ENTREPRENEURS INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE 2009

PREPARED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS KYLE BENDER ASH GUPTA AMY MAIER BRYON SHANNON

TURBULENT TIMES

HUGO BOSS FRAGRANCES UK CURRENT BRAND SCENARIO

Commands 15% of a 300 million fragrance industry but Hugo Boss brand is in decline Difficulty portraying Hugo Boss brand character of trendy, rebellious, edgy, individualism Fragmented brand images between BOSS Black, BOSS Selection, BOSS Orange, BOSS Green, HUGO and various Fragrance brands. 3 million available spending in marketing budget to drive a distinct brand message to target audience

HUGO BOSS & TARGET CONSUMER

HUGO BOSS

TARGET CONSUMER

What does the brand stand for?

Who is the actual buyer of the product?

Stylish, confident dressed man; strong clean lines, dynamic design, original, non-conformist, openminded, sexual attraction

Significant females in life of our HUGO man (Market research conducted interviewing fragrance managers at retail stores)

Why does the brand stand for what it stands for?

What does the HUGO man enjoy?

Powerful imagery of strong independent men central to Hugo Boss beginning fashion career making military uniforms Todays men seek brand that speaks towards their highest aspirations; independence, strength, creativity

Large social circles, raving, masculinity, independence, originality

What music does the HUGO man listen to?

Hip hop, big beat electronic

What major media outlets reach the HUGO man?

What strategies does the brand use to communicate its image?

Television Magazines Billboards

TV & Print: Choice of models is crucial Celebrity: Jonathan Rhys Meyers Online: HugoCreate.com, hugofragrances.com/urbanrules Events : Hugo Boss Sailing, fashion shows, HUGO URBAN RULES urban music programme Store locations: cultural urban hubs

COMMUNICATE A DEEPER MESSAGE

OUR MAN IS ON THE VERGE

Our man is On the Verge. He is a man at a crossroads in life. Being 25, he sees himself as more than what he is right now. He is going places, and thats what makes him attractive
Instead of focusing on the success of men who already made the right moves, Hugo Boss champions the man with the aspiration and drive that shows he is On the Verge. Most competitors fragrance ads for men in their 20s merely focus on getting the girl. Pair this sexual attraction with a message that digs deeper into who the man is, what makes him distinct, and why he gets the girls.

HUGO BOSS COMMUNICATES A DEEPER MESSAGE BY SHOWING MEN WHO ARE ON THE VERGE

ARE YOU READY?

KEY MESSAGE ARE YOU READY?

This clear, differentiated positioning statement pairs imagery of the confident HUGO man doing more and winning the attraction of the female because of this. It challenges the buyer by questioning him Are You Ready to take the next step, from being On the Verge to living the HUGO mans life. Are You Ready will be associated with a revived Hugo brand that digs deeper into the facets of a HUGO man; the leader, the professional, the humanitarian. His strong physical attractiveness is made multidimensional through imagery that shows him doing more and going places in life.

BRAND VIDEO

KEY MESSAGE ARE YOU Video showcases the life of the HUGO man; READY? paired with UK #1 music single Singing in Video is
from serving an impoverished community, to commanding the board room floor, to enjoying urban nightlife, he is a role-model to men who are On the Verge. the Rain by electropop musicians Mint Royale. Songs core lyrics; Ready for Love ties the message of achievement to message of romance. Ad questions buyer if he is ready for HUGO and what the brand represents.

HUGO Man begins his day

He gives community aid

A traveler and a businessman

Successfully completing a business deal

Manhattan cityscapes give feel of urban nightlife

Classy celebration shows his social side

Embraced by woman who is attracted to him

BILLBOARD BRANDING

Billboards help launch the brand revival in trendy urban centers such as Piccadilly Circus downtown London. Magazine print ads follow similar layout for brand continuity.

ARE YOU READY? - BILLBOARD AD

MARKETING BUDGET
CORE COMPONENTS OF BUDGET

CORE COMPONENTS OF BUDGET

Television ads effectively reach the largest share of our target demographic and females who will purchase the fragrance. TV will be the key driver of our brand message and last the entire campaign duration. Urban centers will be cultural hubs where first buzz of the revived brand will be launched. Billboards in these locations build awareness among trendy urbanites. Magazine adverts have long been a staple component of fragrance ads. Strong visuals will extend our TV message. Readers can smell the fragrance. Magazines have a shelf life which will enable our presence to extend beyond the 12 week window. Online campaign during the core months of our campaign will direct viewers to ad video, campaign visuals, web purchases, and established online portals that extend the HUGO brand.

TV:

1.8 million
12 week duration.

Billboards:

0.5 million 0.42 million 0.12 million

Presented for first 8 weeks of campaign

Mens magazine adverts:

Presented for first 8 weeks of campaign

Celebrity:

Allocation for music licensing fees and possible press events with Mint Royale.

Online campaign:

0.12 million

Presented for middle 4 weeks of campaign

TOTAL 2.96 MILLION

HUGO BRAND SYNERGIES

EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES
COMMUNICATING THE BRAND WITH ZERO UP-FRONT COSTS

MySpace:

Hugo Boss official MySpace page can portray trendiness to our target man who is interested in music and creativity. It can link to portals like HUGO Create and Hugo Sailing to show that the brand is multi-dimensional just like the man himself.

Hugo Sailing

Hugo sailing is the perfect combination of edgy, independent, and premium lifestyles. It demonstrates the mature and classy aspect of the revived Hugo man who is On the Verge and sees himself as more than he is right now. Building awareness of Hugo Sailing to these men will make the brand more attractive.

Store Locations

Hugo already exists in many of the urban cultural epicenters in the UK and across the world. The launch of the Hugo fragrance re-brand can be supported with signage, hand-outs, and free samples, and simple discussion. This is not a one time event, but rather an overarching consciousness of a revived brand identity.

WHY DID HUGO BOSS CHOOSE THIS MARKETING STRATEGY FOR THEIR TARGET BUYER?
KEY VALUES ADDED

KEY VALUES ADDED

Our man is urban:
Billboards in urban cities and video ad with city nightlife communicate the message that the HUGO man is close to the urban pulse

Our man is edgy and independent:

Our You Ready? pushes edgy to the extreme. It challenges the man On the Verge to reach his best. Mint Royale is a music duo who paves their own path in the electronic music scene. Their music is irreverent and unique. The new Hugo man is portrayed as balancing independence with a sensitivity for his female; someone we recognize as our key buyer.

Our man is trendy:

Print adverts show our presence in trendy magazines. Video portrays a confident trendy man who is very active professionally, civically, and socially

Our man enjoys premium brands:

Our revived brand strays from the fun, young side formerly portrayed and returns to the classic premium brand that is consistent with Hugo Boss historic reputation. This builds uniformity across Hugo Boss numerous brands while recognizing that our man is loyal to a brand that identifies the mature, professional, and premium style that makes him attractive.

THE ARE YOU READY CAMPAIGN APPEALS TO BOTH THE HUGO MAN AND THE FEMALE THAT BUYS HIS FRAGRANCE WITH A MESSAGE THAT HUGO IS FOR MEN WHO REACH FOR MORE, DO MORE, AND ARE ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE OF IT.

THE HUGO BOSS FRAGRANCE REPRESENTS THIS ASPIRATION, AND THE LOVE AND LIFESTYLE THAT COMES WITH IT. W ITH THAT CORE MESSAGE SOLIDIFIED, HUGO BOSS ASKS MEN ARE YOU READY?