This is the final presentation I put together for my Skillshare class.

1. Social Media Strategy for Vastrm
Skillshare
Class: Create a Great Social Media Strategy By Dennis Demori
Instructor: Julian Cole, Digital Strategy Director at BBH NY @DennisDemori

2. The Background

3. brief
Business Problem:
Consumers are unaware that Vastrm exists
Goal:
Drive 100K people to Vastrm.com
to learn more about their custom polo shirts
Budget:
$20,000
Deadline:
June 2013
Strategy: ?
Solution: ?

4. HOW can we drive 100K people
to the Vastrm site
to learn more about their custom polo shirts?

5. Questions We’ll Answer
Consumer Brand Competitor
Who is interested in custom What is Vastrm‟s current How are they ranked online?
clothes? brand positioning?
How do other brands create
How do they think about the How has Vastrm created awareness?
polo and custom clothes interest with consumers?
categories? What do people like about
What do people like about the competition?
What time of year does Vastrm polo shirts?
interest spike?
Where do they live? What is
their socio-economic level?
How are people finding info
on custom clothes?

6. Consumer Insights

7. Consumer Brand Competitor
• Primary age demo of 25-34, however, females dominate search
• Upwardly mobile, young professional males in urban areas
• Lack of awareness that polo shirts can be custom or fitted
• Searches peak in warmer months
• 22% of Vastrm searches tend to be on mobile devices
• “Custom shirts” is the most popular search term
• Roughly 1/3 of shoppers will research online before purchasing,
primarily on desktop/laptop
Sources: Google Ad Planner, FB Page Analytics, Google Trends, Google Keyword Tool, Consumer Barometer
Visit Appendix section for more details

8. Brand Insights

9. Consumer Brand Competitor
• Vastrm is like “The Warby Parker” of shirts, offering a home try-on
program as a key differentiator to enhance the shopping experience
• Vastrm has received positive publicity from Earned
Media, however, there is still untapped potential for Paid and Owned
media, especially social media sites with a heavy fashion + style
presence
• Current communication messaging focuses on customization
option, which makes sense since proper fit is a major desire for
consumers
Sources: MixRank, Twitter Advanced Search, HackerNews
Visit Appendix section for more details

10. Competitor Insights

11. Consumer Brand Competitor
• Similar brands to Vastrm include Indochino, Black
Lapel, iTailor, Modern Tailor and Proper Cloth, however, their focus
is primarily on dress shirts and suits --- NOT custom polo shirts
• Indochino has a dominating online presence for men‟s custom
clothes
• Indochino may attribute some success to its heavy social media
presence and focus on a premium product with a custom fit
• Black Lapel seems to have a lot of traction through it‟s online
presence and position as a lifestyle brand for men‟s clothing
Sources: MixRank, Facebook Page Analysis, Compete, Google Search, Twitter Search
Visit Appendix section for more details

12. consumer summary
Target
“Conscious Strivers”
Constantly looking at areas where they can improve
Motivations Attitudes/Behaviors
Aspirational desire They‟ll spend more for quality.
to look and feel good They‟re role models to their peers.

13. consumer insight
Conscious Strivers already buy
custom, fitted clothes. They just don‟t realize
that they can get custom polo shirts that fit great.

14. strategic insight
Conscious Strivers already buy
custom, fitted clothes. They just don‟t realize
that they can get custom polo shirts that fit great.
They‟ll buy custom polo shirts too if they
know Vastrm provides a great option.

