Presented at TMKedu by Carolyn O'Leary on July 9, 2014. This presentation tackles one of the very first questions we need to ask before developing a planning strategy, "who are we talking to?" It explores the best way to conduct a target analysis, from utilizing available research, to mining for insights, to identifying new audience opportunities. It also takes a look at the evolution of targeting in the digital age and how big data has changed the way we reach potential customers.

1. July 9, 2014
COMPETITIVE, TARGET ANALYSIS
& MEDIA LANDSCAPES
Be Brave Be Inventive Defy Expectations

2. WHERE WE ARE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS
2
Kick off Meeting Brand Immersion
Strategic
Development
Tech
Infrastructure
Development
Develop Tactical
Media PlansImplementation
Measure,
Analyze, and
Optimize

3. PART ONE: COMPETITIVE
What is competitive?
Why is it important?
Tools and Process
Example
3

4. WHAT IS COMPETITIVE?
4

5. FROM A BRAND PERSPECTIVE
A COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS IS AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF
WHEREWE STAND IN THE MARKETPLACE
5

6. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
6

7. PURPOSE
BRANDS DO NOT OPERATE IN A VACUUM. A STRONG COMPETITIVE
ANALYSIS PROVIDES KNOWLEDGE FOR PLANNING AND HELPS US
(AND OUR CLIENTS) MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.
7

8. PURPOSE
BECAUSEWE CAN’T ALWAYS BE THE BIGGEST...BUTWE CAN BE THE
SMARTEST.
8

9. KNOWING THE COMPETITION CAN HELP BRANDS...
IDENTIFY
THEIR NICHE
9
ANTICIPATE THE
MARKETPLACE
STAY INNOVATIVE

10. OUR ROLE AT TMK
OUR CLIENTS KNOW THEIR COMPETITORS. IT IS OUR
JOB TO KNOW THE MEDIA MARKETPLACE.
- WHAT IS OUR COMPETITION DOING?
- WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THEIR STRATEGY,TARGET AND APPROACH TO
MEDIA?
- HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO WHAT WE ARE DOING?
- HOW CAN IT BETTER INFORM WHAT WE DO IN THE FUTURE?
10

11. TOOLS AND PROCESS
11

12. NAVIGATING THE LANDSCAPE
THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE IS GROWING MORE COMPLEX BY THE DAY, SOWE NEED TO LOOK
TO MULTIPLE SOURCES TO TRULY GET AN IDEA OFWHAT OUR COMPETITORS ARE DOING
12

13. TOOLS AND PROCESS
13

14. 14
STEP ONE: PREP WORK
22
FINALIZE COMPETITIVE SET
• Enlist the client and make sure you are on the same page before pulling any data.
• Identify core vs secondary competitors vs aspirational brands
DETERMINE TIMING
• Figure out how many years of data you need to view to identify trends
• Calendar year vs recent data?
• Is everything available in Kantar?
OUTLINE THE KIND OF DATA THATWOULD BE USEFUL TO THE CLIENT
• Level of Detail (basic spend data vs media properties)
• Social Media
• Search

15. 15
STEP TWO: PULL THE RAW DATA AND MAKE SURE IT IS RIGHT
22
STARTWITH KANTAR AND PULL ADDITIONAL DATA AS NECESSARY
DO THE NUMBERS LOOK RIGHT?
• Your own brand is a good starting point.
• Don’t underestimate the power of common sense.
• If you submitted numbers in the past, do they match what was pulled this time?
• Troubleshoot if the data looks wrong. Are all the brands included?
PROVIDE THE PROPER CONTEXT
• % change YOY
• SO$ and SOV
• Determine any areas where data may be less accurate.

16. 16
STEP THREE: BUILD THE CHARTS
22
PRESENT THE DATA IN AN EASY TO FOLLOW WAY. OFTEN TIMES SIMPLE IS BEST.
• Think about how you would explain the chart to the client.
LOOKING GOOD IS HALF THE BATTLE
• Pretty charts get client oohs and aahs.
• Illustrate the data in a way that your client can grasp even without explanation.
• Is everything properly labeled and sourced?
• Are the chart components big enough that they are easily identified?
CONSISTENCY IS BEST
• Show data in similar charts for each brand or category
• If share of media is a pie chart in one part of the deck, keep it consistent throughout.
• Source, source, and source some more.

