Media Plan SC 4013 - Spring 18 Dr

Media Plan SC 4013 - Spring 18 Dr. Bae - Group 3 (Vans)

Aubrie Quinley Angelica Quishenberry Ashley Baker Brett Pilcher Destry Pollard Katzee Reese Rachel Reames

Table of contents

Executive Summary...... 4

Situational Analysis...... 6 Brand History, Analysis of Marketing Objectives SWOT Analysis Categories Analysis Competitors Analysis

Creative Brief...... 14 Communication Objective Creative Strategy Promise Tone of Voice Tagline Scheduling of Campaign Sales Promotion

Media Objectives, Strategies and 19 Rationales......

Evaluating the Media Plan...... 29k

References...... 31

Appendix...... 32 Executive Summary Background Vans began in 1966, founded by brothers Paul Van Doren and Jim Van Doren in Anaheim, California. The Vans shoes were made-instore to be sold for customers. The nickname, “House of Vans” was coined as a staple in the skateboarding community in the early 70s. As years went on, Vans established themselves as a brand of quality and integrity. With establishing their own venues as the “House of Vans”, a short film series, branding a music festival as the “Vans Warped Tour,” and many other recognizable feats, Vans has established itself as a well-known brand within the athletic footwear industry.

Objectives With the introduction of celebrity endorsements and a new marketing campaign, Vans hopes to have an overall growth of five percent in the female casual athletic footwear industry in the first year. This will result in $100 million in additional sales for Vans. Considering Van’s opportunities for growth and unique brand identity, this media plan will make the objectives for this media plan obtainable.

Target Audience This media plan will target women ages 18-34. Vans currently has a predominantly male consumer base. With this media plan we hope to grow the woman consumer base in the age range 18-34 and increase sales. This target audience is trendy and adventurous. Additionally, target audience values versatility and products that can adapt to their on-the-go lifestyle.

Media Budget A $50 million budget has been allocated to this media plan.

$24 million is allocated for the celebrity endorsements.. The remaining has been split between national and spot media. Spot marketing will be placed in five markets in the United States which currently perform well in Vans sales.

4 Campaign Details The #breakthewall campaign will run from April 2019 to December 2019. Typically, as the season changes consumers begin to shop for new footwear and clothing. By strategically beginning the campaign in April it will maximize sales. The new advertising will also allow for higher top of mind awareness. As the temperature rises so do activity levels. Individuals spend more and more time outside. The same applies to winter ending. We plan to utilize pulse spending, with continuous spending throughout the campaign. Pulse spending will occur during the holiday season such as November and December.

Media Mix To begin the campaign, we will launch the social media aspects, utilizing the campaign hashtag #breakingthewall. As the social media campaign progresses, we will then launch our #breakingthewall contest in April. As the campaign picks up speed we will simultaneously launch our national television ads and magazine print ads. We will run these frequently April through August. The frequency of these commercials will decrease as the campaign continues. Banner ads, targeted website ads, paid social media and sponsored content on online streaming sites (Pandora) will be the focus of the digital marketing. The campaign will increase intensity closer to the Christmas holiday in the months of November and December. Spot market media spending will feature more reach and frequency of the existing media mix.

Sales Promotion To increase earned media, Vans will run a 2 month competition, April through May. The contest will consist of a competition of documentaries about how people are #breakingthewall in their Vans. To enter the competition, individuals will post their videos on Youtube using the #breakingthewall hashtag. The winner gets VIP tickets to the June 29 Las Vegas leg of the VANS Warped Tour occuring June through August. The Warped tour is is a traveling rock festival that has toured the United States annually each year since 1995. It is the largest traveling music festival in the United States, and is the longest-running touring music festival in North America.

5 Situational Analysis Brand History

VANS is a company with a history dating back to 1966. Founded by brothers Paul Van Doren and Jim Van Doren with partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia, the first store was opened in Anaheim, California in March 1966. On the first morning of sales, 12 customers purchased shoes which were made just earlier that day on the premises.

The VANS shoes were uniquely made in-store to be sold to customers. In the early 70’s, the name “House of VANS” was coined as a staple in the skateboarding community. These skateboarders enjoyed the durability, rugged make-up and sticky sole to allow grip of their board. Vans become popular all over southern California. These were showcased for the first time in the windows of the Anaheim location.

