The document provides an analysis of Gap's brand challenges and opportunities. It outlines Gap's goals to maintain leadership, grow market share, and improve sales. While Gap aims to offer classic American styles, it has lost customers to fast fashion competitors who better utilize online channels. The agency proposes to leverage Gap's history and culture to distinguish it from rivals by positioning the brand as offering fundamental, traditional pieces at affordable prices for stylish, young consumers.

1. IN
SYNC
AGENCY
FINAL
JOE
LANZEROTTI,
FERNANDO
FIGUEROA,
&
BRITTANY
GALLER
1

2. TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
3-­‐
Situa*onal
Analysis
4-­‐
Agency
Approach
5-­‐
Ambi*on
Star
12-­‐
Consumer
Journey
20-­‐
The
Big
Idea
23-­‐
Crea*ve
Brief
29-­‐
Primary
Research
36-­‐
Ad
Examples
Research
Guide
And
Survey
ALached
In
Back
2

3. SITUATIONAL
ANALYSIS
Despite
overall
sales
for
Gap
stores
in
the
US
increasing
year-­‐over-­‐year,
the
rate
of
progress
is
slowing
down
dramaJcally.
The
amount
of
liM
dropped
from
6%
in
2013
to
just
2%
in
2014.
The
rise
of
“fast
fashion”
chains
has
increased
direct
compeJJon
with
our
brand.
The
average
consumer
is
now
less
concerned
with
basic
wardrobe
pieces
and
more
concerned
with
the
latest
trends.
This
has
also
created
a
bump
in
the
online
marketplace,
a
weakness
for
The
GAP.
The
GAP
offers
too
many
similar
sales
at
a
frenzied
pace,
which
lull
consumers
into
forge]ng
about
our
brand
altogether.
Consumers
no
longer
think
of
sales
events
as
being
“special”
at
all.
The
GAP
idenJty
has
been
lost
in
the
field
of
other
trendy
stores
like
Forever
21
and
American
Eagle.
In
order
to
stand
out,
The
GAP
needs
to
find
a
new
brand
image
to
support
itself
with.
3

4. THE
IN
SYNC
AGENCY
APPROACH
The
In
Sync
Agency
is
comprised
of
talented,
experienced,
and
extremely
good
looking
individuals
who
strive
to
make
brands
of
all
sizes
and
ages
stand
out.
We
look
for
the
opportuniJes
that
companies
didn’t
even
know
existed.
With
The
GAP,
we
saw
a
classic
piece
of
iconic
American
history.
No
other
“fast
fashion”
store
has
anywhere
near
the
same
reputaJon
or
history.
Instead
of
always
trying
to
make
brands
new
and
exciJng,
we
believe
that
it
someJmes
works
in
the
brand’s
favor
to
stand
on
the
past
successes
its
already
experienced.
The
GAP
is
a
brand
that’s
steeped
in
American
culture,
from
1969
in
San
Francisco
to
New
York
City
today.
Here
at
In
Sync
Agency,
we
look
for
the
soluJon
that
will
help
our
clients
say
“Bye
Bye
Bye”
to
the
compeJJon.
4

5. AMBITION
STAR
5

6. COMPANY
As
a
company,
The
Gap
aims
to
maintain
its
leadership
posiJon,
grow
shares
by
4
pts,
increase
aided
awareness
to
70%,
and
improve
in
store
and
online
sales
events.
The
challenge
here
is
that
The
GAP
has
been
lost
in
the
shuffle
of
the
many
“fast
fashion”
opJons.
The
opportunity
is
to
emerge
as
an
exciJng
brand
with
classic
American
culture
and
history
behind
us,
something
none
of
the
other
compeJtors
have.
6