17. 17
STEP FOUR: ANALYZE THE DATA
22
MINING FOR INSIGHTS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ANALYSIS.
• Clients can read the numbers themselves. They rely on us to extract meaning and insights from
the data.
• If your left with questions about a brand’s activity, chances are your client will be too. Do a little
more digging.
START BROAD ANDWORKYOURWAY INTO MORE DETAILS
• Category insights, trends and broad comparisons are a good way to start.
• Individual detail by brand can come later.
• Be sure to include a clear summary of insights at the end of the deck.
ALWAYS TIE THE DATA BACK TOWHATWOULD BE MOST USEFUL TO THE CLIENTS (AND
TOYOU IN PLANNING)
• Constantly ask yourself what the data means and what kind of implications it could have for
media decisions
• Make sure the client understands how category trends affect what they are doing. Often times
clients use this information as a tool for internal support.

18. 18
STEP FIVE: FILL IN THE BLANKS
22
THE TOOLS DON’T ALWAYS CAPTURE EVERYTHING
• Kantar has limitations, especially in tracking heavy digital spend, events, content creation and
bigger partnerships.
• If the numbers really seem off, call in reinforcements
• Try to identify gaps in the data and do additional research
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
• Do an audit of owned and social media assets (website, FB/Twitter/Instagram/YT/Pinterest)
• Check the trades. Have your competitors done anything interesting lately that was picked up in
the press?
• Keep your eyes open, especially on media where you know the category frequents.
• Rely on the sales community. Many have a strong grasp on what other brands in your category
are doing.

19. EXAMPLE
19

20. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE REVIEW

21. 21
*Per Client Direction
Plus Size Specific General Aspirational
CONSIDERATION SET*
^
^J Crew only looked at directionally ; not included in category spend analysis

22. 22
CONSTRAINTS TO CONSIDER
Plus size specific product spending is not reported for general brands. Spend reflects all women’s specific and general
spending for ASOS, H&M, Eileen Fisher, Nordstrom's, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Talbots, Chico’s, Forever21, and Old Navy
Digital spending tends to be under represented - numbers should be taken directionally
Social & mobile specific spending is not recorded in Kantar and therefore not reflected
Desk Research & Industry News
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

23. 23
• Lane Bryant falls in the middle of
the category at $8.3M in spend,
on par with non plus size specific
brands such as Ann Taylor at
$10.8M and Eileen Fisher at
$6.9M
• As a group, the 17 brands spent
$392M in 2013
• The competitive spending
landscape is dominated by Old
Navy at $165M last year, making
up 42% of category spend
$165,906(
$73,650(
$42,440(
$29,208(
$23,204(
$17,036(
$13,837(
$10,871(
$8,308( $6,960(
$3,649( $2,277( $1,069( $1,069( $637( $292( $92( $47(
$0.00(
$20,000.00(
$40,000.00(
$60,000.00(
$80,000.00(
$100,000.00(
$120,000.00(
$140,000.00(
$160,000.00(
$180,000.00(
Old(Navy(
M
acys(
Kohls(
H&M
((
Nordstrom
(
W
hite(House(Black(M
arket(
Chicos(
Ann(Taylor(Lane(Bryant((Eileen(Fisher(
Forever(21(
Asos.com
((
Catherine's(Talbots(Store(
Avenue(
Eloquii((
Torrid((Gw
ynnie(Bee((
Dollars'(000)'
Plus Size Brands
General Brands
FY 2013 TOTAL SPEND BY BRAND
Source: Kantar