15. single minded proposition
Make Vastrm synonymous
with a GREAT fit

16. reasons to believe
Vastrm‟s home try-on program lets users find the perfect fit
No hassles
No measuring
No purchase necessary

17. big idea
Vastrm asks, "Does it fit?”
Show funny everyday situations
where fit‟s important

18. Peanut butter and _____________? Some things just don’t go together. What’s a
better fit?

19. Do these things fit? We didn’t think so, but you know what always
does? A Vastrm custom polo…fb.me/2qix8jxm
Vastrm is all about great fit. What are two things that don’t go
together? Striped shirts and striped ties? fb.me/2qix5cxm

20. How can you spot a bad fit?
There are certain things in life that are an obvious mismatch (screen
doors on submarines, anyone?). Sometimes we see things that
subconsciously don’t go together, but we have trouble articulating
why.
Take a look at the example in the first photo. Besides the fact that the
tie is too short, we have a wide striped shirt paired with a wide striped

21. Vastrm
Communications Framework
Current Consumer Behavior Desired Response
Upwardly Mobile Males 25-34 Buy Vastrm polo shirts
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Vastrm Blog
Gmail WSJ Coworkers Svpply
NY Times Google Search YouTube Men‟s Fashion Blogs
Awareness Researching Buying Moment
CREATIVE
Why proper fit matters Vastrm is the best option of Vastrm‟s home try-on
a great fitting polo shirt program means you‟ll get
exactly what you want
• Blogger outreach • Blogger outreach • Community Mgmnt
• Facebook Advertising
• Community Mgmnt • Email lists
MEDIA
• Microsite
• Paid search • Earned Media • Owned media
• Social bookmarking • Email lists • Remarketing
• Twitter ads • Microsite
• Web banners

22. Vastrm
Digital Ecosystem
Awareness Researching Buying Moment
Email lists
Owned media
Blogger outreach
Earned media
Search Remarketing
Ads
Community
Management
Pages Banners Vastrm site

23. key performance indicators
Retention
70% positive sentiment
3K Facebook Likes
3K Twitter Fans
5 comments per blog post
Purchase
75 people purchase through
home try-on program
Preference
15% increase in purchase preference
Consideration
10,166 visitors to the Vastrm site by June 2013
Awareness
12,707,500 Impressions to the Target Market (Facebook, Twitter)
2 articles by popular men‟s fashion blogs
Features in GQ, Details and Esquire

24. budget
Facebook Ads $5,000
Twitter Ads $600
Microsite $8,000
Blogger $400
Outreach
Search $2,000
Banners $2,000
Community Mgr $2,000
Total $20,000

25. Questions
?

26. appendix

27. consumer Who is interested in custom clothes?
Google Ad Planner indicates a primary age demo of 25-34
(secondary demo is 18-24), however,
the gender skew tends to be female,
perhaps indicating that they are shopping for men
Source: Google Ad Planner.
Filter: “Men‟s Clothing” and “Suits and Business Attire”

28. consumer Who is interested in custom clothes?
Vastrm Facebook fans tend to be 25-34 years old
(validating Google Ad Planner),
similar to other custom men‟s clothing retailers like
Black Lapel, Indochino, iTailor, Modern Tailor and Proper Cloth
Source: Facebook Page Analytics

29. consumer
How do they think about the polo shirt
and custom clothes categories?
August
August August
Sept
Sept
Sept
1. People look for “custom shirts” and “polo shirts,” but seldom “custom polo
shirts” or “fitted polo shirts,” indicating a lack of awareness that this product is
available
2. Seasonality: Searches peak in warmer months (August for “polo shirts” and
Sept. for “custom shirts”, indicating an opportunity for a combined product
Source: Google Trends
Filter: Limit to U.S., past 36 months (Jan.‟10-Jan.‟13)

30. Where do they live?
consumer
What is their socio-economic level?
People searching for “custom shirts” and “polo shirts” tend to live in similar metro areas
(NY, FL, TX and Southern CA), suggesting an upwardly mobile, young professional
Source: Google Trends
Filter: Limit to U.S., past 36 months (Jan.‟10-Jan.‟13)

31. consumer
How are people finding info
on custom clothes?
Brand Mobile Desktop and Laptop % Mobile*
Vastrm 58 260 22
Black Lapel 1,300 5,400 24
Indochino 5,400 33,100 16
iTailor 480 5,400 8
Modern Tailor 590 4,400 13
Proper Cloth 320 2,400 13
Local Monthly Searches
22% of Vastrm searches tend to be on mobile devices,
while Black Lapel leads the competitor set with 24% of mobile searches
Source: Google Keyword Tool
Filters: Category – Custom Clothing; Locations – United States
* Mobile/(Desktop and Laptop) = % Mobile

