutes that will enhance the brand values and the emotional
associations mentioned earlier. The viral will have two purposes, first, to make the brand
known, second to start a “competition”. The idea is that the story takes place in London,
and it would be a sort of Sherlock Holmes mystery that needs to be solved. It would be
about a stolen one-of-a kind diamond ring worth a million dollars. The price of solving the
mystery is that the winner gets the diamond ring and the same amount of money that the
ring is worth, will be donated to a charity organization chosen by the winner. The strategy
around the idea is to get a lot of press releases and free press that will generate a lot of
word of mouth and brand awareness, and also make the brand aspirational. Will begin with
a wide range of media coverage to reach the masses and put Verbury on the map and
then gradually the media used will become very targeted only to reach Verbury target
market.
The viral will be done with a famous and iconic director to emphasize the Britishness of
Verbury. The main characters will be very attractive and good looking models that fit
Verbury identity but they wont be famous in order to do not overshadow the brand.
The purpose of this video is both to advertise Verbury modern image and launch the
beginning of the “Verbury mystery game”.
The viral will be emailed to all clientele, press, and uploaded to selective websites
(www.asmallworld.com , fashion luxury blogs, www.linkedin.com ). To support Asprey viral
campaign a mini website will be created, it will be divided into 2 parts (Public and Private).
The public one will be for the masses and the private one will serve as a network site
where the competition will be held. Moreover, Verbury flagship store will also be used as
a communication tool where the window display will project clips of product placement
found within the film.
Afterwards, approximately 40.000 people will receive an invitation by post for the
competition with a personal unique password and the first clue. The participants will
consist of all (USA, UK, UAE, Japan) Verbury database clients, as well as a selected few
from a purchased database. The purchased database will be composed of Verbury new
target market described above. The invitation password will allow access to Verbury´s
private competition site. The rest of the competition will take place via the Internet and on
Verbury´s networking site. Thus, the dynamic of the game has the following logic: after
receiving the direct mail invitation, and figuring out the first clue, the participant logs into
the Microsite with his personal password; he has two weeks to submit his answer and has
only one chance to submit the right one- if he fails, he is out of the competition, if he
succeeds, he gets the second clue through the Microsite and so on and so forth, until the
final sixth clue. The person that submits the last answer correctly first, is the winner.
Lastly, this competition will be supported by various events that resemble or continue
playing on the theme of the short film. The purpose of these events is to draw the
consumer further into the films mysterious plot. Some events will take place in spaces
where the film was recorded to have them experience first hand the mystery thatʼs
unfolding. The finale of the competition will conclude with a ball at the mansion where the
film is mainly shoot. A prize will be awarded and the charity organization of choice will be
revealed.
Phase two
After the competition is over the second stage will consist of both mass media coverage
and targeted customer events. To remain relevant and associated with the luxury jewelry
sector Verbury will begin to advertise in the most prestigious and influential fashion
magazine Vogue with an important presence (two sheets at the beginning of the
magazine) for the following. This ensures the brands buzz and aims to retain the
aspirational draw generated by the first stage of the communication strategy. Our target
customer will be addressed with private events beginning with Verbury´s annual
Christmas Party. Which will be a Christmas party for VIP clients in London where they will
get to wear Verbury Jewels during the evening. Another winter event will be held at Saint
Moritz.
• Tactics:
The tables below presents a detailed description of the initiatives undertaken during the
marketing communications campaign of Phase 1 and Phase 2 respectively.

Phase 1

Verbury • Make it warmer, more emotional (not so rational) by incorporating images

Website showing the story and lifestyle of the brand
• Have an appealing intro
• Update by making it more animated
• The aesthetic should emphasize the heritage
• Contextualize product presentation (photography)
• Include campaign photographs from December onwards
• Emphasize the customization service

Production Time: April and May

Running Time: From June on
Budget: US$ 80,000

Campaign • Mysterious
• Animated
Microsite • Experiential
• Music
• Interactive
• Divided into two sections: Private and Public
• Contents (Public): Short Film, Press Releases, News, Terms & Conditions,
Charity
• Contents (Private): Clues for the mystery solving, Gallery pictures of the
events.