7. CATEGORY
According
to
a
fashion
arJcle
published
by
the
New
York
Times,
the
GAP
would
be
classified
as
a
“Moderate”
level
clothing
outlet.
CharacterisJc
of
moderate
level
stores
include
reasonable
prices,
bread-­‐and-­‐buger
pieces
for
ouhits,
and
a
cost
conscious
customer
base.
Most
major
retailers
fit
in
this
category,
including
places
like
Forever
21
and
American
Apparel.
-­‐Gross,
Michael.
"Consumer
Saturday:
Confusing
Clothing
Categories."
The
New
York
Times
25
July
1987,
sec.
Business:
n.
pag.
Print.
“The
young
and
ambi*ous
look
for
fundamental
and
tradi*onal
wardrobe
pieces
that
can
be
combined
into
new,
fresh
styles
for
affordable
and
fair
prices.”
• Fundamental
pieces
• Affordable
Classic
and
tradiJonal
apparel
• Stylish
and
fresh
7

8. COMPETITION
Gap’s
compeJJon
is
H&M,
Forever
21,
and
the
overall
"Fast
Fashion"
trends
that
are
stealing
share
from
Gap
sales
overall.
Retail
analysts
agribute
these
losses
to
the
fact
that
the
newer
chains
are
taking
advantage
of
the
online
marketplace
more
effecJvely.
The
Gap
hasn’t
been
able
to
adjust
or
keep
up
since
the
economic
crisis
of
2009.
Sources:
Euromonitor
Interna7onal,
Racked
Na7onal
8

9. We
are
targeJng
both
men
and
women,
primarily
between
the
ages
of
18
and
25.
Generally,
our
consumers
are
more
oMen
females.
The
average
household
income
of
our
consumer
is
between
$35K-­‐$60K.
Many
of
these
consumers
have
a
college
educaJon
of
some
kind,
and
most
do
not
have
children.
CONSUMER
9

10. CHANNEL
The
Gap
brand
is
spread
across
over
275
different
store
regions
in
41
different
countries
around
the
world.
There
are
almost
2,500
Gap
outlets
in
the
United
States
regions
alone.
Our
research
shows
that
almost
all
shoppers
prefer
to
visit
The
Gap
in
person
when
they
shop.
To
accompany
their
brick
and
mortar
stores,
The
GAP
sells
their
products
online
at
www.gap.com.
The
website
also
allows
shoppers
to
reserve
clothes
in
a
specific
store
so
that
they
can
try
them
on
when
they
visit.
The
Gap
products
are
also
available
in
3rd
party
retailers
like
Amazon.com.
10

11. AMBITION
GAP
aims
to
maintain
a
leadership
posiJon
in
the
apparel
industry
while
increasing
sales
by
4%
y-­‐o-­‐y
and
aided
awareness
to
70%
by
updaJng
its
image
to
one
of
a
nostalgic,
classic
American
brand
that’s
an
integral
part
of
history.
The
category
that
The
GAP
sits
in
currently
has
grown
stale
and
outdated.
“Fast
Fashion”
stores
are
stealing
our
market
share
yearly.
The
GAP
will
reinvigorate
its
image
by
showing
how
classic
style
is
always
cool
and
essenJal,
even
today.
We
want
consumers
to
know
that
The
GAP
has
been
a
trusted
American
brand
for
45
years
because
of
its
superior
quality
and
style.
11

12. CONSUMER
JOURNEY
12

13. THE
STAGES
The
5
stages
of
the
consumer
journey
are
InspiraJon,
Discovery/Shopping,
Conversion,
Usage,
and
AmplificaJon.
At
each
of
these
stages
there
is
a
desired
response
that
we
want
consumers
to
experience
when
they
think
of
GAP
clothing
and
stores.
At
each
stage
there
will
also
be
a
primary
driver
and
barrier
that
support
or
conflict
with
our
desired
response.
InspiraJon
Discovery/
Shopping
Conversion
Usage
AmplificaJon
13

14. STEP
1:
INSPIRATION
• The
clothes
I’ve
been
buying
lately
wear
out
too
quickly.
Driver
• I
need
clothing
products
that
are
stylish,
made
to
last,
and
able
to
fit
in
many
different
ouhits
in
my
wardrobe.
Desired
Response
• I
love
Forever
21
and
know
my
sizes
in
both
their
tops
and
bogoms.
Barrier
14