It wasn’t until 1976 that the VANS’ “Off the Wall” logo made its debut for the brand. In 1977, the now famous VANS Sidestripe also made its first appearance. The Sidestripe first appeared on the VANS #36, the Old Skools. It was originally referred to as a “jazz stripe” when it began as a random doodle of Paul Van Doren’s, but has become an unmistakable trait of Vans.

By the end of the 1970’s, there were over 70 stores in California with sells being made through dealers both nationally and internationally.

In 1982, the brand gained international popularity when Vans were worn in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High by Sean Penn. However, in 1984, Vans was forced to file for bankruptcy. They were then court approved for re-organization and President Paul Van Doren informed all employees that they would most likely forfeit raises for three years and there would be major cutbacks in all areas except for in the quality of Vans shoes.

In the late 80s, Vans emerged from their $12 millon debt and repaid all their creditors. The the first signature skate shoe was introduced. Vans also introduced weather resistant materials to footwear, labeled as the Mountain Edition. This boosted Vans to be able to go public on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 1991, offering at $14.

In 1995, Vans sponsored the Warped Tour for the first time. Later, in 2001, Vans purchased controlling interest in what is now the Vans Warped Tour, the longest running concert series in America. In 1996,

6 Vans began sponsored the Inaugural Triple Crown of Skateboarding event. Vans also created the world’s leading action sports series with the purchase of the Triple Crown of Surfing. By 2000, the Vans Triple Crown Series included skateboarding, BMX, surfing, wakeboarding snowboarding, freestyle motocross and supercross. The series is broadcast annually on ESPN2. Vans alo opened the first 46,000 square foot indoor/outdoor Vans skatepark at the Orange Mall in Orange County.

In 2000, Vans was recognized by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Small Companies for 2000.” Vans continued its success by entering the entertainment industry with assisting production of the 2001 “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” and the television broadcast of the Vans Triple Crown Series with NBC Sports and Fox Sports Net.

Over the next decade, Vans continued to climb into success and establishing the brand within the shoe market. Establishing the Vans Warped Tour with cultural relevance, opening an exhibit within the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, opening the House of Vans venue in Brooklyn, releasing multiple special collections, and expanding the brand globally with the opening of stores in locations such as Shanghai.

In 2016, Vans celebrated 50 years of “Off the Wall” heritage with the launch of The Story of Vans campaign. They launched the Vans Pro Classics Anniversary Collection to cement 50 years of heritage, progression and success.

In 2017, Vans launched its brand campaign This Is “Off The Wall,” defining the evolved meaning of the iconic slogan. The campaign brings to life what it means to live “Off The Wall” through a short film series. The series showcases individuals who inspire the brand through their creativity, authenticity and passion. This is our story. This is “Off The Wall.”

7 Analysis of Marketing Objectives: 4 P’s

Price: One of the most popular, classic Vans shoe is the Old Skool. The classic Old Skool’s cost $60. The other popular Checkerboard slip-ons cost $50. One positive aspect regarding the brand is the relatively low price.

Product: Vans The Old Skool, Vans classic skate shoe and the first to sport the iconic side stripe, has a low-top lace-up silhouette with suede and canvas upper with padded tongue and lining. Additionally it has the signature Vans waffle outsole. It is offered in 18 different colors.

Place: Vans shoes are available in a variety of stores and online sites. Such as Zumiez, Journey’s, and the Vans store to name a few. Additionally, you can find them in large department stores such as Dillards. The shoes can also be found on the Vans website. The brand is international and these shoes can be purchased not only in the United States but other countries as well.

Promotion:

One of the most recent promotional campaigns by Vans was the global #LIVINGOFFTHEWALL campaign. It aimed to connect with young people interested in street culture through documentary films. For example, the documentaries followed the lives of everyday people such as a 14-year-old from East Los Angeles, two Californian boys who are getting a head start in rock and roll and a young black man in Russia who wants to build a community around pit-biking. The campaign focused on one of Vans fundamental aspects; self-expression.