Production Time: April and May

Running Time: From June to December
Budget: US$ 100,000

Short Film • Duration: 5 minutes

• Plot: A modern day romance story about a aristocratic couple,
involving the theft of a one of a kind diamond ring.
• Characteristics: Mysterious, thrilling, romantic, sophisticated, passionate.
• Setting: London and UK countryside.
• Aesthetics: Timeless and precious photography
• Director: Well known, respected film Director like Joe Wright
(Atonement, Pride and Prejudice)
• Casting: Unknown, good looking actors, around 30 years old

Production Time: April, May and first two weeks of June

Running Time: From mid June to December
Budget: US$ 2,500,000
 Phase 1

Viral • Distribution: Upload the short film to the campaign Microsite, Luxury fashion
blogs, social networks and websites (i.e. Small World, Linked In, etc.), Email
Marketing to client database, Press.
• Forward option to send to a friend
• Approximately reach 50,000 people (existing customer database: UK, US,
UAE, Japan, Malaysia and purchased database of new target market)
• Expected Spread of the short movie: 500,000+ people

Launching Time: Second half of June

Budget: US$ 75,000

Window • Project clips of product placement found within the short film
• Interactive: the image is reveled when movement is detected on the street
Displays • One display taking three windows of the storefront. The rest of the window
displays need to be updated to ingrate the theme and be more fresh and
innovative, like Selfridges.
• Purpose: Create buzz and attract as many people as possible to the store

Production Time of Interactive Window Display: May to mid-June

Running Time of Interactive Window Display: From mid June to end of July
Budget for Interactive Window Display: US$ 50,000

Production Time of Traditional Window Displays: One Month

Display Time of Traditional Window Displays: Schedule to vary every two
months but can change depending on significant events. Launching in June
Budget for Traditional Window Displays: US$ 100,000

Direct • Content: Personal Invitation to participate in the competition, Individual

Mailing Password to access the private section of the Microsite, first clue of the
mystery and terms and conditions of the competition
• Target: Verbury current database (US, UK, Japan, UAE, Malaysia) and
new purchased customer database (approximately 40.000 people)
• Aesthetics: High quality paper, modern and tasteful graphic design

Production Time: May and June

Delivery: First week of July
Budget for Traditional Window Displays: US$ 150.000

Event 1: Day • To reflect the lifestyle of the brand, the main characters of the short film
in the (couple) will be used as an excuse to host a one-day event in the
Countryside countryside.
• Activities: Polo match, picnic, live music, tea party
• Location: Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club
• Guest List: Customer database
• Total Guest List: 400
• Invitations: are going to be personalized and sent by mail by mid July

Organization Time: June and July

Event Date: Last week of July
Budget: US$ 300,000
 Phase 1

Event 2: • Gala cocktail celebration to award the prize to the winner of the competition
and to reveled the charity organization that will get the donation
Award • Prize: US$1,000,000 worth ring
Winning • Charity Donation: US$ 1,000,000 to an organization of choice of the winner
(from a pre selected group of Charity Organizations that are in line with
Gala Verbury brand values)
• Guest List: Press, Charity Representatives, Director and actors from the short
film, influential business people and those 100 people that reached the last
stage of the competition
• Total Guest List: 300
• Invitations: are going to be personalized and sent by mail at the beginning of
October
• Location: Mansion where most of the short film scenes took place

Organization Time: September and October

Event Date: Last week of October
Budget: US$ 250,000 (party) + US$ 1,000,000 (Award) + US$ 1,000,000
(Donation)= Total US$ 2,250,000

Public • Press releases

• Editorials
Relations • Host press releases cocktails in order to build strong relations with journalists
and media
• It is expected to receive a lot of media coverage because of the innovative
approach to luxury communications and the lavish prize and donation

Running Time: June to the beginning of November

Budget: US$ 150,000

Phase 2

Spring AD • Use same model from the video

Campaign • High fashion focused, artistic, and edgy with a mysterious feel for the
campaign.
• Famous and known photographer
• We want advertising to focus on the Jewel (Asprey) but communicate the
whole feel of what Asprey brings to your life.
• The aim is to place the brand Asprey among competitor for consumers and
associate brand values with their aspirations.
• Publish only in Vogue UK, double page spread in first half of the issue,
establish year contract with publication

Production: Photo shoot in summer begin publication in Vogue UK for

December with press release party in November
Budget: 2million US$ Vogue Expense (DEC/JAN/FEB/MARCH Issues):
approximately 480,000 US$, Press Release Launch Event: 20,000US$ Total:
2,500,000 US$
Duration: Year round
 Phase 2

Event 1: • Exclusive VIP 300 customer annual party + 100 selected press
• Coincide with launch of advertising campaign
Verbury
• Customers will get to wear for the evening jewellery used in campaign
Christmas • Champagne and finger food
• Live jazz quartet band to create ambience
Party • Verbury will conduct a silent auction consisting of various items from
previous season and prizes all proceeds will go to Verbury sponsored
charities.
• Purpose: Provide customer with brand experience to acknowledge customer
care and present campaign
Organization Time: Mid- October till third week of December
Event Date: Third week of December
Budget: US$500,000