24. 24
•While nearly 50% of category spend falls into TV, 75% of this
is driven by Old Navy
•TV spend ranged from $139M for the highest spender (Old
Navy) to $8-$9M for brands likes White House Black Market &
Chico’s
• Plus size specific brands showed no reported spend in TV
• 96% of spending fell into Display, Search, or Magazine
PLUS SIZE SPECIFIC VS GENERAL BRANDS: MEDIA MIX
48%
4% 1%
6%
19%
18%
4%
Int Display
Int Search
Magazines
Newspapers
Outdoor
Radio
TV
Media Mix - Category Overall Media Mix - Plus Size Brands Only
76%
11%
10%
1%
2%
Magazines
Outdoor
2%
Radio
1%
Int Display
Int Search
Source: Kantar

25. 25
• The 17 brands demonstrated similar
trends across the board
• Major spend spikes happen in
March, September, and December,
corresponding with Spring and Fall
line launches, and Holiday pushes
CATEGORY SEASONALITY
$70,000
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Spring Fashion
Fall Fashion
Holiday
Category Spend - Seasonality
Source: Kantar

26. 26
Limited plus size focus
For non plus size specific brands, promoting the plus size category offerings does not seem
to be a focus in messaging/advertising.
For plus size specific brands, spend is significantly lower than general brands.
CATEGORY TRENDS
TV for the big spenders
While TV spend appears to make up a large bulk of the
category spend, it doesn’t reflect the entire group- with primarily
only the largest spenders investing in TV.
Of the brands with less TV spend, we see an effort to align TV
with other media and platforms, to engage users beyond the :
30s spot
White House Black Market #wearwhatworks hashtag
promoted on TV spots

27. 27
Shift to programmatic buying
While digital spend is a smaller slice of the pie for many of the larger fashion brands, programmatic
approaches are a common theme suggesting that display campaigns are a lower funnel tactic used to
complement offline and social efforts
Print in the forefront
Despite the decreasing amount of time that consumers are spending with print, brands continue to
prioritize print in their media mix
CATEGORY TRENDS

28. 28
CATEGORY TREND: SOCIAL PLATFORMS ENGAGE
Brands are engaging their users to sell a lifestyle rather than product as hero, utilizing social media for
everything from branding to driving response. Programs run the gamut from blown out content creation
platforms, to photo submission contests, to simply keeping a finger on the pulse of fashion trends through
reblogs from other influencers.
Asos Curve #Makemeacurvemodel: UK Model search
on Instagram, 7,900 submissions
Ann Taylor, “Smartest Thing She Ever Said”: Tumblr
blog curated by artists & story editors; 25M
impressions and almost 200K blog mentions

29. 29
Mobile experiences are not just for the younger demo. Many brands are expanding their mobile efforts beyond
SMS to include beacon technology, integrated apps, user generated content, etc throughout the media plan.
CATEGORY TRENDS: UNIVERSAL MOBILE
Chico’s Mobile Programs using to
beacon technology for
personalized messages and
engaging and personalized
“Customer Closet” app
Interactive digital signage also
being introduced into retail stores,
like Chico’s

30. 30
CATEGORY TRENDS: PROMOTIONAL
Brands also feature promos, giveaways, discounts, or coupons to entice users to engage with the brand and
take action both online and in store. Some brands are getting creative with how they deliver the promotions,
using digital technology or blogger influence to reach their consumer.
Eloquii Blogger Promotions: Promotional
offers via Fashion bloggers
Avenue SMS Program: Weekly promotional messages,
30% MOM growth in membership

31. 31
CATEGORY TRENDS: SHOPPABLE CONTENT
Social content is no longer just for engagement; brands are using their social platforms to also push products
via shoppable content. Video content, streamable fashion runway shows, and shoppable Pinterest boards are
just some of the ways brands are letting their owned media work for them.
Target has been
experimenting with
shoppable video
series
J. Crew launched a shoppable Pinterest
board
Burberry Spring shoppable runway show
streamed live on Facebook
Kate Spade Saturday e-
shoppable store window

