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H&M Mock Magazine

This report analyzes H&M's communication strategies and evaluates its effectiveness in reaching target audiences in women's wear. H&M focuses on urban women aged 20-34 as its primary target demographic, employing a variety of media channels to promote its affordable and trendy brand image. The document outlines H&M's growth in the U.S. market, its competitive landscape, and discusses key challenges, such as increased competition and the need for improved online shopping capabilities.

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CONTENT Executive Summary Background Situation Analysis H&M thriving on the US Market, H&M’s Key objectives, H&M’s competitive set, SWOT Analysis, Key challenges Consumer Target Primary target audience (Ashley), Secondary target audience (Amanda & Hannah) Communication’s Role and Objective Communication objective, communication role Media Mix Online, TV Broadcast, Print, Partnerships, Other media Messaging Integrated Communication Style H&M: A Market Driving Philosophy Tactical Analysis Appendix
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides an analysis of H&M’s communications strategies and evaluates how effectively the brand reaches both its target audience and marketing objectives in women’s wear. Our findings show that H&M’s primary target audiences are urban women aged between 20-34, who are price-conscious, frequent shoppers and fashion trend followers. H&M uses a variety of media channels to reinforce the brand’s fashionable, cool, and affordable position in order to trigger store visits, reinforce customers’ loyalty and recruit prospective customers. H&M’s communications strategy is compelling as it is integrated, uses numerous channels and features messaging adapted to the target audience. BACKGROUND Erling Persson founded the Swedish brand, Hennes & Mauritz AB, in 1947 with the idea of offering affordable fashion.i In 1964, H&M started venturing outside Sweden and opened the first international store in Norway.ii Since then, the brand has consistently expanded. H&M appeared on the American market in 2000 by opening a store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Today the brand has 132,000 employees and 3,700 stores over 60 different countries located on all five continents, turning H&M into the second largest clothing retailer worldwide.iii H&M group is also thriving, as it made 19,976 million euros of profit revenue in 2014.iv H&M’s mission is to “provide fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way.” Therefore H&M’s key goals are to “always have the best customer offering in each and every market,” “offer collections that are wide ranging,” “always offer inspiring with unbeatable value for money” and to “always exceed customers’ expectations.” H&M also promotes the idea that “design and sustainability should not be a question of price.”v
SITUATION ANALYSIS H&M THRIVING ON THE US MARKET In the United States, H&M sells women’s, men’s and children's wear as well as home goods. In only 15 years the brand has developed exponentially, turning the United States into the second biggest market for H&M. Since 2000, the brand’s market shares have continuously grownvi as well as the number of stores.vii H&M now has 356 stores around the country. Manhattan alone has nine stores including the biggest H&M store in the world, which opened in July 2014 on 5th Avenue. In 2014, H&M sales generated $2,328 million dollars and the brand opened 51 new stores.viii H&M’S KEY OBJECTIVES Today, H&M’s objective is “to increase the number of stores by 10–15 percent per year,” and for these stores to be established “only in the best locations for business.” Additionally, H&M also wants to increase the “number of sales in comparable units.” Lastly, the brand wants to generate more traffic on the website and Smartphone application to ultimately generate more online sales.”ix H&M’s COMPETITIVE SET H&M is part of the low-end women ready-to-wear category. In the US market in 2014, H&M held 0.8 LBN Brand Share on this segment, which was relatively small compared to other brands.x For example, in the same year, Victoria’s Secret held 4.2% LBN Brand Share, Walmart 2.8%, Old Navy 2.1% and Ann Taylor 1.9%.xi However, on the fast-fashion market, where H&M is positioned, the brand appears as a relatively strong player. In the United States, the fast fashion competitors of H&M are primarily Gap with 960 stores across the countryxii and Forever 21 with 450 stores.xiii Some of H&M’s smaller competitors are Zara with 52 stores,xiv Uniqlo with 40 stores,xv United Colors of Benetton with 38 stores,xvi and Topshop and Mango with both less than 10 stores.xvii xviii Gap’s positioning appears relatively different for H&M’s as the brand focuses on basic clothing.xix Conversely, Forever 21’s positioning resembles H&M. Indeed, Forever 21 also intends to offer affordable clothing that portrays the latest trends.xx Forever 21 traditionally focused on targeting teenagers, but in 2013 the brand altered its positioning by expending its target audience to an older segment (18 to 24 years old).xxiAs a result, Forever 21 became H&M’s major and most direct competitor in the US Market.
