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Chanel Connor
Professor Marc Berman
12/12/16

Business of Media: Journ 397R

Prospective Entry-Level Business
Plan

Organization: MaxStudio.com (Leon Max Fashion)

Vying for Position of: Leon Max Brand Ambassador at
Nordstrom Rack
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Target

Demographic:
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The description for the Max Studio website blatantly states designer

clothing for women. While Max Studio products are upscale and generally

targeted for the wealthy, not only the wealthy shop there. In fact, at

Nordstrom Rack, a possible location I would like to work (promoting

MaxStudio) at, not all customers are high-end shoppers, per the Nordstrom

Rack website description of their demographics. Nordstrom Rack is marketed

as where style meets savings, so middle-class consumers as well as

wealthy consumers are most likely to purchase Max Studio products from

Nordstrom Rack. Very poor consumers would not be likely to shop here as the

clothing is dressy and is worn for fashionable purposes, and they probably

would not be able to afford the clothes. People who shop for fun and for

design would be much more likely to purchase MaxStudio than someone

shopping as a chore, or buying clothes out of societal necessity (they would

probably go to Wal-mart or a thrift shop). And the cost of the clothing varies

depending on the store that the MaxStudio products are being sold at.

Designer MaxStudio clothing sold at Nordstrom Rack is generally cheaper

than designer clothing bought first-hand from the MaxStudio store in

Wrentham, MA. (because Nordstrom Rack items are not the fanciest items

the brand makes, and MaxStudio will try to sell their designer clothes at

higher prices first before they go on sale at Nordstrom Rack, naturally).

MaxStudio.com has numerous pictures of young women in their 20s on

their site, implying that the clothing is targeted towards young women. And

Nordstrom Rack (which sells many products from MaxStudio.com) attracts

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many millennials, which are consumers between the ages of 16 and 34

(according to marketrealist.com/nordstromracks-target-customers). Working

as a Brand Ambassador appeals to me because I am a 20-year old woman, a

member of their target

audience. All their clothing

and marketing

campaigns are

aimed at young girls into

style and design just like

me!

Background of Possible Department Store I Could Work for

(Nordstrom Rack):

Nordstrom started out as a shoe company. The company was founded

in 1887 by John W. Nordstrom who was looking to start his own business. By

1960, Johns two sons owned Nordstrom, and it was the largest shoe shop in

the country! It was the biggest independent shoe chain in the U.S. In 1963,
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Nordstrom was looking for new ways to spread its wings, and so the stores

attempted to sell womens clothing. This turned out to be an excellent idea,

and by 1971, Nordstrom annual sales surpassed 100 million! In 1973,

Nordstrom opened this clearance outlet, Nordstrom Rack, to offer reduced-

price products from the full-line stores. Today, there are 215 Nordstrom Racks

across the country. Having a reduced-price version of the store is key to the

success of both Nordstrom and the designer brands it sells. Should they not

generate enough revenue at the full-line stores, leftover clothes can be

pulled to go on sale at Nordstrom Rack, and thus designer brands (and

Nordstrom) still make a profit.

(From http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/company-history)

MaxStudio Brand Generation of Revenue:

MaxStudio posts its online catalog of merchandise online for free for

anyone to view. MaxStudio hires attractive, tall models and puts them into

campaigns to encourage people to buy their clothing. The ads ooze sex

appeal, high-fashion, and glamour. Leon Max puts models in interesting

poses and pretty backgrounds to make the ads stand out, as well as make

them visually appealing. This spreads the word about Leon Max clothing and

encourages people to buy. Ads are found online (on sites like Pinterest) and

in fashion lookbook magazines. MaxStudio taps famous people, such as

British actress Clara Paget to be faces of their campaigns. Leon Max looks for
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models/actresses that are beautiful and edgy, because they are key

elements of his brand and collections. The fashion pieces featured in ads are

all based on aesthetic appeal, designed to wow people. MaxStudio.com

sponsors events such as the Vogue Serpentine Summer Party, having young

women model their clothes in person there, and then later posting the

photoshoots online to further show off the clothing. Max Studios online site

also posts tantalizing offers, such as free shipping on all orders to

encourage visitors to buy.