15. STEP
2:
DISCOVERY/SHOPPING
• I’ve
had
a
pair
of
old
GAP
jeans
and
a
hoodie
for
years,
and
they’ve
never
worn
out
on
me.
Driver
• I
think
that
the
GAP
might
have
clothes
that
are
longer
lasJng
and
more
interchangeable
in
my
ouhits.
Desired
Response
• My
friends
don’t
talk
about
the
GAP,
so
it
must
not
be
as
trendy
as
Forever
21
or
American
Eagle.
Barrier
15

16. STEP
3:
CONVERSION
• These
GAP
clothes
will
be
versaJle
and
flagering
on
me
and
are
priced
at
a
fair
cost.
Driver
• I
am
going
to
buy
a
few
pieces
of
GAP
clothing
because
the
price
matches
the
value
I
think
I
will
be
ge]ng.
Desired
Response
• I
will
not
be
buying
GAP
clothes
because
I
think
that
they
are
too
plain
to
be
worth
the
cost.
Barrier
16

17. STEP
4:
USAGE
• I
was
able
to
mix
and
match
my
GAP
clothes
with
other
pieces
to
create
new
looks
that
my
friends
complimented
me
on.
Driver
• The
GAP
clothes
that
I
bought
fit
into
many
different
ouhits
and
are
durable
and
stylish.
Desired
Response
• My
GAP
clothes
are
not
very
exciJng
and
only
combine
into
standard
and
predictable
looks
for
me.
Barrier
17

18. STEP
5:
AMPLIFICATION
• The
in
store
experience
was
pleasant
and
the
store
had
the
sizes
I
needed,
I
also
opened
a
GAP
credit
card.
Driver
•
I'm
surprised
I
hadn't
owned
more
clothing
from
GAP
before,
I
am
now
a
GAP
loyal
customer
and
will
be
recommending
them
to
my
friends.
Desired
Response
• The
agenJon
in
the
store
was
less
than
saJsfactory
and
arJcles
displayed
on
mannequins
weren't
in
store.
Barrier
18

19. THE
STORY
BEHIND
THE
STATEMENTS
Personal
interviews
with
people
in
the
21-­‐35
age
range
led
us
to
see
that
people
perceive
the
GAP
as
having
standard
clothes
at
moderate
prices.
Fashion
resources
from
the
New
York
Times
and
other
blogs
also
agach
the
word
“moderate”
to
the
GAP.
Our
online
surveys
also
showed
us
that
the
people
who
think
the
most
highly
of
the
GAP
were
interested
in
the
quality
of
the
clothes
and
the
overall
feel
of
clean
style.
GAP
clothes
are
not
known
for
having
designer
styles,
but
instead
a
classic
American
look.
The
people
who
liked
the
GAP
the
least
menJoned
words
like
overpriced,
boring,
older,
plain,
and
expensive
in
the
surveys
and
interviews.
These
ideas
were
factored
into
our
barriers
in
this
consumer
journey.
19

20. BIG
IDEA
20

21. THE
KEY
INSIGHT
Older
parJcipants
in
the
survey
viewed
Gap
in
a
strongly
favorable
light.
They
understand
that
Gap
is
a
reliable
brand
that
has
been
around
since
they
were
kids.
Since
our
campaign
is
trying
to
bring
in
a
younger
demographic,
we
need
to
find
a
way
to
change
the
percepJon
of
the
Gap
being
“Mom
clothes”
to
the
Gap
being
classic
clothes.
The
difference
between
the
word
“older”
and
the
word
“classic”
is
the
key
for
us.
When
younger
people
think
of
older
clothes,
there
isn’t
usually
a
lot
of
excitement
or
desire
involved.
The
word
classic
can
bring
about
thoughts
of
naJonalism,
family,
posiJve
memories,
and
even
new
discovery.
If
we
can
establish
that
Gap
is
a
historically
significant
brand
that
helped
shape
US
fashion
history,
a
new
level
of
presJge
and
admiraJon
will
be
associated
with
our
product.
21

