JOY M
PETERSON
THE CONSCIOUS COACH
FALL 2022 SENIOR CAPSTONE
Full presentation linked below the graphical overview of the project.
Overview
For my senior capstone project, I undertook a comprehensive effort to promote conscious, ethical, and sustainable consumer behavior, by creating the "Conscious Coach" brand. This dynamic brand aimed to serve as a website to empower consumers with insights into unsustainable practices in the fashion industry to guide and facilitate them toward more informed and sustainable fashion choices.
Throughout the project, I conducted thorough research, combining primary and secondary methods to analyze market dynamics, identify competitors, and understand emerging industry trends. Crafting the brand identity for the Conscious Coach involved strategic positioning through a detailed examination of the target audience, leading to a robust marketing and advertising strategy. Going beyond competitor comparisons, I envisioned and simulated the platform's online presence, culminating in a mock website graphic design. The design incorporated a carefully researched revenue-generation model featuring eco-friendly products, adorned with a unique logo crafted according to my vision and skillfully brought to life by illustrator Megan Aldinger, forming an integral part of the initiative.
The project surpassed conceptualization, incorporating a meticulous timeline for website launch, content creation, post scheduling, and product development to ensure seamless execution. Strategically orchestrated launch events were designed to align with revenue objectives and elevate website visibility. Supporting the venture, I developed a comprehensive marketing budget and conducted a financial analysis, emphasizing the project's viability.
In essence, my senior capstone project embodies a holistic approach to fostering conscious consumerism, centering around a well-defined brand that primarily focuses on educating consumers about sustainable shopping practices. Notably, research findings revealed significant consumer interest, with 94% expressing a desire to learn more about sustainable shopping practices, underscoring the project's relevance and potential impact.
BUTLER STREET CDC
SPRING 2023
Full InDesign process book guide linked below the social media strategy overview.
Overview
Our client, the Butler Street Community Development Corporation, is committed to preserving and revitalizing Sweet Auburn, with a focus on reimagining urban spaces to uplift the community and foster a future grounded in equity, social justice, and environmental sustainability. Our design project aimed to support their mission by developing branding, a website, and a fundraising strategy for their visionary project, Reflections Park.
Working closely with a dynamic team of 12 members, I played a key role in delivering a comprehensive package that included customized branding, web design, and a campaign strategy. Alongside Emma Osinski, I co-led the creation of a detailed 79-page InDesign process book, which proved to be a valuable resource for the client to implement the strategy effectively. Additionally, I provided guidance to the campaign team, advising on fundraising and promotional strategies that were aligned with environmental sustainability goals. Leveraging my marketing expertise, I helped support the park’s mission of green space revitalization and community engagement, making a significant contribution to the campaign's success. Below are visuals of the work I played a key role in for our team's key success.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Recognizing the potential of digital connections, especially given the older clients, the team guided them through navigating the digital landscape. To demonstrate effective posting strategies, examples were presented featuring pictures of the park, personalized graphics, and high-quality park-related photography. Additionally, guidance was provided on incorporating compelling call-to-action captions to enhance engagement, particularly in the context of fundraising tactics.
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY OVERVIEW
Platform Recommendations
Content Calendar
To further assist our client in navigating social media, specific platforms were recommended for focus, along with suggestions on how to optimize their utilization. The details are outlined in the platform utilization chart created for the client.
The content calendar was crafted as an illustrative tool to help our client understand the recommended frequency for posting on each platform.
Publishing Type
Our client had diverse subjects to address throughout the campaigning process, encompassing details about the park, upcoming events, sponsorship opportunities, and more. We aimed to clarify the significance of addressing each of these topics in different posts and emphasized the importance of periodically touching on each one to create a well-rounded narrative.
Publishing Calendar
We set out to guide our client on the optimal frequency for addressing various topics and how to effectively combine them in each post. The publishing calendar created serves as a demonstration, illustrating how to seamlessly integrate a call to action while discussing the park or an upcoming event.
ETHICAL INNOVATION: HERMÈS
SPRING 2023
Full presentation linked below the project overview.
Overview
The focus of this project was to examine the unsustainable aspects of a specific material, identify a brand that profits significantly from it, and propose a sustainable alternative. Given our interest in the fashion industry, our team chose to focus on leather, targeting one of the largest luxury players in the leather market: Hermès. We selected Hermès because of its vast resources and influence, which would enable them to drive meaningful change in the industry by adopting our proposed material. As the leading player in the luxury sector, Hermès has the power to set a precedent that other brands may follow.