Though Leon Max Brand clothing is generally expensive, many people

still buy designer goods. Its not just one country that buys designer goods,

and even if only 1% of a population is wealthy enough (such as 1% of a

country like China or India) and buys Leon Max products, thats still over ten

million potential customers that the company can profit from. High end

boutiques and designers also only place orders for their favorite/most
MaxStudio Ad with Clara Paget
wearable items in the

collection so that the

items will sell, and so

everything that Leon

Max produces

does not always make

it to retail- only the

profitable and marketable items. Outrageous dresses or other strange

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clothing might be designed, but never produced massively for retail. And

when people cant afford the expensive designer items and they dont sell,

Leon Max does not just get rid of them. They reduce the price so that they

still make a profit, and most of the items that did not sell eventually are sold

in savings department stores such as Nordstrom Rack (where I would be

delighted to work!) An example of an ad quote from Nordstrom Rack is get

designer brands for 70% off!. It is hard for fans of designer clothing to pass

up tempting offers such as this one, and the enticing sales pitches help keep

Nordstrom/MaxStudio in business. (Sources: www.maxstudio.com) and

www.nordstromrack.com)
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Potential Position: MaxStudio.com Brand Ambassador (in Nordstrom Rack)

A Brand Ambassador for MaxStudio.com is crucial for the company, as

they are responsible for positively influencing business at retail for their

brands. Their duties help ensure that sales run smoothly and that brands are

promoted engagingly.

The Brand Ambassador is a representative out in MaxStudio.com

department stores (for example, Nordstrom Rack). The brand ambassador

works in conjunction with many people, such as the regional director of

MaxStudio.com, account executives, department stores district

management, sales specialists, associates, and store line management. The

Brand Ambassador must establish and build strong relationships with in-store

management, district management, and staff. They should communicate

useful information to Regional Directors and the other key players within the

MaxStudio.com company via phone calls, conference calls, and meetings in-

person. They must keep track of business, and have knowledge of clothes

rankings within the retail chain. They need to understand how fashion is

trending this year vs. last year, and comprehend sales plans. They need to

work to run (as well as attend) seminars, events, and staff meetings.

A Brand Ambassador makes an estimated salary of about $60,000 and

a bachelors degree is highly preferred for the position. Brand ambassadors

must work closely with Maxstudio.com staff to create, develop, and update
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training programs for new staff members. They must travel frequently to

offsite locations within their department store territory.

Creativity is essential to be the MaxStudio.com Brand Ambassador. The

Brand Ambassador should be willing to brainstorm ways to excite the sales

associate (and so in turn, the end customer). They need to inspect

Maxstudio.com brands and make sure that they are merchandised

appropriately; that they deliver engaging, strong visual presentation. Visual

appeal is mandatory- ambassadors need to have high standards (in line with

brand merchandising guidelines). They also need to check and be certain

that Maxstudio.com brands are in the premiere space within departments

and stores. They must ensure that the brands are featured on

visuals/mannequins with the correct signs.

Personal Qualifications:

As an ambitious college student designing my own major, I have plenty

of good experience that would serve well in this job. I am a member of the

Commonwealth Honors College. My high GPA and wide range of classes show

that I can manage projects and stick to deadlines. This job requires strong

organizational, analytical, and evaluative capabilities- I have taken and

received an A in Stats 240, an A in Precalc, and a B in Economics, showing

my business talent, and my strong ability to interpret/analyze data. I also

have added some Psychology classes to my bachelors degree major

concentration, allowing me to study Personality and Social Psychology (to

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understand and evaluate people) along with Communications. Ive taken

courses such as Health Communications and Visual Communications to help

learn how to reach out to people as well as design stories/campaigns. My

major is a combination of Marketing, Psychology, and Communications to

give me more flexibility when I apply for jobs.

Additionally, I have experience as a tutor and camp counselor,

showing my leadership skills and ability to take control of difficult situations

(such as rowdy children or a student struggling in math). Im a member of

Alpha Lambda Delta, the top students at the University, and a member of the

National Residence Hall Honorary, which comprises the top 1% of student

leaders on the UMass campus. I have experience with media and public

speaking, having knowledge in Windows Movie Maker, Corel VideoStudio Pro,

Paint. Ive also been interviewed by ABC news as well as having appeared in

an honors college UMass commercial. This shows my ability to appeal to

audiences and communicate with the public. Ive even won a campus video

contest by applying with my own webcam video, and thus, I was featured

and compensated to appear on the UMass website. I got paid to describe my

experience here to help the incoming students get a sense of the campus

experience, showing my ability to put myself out there, network to get what I

want, and market myself for opportunities.

