Today I must research further into exactly what it is that River Island looks out for in their staff. To do so I must locate an application form, to check the criteria, to make sure that the ‘people’ I am employing live up to this – if not, specialist training would be given.
What I achieved:
I located the form on the internet, the first and foremost question revolved around availability.
Questions then moved on to age, fashion retail experience, education, and right the work.
I filled in these questions in order to move onto the next stage.
I answered these from my perspective as a Sales Assistant at Newlook, therefore my retail experience was very high, having worked for the company for 3 ½ years.
I received feedback from the first set of questions which says that there was a great match between me and the criteria for a Sales Advisor for River Island, this was demonstrated in a table.
I next had to tell them more about my past experiences, and situations which I may or may not have had to handle.
This was ‘scenario’ type questions, yet there was no opportunity to elaborate of explain. I received feedback from this, then next I had to provide contact details – I would be updated of my progress via email.
I eagerly await this response.
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Friday, 30 October 2009
Sketchbook Day
Today I must arrange a suitable time and date to visit the Smile factory in Southport.
I arranged to meet Colin Williamson on the coming Wednesday, but I took his number as things change in the industry and it’s important to take this into consideration. I must consider how I will get to Southport, the transport links and the costs.
I corresponded further with Sue from the Glastonbury office who assured me that she had put Glastonbury promotions in the post today, so I should receive them shortly which is very exciting!
Today I am going to be scouring Preston high street for different Wellington boots, analysing the prices and looking for a suitable brand from Glastonbury to collaborate with. I will note the competitors what I have no yet considered. I must then put these in sketchbook format.
What I achieved:
Today I have been working on collating all of my findings so far, this included research into existing ‘decorate your wellies’ services and Wellington customisation in general. Furthermore I annotated print screens and printout from environmentally friendly companies, ‘how can I recycle this?’ forum discussions, current services, Wedge Wellies, a case study: A Welly Good Idea and analysis of my PowerPoint slides.
Next I must research further into potential brands which would support my concept and product line.
I arranged to meet Colin Williamson on the coming Wednesday, but I took his number as things change in the industry and it’s important to take this into consideration. I must consider how I will get to Southport, the transport links and the costs.
I corresponded further with Sue from the Glastonbury office who assured me that she had put Glastonbury promotions in the post today, so I should receive them shortly which is very exciting!
Today I am going to be scouring Preston high street for different Wellington boots, analysing the prices and looking for a suitable brand from Glastonbury to collaborate with. I will note the competitors what I have no yet considered. I must then put these in sketchbook format.
What I achieved:
Today I have been working on collating all of my findings so far, this included research into existing ‘decorate your wellies’ services and Wellington customisation in general. Furthermore I annotated print screens and printout from environmentally friendly companies, ‘how can I recycle this?’ forum discussions, current services, Wedge Wellies, a case study: A Welly Good Idea and analysis of my PowerPoint slides.
Next I must research further into potential brands which would support my concept and product line.
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Further research
Searching the net for more information:
Today I stumbled across a blog entitled ‘a welly good idea’. It was all about a second-hand welly swap idea.
The concept came from a mother in Bury St Edmunds and involved a local boutique. The blog was linked to a poem about ‘the boots that walked on landfill’, the whole campaign was launched to support ‘recycle week’, this was something I decided I must look further into.
From this one ladies blog, I was directed to another via hyperlink. This was entitled ‘The Compost Bin’, and was about a recycle fanatic ‘compost woman’, who had innovative ideas for recycling just about everything. Both intrigued and fascinated, I became a follower of ‘Compost Woman’ and ‘The Compost Bin’.
I then looked at ‘the recycle works’, a site about loving ‘your environment’.
They were selling children’s funky welllies for £10, a reduced discount from £15. This included stickers and paint pens. The promotion was clearly focussed towards a younger audience, as the language used involved ‘groovy’ and ‘funky’, very youthful expressive phrases.
A further site, Fizzpotzz parties, offered advice for decorating your own wellies, as well as a kit. It said the initial pair of Wellingtons were ‘plain’, however it did not state what colour they were, I therefore made enquiries about this.
I further looked into discussion forums, and people who would were talking about customising their own boots, to ‘stand out from the crowd’; I therefore knew that there was a market for this.
