Target market is 18-24 year old American females in college. Forever 21 faces issues with inauthenticity and being seen as "cheap". Solutions proposed include legitimizing expertise through social media, outreach to bloggers and loyal customers, increased social media usage like YouTube and Flickr, public relations strategies to address negative press, and focusing on building trust and authenticity.

1. Target Market AnalyticsCompany OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusion18-24 year old American females in college

2. Website traffic:

3. Sites linking in: YouTube, Google, Twitter, Amazon, Blogger

4. 16% just came from Facebook

5. 15% bounce rate, 15 page views per average user

6. <20% directed from search engineSource: Alexa.com

7. Company OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionCurrent Marketing

8. Inauthenticity and Self-Serving “Expertise”Company OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionReputation as “cheap” vs. brand positioning as a chic fashion industry leader

9. Twitter and blog posts rarely reference or link to unaffiliated sources in the fashion industry (i.e. influential magazines etc.)

10. Entire websites/blogs dedicated to dissing the brand:

11. Wtforever21.com

12. Foreverunfair.wordpress.comLegal Troubles

13. Legitimizing ExpertiseCompany OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionTwitter tactics:

14. Follow and retweet influential people/brands

15. Link to places other than F21 sites!

16. Blog tactics:

17. Cite articles from respected magazines or well known fashionistas when telling readers what’s “in”.Blogger & Customer OutreachCompany OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusion“Real 21” campaign

18. A contest to find 21 real customers to serve as brand reps – prizes, appearances, etc.

19. Connect with bloggers

20. Reward loyal customers who aren’t getting paid to endorse the brand!

21. A simple blog comment can make a differenceCompany OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionIncreased Social Media UsageUpload more videos to YouTube (behind the scenes at photoshoots, celeb or street interviews, etc)

22. Link to videos from customers featuring their hauls, encourage customer content

23. Consider using Flickr as another platform for content sharing

24. Customer rewards for checking in via location-based apps Company OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionPR StrategiesPublic RelationsRegular brand monitoring

25. Address negative press

26. Directly: Blog about copyright infringement allegations

27. Indirectly: Contest for customers to submit original designs

28. Ignoring the issue can make it worseCompany OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionTimeline & BudgetTimelineIncrease efforts around holidays (i.e. Black Friday), seasonal shifts, and back-to-school times

29. 40% public relations, 40% promotional campaigns, 20% advertising

30. Focus on repositioning and increasing loyalty vs. increasing exposure through traditional or online advertisingBudget

31. Get “Real”Company OverviewThe Problem(s)The SolutionsConclusionFocus less on the hard sell and more on building trust in the brand

32. Demonstrate the brand’s emphasis on authenticity

33. Highlighting real customers and their originality

34. Increase quantity of content on image-driven platforms (YouTube, Flickr)