MANSUR GAVRIEL

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

Mansur Gavriel is a women's low-key luxury handbag

brand founded by two women in 2012 through sharing
the same passion on leather. Soon, they developed the
concept of the brand to present the Italian vegetable leather
of the bags to show the aging beauty of the leather and
how it compliments the bag in the utmost effortless way.

Singapore consumers are big spenders on luxury goods

and the country has a positive economic outlook for the
business to sustain in this country. Research also shows
the concentrated use of mobile and social media network in
Singapore denotes more opportunity for the business to head
towards marketing to Singapore consumers in this direction.

The main challenge faced by Mansur Gavriel in the Singapore

market is the lack of acknowledgement from consumers
given its poor accessibility, limited designs and being a new
entrant to the market as well as facing the problem of imitation
products. Mansur Gavriel have little to no form of physical
point of contact or advertising to compete with Singapore
and international well established brands to target its niche
marketing and sustaining customer's interest in the designs.

Nevertheless, the increasing support of the

Singapore government towards local and uprising
enterprises poses a threat to Mansur Gavriel,
increasing the competition in the marketplace.

The strength of the brand are their attention to details

and product quality at a contemporary price points which
further brings on opportunities for the brand to develop
future collaborations, special edition products and even
establishing their very own flagship store. However, Mansur
Gavriel are relatively weak in their advertising, branding and
product supply to meet with demands from the long waitlist
of eager customers, this causes them to face threats of knockoffs, emerging brands and third party resellers that affect
consumer's preferences to opt for other alternative brands.
After further analysis, it is an ideal opportunity for Mansur
Gavriel to penetrate into the Singapore market given the

Primary researches are carried out to obtain responses

from Singapore consumers as well as an experienced
Singapore buyer regarding consumer's buying
behaviour and their perception of the brand which
led to the results of finding out Singapore consumers
are most concerned about the quality of products and
would be interested in Mansur Gavriel's products.
Given the low awareness of the brand, Mansur Gavriel will be
having its debut in Singapore through a pop-up store alongside
a collaboration fashion show with WWF to generate positive
brand image and word of mouth among Singapore consumers.
Besides that, Mansur Gavriel will be launching an official
native app to ease the customer's shopping experience onthe-go and forge a sense of community amongst its shoppers.

CONTENT

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
04 INTRODUCTION TO HANDBAGS

17 MARKET POSITIONING

HISTORY OF HANDBAGS

05 MARKET TRENDS

14 - 16 COMPETITOR COMPARISION

KEY PLAYERS

COMPANY PROFILE
06 ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
07 ABOUT THE BRAND

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

MARKETING PROBLEM
DIAGNOSTICS
18 RESEARCH PROBLEMS
SUB-PROBLEMS
HYPOTHESIS
ASSUMPTIONS
LIMITATIONS

19 METHODOLOGY
20 - 22 KEY FINDINGS

08 - 10 DIRECT COMPETITORS
23 SUMMARY OF RESULTS
11 - 13 INDIRECT COMPETITORS

24 - 25 SWOT
26 - 27 PEST

MARKETING STRATEGY
PROPOSAL
28 - 29 NEW TARGET MARKET

NEW MARKETING MIX

APPENDIX
32 - 43 DESIGN BRIEFS
44 - 49 TRANSCIPTS
50 -53 BIBLIOGRAPHY

REPORT BY
AMANDA WONG
YEE LING
STUDENT ID :
013FM714
LECTURER :
MISS ANISA

MANSUR GAVRIEL

INDUSTRY
ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION TO HANDBAGS
INDUSTRY
As of 2013, handbags global value sales have nearly reached $50 billion.
Handbags are a key category for luxury players in the fashion marketplace.
The following years after 1998, handbags became a dominant in the leather
goods industry, showing a CAGR of about 10% p.a. It has been one of the
fastest developing categories in the luxury market in the past 10 years.
Handbags are largely immune from mix and match, serving as dominant
piece instead of a complimentary piece of fashion product. According to
the LVMH, handbags offers a great opportunity for brands to differentiate
themselves from competitors in the form of shapes, textures, logo and metal
components of the bags.By using Italian and French exports as a proxy,
handbags sales posted CAGR of about 22% for Russia, 26% for China and
46% for India. Handbags have revealed to be the fastest growing category
in luxury goods. The global market value forecast for 2016 fashion market
will have a value of $2,155.1 billion, an increase of 21.2% from 2011.