There were further decorating kits, with tips and advice. I therefore knew which paint I had to purchase in order to make this look authentic in the photo studio environment.
It seems this trend was not only being aimed at 3+, yet an article by the Royal Horticultural Society revealed that gardeners were picking up on this trend too. Fishmongers were likewise ‘doing it in their wellies’.
With regards to the ‘Wear Your Wellies Day’, as previously mentioned above. I noticed that BluePeter launched a Shoebiz appeal, this is obviously very outdated yet it gave me comfort knowing that such events took place on such a day, giving me an idea for my product launch.
Pupils were to play £1 and get to wear their Wellington boots to school, the event raised money for other, less fortunate, children.
What next?
I must collate all of this research into sketchbook format, ready for analysis.
Today I stumbled across a blog entitled ‘a welly good idea’. It was all about a second-hand welly swap idea.
The concept came from a mother in Bury St Edmunds and involved a local boutique. The blog was linked to a poem about ‘the boots that walked on landfill’, the whole campaign was launched to support ‘recycle week’, this was something I decided I must look further into.
From this one ladies blog, I was directed to another via hyperlink. This was entitled ‘The Compost Bin’, and was about a recycle fanatic ‘compost woman’, who had innovative ideas for recycling just about everything. Both intrigued and fascinated, I became a follower of ‘Compost Woman’ and ‘The Compost Bin’.
I then looked at ‘the recycle works’, a site about loving ‘your environment’.
They were selling children’s funky welllies for £10, a reduced discount from £15. This included stickers and paint pens. The promotion was clearly focussed towards a younger audience, as the language used involved ‘groovy’ and ‘funky’, very youthful expressive phrases.
A further site, Fizzpotzz parties, offered advice for decorating your own wellies, as well as a kit. It said the initial pair of Wellingtons were ‘plain’, however it did not state what colour they were, I therefore made enquiries about this.
I further looked into discussion forums, and people who would were talking about customising their own boots, to ‘stand out from the crowd’; I therefore knew that there was a market for this.
There were further decorating kits, with tips and advice. I therefore knew which paint I had to purchase in order to make this look authentic in the photo studio environment.
It seems this trend was not only being aimed at 3+, yet an article by the Royal Horticultural Society revealed that gardeners were picking up on this trend too. Fishmongers were likewise ‘doing it in their wellies’.
With regards to the ‘Wear Your Wellies Day’, as previously mentioned above. I noticed that BluePeter launched a Shoebiz appeal, this is obviously very outdated yet it gave me comfort knowing that such events took place on such a day, giving me an idea for my product launch.
Pupils were to play £1 and get to wear their Wellington boots to school, the event raised money for other, less fortunate, children.
What next?
I must collate all of this research into sketchbook format, ready for analysis.
Furthering my knowledge into 'green' products
Aims:
I must gather more information regarding the customisation of the boot.
Referring back to an old article I had analysed in my sketchbook, I had discussed www.cutouts.net. I therefore decided to revisit this site.
Achievements:
I was intrigued to discover that the company had developed massively. It had a completely new identity, the website had a new format, but the underlying principle was the same. The new identity name was ‘revolve’.
I searched different sections of the website for inspiration, including: news the ‘greenie weenies’, which actually provided me with inspiration for promotion.
I also looked at the different ‘materials’ section. The ranged from Circuit boards, juice cartons, plastic bags, and general plastics.
I read the company mission, which I learnt was not to save the planet, but to make an environmental difference, which was very plausible, considering their campaign.
It was the ‘bespoke’ section of the site which particularly intrigued me. When considering press gifts and packs, personalisation was key to create impact. I therefore enquired to graham@revolve.co.uk, whether there was anything for me in this section, briefly outlining the project.
The site also provided links to other environmentally friendly campaigns, which I found very useful.
I then decided to look down another route, previous campaigns for decorating wellies. I was overjoyed to discover one from Children’s Hospice, South West, who provided hints and tips on how to decorate your wellies, for Wear Your Wellies Day. This particularly inspired me, as – up until this point – I was completely oblivious that such a thing as ‘wear your wellies day’ existed.