8 SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Vans was founded in 1966. After 52 years, the brand has cultivated a large, loyal customer base. Vans offers mid-premium segment apparels, shoes and other accessories for youth with decent advertising. The purpose of the brand focuses on self expression and creativity with in the youth. Consequently, Vans offers customizable designs at a low price. Vans are quickly making a comeback with consumers. The brand’s Youtube account is a huge media strong point, with over 343,525 subscribers.

Weaknesses: In the shoe industry there is tough competition meaning there is limited market share growth for the brand. Another aspect Vans is struggling with is the presence of stereotypes and public perceptions of the brand. There is a prevalent perception that Vans is primarily for men, more specifically skateboarders. There is an absence of celebrity endorsements for the brand. Although, celebrities do frequently wear them.

Opportunities: There is a unique opportunity for Vans to play off their purpose of representing the creativity and self expression of the youth. To do so they can utilize aggressive advertising and promotion through social media and other platforms. In addition, Vans can be featured in prominent movies and television shows, and there is room for celebrity endorsements.

Threats: Unfortunately, the shoe industry is extremely fashion sensitive and is saturated with competitors. This poses significant threat to the growth of the brand.

9 Category Analysis

According to NPD.com, the U.S athletic footwear industry grew 2 percent in 2017, generating $19.6 billion in sales. Additionally, it stated that it was one of the most promotional years in decades for the industry. As disposable income increases and the sport leisure footwear trend grows, the market is projected to continue growing. Style, comfort and durability are valued most by consumers,

Major Competitors

Nike, Adidas and New balance are the key players in the athletic shoe industry. They are multi-billion dollar companies, dominating the industry. Unlike Vans, they rely on celebrity endorsements. In the past, Adidas has collaborated with major musical and style icons such as Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Nike, Adidas and New Balance do an excellent job at maximizing its advertisement reach. They have additionally insured to include all demographics such as men, women and children of all ethnicities from across the world. Advertisements from these brands have a higher frequency.

Indirect competitors

Boots - Boots from brands such as Steve Madden, Ugg, and Hunter are often an alternate choice to athletic shoes in the wintertime. This is due to the fact that they are close-toed, warm and can make an outfit more formal.

Sandals - Sandals often replace athletic shoes in warm climates and the summer time. Some popular sandal brands include Chaco, Birkenstock, Tory Burch and Jack Rogers.

Professional shoes - In professional environments, dress shoes and high heels are considered acceptable rather than athletic shoes. Popular brands include but are not limited to Steve Madden, Tory Burch and Cole Haan.

10 Vans Positioning For market shares from December 2016, men’s shoes generate sales of $1.13 billion while women’s shoes generate $738 million. Vans’ major competitors within the athletic footwear market include brands such as Adidas, Converse, Nike, New Balance, Skechers, and Puma. Within this market and of these generated sales, Vans’ held 3% market share against its competitors, with Adidas holding 29%, Converse with 14% and Skechers 13%.

Vans is viewed as less expensive and less athletic than its competitors Nike, Adidas and New Balance.

Target Audience

This media plan will target women 18-34. Vans currently has a predominantly male consumer base. With this media plan we hope to grow the woman consumer base in the age range 18-34 and increase sales. This target audience is trendy and adventurous. Additionally, target audience values versatility and products that can adapt to their on-the-go lifestyle.

Product Consumption

This graph shows Vans year to year revenue growth.

In 2016, yearly revenue growth increased by 6% but was 17% down from 2012

In 2018, VF Investors reported Vans had a 35% increase with a cash flow from operations reaching $1.5 billion and returned $1.9 billion to shareholders

Vans projected earnings for the end of this quarter are $2.9 billion

11 Geography Vans will run a national campaign within the United States with pulse advertising in five markets based on Simmons OneView data. These five markets were chosen because of their size and location within the top five selling regions of the country relative to Vans shoe sales.

Psychographics Vans aims to target young women ages 18-34. While all lifestyles and attitudes are welcome, Vans is targeting an on-the-go, out-going, artistic type women with this campaign launch.

Typical customers would be college-aged woman who are artistic, fashionable and value comfort, creativity, authenticity and individuality.