Event 2: St. • In collaboration with The Murezzan, Verbury throws a one-night surprise
dinner party aimed at a younger potential target market in their prestigious
Moritz Winter lounge and bar.
Dinner • Expecting 200 guests, selected from Verbury and The Murezzan database.
• Purpose: Attract new target and collaborate with The Murezzan to develop
consumer knowledge of St. Moritz location.
• Hiring a chef that belongs to Ferran Adria Deconstructivist School.
• Instead, he has referred to his cooking as deconstructivist. Adrià's stated goal
is to "provide unexpected contrasts of flavors, temperature and texture.
Nothing is what it seems. The idea is to provoke, surprise and delight the
diner." (www.elbulli.com)

Organization Time: From September until December

Event Date: First week of January
Budget: US$ 145,000

Public It is estimated $100,000 will be used to cover all PR expenses for the launch of
Relations the AD Campaign, Christmas Party and St. Moritz Dinner Party.

• Actions:
The action stage reveals the details of the tactics (Smith &Taylor, 2004). A full action plan
table can be found in Appendix 2.

• Control:
Given that measuring marketing performance is generally fraught with difficulties and that
there are few general standards to which to adhere, it may be useful to try to integrate
financial and non-financial measures. This will eventually lead to a greater understanding
of why an organization may be able to achieve a good return of investment (Lenskold,
2002). The use of marketing measures is becoming an essential component in
understanding the effectiveness of marketing strategies (Ranchhod, 2004). The table
below provides an understanding of how the campaign effectiveness will be measured.
 Quantified Objectives Means of Frequency of Accountability Cost Action
Measurement Measurement

Increase sales of Bond street Sales Analysis / Quarterly Verbury No cost CEO
Verbury store by 10 per ROI Finance
cent over the next 12 months Department

Increase the existing customer Database Monthly Verbury No cost Marketing

base by 25 per cent over the Analysis ´s Director
next 12 months by targeting a Marketing
younger Verbury target Department
market.

Increase Verbury brand Number of Monthly Verbury ´s No cost Marketing

awareness by 50 per cent over Responses to Marketing Director
the next 12 months among 40 the Department and
to 60 year old, upper upper Competition, www.alexa.com
class women and men (current Event Turnover
customer profile). and Website
Traffic

Generate Asprey brand Number of Monthly No cost Marketing

awareness of 25 per cent over Responses to Verbury ´s Director
the next 12 months among 30 the Marketing
to 40 year old, up and coming Competition, Department and
professional women and men Event Turnover www.alexa.com
(prospect customer profile). and Website
Traffic

To revitalize Asprey image from Surveys to Bi-annually Market Research US$100,000 CEO and
an old, monotonous brand that Measure Company Marketing
only focus on quality to an up-to Customer Value Director
date aspirational luxury brand and Brand
enhancing its aristocratic Equity
heritage by developing an
emotional connection with the
current and prospect
customers.
 Conclusion

Marketing communication in luxury in the future will become more innovative and
traditional tools will be mixed with new techniques, using digital media and user generated
content. Luxury brands understand that old ways of communication are becoming less
effective and the new generation of consumers is comfortable with seeing and buying
luxury on the Internet. The brands that first take advantage of the possibilities that new
media offers for communication will continue to be successful in the future. Brands as
Verbury should not be afraid to challenge the notion of luxury established in the minds of
their old customers- providing continuously the same exquisite level of quality and service
will ensure the loyalty of their old customers, at the same time innovating in marketing
communications and using new media will help Verbury attract the younger customers
whose loyalty will ensure the companyʼs profitability in the future. The brand managers
need to have this long term perspective in mind when deciding on the strategic marketing
direction of the company.
Appendix 1: Observation Sheet

OBSERVATION

Date: Time of observation: Sheet No:

!" Male Fem ale Couples

#" Pre-teens Teens Young Adults Working Adults Elderly Retired

<12 13-19 20-29 30-39 40-59 60-80

3) Caucasian Black Middle Eastern Oriental Indian Hispanic Other

4) Personal Appearance/ Dress:

5) Attitude towards store environm ent and staff:

6) Luxury customer segmentation:

1 2 3 4 5 6
New Rich Hedonistic Fashionista Ethical Inconspicuous Aristocratic

7) Time spent in store:

5-10 min. 11-20 min. 21-40 min. more than 41 min

8) Buying behavior:

Didn’t engage in purchase Engaged but didn’t buy Engaged and bought

QUESTIONAIRE

!" Did you know the brand Verbury before entering the store today?

#" Why do you like Verbury? Why?

$" What do you enjoy doing in your leisure time?

4) What is your post code or neighbourhood of residence?

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