22. THE
BIG
IDEA
The
Gap
is
in
this
country’s
genes.
Is
it
in
yours?
22

23. CREATIVE
BRIEF
23

24. CREATIVE
BRIEF:
BIG
PICTURE
According
to
consumer
research,
The
Gap’s
image
in
the
mind
of
the
average
shopper
has
shiMed
away
from
what
the
company
intends
it
to
be.
Instead
of
thinking
of
The
Gap
as
trendy,
young,
and
high
quality,
most
young
shoppers
in
the
research
group
indicated
that
The
Gap
reminded
them
of
older
people,
boring
pagerns,
and
overpriced
clothes.
In
order
to
compete
with
the
stores
that
produce
new
styles
every
few
weeks,
The
Gap
needs
to
reestablish
itself
as
an
American
store
that
can
fit
the
needs
of
any
shopper
with
high
quality
clothes
of
all
kinds.
24

25. CREATIVE
BRIEF:
BUSINESS
OBJECTIVES
The
Gap
is
currently
the
market
leader
in
its
segment.
However,
compeJtors
like
Forever
21
and
American
Apparel
are
gaining
ground
every
year.
The
Gap
hopes
to
grow
its
market
share
by
2
points
by
the
beginning
of
fiscal
year
2015.
It
also
aims
to
increase
overall
sales
by
5%
in
the
same
Jme
frame.
25

26. CREATIVE
BRIEF:
ADVERTISING
OBJECTIVES
The
goal
of
this
adverJsing
campaign
is
to
alter
the
current
percepJon
many
younger
shoppers
have
of
The
Gap.
We
want
to
establish
The
Gap
as
a
place
that
has
been
cool
to
shop
at
for
generaJons.
We
hope
to
express
that
The
Gap
is
an
older
store,
but
it’s
sJll
relevant
and
essenJal
for
a
true
American
wardrobe.
26

27. CREATIVE
BRIEF:
TARGET
AUDIENCE
We
are
trying
to
reach
an
audience
of
21-­‐35
year
olds,
mainly
women.
These
women
may
have
seen
their
parents
wear
Gap
clothing
when
they
were
younger.
The
long
lasJng
quality
of
Gap
clothes
may
have
played
against
them
in
the
long
run,
since
their
parents
are
sJll
probably
wearing
the
same
Gap
clothes
that
they
had
years
ago.
We
want
to
agract
these
younger
people
via
social
media,
bus
stop
signs,
and
in
other
desJnaJons
that
they
are
agracted
to
daily.
27

28. CREATIVE
BRIEF:
THE
BIG
IDEA
The
Gap
is
in
this
country’s
genes.
Is
it
in
yours?
28

29. PRIMARY
RESEARCH
29

30. RESEARCH
OBJECTIVE
Through
this
research
we
plan
to
gain
a
deeper
understanding
of
consumers’
shopping
habits.
We
want
to
explore
the
consumers’
preferences
and
define
GAP’s
posiJoning
within
our
target
market
in
order
to
effecJvely
reach
our
consumer
insight
that
will
be
the
basis
of
our
brand
revival
campaign
for
the
GAP.
Key
Research
QuesJons
•
What
keeps
potenJal
GAP
customers
from
becoming
GAP
loyal
customers?
•
What
makes
people
keep
coming
back
to
the
GAP?
•
How
can
GAP
revive
their
brand
and
acJvely
interact
with
loyal
customers
while
enJcing
those
loyal
to
other
compeJtors?

31. METHOD
In
order
to
address
quesJons
that
weren’t
answered
via
secondary
research,
our
agency
determined
that
it
would
be
best
to
execute
primary
research
by
conducJng
eight
personal
interviews
along
with
a
survey.
By
conducJng
a
survey,
we
were
able
to
control
exactly
what
quesJons
were
being
answered
and
who
was
answering
them
due
to
our
fixed
answer
format.
This
will
make
the
results
easier
to
analyze.
Using
a
survey
also
allowed
us
to
reach
a
larger
porJon
of
our
populaJon
and
quanJfy
our
data.
Therefore,
we
gathered
more
generalizable
data
that
in-­‐depth
interviews
wouldn’t
give
us.
This
method,
overall,
allowed
us
to
get
a
general
insight
on
people
and
an
overall
consensus
on
many
main
quesJons
we
set
out
to
answer
for
our
client.
In
order
to
gain
a
deeper
understanding
behind
GAP’s
push
and
pull
factors,
the
eight
one-­‐on-­‐one
interviews
were
conducted
using
the
agached
interview
guide.
Via
the
interviews,
we
wanted
to
be
able
to
further
delve
into
what
keeps
consumers
from
shopping
at
GAP
or
what
keeps
them
going
back.
More
specifically,
we
wanted
to
gain
as
much
insight
into
the
mind
of
our
target
market
as
possible.