32. 32
Title
Insertion Date:
FP4C Cost:
Circulation:
MARKETPLACE LANDSCAPE SUMMARY
• Category spend is dominated by larger, more general
retail stores. General brands don’t show specific
messaging for Plus Size offerings and plus size specific
brands show limited spend
• Only the top 6 spending brands are investing in TV,
focusing on a mix of network and cable. The lowest TV
spend of the competitive set is larger than Lane Bryant’s
reported media spend in 2013
• Lane Bryant has the opportunity to be a leader in the Plus
Size Market, but will need to choose media where we
can make an impact in order to compete against the
general women’s brands
• Consider more targeted methods of TV buying (e.g.
programmatic) that allow for a more focused and efficient
TV presence, in order to break through the marketplace
clutter
• Magazines are still a category favorite, especially
when looking at Plus Size specific brands- representing
a large bulk of category spend
• Lane Bryant has the opportunity to breakthrough by
focusing on more efficient media where our target
is spending the most time
OBSERVATION IMPLICATION FOR LANE BRYANT

33. 33
Title
Insertion Date:
FP4C Cost:
Circulation:
• Despite the proportionately low digital spend for the
category, owned and earned digital media programs
are prevalent among the competitive set and appear
to be the driving force for how brands are engaging
with their consumers
MARKETPLACE LANDSCAPE SUMMARY
• Paid, owned and earned media must work
cohesively to engage the Lane Bryant consumer and
stand out from other women’s retailers. For the launch of
Be Phenomenal, all media should work together to earn
additional engagement
• The category is not prioritizing digital- online spend only
makes up 4% of total category spend
• Lane Bryant can own the digital space and be a
category leader in a space that’s less cluttered than other
mediums
OBSERVATION IMPLICATION FOR LANE BRYANT
• Brands are using mobile as a stand alone tactic, but
programs vary- ranging from traditional SMS
programs to technologically advanced use of beacons
for 1-to-1 messaging
• Include mobile strategies as another consumer
touchpoint for 360 engagement in the Spring

34. 34
Total Spend: $4.0M
Top Spending Category: Magazines - $2.3M
Peak Months: Feb-Apr, Aug-Oct
# of Stores: 333
Key Takeaways:
• In 2013 J.Crew spent most of their budget in print with titles such as Vogue, InStyle, Martha Stewart Weddings, and New York Times, hinting at a
targeting strategy focused on sophisticated mid to upper class women with a focus on wedding planning.
• In 2014 J.Crew is starting to shift their budgets to rely more heavily on digital and social spending, due to the insight that consumers who are engaged
with the brand socially tend to spend twice as much.
• J.Crew has a robust social strategy and utilizes various platforms to feature background stories about the collection, interviews with fashion influencers,
event promotions, and product promotions.
J. CREW FY 2013 SPEND
Source: Kantar
1%
22%
57%
7%
13% Search
Outdoor
Newspapers
Int Display
Magazines

35. 35
Having found that their socially engaged customers spend 2x all
others, as of 2014 J. Crew shifted to a heavy digital focus and
utilizes eCommerce throughout social.
Pinterest Catalogs
J. Crew pins their entire catalogs onto Pinterest, linking directly
to their product pages and inviting their Pinterest followers to call
or email to have a personal stylist help them with their looks.
#JCrewStyle
The #JCrewOnFilm series posted on Youtube and their website
strikes a balance between interesting content and product, which
all linked out to the J. Crew product pages.
Discovered
The Discovered” page on jcrew.com is a curated collection of
items inspired from pieces around the world. The page includes
a summary of each item’s story with links to purchase directly.
J. CREW - SHOPPABLE CONTENT

36. TARGETING & MEDIA LANDSCAPES
36

37. PART TWO:TARGETING AND MEDIA LANDSCAPES
What is a target?
Process
Building and Discovering through Research
Defining the Landscape
Example
37

38. WHAT IS A TARGET?
38

39. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR MARKETERS?
39
The specific group of individuals to whom the advertising message is directed
women
women
18-34
current
customer
lookalikes
new, younger,
hipper, more
fashion-forward
women
18-34
who love dogs and
have low credit
scores
dog lovers
people who need an
internet provider

40. STEPS TO UNDERSTANDING THE TARGET
Gather available
information from all
relevant parties
Outline key
prospects based on
brand research and
identified brand
attributes
Create a target using
psychographic statements &
behaviors using qualitative
and quantitative tools
Deep dive into target datapoints to
understand target and determine key
media touchpoints from output data
Refine and Test
1
2 3
4