Ive also held numerous jobs while studying on campus. Ive been a

Peer Counselor to promote student safety at campus events. Marketing was

an aspect of this job, as we designed raps, logos, and used social media to
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spread the word about our ground-breaking new peer counseling group. Our

job was to encourage responsible behavior as well facilitate positive

interactions with our peers. Ive helped create an advertising campaign to

stop binge drinking, and since I like to motivate others for a cause, I could be

an asset in terms of inspiring all levels of business employees/partners to

stay focused on selling the gorgeous MaxStudio clothing.

Another job I had was an office assistant, so I have experience with

general office duties, such as filing or updating the schedule of academic

counselors. As an office assistant for twelve academic counselors, I was often

asked to perform more than one duty at once, so I am great at multi-tasking,

critical thinking, and I am a quick learner. The counselors would often just

give me a pile of work to do with no or little instruction, such as Separate

these papers and make them into pretty packets, so it was up to me to

figure out much of the coordination myself. So, having been both a solo office

assistant as well as a member of a large peer counseling group, I can work

both independently and in groups.

My third and current job that Ive held on campus is a Peer Mentor. My

job is to support first-year students with their academic transition to college.

I work with a staff of four others in my building, Sycamore, to answer any

questions students may have about classes, registration, or access to

resources on campus. I often must give speeches at floor meetings or design

pretty flyers advertising events, such as a SPIRE workshop with Bertuccis

so that the freshmen are aware of the help I can provide. Due to the constant
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need for advertising and communication in this job, I have advanced oral and

written communication/presentation skills.

I have a great desire to help others and I like to plan events, for

example, I recently worked on a Pancake/Secret Santa event in collaboration

with the rest of the staff. Planning and organization are crucial, as I must log

and keep track of interactions with residents every week. We need to pay

attention to detail and follow up with residents after attempting to address

their concerns to make sure that all their needs are being met.

Confidentiality and professionalism are mandatory for my Peer Mentor job,

and high levels of confidentiality/professionalism are also necessary to be a

Brand Ambassador. I have high standards for my work tasks, and Im an

upbeat leader. Since I take my work seriously, I am a good role model, and

this is essential for the Brand Ambassador position. I will be talking about

MaxStudio fashion, encouraging others to check out the clothes, and

positively influencing the MaxStudio name. Since I am devoted to

professionalism, the MaxStudio brand rep would be an excellent position for

me. I strive to maintain a good reputation in every job I take on, and one

needs to be trustworthy (as well as in noble standing) to represent the

MaxStudio brand name.

Design and creative skills will also come into play for the Brand

Ambassador job, and the Peer Mentor Job gives me the necessary

experience. Every month, we are given a simple, bland PowerPoint toolkit

with tips for freshmen on certain topics, such as Stress Management, or

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Academic Resources. Our job is to make the toolkit into a creative theme or

presentation, and then display it on a bulletin board. A new one is made each

month. The Bulletin Boards must be extremely visually appealing and

capture attention, otherwise the freshmen will not read them. Ive also done

the graphic design on our ads and projects for classes such as fancy

collages, so my innovative skills will serve me well as a Brand Ambassador. I

will need to think of exciting ways to grab the audiences attention and make

them respect the website, remember logo names, and want to buy our

clothes. I also have proficient experience in writing and reading, having

earned college credit for my AP English classes I took in high school. I have

extensive experience with Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, and Excel, so I could

compile data and give brand presentations as needed.

