ALL TOGETHER AT HOLTS | A Case Study
By Zoë Innanen
Known once as the curator of fashion for Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Holt Renfrew has come a long way from the hat shop it started out as in 1837. Now almost one hundred and eighty years later, the luxury Canadian retailer has gone through many rebranding strategies to become what it is presently (The History of Canada's Luxury Retailer, 2016).
Today, Holt Renfrew has come up with a marketing strategy to embrace Canadian culture as it grows and diversifies, primarily with the “All Together At Holts” campaign which launched in the fall of 2015. All Together At Holts was created as a social media campaign aimed at embracing the client’s individuality and every aspect of the store’s diverse demographic.
THE PROBLEM
“It’s about ‘we’ and not ‘me’ – it’s about celebrating the communities in which we work and live.”
- Alison Simpson, Senior VP of Marketing and Customer Experiences at Holt Renfrew (Jones, S. 2015)
The campaign launched in the wake of realizing that most people assumed the Holt Renfrew client base to be solely made up of one type of person - see “ladies who lunch” and “housewives”. This assumption was very far from the truth, hence the need for a diversity campaign. The company wanted to express the identity and culture of Canadian community. Cue the All Together At Holt’s campaign, an idea first thought of by Senior Vice President of Marketing and Customer Experiences, Alison Simpson.
THE CAMPAIGN | PART ONE
The original fall 2015 campaign included 14 Canadian style influencers from around the country and two Holt Renfrew employees. These sixteen people were then paired up and interviewed on camera to discuss their personal style. The candidates ranged in age from mid twenties to mid seventies, while their occupations included professions such as Urban Planner, Investment Analyst and Executive chef. The only thing these people had in common was their love of fashion and mutual interest in Holt Renfrew. These videos were posted to the microsite http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com where customers can view profiles, videos and images as well as learn how to join the campaign. Below are brief summaries and photos of the candidates.
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
CURRANNE LABERCANE:
Profession: Urban Planner in Vancouver
Personal style: minimalist feminism
MIKE LEUNG:
Profession: Investment Analyst from Vancouver
Personal style: sharp casual
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
LAURA SERRA:
Profession: Writer in Toronto
Personal Style: monochromatic modernism
GABBY CROMER:
Profession: Employee at Holt renfrew in the womenswear department in Calgary
Personal Style: classically edgy
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
MICHAEL WHITE:
Profession: Finance and portfolio management in Toronto
Personal Style: british sartorial
PARAMBIR KEILA:
Profession: Physician
Personal Style: wearing things with a story behind them
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
ANJLI PATEL:
Profession: Fashion Lawyer
Personal style: predictable dress, flats, clutch
SAM CHANG-GARDNER:
Profession: Yoga instructor in Toronto
Personal style: classic, androgynous, black and white
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
JUDITH MARIA BRADLEY:
Profession: Recent actress and model in Toronto
Personal Style: It is the culmination of all the souls karmic learning to create the image presented to the world.
CASSIDY NEVES BRIARD:
Profession: College student and fashion blogger from Montreal
Personal Style: bohemian in the summer, sporty the rest of the time
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
MATTY MATHESON:
Profession: Exec chef at Parts and Labour (Restaurant in Toronto) and host for vice TV
Personal Style: 70’s baseball coach/hardcore late 80’s bands in NYC
AMBER KLAEHN:
Profession: Manager of personal shopping at Holt Renfrew Bloor Street, Toronto
Personal style: classic, even when casual looks dressed up
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
SANDY JOE KARPETZ:
Profession: Freelance writer and blogger at theprettysecrets.com in Edmonton
Personal Style: vintage inspired
ROBERT WEIR:
Profession: Makeup and hair stylist in Toronto
Personal Style: clean and modern with a twist
 |
| Found on http://alltogether.holtrenfrew.com/, belongs to Holt Renfrew, 2015. |
MARK PUCHALA:
Profession: Artist/painter in Toronto
Personal style: sprezzatura
KEVIN PEART:
Profession: Logistics director at Monte Design
Personal style: classic casual with a modern edge
THE CAMPAIGN | PART TWO
The second part of the campaign was the interactivity with the Holt Renfrew clients. After reading about the 16 models in the campaign, the reader is asked by the company to share a photo on social media with the hashtag #AllTogetherAtHolts for a chance to be in the Holt Renfrew Spring campaign, as well as win a $1500 shopping spree. If the reader wants to ‘elevate their selfie’ they can even go to a store and take a picture at the photo booths and backdrops at specific Holt Renfrew stores across Canada (Join The Campaign - Holt Renfrew, 2015).