32. SAMPLING:
NON-­‐PROBABILITY
In
Sync
Agency
used
Qualtrics
to
upload
our
surveys;
we
then
linked
the
Qualtrics
survey
via
the
social
media
accounts
of
all
four
of
the
group
members
including
Twiger
and
Facebook.
Eight
personal
interviews;
conducted
by
non-­‐probability
sampling
via
convenience
sampling.
The
target
market
we
recruited
for
this
was
men
and
women,
primarily
ages
18-­‐24
and
25-­‐34.
The
men
and
women
included
are
either
in
college
or
recently
graduated
who
keep
up
on
the
fashion
trends,
but
don’t
want
to
break
the
bank
to
find
great
clothes.
These
shoppers
tend
to
prefer
shopping
in
store
but
also
take
advantage
of
online
shopping
for
convenience
purposes.
They
are
moJvated
by
sales
and
promoJonal
events,
desire
to
update
their
seasonal
wardrobe
and
shopping
for
an
item
in
parJcular
or
for
an
occasion.
Our
sample
included
a
range
of
these
individuals
who
were
randomly
included
in
our
survey.
In
Sync
used
this
method
to
get
a
general
grasp
of
our
target
audience
and
further
gage
people’s
percepJon
of
GAP.

33. ANALYSIS
• Gap
has
become
less
popular
and
does
not
offer
the
newest
fashion
trends.
It
appears
our
interviewees
feel
Gap
is
not
“cool”
anymore
and
they
would
prefer
to
shop
elsewhere
(Gap’s
compeJtors).
• The
survey
results
mirrored
the
points
made
above.
On
average,
Gap
was
ranked
last
as
a
go-­‐to
store
for
all
of
the
parJcipants
combined.
• Gap
has
become
a
plain,
bland,
and
rather
boring
store
as
far
as
its
range
of
clothing
is
concerned.
• The
parJcipants
appreciated
that
Gap
has
a
classic
style
and
would
be
a
good
place
to
shop
for
staple
items,
but
would
not
go
to
Gap
as
a
shopping
desJnaJon.
• Gap
has
an
advantage
of
having
fairly
priced,
and
relaJvely
good
quality
clothing
but
lacks
in
having
unique
clothing
items.
Some
of
the
most
used
words
on
the
survey
were
“boring”,
“generic”,
“uncool”,
and
“out
of
date”.

34. • Gap’s
recent
adverJsements
reflect
its
classic
“white
t-­‐shirt
and
denim”
image,
but
could
benefit
from
making
the
ads
come
more
alive
using
brighter
colors
and
trendy
items
to
make
the
ads
more
memorable
and
get
consumers
to
see
Gap
in
a
different
light.
• People’s
percepJon
of
Gap’s
target
audience
is
generally
thought
of
as
older
adults
ages
30-­‐40
instead
of
what
the
company
is
aiming
to
market
towards,
which
is
the
20’s
crowd.
• It
appears
more
women
ages
18-­‐24
shop
at
stores
like
Forever
21
and
H&M
because
of
the
card
memberships
and
low
priced
“trendy”
clothing
rather
than
shop
at
Gap,
where
people
perceive
the
clothing
to
be
rather
boring
or
plain.
• Gap
has
a
superior
customer
service
department,
and
employee
saJsfacJon
over
its
compeJJon,
where
the
stores
tend
to
be
over
crowded
and
less
organized.
• Even
though
Gap
does
have
a
card
membership
program
where
consumers
can
receive
rewards/points,
it
is
not
emphasized
enough.
Not
everyone
is
aware
of
the
loyalty
program,
which
is
something
that
brings
customers
back
into
the
store.