Highlighting my Creativity- A collage I made (consisting of

interests and aspects of my personality) for my Psych Personality
Class. You can see that I love fashion, makeup, manicures, and
designer clothes!
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I am the ideal candidate for this position because

I love fashion, and its my passion. Every day I devote a lot of time to

doing my hair, nails, makeup, picking out matching shoes, and so on. I can

spend hours just looking through magazine catalogues and admiring the

clothing/models, or trying on different outfits. I always note what I like, or

what I dislike, and so I pay strong attention to detail. My makeup must be on

point and I am willing to put the time and effort into making it look precise. I

think its so fun to be creative and get a chance to express myself. This job

just sounds compelling and exciting to me. I would get a unique first-hand

look at new samples at showrooms and meet with buyers from all around the

world to get the MaxStudio clothes I want in relevant department stores. This

job is a good way to combine my interests, as it deals with design,

marketing, and business, three fields I am keen on. As an entry-level

position, it will also provide me with flexibility to move up to higher positions

in the future. I would get a chance to look at some amazing style and fashion

designs, as well as make connections with editors/bloggers, increasing my

contact network. I have a genuine interest in companies, brands, designers,

and department stores. One of my favorite designers is Coco Chanel

(ironically also my name). People on my dorm hall floor constantly

compliment me on my outfits, have requested to borrow clothes from my

wardrobe, and I have been described as a fashionista. I have a good sense

of style so this would help me figure out ways to display the merchandise,
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put clothes on ads, and think of other intriguing ways to visually represent

Max Studio.

I also love exploring new places, taking on new challenges, and

traveling, so thats also why this job would be a good fit for me. It involves

hefty responsibility (pitching boutiques to the press, helping to keep track of

fashion sales, and following up on the clients interests), but I would

personally enjoy this and see it as an adventure. When a job is too easy for

me, I get bored, but when a job is too hard for me, I get depressed and

agitated. I feel like that based on my interests and qualifications, this job

would be a happy medium. It would still be challenging, but nothing too

extreme. Business is an interest of mine, a field I am willing to work hard to

get into, and I just think it sounds awesome to be a Brand Rep. It would be

an honor to be the designated MaxStudio ambassador that oversees

operations, generates revenue, and helps spread the word about the

designer clothing.

My intro to Marketing class that Ive taken here at UMass intrigued me,

and we learned about the 4 Ps of marketing (product, price, placement,

promotion). I think its so rewarding to work hard creating a campaign,

designing a message, spreading the word about an event or product, (and to

then see the results when people show up to your event or buy your

product). I recently hosted a Hot Chocolate Party in my building and worked

on designing the flyers-the turnout was amazing. Id like to experience that

feeling of all my hard marketing work paying off again! Being a brand
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ambassador is the perfect position for me because when I work to promote

or sell a product Im passionate about, I can eat, live, and breathe it. I am

passionate about representing products or services I enjoy in a positive light,

and fashion is easily my biggest interest ever. I enjoy dressing up and putting

on nice clothes, so my daily well-groomed presentation would provide the

company with a prestigious image.

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I also just greatly appreciate marketing field in general, and I have

quite a bit of knowledge/experience in marketing myself. I just recently

started my Instagram account, PromoChanel a few months ago, because I

wanted to show off some of my favorite fashion outfits, selfies, and makeup

items. I already have close to 3,000 followers, and some of my photos have

hundreds of likes. Because I have a well-established social media presence, if

I was hired for this job, I could easily begin to show off the MaxStudio

Products on my account, or even better, gain access to the Leon Max

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Instagram, where I could continue to post fashion updates and spread the

word about the brand. I could also help run the Max Studio Facebook page,

answering customer concerns, and posting ads/brand updates. I would be

happy to post relevant fashion stories about recent events on the MaxStudio

website blog, such as dinners, parties, and fashion shows. I love creating

strong

relationships with others. My skill in forming connections is another reason

why I would be suitable for this position, as a Brand Ambassador must be

able to foster strong, loyal relationships between customers and the brand.
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My recent evaluations from work also help prove that I would be ideal

for this job. My Peer Mentor program supervisor, describing my performance

in my current job wrote, Chanel shows lots of energy and enthusiasm,

willingness to accept feedback on how to improve, and it is apparent that she

A screenshot of my Instagram account, PromoChanel.