STRENGTHS Affordable price and good value for money.xxii · Large variety of style.xxiii · Well-established reputation and strong brand awareness. xxiv · Widely established on the US territory.xxv · Association with Higher tier designers and celebrities.xxvi · Sustainable production.xxvii · Business model is suited to the fast moving n ature of fashion trends WEAKNESS Limited quality of products.xxviii · Lack of a strong and characteristic fashion style.xxix · Mass Production/Lack of uniqueness (customers are likely to run into someone wearing the same products).xxx · Relatively small online shopping presence.xxxi · High dependence on suppliers, since H&M doesn’t have its own factories        · Increase development of the online market· New partnerships with high-end designers and celebrities.xxxii Expand in the US territory, by opening more stores.xxxiii OPPORTUNITIES · Increase development of the online market.xxxiv · New partnerships with high-end designers and celebrities.xxxv Expand in the US territory, by opening more stores.xxxvi     THREATS Losing customers when they grow older (As fast fashion customer grow older they are likely to shift towards higher quality brands). xxxvii · Numerous and growing competitors on the low price fast fashion market.xxxviii · Instability of international economy affecting supply chain (especially increase of labor cost in China, India and Bangladesh).xxxix
KEY CHALLENGES Although H&M’s market shares are growing in the US, the brand faces important challenges. The main challenge for H&M is the growing number of players in the low price fast fashion segment.xl The increased competition is perfectly illustrated by the repositioning of Forever 21 towards an older target audience therefore generating even more direct competition for H&M, especially since Forever 21 has more stores than H&M in the US.xli Another key challenge the brand faces is losing customers as they grow up. Indeed, people who shop at H&M are trend followers, but as they grow up and their purchasing power increases, they are likely to turn towards higher-end brands that offer clothing that follows fashion trends and guarantees higher quality.xlii The third challenge for H&M seems to be the development of online shopping. The brand only launched its online shopping platform in 2013, which is late in comparison with the other low price fast fashion brands. This platform has received a good response from US customers; with the site contributing to a 13% US sales increase in 2014.xliii However, H&M online shopping services remains slightly weaker compared to its competitors, with a “lack of delivery options” and “long standards delivery times.”xliv
CONSUMER TARGET Based on field observations and on secondary research such as the brand’s website and communication campaigns (as studied in the media mix), H&M targets fashionable and trendy young to middle aged women, who shop on a regular basis and are price conscious. We believe the target audience is organized into three different sub-segments. Ashley – primary target audience Demographic: Ashley is a woman aged between20-34. She comes from a diverse ethnic background. Geographic: Ashley is urban and lives in a metropolitan city in United States. Buyographic: Ashley is a frequent shopper, who tends to buy more than one item at a time (71% of the shoppers observed within this segment bought more than one item), spends on average $70 (average spending of the people observed in this segment) is likely to buy clothes without trying them on (71% the shoppers observed within this segment did not try on the clothes they bought), and tends to Psychographic: Ashley is price-conscious. She sees shopping as a pleasurable pastime, either to treat herself, fulfill her emotional distress or out of necessity. Ashley follows the latest fashion trends and is concerned with her appearance. Depending on her mood and activities, Ashley adopts a fashionable casual style or a trendy business casual style. Influencers: Ashley is influenced by celebrities, such as famous singers (Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey) and models (Miranda Ker); designers of the brands H&M partners with such as Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Lanvin, Balmain; fashion bloggers (Kristina Bazan, Chiara Ferragni and Tamara Kalinic) and friends.
Amanda - secondary target audience (1) Geographic: Amanda is urban and lives in a metropolitan city in United States. Demographic: Amanda is a woman aged between 35-45 who comes from a diverse ethnic background. Buyographic: Amanda is a frequent shopper, who tends to buy more than one item at a time (100% of the shoppers observed within this segment bought more than one item). Amanda mainly buys basic H&M items, such as jeans and T-shirts. When Amanda shops at H&M, she spends $100 on average (the average spending of the people observed in this segment). Amanda is likely to try on the clothes she buys (60% the shoppers observed within this segment tried on clothes before buying them) and tends to shop alone (80% of the people observed shoppers within this segment walked into the store alone). Psychographic: Amanda is price-conscious. She shops when she needs a particular item. Amanda is interested in fashion trends, and is concerned with her appearance. Depending on her mood and activities, Amanda adopts a chic business casual style or an elegant casual style. Influencers: Amanda is influenced by celebrities such as famous singers like Madonna and models like Gisele Bundchen. Friends and co-workers also influence Amanda. Hannah – secondary target audience (2) Demographic: Hannah is a teenager/woman aged between 12-19, who comes from a diverse ethnic background. Geographic: Hannah is urban and lives in a metropolitan city in United States. Buyographic: Hannah is a frequent shopper, who tends to buy one item at the time (84% of the shoppers observed within this segment bought one item). Hannah spends on average $50 when she shops at H&M (average spending of the people observed in this segment) and is likely to buy clothes without trying them on (100% the shoppers observed within this segment did not try on the clothes they bought). Hannah tends to shop with her friends (80% of the people observed shoppers within this segment walked into the store accompanied by a friend). Psychographic: Hannah is price-conscious. She practices shopping as a social activity and is an early adopter of fashion trends. Hannah is concerned with their appearance. Hannah has a fashionable casual style. Influencers: Hannah is highly influenced by celebrities such as famous singers like Kendall Jenner or Katy Perry, designers of the brands H&M partners with like Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Lanvin and Balmain. Hannah is also significantly influenced by bloggers like Kristina Bazan, Chiara Ferragni and Tamara Kalinic and by her friends.
COMMUNICATION’S ROLE & OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES Based on our observation of the 2015 communication, we believe H&M’s communication objectives are as follows: • Motivate prospective and current customers to visit H&M stores (both online or in-store) The three seasonal 2015 campaigns featured a few items of the new collection in order to trigger the curiosity of customers. The ultimate goal of these “sneak peaks” is to encourage viewers to visit the stores either to find an item they liked from the campaign or to discover the rest of the collection. • Reinforce current customers loyalty towards H&M The 2015 campaigns featured trendy H&M clothing on beautiful models and exhibited affordable prices. This serves as a reminder that the brand offers the latest fashion trends with good value for money. Therefore, by purchasing H&M products current customers can stay fashionable. • Encourage prospective customers to start purchasing H&M clothes The campaigns take place in major fashion cities. This choice reinforces the position of H&M as an authentic fashion brand and sends out a message to prospective customers that they should start purchasing H&M’s clothes, if they want to be stylish. The display of prices highlights the limited investment required to start buying H&M’s clothes, which encourages first purchase. ROLE The analysis of the 2015 campaigns shows that the role of H&M’s communication is to reinforce the brand fashionable, cool, and affordable position. The brand wants current and prospective customers to feel that wearing H&M clothing will make them stylish and up to date with the latest trends for a limited amount of money. The brand uses the three main forms of persuasion to convey this idea. First, the ethos of models makes women feel that wearing H&M clothes will empower them to be as beautiful, confident and stylish. Similarly, by setting their campaigns in cities, such as London, Paris, and Los Angeles, which are synonymous with high-end fashion, H&M bolsters its image as a leading fashion brand. Additionally, H&M triggers viewers’ emotions by the beautiful sceneries of the settings as well as with the music chosen in the video campaigns. In the “Summer is Here”xlv campaign, the cheerful and party summer mood is featured through the summer music hit "Sun is Shining" by the house duo Axwell^Ingrosso and through the paradise island setting. Furthermore, in the “Spring campaign,”xlvi the relaxed yet cool mood of the spring season is conveyed through the pop song “Strawberry Letter 23” by the Malaysian singer Yuna and by the faded golden Los Angeles sun beams. Finally, H&M uses logic to convince prospective and current customers that it offers fashion at an affordable price. Indeed, the entire print media feature the prices of clothe in order to demonstrate that H&M’s they are not pricey.xlvii
