Uue rõivabrändi tuntus kohalikul turul Studio August näitel

Käesolev lõputöö kannab pealkirja „Uue rõivabrändi tuntus kohalikul turul Studio August näitel”. Studio August on 2014. aasta sügisel lansseeritud Eesti rõivabränd, milles ühinevad looduslikud kangad ning innovatiivne rõivadisain. Brändi iseloomustavad skandinaavialik minimalism ja kvaliteetsete naturaalsete kangaste kasutus ning jätkusuutlikkus. Brändi looja, disainer ja ainuomanik on Äli Kargoja. Studio August soovib tarbijate teadvusesse jõuda kui kvaliteetsetest kangastest valmistatud ja eetilise mainega skandinaavialikult minimalistlikus stiilis rõivabränd, kuid hetkel ei taju bränd oma tuntust kohalikul turul ja seda ei ole ka varem uuritud. Seega oli käesoleva lõputöö eesmärgiks uurida, milline on Studio August hetkeline tuntus kohalikul turul. Lõputöö eesmärgi täitmiseks käsitles autor brändi ja selle olemuse ning tuntuse mõõtmise teoreetilisi aluseid ning viis läbi uurimuse, mis aitas lahendada lõputöö probleemi ja saavutada eesmärki. Lähtuvalt brändi tuntuse tõstmise teoreetilistest käsitlustest ja uuringu tulemustest, teeb autor järeldused ja ettepanekud, kuidas edaspidi brändi Studio August tuntust tõsta. Uurimuse läbiviimiseks saatis autor elektroonselt laiali ankeetküsitluse, millega püüdis autor välja selgitada Studio August spontaanset ja aidatud tuntust ning seost brändi, toodete ja logotüübi vahel. Küsimustikule vastas 101 inimest, kellest 96% olid naised ja 4% mehed vanuses 19 – 55 aastat. Ligi pooled vastanutest kuulusid vanuserühma 19- 25 aastat (49,5%), millest võib järeldada, et enamus vastanutest ei kuulunud Studio August enda poolt kirjeldatud potentsiaalse sihtrühma hulka, milleks on mehed ja naised vanuses 25-60 eluaastat. Uurimusest selgus, et skandinaavialikult minimalistlik rõivastumisstiil ei ole Eestis väga populaarne, selle stiili esindajateks pidas ennast 8,9% vastanutest. Studio August spontaanne tuntus ei ole kõrge, 70 vastanust 12 seostas skandinaavialikult minimalistlikku rõivabrändi Studio Augustiga. Aidatud tuntus on aga üsna hea, Studio Augusti tundis vastusevariantide seas olnud viie sarnase brändi seast ära 35,6% vastanutest. Küll aga ei osata luua seost Studio August toodete ja brändi vahel – piltide järgi ei osanud brändi nimetada 79,2% vastanutest ning Studio Augusti 48 graafilist kujutist ehk logotüüpi ei tundnud ära 72,3% vastanutest ning need, kes tundsid, teadsid seda kujutist peamiselt internetist (73,3%). Peamised põhjused, miks Studio August tooteid ei ole soetatud, olid märgitud vastusevariandina „muu” (40,4%), kuid oluliste asjaoludena toodi välja ka toote hind (26,3%) ja kättesaadavus (22,8%). Lõputöö teoreetilistele alustele ja uurimusele ning selle analüüsile toetudes tõi autor käesolevas lõputöös välja ettepanekud turundustegevuste parendamiseks, eesmärgiga tõsta Studio August tuntust kohalikul turul: • Sihtrühma laiendamine; • Laiendada müüki suurematesse kaubamajadesse; • Pop-up poed; • Reklaam sotsiaalmeedias – sihtturundus ja tarbijamängud Facebookis; • Osalemine seminaridel ja koolitustel tarbija harimise, ostjaskonna laiendamise ja brändi tutvustamise eesmärgil; • Ühtse visuaalse identiteedi hoidmine ja loomine kõigis online-kommunikatsiooni kanalites; • Kliendibaasi loomine ja personaalsete postituste (pakkumiste, uudiskirjade jms) regulaarne edastamine; • Oma showroomi avamine; • Jätku-uuring. Kuigi skandinaavialikult minimalistlik rõivastumisstiil on Eestis alles kanda kinnitamas, on olemas juba kindel grupp tarbijaid, kes sellist rõivastumisstiili armastab ja kellele on disaini kõrval oluline ka rõiva materjal ja kvaliteet. Studio August esindab neid väärtusi ja kuigi Studio August suhteliselt uue brändina alles hakkab jõudma Eesti tarbijate teadvusesse, on sellel suur potentsiaal jõuda selle stiili esindajana lipulaevaks ja olla teerajajaks.