35. CONSUMER
INSIGHT
&
RECOMMENDATION
The
primary
research
conducted
by
In
Sync
Agency
revealed
that
our
consumers
feel
that
the
GAP
is
very
plain
and
bland.
Consumers
are
no
longer
agracted
to
the
staple
items
that
the
GAP
has
to
offer.
Consumers
do
not
associate
GAP
with
being
an
iconic
American
brand
but
rather
they
posiJon
it
as
being
simple
and
boring.
Through
our
primary
research
In
Sync
Agency
concluded
that
GAP
leverage
it’s
reputaJon
and
contribuJon
to
American
fashion.
We
recommend
that
GAP
emphasizes
it’s
quality
clothing
and
it’s
45
year
presence
as
an
iconic
brand
that
it’s
compeJtors
cannot
offer
nor
compare
to.

36. AD
EXAMPLES
36

37. EXAMPLE
1:
SLOGAN
“Classically
Iconic.”
37

38. THE
IDEA
The
GAP
has
been
around
for
a
long
Jme.
Instead
of
coming
off
as
old,
we
want
to
be
associated
with
words
like
classic
or
iconic.
Combining
those
words
into
a
simple
and
elegant
slogan
was
the
original
idea.
AMer
that,
we
added
in
images
of
1960’s
movie
stars
with
GAP-­‐like
clothing
on.
These
icons
never
fade,
and
neither
will
our
clothing
or
our
brand.
38

39. GAP
MAGAZINE
AD
39

40. GAP
PULLOUT
MAGAZINE
AD
40

41. EXAMPLE
2:
THE
SLOGAN
Gap
is
in
this
country’s
genes.
Is
it
in
yours?
41

42. THE
IDEA
• The
GAP
has
been
around
for
decades.
Instead
of
being
associated
with
being
old
and
boring,
we
want
to
change
the
percepJon
to
being
entrenched
in
American
history
and
culture.
America
would
not
be
the
same
without
The
GAP.
• The
GAP
was
founded
in
San
Francisco
in
1969.
This
was
the
heyday
of
Haight-­‐Ashbury,
the
hippie
movement,
peace
and
love
and
sJcking
it
to
the
man.
The
GAP
was
there
when
the
world
was
changing.
It
had
an
impact
on
the
America
that
we
idolize
today.
• Would
you
look
at
Bob
Dylan
and
call
him
old
and
boring?
When
you
hear
Jimi
Hendrix,
do
you
think
he’s
outdated?
Is
Woodstock
uncool
now
that
Lollapalooza’s
in
town?
No,
no,
and
no.
The
GAP
isn’t
uncool
because
it’s
old-­‐
in
fact,
that’s
the
very
reason
it
is
cool.
• Classic
never
gets
old.
Legends
never
fade.
The
GAP
was
here
in
1969,
and
it’s
here
today.
The
GAP
is
in
this
country’s
genes.
Is
it
in
yours?
42

43. BOB
DYLAN
MAILER
AD
43

44. JIMI
HENDRIX
PRINT
AD
44

45. JIMI
HENDRIX
BUS
STOP
45

46. WOODSTOCK
STORE
WINDOW
DISPLAYS
46

47. CARLOS
SANTANA
POSTER
AD
47

48. IN
THE
END
All
in
all,
The
GAP
is
a
successful
brand
that
doesn’t
need
anything
too
drasJc
(like
the
infamous
logo
change
of
2010)
to
stand
out
in
the
minds
of
consumers
again.
Playing
off
of
the
iconic
status
that
The
GAP
has
achieved
in
this
country’s
cultural
history,
a
status
that
no
other
clothing
outlet
rivals
in
the
“fast
fashion”
realm,
we
plan
on
reestablishing
The
GAP
as
a
cool
and
stylish
place
for
younger
people
to
shop
at.
The
brand
may
be
older,
but
this
shouldn’t
be
seen
as
a
weakness.
The
GAP
was
here
when
the
world
was
changing
in
1969,
and
it’s
sJll
here
today.
Really,
it
just
comes
down
to
the
big
idea:
The
Gap
is
in
this
country’s
genes.
Is
it
in
yours?
48