MEDIA MIX In 2015, H&M used a provision of communication channels to meet its marketing objectives. These channels promoted the seasonal campaigns such as “Fall in love,”xlviii “Spring Fashion,” “Summer is Here” and “H&M / Balmain” and more generally the values of H&M (trendiness, affordability and sustainability). Online • Social media: The brand uses a broad range of platforms such as Facebook,xlix Pinterest,l Instagram, liGoogle+,lii Twitterliii and YouTube.liv H&M’s messages are highly integrated on social media. The objective is to promote campaigns, partnerships (Balmain, UNICEF), and merchandizing (especially with “create the look” pictures. H&M also advertises new store openings and personally replies to all comments of customers within only a few hours. • Websitelv: The website carries the brand’s latest news; including new products, sales, partnerships and campaigns. It also provides access to H&M’s blog: H&M Life. Customers can use the website to make online purchases and to access the customer service facilities through live chat. • Other online platforms: H&M’s Smartphone Application (iPhonelvi + Androidlvii) and Spotifylviii are another way for the brand to communicate. Users can shop and stay up to date with the latest fashion trends and exclusive H&M offers through the app. Also, brand enthusiasts can follow H&M’s playlists on Spotify. TV Broadcast H&M releases advertising TV campaigns for each seasonal collection: winter, spring, summer and fall. These video feature iconic articles for each collection. Print • Advertising in Fashion Magazines: Print ads featuring products from the latest collection are placed in popular women’s magazines such as Vogue, In Style and Elle. • Magazine Catalog: The H&M magazine published every season is distributed for free in all H&M stores. The magazine presents current season’s products with their prices, lifestyle tips and tricks, interview scoops and recent fashion events. • Billboards: H&M places outdoor billboards in central areas and the subway. Partnerships • Partnerships with Designers: Since 2004, H&M has partnered with fashion giants such as Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Roberto Cavalli (2007), Jimmy Choo (2009) and Versace (2011).lix In 2015, H&M partnered with Balmain. This partnership was promoted across various media channelslx (new campaign, unified social media etc.). The “hmbalmain” Instagram profile created specifically for the partnership generated thousands of likes. • Partnership with Bloggers: In 2015 H&M used bloggers such as Kristina Bazan, Chiara Ferragni and Tamara Kalinic. • Partnership with Ambassadorslxi: H&M consistently invests in celebrities such as Beyoncé, Lana Del Ray, Miranda Ker, Madonnalxii to promote specific collections. In July 2015, H&M revealed a partnership with Katy Perry for the 2015 Winter campaign. The famous singer will be the new “face” of H&M lxiii and will promote her upcoming Christmas single. • Partnerships with Nonprofit: H&M traditionally emphasize its sustainable image by partnering with powerful NGOs such as UNICEF, WaterAid and CAR through H&M Conscious Foundation.lxiv In the same way, in 2015 the brand developed a new partnership with Ellen MacArthur Foundation.lxv Other media • Packaging: H&M has recognizable signature shopping bags. The white plastic and paper bags with the bold red H&M logo are a powerful communication medium for the brand. Moreover, H&M introduces new bags when it partners with designers or for the Holiday season. • Word of mouth/Influencers: H&M’s online word of mouth is rather positive among US customers. In 2015, the brand emphasized in maintaining good word of mouth through “regrams, “retweets,” and “commenting.”
Messaging Integrated Communication Style In 2015, H&M’s communication was integrated across all the channels the brand used. H&M adapted the majority of its touch-points to its seasonal campaign in order to maintain a consistent look and feel. In print, the magazine catalog and all the magazine ads had the same design flow. Although, the online messages were adapted to the specific format of each platform -for example, the brand incorporated links in the tweets, but did not do so on Instagram-, they were also unified in terms of content and aspect. The style of the messages is usually consistent. However, during collaborations with other designers, such as Balmain the style shifts to better fit the brand H&M partners with .For example, in all seasonal campaigns the communication style adopted was smooth, whereas in the H&M-Balmain the communication style was wild and dynamic. H&M: a market driven philosophy H&M’s management style is market driven. The brand continually evolves to adapt to consumers’ needs. For example, H&M created a smartphone application to adapt to the online buying behavior of their customers. Similarly, in all social media platforms, H&M welcomesand takes into consideration customers’ feedback. For example, when analyzing H&M’s Facebook profile, we came across various comments made by customers; the customers were asking H&M to adapt their current collection or feature specific items. The response of the brand was positive and most of the time said they will implement the requested changes. Additionally, H&M adapts to what the market wants by altering their clothing to fit with the latest trends, styles and to a wide range of sizes, for example, H&M+ addresses plus size women. Tactical Analysis We believe H&M’s communication tactic is effective. First, the frequency at which H&M communicates is likely to reach a broad audience. Moreover, the media channels as well as the persuasion techniques featured in the messages are well suited for H&M’s target audience. Likewise, the use of celebrities and partnerships is adapted to reach out and influence the target audience. Additionally, by communicating in an integrated way, H&M manages to consistently reinforce its image of a fashionable and affordable brand in the mind of
prospect and current customers. Also, the diversity in the formats of each platform allows the message to be transmitted without seeming tiresome for the audience. For these reasons, we believe H&M’s communications plan will reach the brand’s 2015 marketing objective.                                                                                                                  i  http://cobrands.hoovers.com/company/H__M_Hennes__Mauritz_AB/rffxfri-­‐1-­‐1njhy8.html.  Last  accessed  11/6/2015.     ii  http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-­‐about-­‐hm/people-­‐and-­‐history/history.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     iii  Ibid.     iv  Euromonitor  International.  “H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  in  Retailing  (World).”  April  2015.  Euromonitor  Passport.  11/5/2015.     v  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.   vi  Euromonitor  International.  “Womenswear  in  the  US.”  May  2015.  Euromonitor  Passport.  11/5/2015.   vii  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.   viii  Ibid.     ix  http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-­‐about-­‐hm/about-­‐hm/expansion-­‐strategy.html.  Last  accessed  18/11/2015.   x  Euromonitor  International.  “Womenswear  in  the  US.”  May  2015.  Euromonitor  Passport.  11/5/2015.     xi  Ibid.     xii  www.statista.com/statistics/242596/number-­‐of-­‐stores-­‐of-­‐the-­‐gap-­‐inc-­‐by-­‐store-­‐brand-­‐and-­‐region/.  Last  accessed   11/05/2015.     xiii  http://www.forever21.com/Store/StoreLocator.aspx?br=f21.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xiv  http://www.zara.com/us/en/stores-­‐c11108.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xv  http://www.uniqlo.com/us/stores.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xvi  http://us.benetton.com/store-­‐locator/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xvii  http://us.topshop.com/en/tsus/category/find-­‐a-­‐store-­‐70348/home?geoip=noredirect.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.   xviii  http://shop.mango.com/US.  Last  accessed  18/11/2015.     xix  http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/aboutus.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.    