41. START WITH THE CLIENT BRIEF
41
And ask lots of provocative questions
during an immersion meeting...
Do you know who is buying your product?
Does it align with your idea of who should be buying your product?
Is their untapped potential within you current audience? Have we
captured all low hanging fruit?
Are there other characteristics of your customers that present
opportunities to expand the targeting pool?
Does the brand/product appeal to any groups that aren’t currently
aware?
Do heavy users look different than light ones? Are some segments
more important than others (to brand image? to revenue
potential?)
Are we missing opportunity because are target definition is too
narrow?
Qualitative
Data:
Focus Groups
Trend Research
Ethnographies
Competitive Analysis
Quantitative
Data:
Syndicated data
Client Based Data
Site Analytics
Testing
Audience Insights
Pixel??!

42. NEXT BUILDYOUR TARGET...
42
When building your target, you should keep in mind a
few factors:
• Segmentation: Are there varying segments of
consumers who could serve as a potential target? Do
current customers look different than prospective?
• Influencers: Who are the “alpha consumers” who will
help spread the word or be most easily influenced by
the advertising
•Target Population: Is the population size of the target
realistic given factors such as current sales and
budget?
• Demographic Qualifiers: Is it important to include
an age, gender, or geographic qualifier?
DEFINING A TARGET
AUDIENCE
Syndicated Studies
(Quantitative)
• Simmons
• MRI
•Monroe Mendelsohn (MMR)
• Erdos & Morgan
• ComScore/Fusion
• Big Data

43. UNDERSTANDING THE DATA
43
1. Sample population size
2. Projected population size
3. Coverage (% reach of target
audience)
4. Composition (how much of this
audience is made up of our target)
5. Index (based off composition,
comparison to general population)
Regardless of the study, syndicated research output tends to have the same format and show
the same data measurements
Target
audience
Total
population
Tips:
• Only use for directional purposes
• Sort by index for quick data glance...but don’t
forget to think about reach, especially when looking
at media properties
• If you forget what each line measures...remember,
its all in the numbers!

44. BUILDING A TARGET ANALYSIS
44
One you have your target you can delve into the insights to better
understand who your target audience is and how you should
reach
speak
interact
engage
...etc
with them in your communications plan
Media Deep Dives...
to uncover what media
channels and properties they
consume to inform media
landscapes & tactical
planning
Psychographics Deep
Dive
to get a deep 360degree
perspective on who your
target is, what the
advertising y value, how
they react to, to inform
brand strategy
Day in the Life
combine media, demo,
psychographic findings to
understand target’s daily
life and potential media
touchpoints
Basic Demo
Overview
to get a general synopsis
of who your audience is
and inform buying
demos, geo-parameters,
etc
Target deep dives vary
based on your starting
point, objective of exercise
and are not exclusive of
each other

45. DON’T STOP WITH SIMMONS
45
Trending Tools (Qualitative)
• Iconoculture
• Mintel
• eMarketer
• Forrester
Audience Insights
Audience Insights can come
from multiple sources beyond
subscribed tools
• Publisher target studies
• VMM Insights
• Google Trends

46. DEFININGYOUR LANDSCAPE
46
TV
Video
Mobile
Social
Newspaper
OOH
Content
Digital
Programmatic
Video On
Demand
Radio
Direct
Mail

47. EXTRACTING MEDIA INSIGHTS
47
When looking to create a media landscape try to answer the following...
TIME SPENT: Where is the target spending the most time? Which media is most relevant?
How does that compare to the general population?
ENGAGEMENT: How does she use each medium? What is her multitasking behavior? Are
there certain times that she is more engaged?
NEW MEDIA: How does social media come into play? Is she active on Facebook or just a
passive user? How is she consuming content online? On her phone?
PURCHASE BEHAVIOR: How does it all tie back to the purchase funnel? Where is she
converting? Where is she making purchase decisions? Where is she getting information?

48. EXAMPLE
48

49. APPENDIX
49

50. KANTAR

51. COMSCORE

52. IMS

53. SYSOMOS

54. GOOGLE