The goal is to let people know our shoes are not limited to any particular lifestyle or gender as we offer such a variety of versatile styles. It is also to change the perception of Vans as strictly an athletic shoe to an image of a fashionable shoe for women.

12 Share of Voice The following numbers are based on market share for major shoe companies:

In 2017, Skechers dominated the market for shoes at 22% of the market share. Skechers customers have the strongest view-to-buy presence with a 2.16% conversion rate The closest following competitor was Vans with 13% of market share and the highest percentage of views at 19%

Adidas was not far behind with 12% of sales and 18% in views

Women viewed Skechers the most at 21% and Vans at 16% with 12% purchase rate

13 Creative Brief Communication Objective The Vans’ communication objective of this campagin is to bring awareness of women’s shoes to women aged 18-34 in the United States. Communicating effectively means reaching every person that identifies as a woman in the discussed age range. We will bring awareness of our selection of women’s shoes with campaign ideas integrated in each form of communication.

Creative Strategy To make our target audience aware of Vans women’s shoes offered in store and online, we created a campaign that emphasizes women empowerment while wearing Vans. “Breaking the Wall” campaign was created to address women progressing in society. As women are progressing in society, Vans is going to create awareness and discussion about the barriers being broken to achieve equality and greater success in women’s lives.

Our advertisements will have individuals wearing Vans sneakers in all media examples. Red, black and white will remain as prominent colors. “Vans.com” and “Breaking the Wall Since 1966” are the only pieces of copy on the ad (see Figure 4).

We will utilize social media throughout the campaign to bring awareness to our target audience. A hashtag campaign, #breakingthewall, will be included in all social media posts across platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (see Figure 1). Documenting experiences of women will be useful in tracking the impact of this campaign for Vans. Individuals can share their thoughts and experiences with the world and come together as a community, celebrating how far women have come in society and encouraging them to strive for greatness in the future. In the past, Vans has done a series of mini documentaries on their Youtube channel. To follow this trend, Vans will create additional mini documentaries centered around women empowerment to implement the hashtag #breakingthewall. These videos could also include our celebrity endorsements..

In order to promote women empowerment, we carefully chose three women with significant social influence. These women exemplify individuality and are major stars in different industries. Their personalities coincide well with Vans brand personality.

14 Halsey is an American singer and songwriter. Her stage name is a reference to the Halsey Street station of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn. Outside the music industry, Halsey has been involved in social activism, such as suicide prevention and sexual assault advocacy.

Jenna Marbles is an American YouTube personality, vlogger, comedian and actress. As of March 2018, her channel has over 2.6 billion video views and 18 million subscribers, making it the 32nd most subscribed channel on YouTube and the second most popular channel operated by a woman. Her fun spirit and platform makes her a great choice for brand endorsement.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing as a child model and backup dancer, before gaining prominence for her role on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up. Additionally, she has collaborated with various brands. Her large following and past experience makes her a great endorser choice.

15 Promise Vans is committed to keeping their promise to customers. This promise consists of quality, value and customer service.

The first promise is quality. Vans creates shoes using rubber outsoles, canvas, suede, leather and met- al hardware for the majority of their footwear, according to The Sneaker Factory. The sole is durable when skating as well as for general wear, and the materials that compose the sneaker can be machine or hand washed.

The second promise is value. By creating the shoes with versatility in mind, consumers can purchase a skate shoe that doubles as a general wear shoe. The durability of the shoes is also a factor in value of Vans footwear. Without compromising durability for price, consumers find a balance and cost-effective foot protection with Vans.

The third promise is superior customer service. Our team is committed to providing the best customer service possible. To meet this promise, our team will consist of friendly, informative members who have a deep commitment to Vans and the company’s core values and mission. We will be helpful, positive and reflect passion onto those we encounter as seen through our verbal and physical communication.

Tone of Voice How Vans communicates what is being said is just as important as the message. Vans has a relaxed tone of voice which can be related back to the tone of skateboarders: the original target audience for Vans. By always integrating positivity into responses, and being informative when necessary, Vans will communicate effectively with audiences across new and traditional media. Friendliness is key in interacting with individuals in store and online. Maintaining a safe atmosphere where our customers are respected in terms of race, gender, religion and sex are all important in person and online, too. Inclusion is integrated in our tone of voice and messages.