                                                                                                                xx  http://www.slideshare.net/brittanyspeaks/forever-­‐21-­‐strategy-­‐and-­‐analysis.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xxi  http://www.businessinsider.com/forever-­‐21-­‐dominating-­‐teen-­‐retail-­‐market-­‐2013-­‐3.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.   xxii  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.   xxiii  Ibid.     xxiv  http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174013774/in-­‐trendy-­‐world-­‐of-­‐fast-­‐fashion-­‐styles-­‐arent-­‐made-­‐to-­‐last.  Last  accessed   18/11/2015.     xxv  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile,  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.     xxvi  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.     xxvii  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015.  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxviii  http://www.scmp.com/business/china-­‐business/article/1581717/hm-­‐zara-­‐defend-­‐quality-­‐control-­‐practices-­‐after-­‐ watchdog.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxix  http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174013774/in-­‐trendy-­‐world-­‐of-­‐fast-­‐fashion-­‐styles-­‐arent-­‐made-­‐to-­‐last.  Last  accessed   11/10/2015.   xxx  http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-­‐ed-­‐fashions-­‐democratic-­‐disease.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxxi  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxii  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxiii  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxiv  http://www.essentialretail.com/essential-­‐ecommerce/article/52ea4f8e35530-­‐hm-­‐to-­‐push-­‐on-­‐with-­‐global-­‐online-­‐ growth-­‐strategy.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxxv  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxvi  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxvii  http://www.mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/succeeding-­‐in-­‐tomorrows-­‐global-­‐fashion-­‐market.  Last  accessed   11/10/2015.   xxxviii  http://www.businessinsider.com/forever-­‐21-­‐dominating-­‐teen-­‐retail-­‐market-­‐2013-­‐3.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxxix  http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/07/15/gap-­‐inc-­‐is-­‐gradually-­‐losing-­‐its-­‐share-­‐in-­‐the-­‐u-­‐s-­‐apparel-­‐ market-­‐to-­‐fast-­‐fashion-­‐counterparts/.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.     xl  http://www.businessinsider.com/forever-­‐21-­‐dominating-­‐teen-­‐retail-­‐market-­‐2013-­‐3.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xli  http://www.forever21.com/Store/StoreLocator.aspx?br=f21.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlii  http://www.mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/succeeding-­‐in-­‐tomorrows-­‐global-­‐fashion-­‐market.  Last  accessed   11/10/2015.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.     xliii  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.     xliv  http://www.essentialretail.com/essential-­‐ecommerce/article/52ea4f8e35530-­‐hm-­‐to-­‐push-­‐on-­‐with-­‐global-­‐online-­‐ growth-­‐strategy.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlv  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ3aArrtQdQ.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.    
                                                                                                                xlvi  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnLGMgmbU68.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlvii  https://twitter.com/adsonthetube/status/602911827236933633.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlviii  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJSbcjgOME4.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlix  https://www.facebook.com/hmtheus/?fref=ts.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     l  https://www.pinterest.com/hm/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     li  https://www.instagram.com/hm/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lii  https://plus.google.com/+HM.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     liii  https://twitter.com/hm?lang=en.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     liv  https://www.youtube.com/user/hennesandmauritz.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.   lv  http://www.hm.com/us/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lvi  https://itunes.apple.com/app/h-­‐m/id589351740.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lvii  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hm.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lviii  https://play.spotify.com/user/hm.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lix  http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-­‐about-­‐hm/fashion-­‐for-­‐all/collections/collaborations.html.  Last  accessed   11/18/2015.     lx  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/fashion/balmain-­‐x-­‐hm-­‐collection-­‐what-­‐to-­‐expect.html?_r=0.  Last  accessed   11/6/2015   lxi  The  distinction  between  influencers  and  ambassadors  was  highlighted  by  Sandra  Stahl.  As  part  of  the  Strategic   Communications  Series:  Understanding  Influencer  Strategy.  10/2/2015.     lxii  http://beyondcelebrity.com/2013/01/29/best-­‐hm-­‐celebrities-­‐and-­‐designers-­‐collaborations-­‐over-­‐the-­‐years/.  Last   accessed  11/18/2015.   lxiii  https://www.hm.com/us/life/culture/h-­‐m-­‐inside/2015/07/katy-­‐perry-­‐is-­‐the-­‐star-­‐of-­‐hm-­‐holiday-­‐ 2015.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lxiv  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2014.     lxv  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-­‐releases/the-­‐ellen-­‐macarthur-­‐foundation-­‐announces-­‐hm-­‐as-­‐a-­‐global-­‐partner-­‐ 540194201.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.      

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H&M Mock Magazine

  • 1.
