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TOPSHOP/TOPMAN : The British Invade the Windy City

Objectives :

After an extensive agency search by TOPSHOP/TOPMAN’s marketing/PR teams, the brand retained Zapwater Communications for a six-month public relations campaign, including extensive media relations, street marketing, social media, press and influencer events and, finally, brand ambassador partnerships. Zapwater was ultimately selected because of its thorough understanding of the brands, innovative ideas and strategic approach.

Zapwater’s objective was to introduce the brand to the Chicago market and generate excitement in the months leading up to the grand opening. The agency identified three key target audiences on behalf of TOPSHOP/TOPMAN, including consumers, media and Chicago influencers. The agency’s strategy integrated a variety of media relations, marketing, events and social media to raise awareness of the brand’s entry into the Midwest market.

Strategy :

• MEDIA PREVIEWS
  Zapwater was first tasked to create a press event that would coincide with owner and CEO Sir Phillip Green’s pending travel to the U.S. as well as preview TOPSHOP/TOPMAN’s Autumn/Winter 2011 collections. Zapwater was given less than 25 days to find a space to host the event, send out invitations and secure media interviews for TOPSHOP/TOPMAN’s design directors, managing directors and Sir Philip Green. More than 50 members of the media attended the one-day event, including newspaper and magazine editors, broadcast producers, online bloggers and stylists. Zapwater also coordinated 18 media interviews and tours with top-tier media and TOPSHOP/TOPMAN’s design directors and CEO of the brands.
• STREET TEAMS
  The TOPSHOP/TOPMAN truck guerilla marketing campaign was executed during Lollapalooza weekend (August 5 – 7, 2011). Consumers who interacted with the truck also had the opportunity to enter a drawing for the chance to win a $1,500 shopping spree and VIP shopping day when the Chicago store opened. Throughout the course of the activation, the brand ambassadors interacted with more than 6,000consumers and increased awareness of the TOPSHOP/TOPMAN Chicago opening.Once fall arrived, Zapwater directed its focus to the events leading up to the grand opening of the store. The TOPSHOP/TOPMAN truck and brand ambassadors hit the streets of Chicago for the six days that led up to the grand opening. This resulted in 15,000 plus interactions and exchanges with consumers.
• SOCIAL MEDIA
  Zapwater also initiated an aggressive Twitter campaign using the simple hashtag #TopshopChicago. The effort not only made it easier for consumers to track the TOPSHOP/TOPMAN truck, but also to continue to build excitement and social media chatter in the days leading up to the opening. Ninety-eight percent of the tweets were positive. In three days the #TopshopChicago hashtag garnered over 7.4 million impressions on Twitter
• VIP SHOPPING EVENTS
  The city’s top influencers and media were given a preview of the TOPSHOP/TOPMAN store, personal shopping services and merchandise. Zapwater also planned in-store media tours during the event for TOPSHOP/TOPMAN’s owner, Sir Philip Green, as well as managing and design directors. More than 200 tastemakers, influencers, and members of the media attended the VIP Shopping event, including an appearance by the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel.
• VIP DINNERS
  Zapwater organized a VIP dinner to celebrate the opening of the store with media, influencers and celebrities. Celebrities Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games), Brenda Song (The Social Network) and Gerard Butler attended. Following dinner, guests moved upstairs to the venue’s second floor space, Studio Paris, an exclusive lounge perfect for a party.
• RUNWAY SHOWS
  To celebrate the grand opening of the store on September 8, 2011, TOPSHOP/TOPMAN worked with the city of Chicago to shut down Pearson Street so that the brand could host a full-scale runway show with a 20-foot stage, lighting, music, and live models. Twenty looks were showcased from TOPSHOP and TOPMAN, highlighting the brand’s top trends of the season.

Result Highlights :

During the course of the six-month engagement, 100 percent of the print, online and broadcast media placements across all initiatives were positive. The stories gave glowing reviews of TOPSHOP/TOPMAN, the team, store, product selection, events, in-store services, and marketing/PR efforts as a whole.

The media placements were diverse, highlighting aspects of both brands from executive profiles to style features, trend reports to event recaps. The TOPSHOP/TOPMAN Chicago media exposure was a success. Zapwater’s activities resulted in more than 20 million impressions.

Time Out Chicago named the TOPSHOP/TOPMAN “The Best Store Opening” for their 2011 Shopping Awards.

Even though the opening occurred on the first day of New York Fashion Week (one of four major fashion weeks held around the world), Zapwater was able to secure a cover story on the TOPSHOP/TOPMAN opening in Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). WWD is the authority for breaking news, comprehensive business coverage and trends in the worlds of fashion, beauty and retail. In short, WWD is one of the most influential fashion publications in the world. This story helped ensure that a major retail opening in the Second City didn’t get trumped by New York Fashion Week.

Leveraging the celebrity clientele of TOPSHOP, Zapwater was able to secure and coordinate a broadcast feature of the retailer’s Chicago opening on the news magazine show, Extra. Hoping to keep the segment fun and on brand, Zapwater arranged for Sir Phillip’s daughter Chloe Green to play “special correspondent” for Extra and interview her father. The segment also included an interview with TOPSHOP fan Miley Cyrus.