Tagline The current tagline for Vans is “Off The Wall.” According to Skate Daily, it was a phrase coined when skateboarders in the mid ‘70s were landing new tricks in empty pools by literally skating off the wall.

We want to keep the tagline the same for this campaign rather than changing it. Our plan is to play off this tagline for our unique selling proposition to create parallelism between the company’s campaign and motto.

This tagline also appeals to the variety of ages in the women aged 18-34 group. These people are in different life stages whether it be attending college, working, and/or parenting. On the younger side of the age range, people are gaining awareness of the phrase that is linked to Vans. On the older side of the age range, these individuals have brand recognition that connects them with the brand. The phrase connects all of these individuals by creating and maintaining awareness of Vans.

16 Product Category The product category Vans footwear falls under is athleisure. These shoes can be worn for athletics, especially with an emphasis on skateboarding. They can also be worn casually for activities such as attending school or a concert.

Scheduling of Campaign

Above is a Google Analytics trend chart for January 2017 - December 2017 showing when “Vans Shoes” wass a trending topic and most searched. “Vans shoes” search popularity rises in the summer months leading up to Vans Warped Tour, the nation’s largest traveling music festival and longest running music festival in North America. There is also a peak immediately before the Christmas holiday in December.

The #breakthewall campaign will run from April 2019 to December 2019. Each year, Vans the Vans Warped Tour in the months of June, July and August. Additionally, Vans has a reputation of catering to those who enjoy skateboarding. Skateboarding activities typically peak during seasons when weather permits for outdoor activities during warmer months. Because of these two factors, the highest levels of reach and frequency for this campaign will be during July and August. During these months, the campaign will run heavily.

Additionally, these months will be during a time of back-to-school shopping for school-aged girls. Rein- forcing the idea of Vans being an ideal option of shoe for females will positively influence sales.We plan to utilize pulse advertising expenditures, with continuous spending throughout the campaign. The budget will allocate for pulse advertising during the holiday in November and December due to increased sales and interest, as shown in the graph above.

Throughout the rest of the year, the campaign will just be lightly promoting and reinforcing the idea of “Breaking The Wall” and empowering women to choose Vans shoes.

17 Sales Promotion To increase earned media, Vans will run a 2 month competition, April through May. The contest will consist of a competition of documentaries about how people are #breakingthewall in their Vans. To enter the competition, individuals will post their videos on Youtube using the #breakingthewall hashtag. The winner gets VIP tickets to the June 29 Las Vegas leg of the VANS Warped Tour occuring June through August. The Warped tour is is a traveling rock festival that has toured the United States annually each year since 1995. It is the largest traveling music festival in the United States, and is the longest-running touring music festival in North America.

#breakingthewall Campaign Contest To increase earned media, Vans will run a 2 month competition, April through May. The contest will consist of a competition of documentaries about how people are #breakingthewall in their vans.

To enter the competition individuals will post their videos on Youtube using the #breakingthewall hashtag. The winner gets VIP tickets to the June 29 Las Vegas leg of the VANS Warped Tour that runs June through August.

18 Media objectives, strategies & Rationale Target Audience This media plan will target women 18-34. Vans currently has a predominantly male consumer base. With this media plan we hope to grow the woman consumer base in the age range 18-34 and increase sales. This target audience is trendy and adventurous. Additionally, target audience values versatility and products that can adapt to their on-the-go lifestyle.

Target Audience Objective: The objective is to change Vans’ target audience from under 18-34 year old males to females aged 18-34.

Target Persona Jane Doe is a 22-year-old college student that is attending the University of Texas. She moved to Austin, Texas, from Dallas, Texas. in 2014 when she started college.

Jane is a Strategic Communications major and is a part of a sorority on campus. She holds an officer position in her sorority. Jane does not hold a job during the school year but does work during breaks to earn money for spending during the school year.

Jane is interested in the fashion industry and current trends however she also values comfort and accessibility in her clothes. When purchasing clothes or shoes, style and price are her two main focuses.