    CONTENT Executive Summary Background Situation Analysis H&Mthriving on the US Market, H&M’s Key objectives, H&M’s competitive set, SWOT Analysis, Key challenges Consumer Target Primary target audience (Ashley), Secondary target audience (Amanda & Hannah) Communication’s Role and Objective Communication objective, communication role Media Mix Online, TV Broadcast, Print, Partnerships, Other media Messaging Integrated Communication Style H&M: A Market Driving Philosophy Tactical Analysis Appendix
  • 2.
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report providesan analysis of H&M’s communications strategies and evaluates how effectively the brand reaches both its target audience and marketing objectives in women’s wear. Our findings show that H&M’s primary target audiences are urban women aged between 20-34, who are price-conscious, frequent shoppers and fashion trend followers. H&M uses a variety of media channels to reinforce the brand’s fashionable, cool, and affordable position in order to trigger store visits, reinforce customers’ loyalty and recruit prospective customers. H&M’s communications strategy is compelling as it is integrated, uses numerous channels and features messaging adapted to the target audience. BACKGROUND Erling Persson founded the Swedish brand, Hennes & Mauritz AB, in 1947 with the idea of offering affordable fashion.i In 1964, H&M started venturing outside Sweden and opened the first international store in Norway.ii Since then, the brand has consistently expanded. H&M appeared on the American market in 2000 by opening a store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Today the brand has 132,000 employees and 3,700 stores over 60 different countries located on all five continents, turning H&M into the second largest clothing retailer worldwide.iii H&M group is also thriving, as it made 19,976 million euros of profit revenue in 2014.iv H&M’s mission is to “provide fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way.” Therefore H&M’s key goals are to “always have the best customer offering in each and every market,” “offer collections that are wide ranging,” “always offer inspiring with unbeatable value for money” and to “always exceed customers’ expectations.” H&M also promotes the idea that “design and sustainability should not be a question of price.”v
  • 3.
    SITUATION ANALYSIS H&M THRIVINGON THE US MARKET In the United States, H&M sells women’s, men’s and children's wear as well as home goods. In only 15 years the brand has developed exponentially, turning the United States into the second biggest market for H&M. Since 2000, the brand’s market shares have continuously grownvi as well as the number of stores.vii H&M now has 356 stores around the country. Manhattan alone has nine stores including the biggest H&M store in the world, which opened in July 2014 on 5th Avenue. In 2014, H&M sales generated $2,328 million dollars and the brand opened 51 new stores.viii H&M’S KEY OBJECTIVES Today, H&M’s objective is “to increase the number of stores by 10–15 percent per year,” and for these stores to be established “only in the best locations for business.” Additionally, H&M also wants to increase the “number of sales in comparable units.” Lastly, the brand wants to generate more traffic on the website and Smartphone application to ultimately generate more online sales.”ix H&M’s COMPETITIVE SET H&M is part of the low-end women ready-to-wear category. In the US market in 2014, H&M held 0.8 LBN Brand Share on this segment, which was relatively small compared to other brands.x For example, in the same year, Victoria’s Secret held 4.2% LBN Brand Share, Walmart 2.8%, Old Navy 2.1% and Ann Taylor 1.9%.xi However, on the fast-fashion market, where H&M is positioned, the brand appears as a relatively strong player. In the United States, the fast fashion competitors of H&M are primarily Gap with 960 stores across the countryxii and Forever 21 with 450 stores.xiii Some of H&M’s smaller competitors are Zara with 52 stores,xiv Uniqlo with 40 stores,xv United Colors of Benetton with 38 stores,xvi and Topshop and Mango with both less than 10 stores.xvii xviii Gap’s positioning appears relatively different for H&M’s as the brand focuses on basic clothing.xix Conversely, Forever 21’s positioning resembles H&M. Indeed, Forever 21 also intends to offer affordable clothing that portrays the latest trends.xx Forever 21 traditionally focused on targeting teenagers, but in 2013 the brand altered its positioning by expending its target audience to an older segment (18 to 24 years old).xxiAs a result, Forever 21 became H&M’s major and most direct competitor in the US Market.
  • 4.
    STRENGTHS Affordable price andgood value for money.xxii · Large variety of style.xxiii · Well-established reputation and strong brand awareness. xxiv · Widely established on the US territory.xxv · Association with Higher tier designers and celebrities.xxvi · Sustainable production.xxvii · Business model is suited to the fast moving n ature of fashion trends WEAKNESS Limited quality of products.xxviii · Lack of a strong and characteristic fashion style.xxix · Mass Production/Lack of uniqueness (customers are likely to run into someone wearing the same products).xxx · Relatively small online shopping presence.xxxi · High dependence on suppliers, since H&M doesn’t have its own factories        · Increase development of the online market· New partnerships with high-end designers and celebrities.xxxii Expand in the US territory, by opening more stores.xxxiii OPPORTUNITIES · Increase development of the online market.xxxiv · New partnerships with high-end designers and celebrities.xxxv Expand in the US territory, by opening more stores.xxxvi     THREATS Losing customers when they grow older (As fast fashion customer grow older they are likely to shift towards higher quality brands). xxxvii · Numerous and growing competitors on the low price fast fashion market.xxxviii · Instability of international economy affecting supply chain (especially increase of labor cost in China, India and Bangladesh).xxxix
  • 5.
    KEY CHALLENGES Although H&M’smarket shares are growing in the US, the brand faces important challenges. The main challenge for H&M is the growing number of players in the low price fast fashion segment.xl The increased competition is perfectly illustrated by the repositioning of Forever 21 towards an older target audience therefore generating even more direct competition for H&M, especially since Forever 21 has more stores than H&M in the US.xli Another key challenge the brand faces is losing customers as they grow up. Indeed, people who shop at H&M are trend followers, but as they grow up and their purchasing power increases, they are likely to turn towards higher-end brands that offer clothing that follows fashion trends and guarantees higher quality.xlii The third challenge for H&M seems to be the development of online shopping. The brand only launched its online shopping platform in 2013, which is late in comparison with the other low price fast fashion brands. This platform has received a good response from US customers; with the site contributing to a 13% US sales increase in 2014.xliii However, H&M online shopping services remains slightly weaker compared to its competitors, with a “lack of delivery options” and “long standards delivery times.”xliv
  • 6.