I must gather more information regarding the customisation of the boot.
Referring back to an old article I had analysed in my sketchbook, I had discussed www.cutouts.net. I therefore decided to revisit this site.
Achievements:
I was intrigued to discover that the company had developed massively. It had a completely new identity, the website had a new format, but the underlying principle was the same. The new identity name was ‘revolve’.
I searched different sections of the website for inspiration, including: news the ‘greenie weenies’, which actually provided me with inspiration for promotion.
I also looked at the different ‘materials’ section. The ranged from Circuit boards, juice cartons, plastic bags, and general plastics.
I read the company mission, which I learnt was not to save the planet, but to make an environmental difference, which was very plausible, considering their campaign.
It was the ‘bespoke’ section of the site which particularly intrigued me. When considering press gifts and packs, personalisation was key to create impact. I therefore enquired to graham@revolve.co.uk, whether there was anything for me in this section, briefly outlining the project.
The site also provided links to other environmentally friendly campaigns, which I found very useful.
I then decided to look down another route, previous campaigns for decorating wellies. I was overjoyed to discover one from Children’s Hospice, South West, who provided hints and tips on how to decorate your wellies, for Wear Your Wellies Day. This particularly inspired me, as – up until this point – I was completely oblivious that such a thing as ‘wear your wellies day’ existed.
Developing a concept based on my SWOT analysis
I felt that, as I had acknowledged a flaw in my product – the fact that if it is muddy you will not be able to write on the boots, I should not only look into developing a solution, but look to develop an alternative.
I therefore thought that, if the Wellingtons were designed with signatures etc BEFORE the event, this would eradicate the problem, however this defeats the whole object of getting festival friends to sign the boots.
I therefore began to look into projects and companies who do such things with Wellington boots, or who provide such a service, and thought of ways I could manipulate this to my advantage.
My aims yesterday were to gain a substantial number of articles / stories revolving around this theme.
Below I have documented my achievements:
I looked into a company called ‘Wedge Welly’. This is a family orientated company who design Wellington with a wedge, and aim the boot specifically at festival-goers.
They are constantly looking for new ideas, I therefore sent my proposal over to them for approval/disapproval.
I had a reply from Mike at the family, saying he would discuss it when the trio were reunited on Friday and get back to me, so fingers crossed he considers it has potential to be developed.
I became a ‘follower’ of this company of Blogspot, and also joined the Facebook group, to be kept up to date with any of the companies developments.
I then came across a discussion forum on a site about ‘How Can I Recycle This?’ One lady had put up a post about ‘how can I reuse of recycle … old wellies?’
She stated that Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eaves hates all of the wellies being ditched. I was unaware of this perspective, but it actually grounded my proposal even further, especially with regards to the festival endorsement.
I posted my proposal on the site, and read other peoples comment ideas and perspectives.
I then accidentally stumbled across an ‘information inspiration’ site, in which an article talked about Dunlop recycled Wellington boots. The boots are made from polyurethane, PVC and rubber. The latter is a natural resource, but the former is not. The PVC also has a range of issues associated with it.
Dunlop offer a service which I found interesting. They ‘take back’ old Wellingtons from customers who send them through the post, the boots are ground down and manufactured into new boots. Perhaps Dunlop is a brand I could take onboard…
I visited their website, however, and could find no further knowledge of this. I then read on a blog that this system was no longer in place.
What next?
I must continue to look into the same strategies employed above, working how to target them at my specific demographic.
I therefore thought that, if the Wellingtons were designed with signatures etc BEFORE the event, this would eradicate the problem, however this defeats the whole object of getting festival friends to sign the boots.
I therefore began to look into projects and companies who do such things with Wellington boots, or who provide such a service, and thought of ways I could manipulate this to my advantage.
My aims yesterday were to gain a substantial number of articles / stories revolving around this theme.
Below I have documented my achievements:
I looked into a company called ‘Wedge Welly’. This is a family orientated company who design Wellington with a wedge, and aim the boot specifically at festival-goers.
They are constantly looking for new ideas, I therefore sent my proposal over to them for approval/disapproval.
I had a reply from Mike at the family, saying he would discuss it when the trio were reunited on Friday and get back to me, so fingers crossed he considers it has potential to be developed.
