Why it’s Good to Be a Girl [National Conference Recap]
Session: Why it’s Good to Be a Girl
Presenter: Holly Wagner, Public Relations and Product Placement Representative, Vera Bradley
Recap:
Women’s fashion company, Vera Bradley, lost “their girl.” Their target market was unidentifiable, ranging between women ages eight to 80, and many of their consumers could not identify with the brand’s colorful quilted designs when they transitioned from school into a professional career. To fix this problem, Vera Bradley recently rebranded and launched their new marketing campaign and logo in August titled, “It’s Good to be a Girl.” Holly Wagner, public relations and product placement representative for Vera Bradley, shared the background and inspiration for the new campaign with PRSSA 2016 National Conference attendees.
Vera Bradley’s “It’s Good to be a Girl” campaign focuses on feminism and beautiful products for their newly found girl. They streamlined their target market to attract millennial customers known as “Day Makers” — women aged 26 to 35 who are go-getters and want to be a part of everything. In order to publicize the rebrand, Vera Bradley used social media engagement opportunities, events, partnerships and their online hub. In response to the recent success of the “It’s Good to be a Girl” campaign, Vera Bradley has seen an exponential increase in inquiries and an increase in product placement in movies and television.
Takeaways:
- “If your plan A doesn’t work, your plan B can be a lot better.” It’s OK if you don’t know what you want to do or where you want to go just yet. Sometimes your backup plan is the better option.
- “Use your connections, use your networking.” Although your college education is important, don’t just rely on your education and skills. Your connections are helpful resources in the public relations industry.
- “If you want a fashion presence, you need to be in New York.” For aspiring fashion public relations professionals, New York City is the place to be to promote your brand.
- “You can have a great product, but if you don’t stand for something bigger, it’s doesn’t matter.” Millennials are looking for brands with greater meaning that matches their personal ethics and values. Vera Bradley stands for the belief that being a female is an advantage, which attracts consumers as a result.
- “It’s a tough time to be in social and public relations, but it’s also a huge opportunity.” Social media can be a blessing and a curse. Although there are a lot of negative drawbacks with social media, respond to it and use it for your benefit.
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Kim Leung is a senior studying public relations and business at Temple University in Philadelphia. She serves as president for the PRSSA Chapter at Temple and will be graduating in May 2017. Follow her @Kimberly_Leung or connect with her on LinkedIn.