    CONSUMER TARGET Based onfield observations and on secondary research such as the brand’s website and communication campaigns (as studied in the media mix), H&M targets fashionable and trendy young to middle aged women, who shop on a regular basis and are price conscious. We believe the target audience is organized into three different sub-segments. Ashley – primary target audience Demographic: Ashley is a woman aged between20-34. She comes from a diverse ethnic background. Geographic: Ashley is urban and lives in a metropolitan city in United States. Buyographic: Ashley is a frequent shopper, who tends to buy more than one item at a time (71% of the shoppers observed within this segment bought more than one item), spends on average $70 (average spending of the people observed in this segment) is likely to buy clothes without trying them on (71% the shoppers observed within this segment did not try on the clothes they bought), and tends to Psychographic: Ashley is price-conscious. She sees shopping as a pleasurable pastime, either to treat herself, fulfill her emotional distress or out of necessity. Ashley follows the latest fashion trends and is concerned with her appearance. Depending on her mood and activities, Ashley adopts a fashionable casual style or a trendy business casual style. Influencers: Ashley is influenced by celebrities, such as famous singers (Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey) and models (Miranda Ker); designers of the brands H&M partners with such as Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Lanvin, Balmain; fashion bloggers (Kristina Bazan, Chiara Ferragni and Tamara Kalinic) and friends.
  • 7.
    Amanda - secondarytarget audience (1) Geographic: Amanda is urban and lives in a metropolitan city in United States. Demographic: Amanda is a woman aged between 35-45 who comes from a diverse ethnic background. Buyographic: Amanda is a frequent shopper, who tends to buy more than one item at a time (100% of the shoppers observed within this segment bought more than one item). Amanda mainly buys basic H&M items, such as jeans and T-shirts. When Amanda shops at H&M, she spends $100 on average (the average spending of the people observed in this segment). Amanda is likely to try on the clothes she buys (60% the shoppers observed within this segment tried on clothes before buying them) and tends to shop alone (80% of the people observed shoppers within this segment walked into the store alone). Psychographic: Amanda is price-conscious. She shops when she needs a particular item. Amanda is interested in fashion trends, and is concerned with her appearance. Depending on her mood and activities, Amanda adopts a chic business casual style or an elegant casual style. Influencers: Amanda is influenced by celebrities such as famous singers like Madonna and models like Gisele Bundchen. Friends and co-workers also influence Amanda. Hannah – secondary target audience (2) Demographic: Hannah is a teenager/woman aged between 12-19, who comes from a diverse ethnic background. Geographic: Hannah is urban and lives in a metropolitan city in United States. Buyographic: Hannah is a frequent shopper, who tends to buy one item at the time (84% of the shoppers observed within this segment bought one item). Hannah spends on average $50 when she shops at H&M (average spending of the people observed in this segment) and is likely to buy clothes without trying them on (100% the shoppers observed within this segment did not try on the clothes they bought). Hannah tends to shop with her friends (80% of the people observed shoppers within this segment walked into the store accompanied by a friend). Psychographic: Hannah is price-conscious. She practices shopping as a social activity and is an early adopter of fashion trends. Hannah is concerned with their appearance. Hannah has a fashionable casual style. Influencers: Hannah is highly influenced by celebrities such as famous singers like Kendall Jenner or Katy Perry, designers of the brands H&M partners with like Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Lanvin and Balmain. Hannah is also significantly influenced by bloggers like Kristina Bazan, Chiara Ferragni and Tamara Kalinic and by her friends.
  • 8.
    COMMUNICATION’S ROLE & OBJECTIVES OBJECTIVES Basedon our observation of the 2015 communication, we believe H&M’s communication objectives are as follows: • Motivate prospective and current customers to visit H&M stores (both online or in-store) The three seasonal 2015 campaigns featured a few items of the new collection in order to trigger the curiosity of customers. The ultimate goal of these “sneak peaks” is to encourage viewers to visit the stores either to find an item they liked from the campaign or to discover the rest of the collection. • Reinforce current customers loyalty towards H&M The 2015 campaigns featured trendy H&M clothing on beautiful models and exhibited affordable prices. This serves as a reminder that the brand offers the latest fashion trends with good value for money. Therefore, by purchasing H&M products current customers can stay fashionable. • Encourage prospective customers to start purchasing H&M clothes The campaigns take place in major fashion cities. This choice reinforces the position of H&M as an authentic fashion brand and sends out a message to prospective customers that they should start purchasing H&M’s clothes, if they want to be stylish. The display of prices highlights the limited investment required to start buying H&M’s clothes, which encourages first purchase. ROLE The analysis of the 2015 campaigns shows that the role of H&M’s communication is to reinforce the brand fashionable, cool, and affordable position. The brand wants current and prospective customers to feel that wearing H&M clothing will make them stylish and up to date with the latest trends for a limited amount of money. The brand uses the three main forms of persuasion to convey this idea. First, the ethos of models makes women feel that wearing H&M clothes will empower them to be as beautiful, confident and stylish. Similarly, by setting their campaigns in cities, such as London, Paris, and Los Angeles, which are synonymous with high-end fashion, H&M bolsters its image as a leading fashion brand. Additionally, H&M triggers viewers’ emotions by the beautiful sceneries of the settings as well as with the music chosen in the video campaigns. In the “Summer is Here”xlv campaign, the cheerful and party summer mood is featured through the summer music hit "Sun is Shining" by the house duo Axwell^Ingrosso and through the paradise island setting. Furthermore, in the “Spring campaign,”xlvi the relaxed yet cool mood of the spring season is conveyed through the pop song “Strawberry Letter 23” by the Malaysian singer Yuna and by the faded golden Los Angeles sun beams. Finally, H&M uses logic to convince prospective and current customers that it offers fashion at an affordable price. Indeed, the entire print media feature the prices of clothe in order to demonstrate that H&M’s they are not pricey.xlvii
  • 9.