I post artsy pics, fashion pics, and projects I make, and I have almost 3,000
followers! I could easily update my account into a promotional space for the
MaxStudio Brand Company, or make a new account to do so. This shows my
takes her position creativity and seriously.
and role very social media marketing
Being able toskills!
respond to

feedback and plan for future improvements is critical if I want to be a Brand

Ambassador-I will need to gather feedback based on the fashion sales (and

conversations with customers/competitors). I will need to consider the

feedback, then carefully use that information to improve my marketing

strategies and business pursuits. A Brand Ambassador also needs to be

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optimistic and enthusiastic (as my supervisor noted I am in my current job

evaluation), because they must inspire people to become interested in

MaxStudio. Even residents that I mentor on my floor can advocate for me, as

they also describe my personality as friendly and note that I am always

eager to help!, further exemplifying my qualities of confidence,

determination, and my potential to be a poised Brand Ambassador.

Application Process/Career Development

I need to update my resume, as the last time I applied to a job was in

April (its still my current job. Before I try to get this entry-level job, its also

necessary that I find an internship before I graduate college. As Barbara

Roche explained to our class, competition for any job nowadays is cutthroat,

and this is even more true in the fashion or advertising industry (since its

PROOF- Some performance comments from my supervisor (and samples of

feedback from residents, below) at my current job. My energy and
enthusiasm could translate well into the Brand Ambassador position!
such a
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popular interest among the public). Having created some advertisements,

collages, and bulletin boards, I am going to be careful to save my work and

create a portfolio to use when I apply to internships and future jobs. I will

kindly ask for recommendations from professionals, such as my media

business professor Marc Berman, or my Peer Mentor program supervisor,

Amanda Morgida.

To apply for this particular job, I will need to email my resume to

[email protected] and submit my online profile through

www.StyleCareers.com. After they accept me, I will need to be in touch with

the Store Manager of Nordstrom Rack Newbury, John M. Sullivan, and I could

call him at 857-300-2300, and talk to him about how I would like to advertise

the MaxStudio brand at his store. I would set up a time to meet with him and

when I do, I would immediately check on the MaxStudio Brand and how their

merchandise is displayed at the store. Over time, I would keep track of the

sales results and make sure the brand is making a profit by displaying the

items aesthetically as well as marketing the fashion products on social

media. I would also be persistent (as Jeff Shapiro told us to be when pursuing

a job opportunity) and strive to keep in touch with Leon Max (the owner of

the brand), since he can be reached through Facebook. I would ask him for

more advice about what I should do to promote his fashion designs. I would

be persistent in all my pursuits, actively listening to all feedback from my

brand designer, Leon Max, and of course, the MaxStudio customers. I would

also immediately make a Twitter account and follow him, as well as offering
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to help post updates on the official Leon Max Twitter page if possible. I will

work hard to positively show off MaxStudio clothing to the public, and to give

the brand the representation they need/want.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, I see myself as an ideal candidate for a Brand

Ambassador position. Ideally, I would like to help promote the MaxStudio

Brand at Nordstrom Rack, because the location is convenient (Im close to

Boston), and I really like the dresses from MaxStudio. I shop at Nordstrom a

lot, so I am familiar with the dynamics of the store, and I know that it is a

place I enjoy being in! My friends and I are also middle class, so it would be

easier to convince them to come to the designer sales and buy a few on-sale

clothing items from Nordstrom Rack rather than push them to buy super

expensive items first-hand from the designer store.

The MaxStudio Brand Ambassador is just one example of a position,

brand, and department store in a sea of thousands of possibilities. I would

honestly be happy working at any womens fashion store or promoting any

high-class designer fashion brand. I zeroed in on MaxStudio and Nordstrom

Rack to give my project focus and clarity, as well as to research and get

examples of job details/requirements for a specific position.

With a strong social media presence on Instagram, a love of fashion,

and leadership experience from my campus jobs, I am a strong candidate for

a brand ambassador position. All I need is an internship specifically in the

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fashion industry so that I can get hands-on experience working in this field

before I get to do a paid-entry level position. I am currently a junior so my

plan is to search carefully for fashion internships over this upcoming winter

break, apply to a bunch of them, and then do one in the summer of 2017

(before my senior year!). An internship in the marketing field will give me the

necessary preparation, skills, and training to embark on the journey to get

my dream Brand Ambassador job.

This project has truly inspired me to think about what I want to do in

the future. I am looking forward to soon making my dreams come true!