I became a ‘follower’ of this company of Blogspot, and also joined the Facebook group, to be kept up to date with any of the companies developments.
I then came across a discussion forum on a site about ‘How Can I Recycle This?’ One lady had put up a post about ‘how can I reuse of recycle … old wellies?’
She stated that Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eaves hates all of the wellies being ditched. I was unaware of this perspective, but it actually grounded my proposal even further, especially with regards to the festival endorsement.
I posted my proposal on the site, and read other peoples comment ideas and perspectives.
I then accidentally stumbled across an ‘information inspiration’ site, in which an article talked about Dunlop recycled Wellington boots. The boots are made from polyurethane, PVC and rubber. The latter is a natural resource, but the former is not. The PVC also has a range of issues associated with it.
Dunlop offer a service which I found interesting. They ‘take back’ old Wellingtons from customers who send them through the post, the boots are ground down and manufactured into new boots. Perhaps Dunlop is a brand I could take onboard…
I visited their website, however, and could find no further knowledge of this. I then read on a blog that this system was no longer in place.
What next?
I must continue to look into the same strategies employed above, working how to target them at my specific demographic.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Presentation day
Achievements since my last update:
Since I last updated the blog, I have presented to my peers. The presentation was very well received and feedback was good, however Paz expressed concern over the choice Brand I was assigning the product to. I therefore considered other options. The one which initially came to mind was Topshop. This is because this brand really breaks the barriers with regards to introducing new product lines.
Another issue Paz raised was one surrounding the 20% discount. This was thought of as unnecessary, which I had previously discovered.
I must make further progress on my sketchbook today. I must do this by putting in all of my development work to date.
I have many developmental stages from the website which need printing. Also web conversations which need annotating and samples to be included.
I have a print out of my presentation, which I will annotate so I can see where I have used specific theories etc, and how effective these have been with regards to my forms of promotion.
I have also been conversing with Dick from Glastobury and am awaiting the glastonbury wrist band to arrive.
What next?
After I have got my progress up to date with regards to sketchbook development I must refer to the instructions for this project to see what must be submitted and how long I have to complete this.
Since I last updated the blog, I have presented to my peers. The presentation was very well received and feedback was good, however Paz expressed concern over the choice Brand I was assigning the product to. I therefore considered other options. The one which initially came to mind was Topshop. This is because this brand really breaks the barriers with regards to introducing new product lines.
Another issue Paz raised was one surrounding the 20% discount. This was thought of as unnecessary, which I had previously discovered.
I must make further progress on my sketchbook today. I must do this by putting in all of my development work to date.
I have many developmental stages from the website which need printing. Also web conversations which need annotating and samples to be included.
I have a print out of my presentation, which I will annotate so I can see where I have used specific theories etc, and how effective these have been with regards to my forms of promotion.
I have also been conversing with Dick from Glastobury and am awaiting the glastonbury wrist band to arrive.
What next?
After I have got my progress up to date with regards to sketchbook development I must refer to the instructions for this project to see what must be submitted and how long I have to complete this.
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Conversing with Smile Plastics (2)
Below is how the rest of the conversation with Smile Plastics mapped out:
-----Original Message-----From: Catherine Wilkinson [mailto:catherinewilkinson@rocketmail.com]Sent: 23 October 2009 20:02To: sales@smile-plastics.co.uk;cjw@smile-plastics.co.ukSubject: Second attempt :)
I am currently completing a project about the WellingtonBoot, It's been difficult to get support,
perhaps I should have gone down another route?
But then, all of a sudden, and thanks to the Google search,I discover Smile Plastics,and hope I'm no longer in the lurch. I am presenting to my peers on Wednesday, It's a bit like Dragons Den; you see, I've designed this product, put simply - it's a Wellington with a pen.
I'm dressing as an outlandish hippy to promote my festival wader,
I have to put on a 'groovy' show to get the listeners on my radar!I intend to start the presentationby referring to my tutor as 'dude',I hope he doesn't take offence,I hope he doesn't think it rude. I will then conduct a PowerPoint about my new creation,
A keepsake Wellington boot, which I hope will rock the nation.