    MEDIA MIX In 2015,H&M used a provision of communication channels to meet its marketing objectives. These channels promoted the seasonal campaigns such as “Fall in love,”xlviii “Spring Fashion,” “Summer is Here” and “H&M / Balmain” and more generally the values of H&M (trendiness, affordability and sustainability). Online • Social media: The brand uses a broad range of platforms such as Facebook,xlix Pinterest,l Instagram, liGoogle+,lii Twitterliii and YouTube.liv H&M’s messages are highly integrated on social media. The objective is to promote campaigns, partnerships (Balmain, UNICEF), and merchandizing (especially with “create the look” pictures. H&M also advertises new store openings and personally replies to all comments of customers within only a few hours. • Websitelv: The website carries the brand’s latest news; including new products, sales, partnerships and campaigns. It also provides access to H&M’s blog: H&M Life. Customers can use the website to make online purchases and to access the customer service facilities through live chat. • Other online platforms: H&M’s Smartphone Application (iPhonelvi + Androidlvii) and Spotifylviii are another way for the brand to communicate. Users can shop and stay up to date with the latest fashion trends and exclusive H&M offers through the app. Also, brand enthusiasts can follow H&M’s playlists on Spotify. TV Broadcast H&M releases advertising TV campaigns for each seasonal collection: winter, spring, summer and fall. These video feature iconic articles for each collection. Print • Advertising in Fashion Magazines: Print ads featuring products from the latest collection are placed in popular women’s magazines such as Vogue, In Style and Elle. • Magazine Catalog: The H&M magazine published every season is distributed for free in all H&M stores. The magazine presents current season’s products with their prices, lifestyle tips and tricks, interview scoops and recent fashion events. • Billboards: H&M places outdoor billboards in central areas and the subway. Partnerships • Partnerships with Designers: Since 2004, H&M has partnered with fashion giants such as Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Roberto Cavalli (2007), Jimmy Choo (2009) and Versace (2011).lix In 2015, H&M partnered with Balmain. This partnership was promoted across various media channelslx (new campaign, unified social media etc.). The “hmbalmain” Instagram profile created specifically for the partnership generated thousands of likes. • Partnership with Bloggers: In 2015 H&M used bloggers such as Kristina Bazan, Chiara Ferragni and Tamara Kalinic. • Partnership with Ambassadorslxi: H&M consistently invests in celebrities such as Beyoncé, Lana Del Ray, Miranda Ker, Madonnalxii to promote specific collections. In July 2015, H&M revealed a partnership with Katy Perry for the 2015 Winter campaign. The famous singer will be the new “face” of H&M lxiii and will promote her upcoming Christmas single. • Partnerships with Nonprofit: H&M traditionally emphasize its sustainable image by partnering with powerful NGOs such as UNICEF, WaterAid and CAR through H&M Conscious Foundation.lxiv In the same way, in 2015 the brand developed a new partnership with Ellen MacArthur Foundation.lxv Other media • Packaging: H&M has recognizable signature shopping bags. The white plastic and paper bags with the bold red H&M logo are a powerful communication medium for the brand. Moreover, H&M introduces new bags when it partners with designers or for the Holiday season. • Word of mouth/Influencers: H&M’s online word of mouth is rather positive among US customers. In 2015, the brand emphasized in maintaining good word of mouth through “regrams, “retweets,” and “commenting.”
  • 10.
    Messaging Integrated Communication Style In2015, H&M’s communication was integrated across all the channels the brand used. H&M adapted the majority of its touch-points to its seasonal campaign in order to maintain a consistent look and feel. In print, the magazine catalog and all the magazine ads had the same design flow. Although, the online messages were adapted to the specific format of each platform -for example, the brand incorporated links in the tweets, but did not do so on Instagram-, they were also unified in terms of content and aspect. The style of the messages is usually consistent. However, during collaborations with other designers, such as Balmain the style shifts to better fit the brand H&M partners with .For example, in all seasonal campaigns the communication style adopted was smooth, whereas in the H&M-Balmain the communication style was wild and dynamic. H&M: a market driven philosophy H&M’s management style is market driven. The brand continually evolves to adapt to consumers’ needs. For example, H&M created a smartphone application to adapt to the online buying behavior of their customers. Similarly, in all social media platforms, H&M welcomesand takes into consideration customers’ feedback. For example, when analyzing H&M’s Facebook profile, we came across various comments made by customers; the customers were asking H&M to adapt their current collection or feature specific items. The response of the brand was positive and most of the time said they will implement the requested changes. Additionally, H&M adapts to what the market wants by altering their clothing to fit with the latest trends, styles and to a wide range of sizes, for example, H&M+ addresses plus size women. Tactical Analysis We believe H&M’s communication tactic is effective. First, the frequency at which H&M communicates is likely to reach a broad audience. Moreover, the media channels as well as the persuasion techniques featured in the messages are well suited for H&M’s target audience. Likewise, the use of celebrities and partnerships is adapted to reach out and influence the target audience. Additionally, by communicating in an integrated way, H&M manages to consistently reinforce its image of a fashionable and affordable brand in the mind of
  • 11.