32. consumer
How are people finding info
on custom clothes?
“Custom shirts” is the most popular search term
for these brands
Source: Google Keyword Tool
Filters: Category – Custom Clothing; Locations – United States
* Mobile/(Desktop and Laptop) = % Mobile

33. consumer
How are people finding info
on custom clothes?
• 32% of purchasers did research online before purchasing
• 15% of users used a search engine to do research before purchasing
• 16% research on a desktop/laptop before purchase; 5% on mobile;
0.6% on tablet
Source: Consumer Barometer
Filters: Products – Clothing & Accessories; Countries – USA; Age – Below 40

34. brand What is Vastrm‟s current positioning?
“The for shirts”
Jonathan Tang,
Vastrm Founder
Ycombinator Demo Day

35. brand What is Vastrm‟s current positioning?
Vastrm‟s home try-on program lets people:
• Touch/feel the product
• Replicate the in-store experience
• Ensure proper fit

36. How has Vastrm created interest
brand
with consumers?
paid 5 text ads since Aug. 16th, 2011
media
earned Positive publicity from
media NYTimes, TechCrunch, Forbes, Inc., AngelList, KevinRose.c
om,
Active: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Style Forum,
owned Vastrm blog
media Missing: Lyst, Tumblr and Svpply (popular fashion sites)
Promotions: Gift cards, seasonal sales (Ex: Winter Holiday),
store credit, promoting specific items (Ex: black polos)
Source: MixRank
Filter: Vastrm.com

37. How has Vastrm created interest
brand
with consumers?
Current communication messaging: custom
design, personalization, unique, work or play, gift ideas, simplicity
Source: MixRank
Filter: Vastrm.com

38. How has Vastrm created interest
brand
with consumers?
Top ad traffic sources based on number of monthly unique visitors are
allcustomwear.com, cosmosmith.com and iznadgold.com
Source: MixRank
Filter: Vastrm.com

39. What do people like about
brand
Vastrm polo shirts?
Proper fit is a recurring theme on social media
Sources: Twitter Advanced Search; Hacker News

40. competitor How are they ranked online?
Likes Unique Year
Visitors/mo founded
Black Lapel 19,952 3,290 2011
Indochino 70,964 11,134 2006
iTailor 8,200 10,580 1971
Modern Tailor 3,438 9,453 2007
Proper Cloth 2,733 1,507 2008
Indochino has the most Facebook „likes‟ and the most Unique Visitors.
Black Lapel has the 2nd most „likes‟ and is 2nd to last in traffic,
but has scaled faster than competitors.
Sources: Facebook Page Analytics, Compete.com

41. competitor Brand Snapshot: Indochino
paid Mainly focuses on Banner Ads
media
earned
Positive buzz on Lifehacker, Forbes, etc.
media
owned Highly active presence on
media Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.
Current communication messaging: dress pants, custom, made to
measure, premium, modern fit, free shipping
Top ad traffic sources based on number of monthly unique visitors are
artofmanliness.com, greenweddingshoes.com and stylecrave.com
Sources: MixRank, Google Search
Filter: Indochino.com

42. competitor Brand Snapshot: Indochino
Overall, consumer sentiment is very positive
Source: Facebook Page Analysis, Twitter

43. competitor Brand Snapshot: Black Lapel
paid MixRank data not available. Can be difficult to search
media because it has a similar name to competitor “Blank
Label” and Johnnie Walker Black Label whiskey.
earned Positive buzz on AskAndyAboutClothes.com, Lifehacker
media and other fashion + style blogs
owned Highly active Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Tumblr
media
Current communication messaging: focuses on positioning itself as a
lifestyle brand instead of on specific product benefits
Source: Facebook Page, Twitter Advanced Search
Filter: BlackLapel.com

44. competitor Brand Snapshot: Black Lapel
Black Lapel is a lifestyle brand heavily engaged with its audience
Source: Twitter Search, Facebook Page Analysis
Filter: BlackLapel.com