But, alas, there I am, with the PowerPoint on the screen, Mind goes blank, I look down to my hands but NOTHING can be seen. What I am trying to ask, in a rather longwinded way, Is if I could please have some samples of your 'Recycled Plastic Sheet', 15cm x 10cm - or there around to my requirements this would meet.I look forward to hearing from you, thank you in anticipation, and I assure you,
that with your inputthe presentationwill beasensation Peace outCatherine Wilkinson
--- On Sat, 24/10/09, Colin Williamson <cjw@smile-plastics.co.uk> wrote:
From: Colin Williamson <cjw@smile-plastics.co.uk>Subject: RE: Second attempt :)To: "'Catherine Wilkinson'" catherinewilkinson@rocketmail.com>Date: Saturday, 24 October, 2009, 9:35 AMHi Fashionista CatherineThankyou for your poem. I think anybody who tries torhyme 'radar' with wader' deserves a first (you're not reading English though are you ? )And how could I refuse anyone with the same initials asmine.But CW You have made my generosity impossible to put into practice cos you haven't given me an address and also the post strike at the moment means that the chances of it getting to you by Wednesday are zero. You could download a few images off my website I guess, and use thoseOr you visit me here in Shrewsbury and you would not gohome empty handed
I await your next epistle with nervous anticipation.CheersColin
P.s. your tutor will be incredibly flattered to be referred to as 'dude'
-----Original Message-----From: Catherine Wilkinson [mailto:catherinewilkinson@rocketmail.com] Sent: 24 October 2009 10:56To: Colin WilliamsonSubject: RE: Second attempt :)
It's a good job that my project doesn't revolve around orange, otherwise all of this would be incredibly difficult!Please see below, your eagerly awaited response ...
Google helped me find you, so I refer to Google Maps,
Type in ‘Shrewbury’then ‘Preston’
And my idea seems to collapse.
The distance between us is alas too far and wide,
2 hours and 6 minutes,
so it seems in Preston I’ll reside.
But not all is lost,
As in this project there are so many stages,
Including a developmental sketchbook which has so many pages.
The samples could be used to show my thought process,
Pretending it’s coherent
Even if it is a mess
Later on in the project, When I work on my promotion
I could use the samples then
When the post service is in motion…
I have been conscious this time, not to digress
So please could you send some samples
To the following address:
78B Trinity Student village
Preston
Lancashire
PR1 2HF
May I also enquire, along my new line of thought
And with the previous idea, which I had to abort,
What is the largest size sample you are willing to send out?
Any way dude – 'see ya about'
Fashionista Catherine :)
The reply:
I drove through bloody Preston yesterday ! I curse only because of the monumental queues between Preston and the M6 going North, took me nearly an hour to get to the M6 from bloody Preston.
Anyway the good news is that the postal strike is now over and I can put a small sample in the post today and maybe you will get it.
If you wanted to drive to Southport, they have a sample there of wellie boot but it is about 9x9cm - in fact it is a coaster, if you told them that Colin said it was ok then I am sure they would give you one.
So, no more poems, I must insist
Although they will be sorely missed.
They're really not your well honed skill
Although I think they're oddly brill
Catherine, you'll be a fashion guru
Forget old Blahnik, forget older Choo
Vogue's front cover next September
An image that we'll all remember
Catherine's wellies for the world to see
And I can say, "she used to write poetreee"
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH
Colin Williamson
Smile Plastics Ltd
Rufford Road
Southport
PR9 8LA
www.smile-plastics.co.uk
What next?
I will keep checking the post regularly to see if the plastic arrives, as of yet it hasn't. The presentation is tomorrow. I am waiting for a Glastonbury wristband to arrive too - which I hope will enhance my presentation.
-----Original Message-----From: Catherine Wilkinson [mailto:catherinewilkinson@rocketmail.com]Sent: 23 October 2009 20:02To: sales@smile-plastics.co.uk;cjw@smile-plastics.co.ukSubject: Second attempt :)
I am currently completing a project about the WellingtonBoot, It's been difficult to get support,
perhaps I should have gone down another route?
But then, all of a sudden, and thanks to the Google search,I discover Smile Plastics,and hope I'm no longer in the lurch. I am presenting to my peers on Wednesday, It's a bit like Dragons Den; you see, I've designed this product, put simply - it's a Wellington with a pen.