    prospect and currentcustomers. Also, the diversity in the formats of each platform allows the message to be transmitted without seeming tiresome for the audience. For these reasons, we believe H&M’s communications plan will reach the brand’s 2015 marketing objective.                                                                                                                  i  http://cobrands.hoovers.com/company/H__M_Hennes__Mauritz_AB/rffxfri-­‐1-­‐1njhy8.html.  Last  accessed  11/6/2015.     ii  http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-­‐about-­‐hm/people-­‐and-­‐history/history.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     iii  Ibid.     iv  Euromonitor  International.  “H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  in  Retailing  (World).”  April  2015.  Euromonitor  Passport.  11/5/2015.     v  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.   vi  Euromonitor  International.  “Womenswear  in  the  US.”  May  2015.  Euromonitor  Passport.  11/5/2015.   vii  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.   viii  Ibid.     ix  http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-­‐about-­‐hm/about-­‐hm/expansion-­‐strategy.html.  Last  accessed  18/11/2015.   x  Euromonitor  International.  “Womenswear  in  the  US.”  May  2015.  Euromonitor  Passport.  11/5/2015.     xi  Ibid.     xii  www.statista.com/statistics/242596/number-­‐of-­‐stores-­‐of-­‐the-­‐gap-­‐inc-­‐by-­‐store-­‐brand-­‐and-­‐region/.  Last  accessed   11/05/2015.     xiii  http://www.forever21.com/Store/StoreLocator.aspx?br=f21.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xiv  http://www.zara.com/us/en/stores-­‐c11108.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xv  http://www.uniqlo.com/us/stores.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xvi  http://us.benetton.com/store-­‐locator/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xvii  http://us.topshop.com/en/tsus/category/find-­‐a-­‐store-­‐70348/home?geoip=noredirect.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.   xviii  http://shop.mango.com/US.  Last  accessed  18/11/2015.     xix  http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/aboutus.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.    
  • 12.
                                                                                                                    xx  http://www.slideshare.net/brittanyspeaks/forever-­‐21-­‐strategy-­‐and-­‐analysis.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xxi  http://www.businessinsider.com/forever-­‐21-­‐dominating-­‐teen-­‐retail-­‐market-­‐2013-­‐3.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.   xxii  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.   xxiii  Ibid.     xxiv  http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174013774/in-­‐trendy-­‐world-­‐of-­‐fast-­‐fashion-­‐styles-­‐arent-­‐made-­‐to-­‐last.  Last  accessed   18/11/2015.     xxv  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile,  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.     xxvi  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.     xxvii  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015.  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxviii  http://www.scmp.com/business/china-­‐business/article/1581717/hm-­‐zara-­‐defend-­‐quality-­‐control-­‐practices-­‐after-­‐ watchdog.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxix  http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174013774/in-­‐trendy-­‐world-­‐of-­‐fast-­‐fashion-­‐styles-­‐arent-­‐made-­‐to-­‐last.  Last  accessed   11/10/2015.   xxx  http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-­‐ed-­‐fashions-­‐democratic-­‐disease.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxxi  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxii  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxiii  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxiv  http://www.essentialretail.com/essential-­‐ecommerce/article/52ea4f8e35530-­‐hm-­‐to-­‐push-­‐on-­‐with-­‐global-­‐online-­‐ growth-­‐strategy.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxxv  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxvi  Marketline.  H&M  Hennes  &  Mauritz  AB  Company  Profile.  31  Mar.  2015,  Datamonitor.  11/10/2015.   xxxvii  http://www.mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/succeeding-­‐in-­‐tomorrows-­‐global-­‐fashion-­‐market.  Last  accessed   11/10/2015.   xxxviii  http://www.businessinsider.com/forever-­‐21-­‐dominating-­‐teen-­‐retail-­‐market-­‐2013-­‐3.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xxxix  http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/07/15/gap-­‐inc-­‐is-­‐gradually-­‐losing-­‐its-­‐share-­‐in-­‐the-­‐u-­‐s-­‐apparel-­‐ market-­‐to-­‐fast-­‐fashion-­‐counterparts/.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.     xl  http://www.businessinsider.com/forever-­‐21-­‐dominating-­‐teen-­‐retail-­‐market-­‐2013-­‐3.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.   xli  http://www.forever21.com/Store/StoreLocator.aspx?br=f21.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlii  http://www.mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/succeeding-­‐in-­‐tomorrows-­‐global-­‐fashion-­‐market.  Last  accessed   11/10/2015.  Last  accessed  11/10/2015.     xliii  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2015.     xliv  http://www.essentialretail.com/essential-­‐ecommerce/article/52ea4f8e35530-­‐hm-­‐to-­‐push-­‐on-­‐with-­‐global-­‐online-­‐ growth-­‐strategy.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlv  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ3aArrtQdQ.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.    
  • 13.
                                                                                                                    xlvi  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnLGMgmbU68.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlvii  https://twitter.com/adsonthetube/status/602911827236933633.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlviii  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJSbcjgOME4.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     xlix  https://www.facebook.com/hmtheus/?fref=ts.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     l  https://www.pinterest.com/hm/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     li  https://www.instagram.com/hm/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lii  https://plus.google.com/+HM.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     liii  https://twitter.com/hm?lang=en.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     liv  https://www.youtube.com/user/hennesandmauritz.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.   lv  http://www.hm.com/us/.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lvi  https://itunes.apple.com/app/h-­‐m/id589351740.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lvii  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hm.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lviii  https://play.spotify.com/user/hm.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lix  http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-­‐about-­‐hm/fashion-­‐for-­‐all/collections/collaborations.html.  Last  accessed   11/18/2015.     lx  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/fashion/balmain-­‐x-­‐hm-­‐collection-­‐what-­‐to-­‐expect.html?_r=0.  Last  accessed   11/6/2015   lxi  The  distinction  between  influencers  and  ambassadors  was  highlighted  by  Sandra  Stahl.  As  part  of  the  Strategic   Communications  Series:  Understanding  Influencer  Strategy.  10/2/2015.     lxii  http://beyondcelebrity.com/2013/01/29/best-­‐hm-­‐celebrities-­‐and-­‐designers-­‐collaborations-­‐over-­‐the-­‐years/.  Last   accessed  11/18/2015.   lxiii  https://www.hm.com/us/life/culture/h-­‐m-­‐inside/2015/07/katy-­‐perry-­‐is-­‐the-­‐star-­‐of-­‐hm-­‐holiday-­‐ 2015.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.     lxiv  H&M  Annual  Report  2014.  11/10/2014.     lxv  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-­‐releases/the-­‐ellen-­‐macarthur-­‐foundation-­‐announces-­‐hm-­‐as-­‐a-­‐global-­‐partner-­‐ 540194201.html.  Last  accessed  11/18/2015.