19 Rationale

Males Females

The crosstab of SIMMONS demographic for our projected target audience is mentioned in the above graphs relating their age ranges and Vans purchases. We have two separate graphs for female and male. The results are not surprising because their current target audience of males aged 18-24 has the highest index compared to other age ranges and females.

20 Media Mix Objectives Use a blend of new and traditional media to reach our target audience of women ages 18-34 and change the perception of Vans shoes as men’s shoes: Internet display on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, advertisements on Youtube, and television and radio ads, print ads in magazines, and additional television in five spot markets. To begin the campaign, we will launch the social media aspects. Utilizing the campaign hashtag #breakingthewall. As the social campaign progresses, we will then launch our #breakingthewall contest in April. As the campaign picks up speed we will simultaneously launch our national television ads and magazine print ads. We will run these frequently May-Oc- tober. The frequency of these commercials will decrease as the campaign continues. Banner ads, targeted website ads, paid social media and sponsored content on online streaming sites ( Pandora) will be the focus of the digital marketing.Spot market media spending will feature more reach and frequency of the existing media mix.

Strategy Our target audience is women who are in college or just getting started in their careers. They are young and very active on social media and spend a lot of time on their phones. The media we have selected to advertise on will appeal to that, and that is why we emphasize our digital strategy more than traditional media platforms. Most of our advertising will be done on social media using things like banner ads and Youtube commercials.

Media Budget Objective Rationale for Media Budget •No media budget will be spent during the months of January, February and March. •Social media contest will run from April to May.

21 Total: $48,091,300 Allocated: $50,000,000

22 National Media Rationale

Using this Simmons data, the decision to focus advertising on heavy internet users and social media users to communicate the marketing campaign is justified. Women ages 18-34 who are heavy internet users are 21% more likely than average to buy casual sneakers and 14% more likely than average to buy shoes under $100. Vans sneakers fall into both of these categories.

23 National Media Rationale

Based on Simmons Oneview data, we chose seven major networks to feature our television ads. These stations all have high indices, with the exception of ESPN2. However, Vans has a pre-existing partnership with ESPN2 so we chose to utilize that established partnership. It also allows us to reach out to a diverse group of women.

24 Rationale - Internet: Social Media

We chose Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and Pandora for our campaign (see Figure 3). Our target audience, women (18-34) are huge social media users and it matches their on-the-go lifestyle. Facebook reaches the older members in our age group, while Twitter and Youtube primarily reach the younger members.

25 Rationale - Print: Magazines

When choosing which magazines to place our print ad (see figure 2), we considered magazines with a large female audience base. After evaluating indices, we decided to go with People, Seventeen and Vogue. These magazines are some of the most well known by women. Additionally, Seventeen reaches the younger members of our target audience (18-34) and People and Vogue reach the upper end of our target age.

Spot Media Rationales

Geography

26 Geographic Objectives Vans will run a national campaign within the United States with pulse advertising in five markets based on Simmons OneView data. These five markets were chosen because of their size and location within the top five selling regions of the country relative to Vans shoe sales.

These five markets selected for pulse advertising include the areas of Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle. Combined, these markets make up 12.38% of the United States population. Geographically, these are the most ideal locations for the optimal reach and success of the Vans “Breaking The Wall” campaign. Additionally, all of these areas mentioned are urban cities. This is an important factor to mention with this campaign. Urban areas are more typically the home of avid skateboarders and allow more convenient access to skateparks and other skating related outlets. This campaign targets women and this shoe style is specifically tailored to those who are active physically and in the skateboarding world. These five spot markets include millions within our target audience range who will receive the message and spread it as many are constantly moving from one place to another.

Vans holds 3% of the market share, and the goal is to increase this percentage by boosting sales of women’s shoes. Because of this goal, it is crucial for this campaign to be implemented not only nationally, but in large metropolitan areas where the reach will be greatest and most effective. Large cities can nearly guarantee an increase in sales and brand popularity among our target audience. Because Vans is within the maturity stage of their product life cycle, it is important to maintain the current market share, reputation and revenue. It is also important to maintain current customers while also adding new customers to maintain relevance. Reach and Frequency Objectives

27 Ostrow Model

28 Evaluating the media Plan VANS will execute and analyze research of its media plan before its new product is released. VANS “Breaking the Wall” campaign has been created to reach new objectives that market to women. By evaluating the media plan campaign, VANS as a popular American brand wants to keep their reliable reputation and prevent error as much as possible in the campaign strategy to keep the brand in a positive light to consumers. This campaign is aimed towards pushing VANS into a more fashion- forward direction with a more specific audience.