OUTCOMES OF THE CAMPAIGN
Since the launch of this social media campaign, All Together at Holts has been very well recepted by Canadians, especially in the wake of competitors such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom coming into the country. Many people shared their style adorned selfies on social media, primarily on the platform Instagram, while some chose Twitter. Canadian fashion bloggers also got in on the action by posting photos, which raised awareness of the campaign to their many thousands of followers.
The most rewarding outcome for the company was that out of the success of the fall campaign, they found two additional people for the new Spring 2016 All Together at Holts campaign. “Our fall campaign was met with great fanfare from our employees and our customers, and we hope to keep the conversation going by again turning the lens onto our valued community, celebrating the diverse style sensibilities and background of Canadians.” says Alison Simpson, Senior VP of Marketing and Customer Experiences (Bouw, B., 2016). This time, the all new model campaign was media oriented as compared to previously social media oriented, being advertised on channels such as mainstream newspapers as well as social media (Bouw, B., 2016).
 |
| Image from http://spring2016.holtrenfrew.com/ad-spring-all-together, belongs to Holt Renfrew 2016. |
RECOMMENDATIONS
The launch of the Fall 2015 All Together at Holts campaign by Holt Renfrew was extremely successful across the nation, consequentially leading to a second campaign the following spring. The diverse and unexpected models worked to their advantage by creating a conversation about the need to represent every aspect of fashion and not just the typical one shown in the media. The incentive to win a chance to be included in the next campaign as well as win a $1500 gift certificate to the store worked well, as many people may have been motivated to join the movement based on these prizes. The option to have the customers come into the store to take a photo for the campaign also worked in the company’s benefit by bringing people to the store, thus encouraging a purchase from the retailer.
However, the original Fall 2016 website was not as clear as it could’ve been, stating, “share a photo or video of yourself on social media using #AllTogetherAtHolts”. Although many people chose to share their images on Instagram, the company did not clearly state which social media platforms they would be checking for the contest. They also did not state whether the photo should be about personal style or community, which resulted in a vast array of different images using the hashtag that may or may not have been associated with the topic Holt Renfrew was trying to get across.
Some recommendations for future campaigns include being more specific about which social media platforms to use and what content to include in these images. Although the company does ask for the customer to “nominate the style icon in your life to join the conversation”, it does not ask for the customer to talk about what they think about diversity, fashion and community (Join the Campaign, 2015). This campaign was very well done, however it focused slightly heavier on photos rather than intellectual thoughts on the topics in hand.
OVERALL
Overall, this campaign was a step in the right direction for the original Canadian luxury retailer, Holt Renfrew. It certainly set them apart during the time when major American competitors such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom came into the country by defining what Canadian culture and identity is all about - diversity and community.
Works Cited:
Bouw, B. (2016, February 3). Holt Renfrew keeps it all together for spring. Retrieved October
16, 2016, from
Join the Campaign - Holt Renfrew. (2015). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
Jones, S. (2015, September 16). Holt Renfrew casts consumers in fall campaign to make personal
connection - Luxury Daily. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from https://www.luxurydaily.com/holt-renfrew-casts-consumers-in-fall-campaign-to-make-personal-connection/
Spring. All. Together | Holt Renfrew. (2016). Retrieved October 20, 2016, from
http://spring2016.holtrenfrew.com/ad-spring-all-together
The History of Canada’s Largest Luxury Retailer | Holt Renfrew. (2016). Retrieved October 19, 2016,
from http://www.holtrenfrew.com/store/holt/pages/about-us/our-history
No comments :
Post a Comment