Quinn
Retail Rebrand
The Ask
Rebrand a local clothing boutique to allow independent expansion after severing ties with a national franchise.
The Situation
The clothing boutique wanted to shed its limiting franchise status and branch out under a new independent brand: Quinn. Unique, upscale shopping in Richmond is limited, presenting an opportunity for Quinn to dominate the market.
The Insight
Fashionable Richmonders are looking for unique pieces, but often resort to mass production at national retailers due to lack of selection.
The Solution
Based on the newly clarified brand belief that expressing yourself through personal style shouldn’t be overwhelming, I defined Quinn’s brand positioning as “your most stylish friend’s closet.”
The Process
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Store visits
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Shopper interviews
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Competitor audits
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4C Analysis
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Brand crush analysis
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Employee interviews
The Findings
"There's not a lot of good shopping in Richmond"
- Quinn customer
Store selection in the area leaves a lot to be desired and stylish Richmonders often resort to larger retailers even when they prefer the boutique experience.
But current customers had a lot of great things to say about their favorite boutique:
Who is Quinn?
Customers come in when they are missing something in their closet or want to update their look. They need someone they can trust to help find what they need to get excited about their look.
Employees’ trusted styling help and friendly service has built a loyal following: about 80% of shoppers are return customers. They know they can depend on the store to keep them looking their best.
The Opportunity
Quinn has the opportunity to be the best place to shop in Richmond.
The following framework and visuals were used to get a better idea of what Quinn is all about, and to build a foundation for the brand positioning.
Brand Essence
The art of the edit
Brand Belief
Expressing yourself through your personal style shouldn’t be overwhelming.
Who We Are
A boutique women’s clothing, shoes and accessories store with highly curated styles for a variety of occasions
What We Do
Empower our customers to express their unique style completely with one trip.
How We Do It
Offer a combination of wardrobe staples and statement pieces paired with expert customer service and styling.
Values
Quality, discernment, hospitality, fun
Vision Board
Based on conversations with the client, our vision board helped bring the brand values to life and provided inspiration for the visual branding and the new store interior.
Positioning
Your most stylish friend's closet.
When you have an unexpected date or are rushing to pack for vacation, where do you go to fill your suitcase? You run to her house because you know she has it all: everything you need from head to toe.
Whether it’s an island vacation you’ve waited until the last minute to pack for, or a special night out with friends, you can always count on her to make you look and feel great.
Tone
We Are
sophisticated
stylish
fun
discerning
reliable
helpful
We Are Not
snobby
cheesy
childish
judgemental
boring
condescending
Messaging
To avoid confusion during the rebrand and help attract new customers, Quinn needed clear and exciting messaging that could be used in person, online and in store.
We Are Quinn
We provide a unique variety of wardrobe staples and statement pieces in an innovative space. We believe that style is a journey that should be fun, and we are inspired by each and every item we have curated for our collection.
We have been locally owned since 2009, and our new brand offers an opportunity to explore our creativity and cater to our customers. As we express ourselves, we want to help you create your own personal style by practicing the art of the edit. That’s quintessentially Quinn.
Implementation
This brand strategy informed Quinn’s physical and digital aesthetic, website design and social content.
My Role
Led client meetings and final presentation, built the presentation deck, conducted research, crafted internal and customer-facing messaging.
(This was a freelance project for Dotted Line Collaborations.)
Hindsight
This was such an exciting project to help these small business owners transform their store to truly reflect their personalities and goals. The positioning lends itself to future business expansions like including menswear and featuring local designers.