I'm dressing as an outlandish hippy to promote my festival wader,
I have to put on a 'groovy' show to get the listeners on my radar!I intend to start the presentationby referring to my tutor as 'dude',I hope he doesn't take offence,I hope he doesn't think it rude. I will then conduct a PowerPoint about my new creation,
A keepsake Wellington boot, which I hope will rock the nation.
But, alas, there I am, with the PowerPoint on the screen, Mind goes blank, I look down to my hands but NOTHING can be seen. What I am trying to ask, in a rather longwinded way, Is if I could please have some samples of your 'Recycled Plastic Sheet', 15cm x 10cm - or there around to my requirements this would meet.I look forward to hearing from you, thank you in anticipation, and I assure you,
that with your inputthe presentationwill beasensation Peace outCatherine Wilkinson
--- On Sat, 24/10/09, Colin Williamson <cjw@smile-plastics.co.uk> wrote:
From: Colin Williamson <cjw@smile-plastics.co.uk>Subject: RE: Second attempt :)To: "'Catherine Wilkinson'" catherinewilkinson@rocketmail.com>Date: Saturday, 24 October, 2009, 9:35 AMHi Fashionista CatherineThankyou for your poem. I think anybody who tries torhyme 'radar' with wader' deserves a first (you're not reading English though are you ? )And how could I refuse anyone with the same initials asmine.But CW You have made my generosity impossible to put into practice cos you haven't given me an address and also the post strike at the moment means that the chances of it getting to you by Wednesday are zero. You could download a few images off my website I guess, and use thoseOr you visit me here in Shrewsbury and you would not gohome empty handed
I await your next epistle with nervous anticipation.CheersColin
P.s. your tutor will be incredibly flattered to be referred to as 'dude'
-----Original Message-----From: Catherine Wilkinson [mailto:catherinewilkinson@rocketmail.com] Sent: 24 October 2009 10:56To: Colin WilliamsonSubject: RE: Second attempt :)
It's a good job that my project doesn't revolve around orange, otherwise all of this would be incredibly difficult!Please see below, your eagerly awaited response ...
Google helped me find you, so I refer to Google Maps,
Type in ‘Shrewbury’then ‘Preston’
And my idea seems to collapse.
The distance between us is alas too far and wide,
2 hours and 6 minutes,
so it seems in Preston I’ll reside.
But not all is lost,
As in this project there are so many stages,
Including a developmental sketchbook which has so many pages.
The samples could be used to show my thought process,
Pretending it’s coherent
Even if it is a mess
Later on in the project, When I work on my promotion
I could use the samples then
When the post service is in motion…
I have been conscious this time, not to digress
So please could you send some samples
To the following address:
78B Trinity Student village
Preston
Lancashire
PR1 2HF
May I also enquire, along my new line of thought
And with the previous idea, which I had to abort,
What is the largest size sample you are willing to send out?
Any way dude – 'see ya about'
Fashionista Catherine :)
The reply:
I drove through bloody Preston yesterday ! I curse only because of the monumental queues between Preston and the M6 going North, took me nearly an hour to get to the M6 from bloody Preston.
Anyway the good news is that the postal strike is now over and I can put a small sample in the post today and maybe you will get it.
If you wanted to drive to Southport, they have a sample there of wellie boot but it is about 9x9cm - in fact it is a coaster, if you told them that Colin said it was ok then I am sure they would give you one.
So, no more poems, I must insist
Although they will be sorely missed.
They're really not your well honed skill
Although I think they're oddly brill
Catherine, you'll be a fashion guru
Forget old Blahnik, forget older Choo
Vogue's front cover next September
An image that we'll all remember
Catherine's wellies for the world to see
And I can say, "she used to write poetreee"
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH
Colin Williamson
Smile Plastics Ltd
Rufford Road
Southport
PR9 8LA
www.smile-plastics.co.uk
What next?
I will keep checking the post regularly to see if the plastic arrives, as of yet it hasn't. The presentation is tomorrow. I am waiting for a Glastonbury wristband to arrive too - which I hope will enhance my presentation.
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