This final thesis bears the title "The awareness of a new clothing brand in the local market on the example of Studio August." Studio August is an Estonian clothing brand launched in the autumn of 2014, which combines natural fabrics and innovative clothing design. The brand is characterized by Scandinavian minimalism and the use of high-quality natural fabrics and sustainability. The creator, designer and sole owner of the brand is Äli Kargoja. Studio August wants to reach the consciousness of consumers asan ethical clothing brand featuring Scandinavian minimalist style and items made from high-quality fabrics, but at the moment the brand does not perceive its awareness in the local market, and this issue has not been previously investigated either. Thus, the aim of this final thesis was to investigate the current awareness of Studio August in the local market. In order to meet the aim of the final thesis, the author looked at the theoretical foundations of a brand and its nature, as well as ways to measure its awareness, and carried out a research, which helped to solve the problem raised in the final thesis and meet the aim of the thesis. Based on theoretical approaches on raising awareness of the brand and the results of the research, the author draws conclusions and makessuggestions on how to raise the awareness of the brand Studio August in the future. In order to carry out the research, the author circulated a questionnaire electronically, through which the author sought to identify the spontaneous and aided awareness of Studio August and the relationship between the brand, the products and the logo type. 101 people responded to the questionnaire, 96% of whom were women and 4% were men aged 19-55 years. Nearly half of the respondents belonged to the age group 19- 25 years (49.5%), which suggests that the majority of the respondents did not belong to the potential target group described by Studio August, which is men and women aged 25-60 years. The research revealed that the Scandinavian minimalist clothing style is not very popular, 8.9% of 50 the respondents considered themselves representatives of this style. The spontaneous brand awareness of Studio August is not high, 12 respondents out of 70 associated the Scandinavian minimalist clothing brand with Studio August. But aided awareness is quite good, 35.6% of the respondents recognized Studio August from five similar brands that were among the response options. However, they are not able to establish a link between the products of Studio August and the brand – based on images 79.2% of the respondents were not able to name the brand and 72.3% of the respondents did not recognize the graphic image or the logo type of Studio August, and those who recognized it, knew that image mainly from the Internet (73.3%). The main reasons why the products of Studio August have not been purchased, were marked in the answer category "other" (40.4%), but among other important factorsthe price of the product (26.3%) and its availability (22.8%) were mentioned. Based on the theoretical basis of the final thesis and the research and its analysis the author has come up with the following suggestions in this final thesis that would improve the marketing activities in order to raise the reputation of Studio August in the local market: • Extension of the target group; • Expansion of sales to larger department stores; • Pop-up shops; • Advertising in the social media – targeted marketing and consumer games in Facebook; • Participation in seminars and training sessions with the purpose of consumer education and brand presentation; • Maintaining and creating a single visual identity for all online-communication channels; • Creating a customer base and regular posting of personalised mailings (offers, newsletters, etc.); • Opening one’s own showroom; • A follow-up study. Although the Scandinavian minimalist clothing style is only gaining a footing in Estonia, there is already a solid group of consumers, who love such a clothing style and to whom the material and the quality of the clothes are important besides the design. Studio August represents these values, and although Studio August as a relatively new brand is only beginning to reach the consciousness of the Estonian consumers, it has a great potential to be the front runner and pioneer in representing this style.