David Brint, former Reebok sales director and managing director of nascent clothing manufacturer Footie Chick, approached Brazen PR's fashion team in August 2003 with the idea of launching a range for 'women who love fashion and football'. Self-funded and with little capital, he needed to launch and build the brand using PR rather than advertising. Objectives
To generate £5m retail sales in year one. To persuade football clubs and high-street retailers to stock the products. To become the number-one brand in the women's football clothing market.
Strategy and Plan
Using the upcoming Euro 2004 tournament as a focal point, Brazen decided the best way to seed the brand was to build credibility among clubs by emphasising Brint's professional credentials and generating trade coverage to influence buyers and help obtain mainstream retail accounts. Research identified Footie Chick's target market as 16 to 30-year-old women.
Brazen and Brint met all Premiership and first division football clubs.
The range was available to buy on Footie Chick's website and links with football sites Fairgame.com and Femalesoccer.com were created. The range's launch was announced to trade titles Marketing and Draper's Record.
To drive fashion press mentions there were one-to-one media briefings in London and Footie Chick samples were sent to actress Amanda Holden, TV presenter Cat Deeley and footballer's wife Victoria Beckham. The company also teamed up with hairdresser Toni & Guy as part of the latter's promotion of its Euro 2004 shampoo range and ran competitions on Blissmag.co.uk and Zest.co.uk.
In addition, Brazen led a PR campaign for JJB Sports to search for 'The Face Of Footie Chick'.
Measurement and Evaluation
Marketing ran six articles on Footie Chick, including a profile of Brint; Draper's Record ran four. Zest, Star, Mizz and Woman all ran features, as did the Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine and OK!'s Hot Stars.
Holden was pictured in a Footie Chick T-shirt in the Daily Star and Closer.
During Euro 2004, Brazen drove national exposure by positioning Footie Chick as an authority on women interested in football, contributing to surveys such as 'Dream Footballers' Parts' in the Daily Star and 'Most Annoying Things Women Can Do While The Football Is On' in the Daily Sport and Daily Record.
Results
Footie Chick's projected turnover for this year is £7m and online sales have increased by 100 per cent. Exclusive versions of the clothing range now feature in New Look and JJB Sports stores and can be bought via Littlewoods Mail Order and at more than 40 football clubs, including Chelsea FC.
A new brand, Footie Girl, has been launched in 120 Tammy stores, aimed at eight to 13-year-old girls.
Footie Chick has signed licensee deals in Japan and Asia and attracted a six-figure cash injection from private investors.
Daily Star journalist Pete Jenkinson says: 'Brazen was very proactive and knew what I wanted. Product-led PR is tough because newspapers are going for news or features-led stuff. It did a good job.'