Pre-evaluation: Concept and Copy Testing Testing positioning, image and brand identity: VANS will test the media plan through concept testing and copy testing. By testing these two things on print and digital mediums, VANS’ advertising and marketing team will prove and establish a sense of understanding that is received positively in VANS’ target market.

Concept testing: The first step in the evaluation will be testing the concept before it is actually released. This will include examples of print ads and outdoor billboards. The goal is to test how effective they will be and the impact they will make on consumers. During this process, a medium vehicle will be implemented. This form of testing gives the advertising team feedback to gain knowledge on what was liked or disliked about the ad before it is published. They will then have the opportunity to change any mistakes and then send the final ad off to be published. The feedback will also let the team know if the medium used worked well, or if the medium needs to be changed.

How: VANS will execute questionnaires and online surveys. They will have the option to give feedback such as opinions on the product or the attitude they have towards it.

Copy Testing: Prior to the campaign running into the selected media, a copy test will be implemented in order to predict the effectiveness of the campaign and its popularity. A test audience will be selected and they will be asked questions about the effectiveness of the ad and if it interested them.

How: The team will run commercials and print ads on various forms of media. The social media platforms selected are Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. They will run commercials, and also display print ads. The mainstream media selected is YouTube, TV and Radio. Commercials will be run in the YouTube ad section, regular TV commercial breaks, and on selected times on the radio. With YouTube for example, the ads will be played during music videos from Halsey, videos uploaded from Jenna Marbles, and videos from Zendaya. Commercials will also run on similar channels as well, presenting the ideal opportunity for the ads to reach its target audience.

29 Below is the schedule for the year of testing:

Here is how both of the schedules would perform in our target audience of women ages 18-34:

VANS will be using more networks for Schedule One. The overall reach is in reality a lot less if used more advertisement on Pandora, as in the other schedule.

30 References Creative Brief Citations Vans Highlights the Meaning of “Off The Wall”. (2017, February 20). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from http://skatedaily.net/2017/02/vans-highlights-the-meaning-of-off-the-wall/

Brand History Citations A BRIEF HISTORY OF VANS: “OFF THE WALL” SINCE ‘66. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2018, from https://www.vans.com/history#1966

Other Citations Old Skool. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.vans.com/shop/mens-shoes-classics/ suede-canvas-old-skool-black-white

Lam, A. (2014, July 8). Living Off the Wall for VANS. Retrieved April 8, 2018, from http://www.marketing-interactive.com/living-off-the-wall-vans/

Forbes Fab 40: The Most Valuable Brands In Sports. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45eflmk/1-nike-2/#11c5b9dd6803

Athletic Footwear Market. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/ npd/us/news/press-releases/2018/us-athletic-footwear-industry-sales-grew-2-percent-to-19-6-billion- in-2017-npd-group-reports/

David, J. E. (2015, March 15). Vans chief: We don’t need celebrities to sell our product. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2015/03/14/vans-how-to-make-2-billion-without-celebrities.html

Market Insights (2017, June 29). Fashion Shoes Market Share. Retrieved April 29, 2018 from https:// themarketbeyond.com/fashion-sneakers-market-share/

Statista. Year on Year Revenue Growth of Vans Worldwide from 2009-2016. (n.d.). Retrieved on April 30, 2018 from https://www.statista.com/statistics/828176/yoy-revenue-growth-of-vans- worldwide/

VF Corp. Press Releases. (Feb. 16, 2018) VF Reports Better Than Expected Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Results; Provides Outlook for Transition Quarter Ending March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018 from https://ir.vfc.com/press-releases/detail/1644/vf-reports-better-than-expected- fourth-quarter-and-full

31 Appendix

Figure 1: Sample tweet featuring campaign hashtag

Figure 2: Full-page Magazine Ad

32 Figure 3: Pandora Ad

Figure 4: Facebook Ad