Our team consisted of four members: Sarah Byers, Brie Miller, Emily Waleyko, and myself. Through our collective efforts, we developed an effective solution backed by extensive research that addressed eight different United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
THE LEATHER INDUSTRY
We began our project with research into the leather industry and discovered many alarming facts about how the material is produced. These included the excessive water consumption, the harmful effects on tannery workers and local communities, and the significant land degradation and CO2 emissions caused by livestock used in leather production. Armed with this knowledge, we were motivated to find a new material that would address all of our concerns with the leather industry. We sought a solution that could be used in a closed-loop cycle, which led us to bio-based leather, a sustainable alternative made from plant matter. Below, you can find more details on the key issues we discovered about the leather industry.
INSIDE HERMÈS
As a leader in the luxury leather goods market, Hermès was the obvious choice for our proposed leather alternative. With their extensive resources and capacity to invest in high-quality, bio-based materials, Hermès is uniquely positioned to set a powerful example for the industry.
To ensure our proposed leather alternative met Hermès' brand standards, we began by conducting an in-depth analysis of the company. This included a thorough exploration of their brand identity, an examination of their track record in sustainability, and the identification of areas for improvement.
Sustainability Evaluation Tools & Insights
Within this subsection of Inside Hermes, we take a deep dive into the sustainability evaluation tools and insights used to examine Herme's most significant shortcomings in sustainable practices thoroughly. By analyzing these shortcomings, we were able to identify solutions to effectively address each issue.
THE SOLUTION
Taking everything above into account, we crafted a solution that features innovative partnerships, the development of new products, refreshed sustainability initiatives, and education for both employees and consumers. While a solution targeting all these areas was no easy feat, we also ensured that we preserved the exclusivity and experience-focused expectations that consumers and the brand seek to maintain.
Below, you will find more information on the partnerships, products, initiatives, and education, along with the marketing materials used for the solution.
Partnerships
Product
This collection features a handbag and wallet made from premium Hermes wine leather, created in partnership with the Loire Valley and Vegea. Each item in the Joy line is made to order, ensuring unparalleled quality, exclusivity, and sustainability.
The Joy line is initially offered to select clients, and as an added incentive, 10% of all sales contribute directly to the Hermes Biodiversity Fund, which supports global environmental initiatives. These initiatives aim to combat the trafficking of protected species, support local agricultural development, preserve ecosystems, and advance agroforestry.
THE JOY LINE
HERMES x LOIRE VALLEY KEYCHAINS
The Hermès x Loire Valley keychains, crafted from Hermes exclusive wine leather, offer an accessible way to experience Hermès craftsmanship.
These entry-level products are designed to enhance trialability, allowing customers to explore the innovative wine leather before committing to a significant investment, such as the Joy Line.
Education
For the education component of our solution, we focused on both employee and consumer education.
During our field research at Hermès brick-and-mortar stores, we found that
employees were not fully aware of the company's sustainability standards. To address this issue, we developed the concept of an employee sustainability handbook. This resource
provides training on Hermès' sustainable materials, programs, services, and initiatives,
empowering employees to embody and effectively communicate the brand's
commitment to sustainability.
In terms of consumer education, we will enhance the information available on the website (as seen in our marketing materials) and also offer experiential learning opportunities, given that luxury brands are closely associated with experiences. These learning opportunities include the Loire Valley wine tour and the Hermès family resale auction, as detailed below.
Marketing Materials
LANDING PAGE & DROP DOWN MENU
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In addition to prominently showcasing Hermès' latest achievement in bio-based leather on their landing page, we also recommend providing easier access to their sustainability efforts by adding a direct clickable link in their dropdown menu,
as seen above.
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Clicking on the "wine leather" option in the sustainability section will take you directly to the Joy Line and the Hermès x Loire Valley key chains. While the key chains are available for online ordering, you can only order from the Joy Line by speaking with a sales associate from Hermès to maintain the brand's coveted exclusivity.
Additionally, the page is filled with a wealth of information designed to educate consumers about the leather, the give-back initiative, and the opportunity to experience a Loire Valley tour.
THE WINE LEATHER COLLECTION
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When clients click to learn about Hermès' use of recycled leather, they will discover the reasons behind the brand's initiative and how it positively impacts them. Additionally, clients will have the opportunity to participate in the Hermes Family resale auction.
RECYCLED LEATHER
EMAIL MARKETING
INSTAGRAM
PROFILE
WINDOW DISPLAY
For more information on the product and Hermès initiatives in sustainability, there is a QR code conveniently placed in the window for those interested.