HISTORY OF HANDBAGS
Handbags were introduced to mankind in the 14th century where women
would use handbags to carry money because pockets were not invented then.
Later in that century, bags have quickly became a status oriented accessories
carried by women to show prestigious status through handbag adornments.
Bags then evolved to become wedding gifts, body fresheners and to hold food.
It is during the Victorian era, more styles and fabrics were introduced due to the
advancement of technology to make bags. The term handbag was developed
in the 19th century. During early 1900s, handbags were made from leather to
be used by both women and men as shopping bags for the ladies and briefcases
for the mens. In 1930, shoulder bags, watches, clasp bags and clutches made
their way into mainstream fashion. The bags were a form of art in conjunction
of the Art Deco movement, which emphasized abstraction and new industrial
materials, such as plastics and zippers. After World War II, economic prosperity
propelled and handbags rose to become an iconic status and this is where
design houses emerged, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermes. The
handbag industry grew extensively from then and it is still growing until today.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

LUXURY MARKET TRENDS

IN SINGAPORE
Singapore luxury market has displayed a strong
growth over the years as luxury goods have become
an integral part of Singapore lifestyles. Although
Singapore was affected by the euro crises, the domestic luxury goods market has however showed
resilience with a significant growth of 13.8%
CAGR from 2007 to 2012. Designer apparels
accounted for 26% of the Singapore luxury goods
market.Some of the important factors fueled the
growth of luxury goods market such as, increased
of gross domestic production, inclining income
levels, growing population of upper middle class
people, urbanization upsurge, shifting social attitudes towards display of wealth and others. Apart
from that, Singapore being an international free
port resulted in the increase of luxury products
sales over the years. This results in a higher spendings by tourists in Singapore in comparison to its
neighboring countries. Many premium international brands are looking forward to expand their
investments and presence in Singapore. Singa-

pore is female orientated when it comes to fashion

conscious demographic according to Euromonitors report. Singapore women are able to spend
more of their average annual per capital income
of over US$20,000 in 2013 on personal appearance. Women of age 25-44 year old are the dominant market segment in womens fashion in Singapore, making it ideal for fashion brands to target
young working adults. The climate and consumer
attitude determine the nature of fashion demand
in Singapore. The 3 most important components
of fashion in Singapore are jewelry, outerwear and
handbags according to the report. Female Singapore consumers are willing to trade up given the
variety of price points and brands to attain exclusivity and quality products. In 2013, the report
reveals that selective store openings, the use of
sponsorships, online engagements and retail partnerships appeal the most to Singapore consumers.

NOTABLE SHIFT IN THE

LUXURY ACCESSORIES
MARKET DEMAND

KEY PLAYERS
Studies show that a majority of Singapore
consumers still uses luxury goods to
reflect their status and prefer conspicuous,
heritage brands as a priority. However,
there was a notable shift in the luxury
accessories market, especially handbags,
with consumers increasingly demand
for understated luxury rather than bags
with heavily monogrammed brand logos.
This is due to the rising sophistication in
consumers preferences to seek for brands
that differentiate themselves from the rest.
Euromonitor shows that the luxury market
in Singapore is highly concentrated as of
2013. The more affordable luxury brands,

Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Gucci,

Burberry and Prada still contributed to
most of the sales of luxury accessories due
to the consumer familiarity with the brads.
On the other hand, affluent consumers
are investing in higher end luxury such
as Chanel and Hermes that represents
exclusivity, ultimate status and supreme
product quality. The shift of consumers
preference to understated luxury benefitted
brands such as Bottega Veneta. As of 2013,
luxury brands boutiques are accounted for
the mass sales of luxury goods. The high
unit price luxury goods allows consumers
to touch and feel the product physically

at the boutique before committing a

purchase. Therefore, luxury brand players
focus on creating the luxurious shopping
environment to further attract consumers
interest to indulge in the whole shopping
experience. Besides that, online retailing
gained share in 2013. Private shopping
clubs such as Reebonz, offers attractive
discounts and installments plans to recruit
a strong customer following. However,
the products authentic still continues to
be the main concern of many consumers
when purchasing online.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

COMPANY
PROFILE

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS

Mansur Gavriel started in April 2012 named after and founded by two innovative women, Rachel Mansur
and Floriana Gavriel. Rachel Mansur graduated from Rhode Island School of Design for textile and has
a passion for art. She went on pursuing her career in the art direction but ended up working several odd
jobs, including dying dresses until the point where she started working for a start-up website and found
her interest in business. As for Floriana Gavriel, she is a fashion design graduate herself, worked for Zac
Posen as a stylist at New York and consecutively at Lanvin as a fashion designer. The duo met at a concert
in 2010 and found out that they share a common interest in everything simple, clean but strong. They also
realized how both of them admire Italian leather. Then, they went about to develop bags of their own. Bags
that of clean cuts and beautiful stitches and of course, are made out from quality Italian leather. Due to
the two are staying in different places, Rachel in Los Angeles and Floriana in Berlin, they communicated
through email and made things work. In 2012, the cofounders met up in New York and started sourcing. Through many perseverance, they found an Italy company that specializes in have different color
coated leather. Even though it is much cost effective to have the manufacturing in China, the duo considered the carbon footprint in shipping the bags from China to Italy for the post-assemblage process, it
is better to produce everything in the same place, Italy. In June 2014, they launched their first ever collection. They emailed buyers with images of the bags and went of trade shows and secured their accounts.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

ABOUT THE
BRAND

ansur Gavriel started up with

two style of bags, a drawstring
Bucket Bag in Fiamma Bucket
Bag in Brandy bucket bag and a horizontal
tote. Both of the bags have a unique trait
that represents the brand, which is the
contrasted but complimentary colored
interiors. The bags are all designed
with clean stitches with minimal to no
hardware to compliment to bag, beside
the discreet tiny gold brand lettering.
The starting off price of the bags were
$495 for the bucket bags and $485
for the horizontal tote bags, it is of a
contemporary price point for a staple
bag. The bags were quickly caught on
bloggers, editors, street style stars as
well as celebrities, such as, Kristen Dunst,
Emma Watson and Miranda Kerr. The
fathom of the bags escalated with 100
percent sell through rate every time the
bag hit stores, even with the popular
stockists,
including
NetaPorter,
Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Colette,
Opening Ceremony and many more. s.
Besides that, Mansur Cavriel also created
another phenomenal bag, which is the
coated leather backpack in the Fall/
Winter 2014 collection. The initial styles of
the bags had a natural hues ranging from
brown and black and quickly expanded
to more colors to meet with the demands
and style preferences. The interior colors
grew from red and blue to metallic silver,
gold and other vivid colors. The prices of
their products are priced from $460 to
$950. The company is able to find success
in targeting women who want lowkey
luxury in bags.

VISION

Starting with a beautiful material and letting the essence of that be

the predominant design element.
(Rachel Mansur. 2013, Personal interview with Steven Alan)
MISSION

To create something that will be beautiful now and beautiful ten

years later, at a contemporary price point.
(Rachel Mansur. 2013, Personal interview with Nylon Magazine)
USP

The main concept of the brand is to be all about the material,

mainly Italian vegetable tanned leather and how the material itself
compliments the shape and form of the bags.

BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

BUSINESS MODEL

The idea of designing bags come

of the designers themselves that
are constantly seeking for the right
bag, something that is simple but
definitely a staple. The cofounders
think that it is almost impossible to
find an IT bag that are not $1500 and
above. That fueled their passion in
creating something that everyone
would and now love and afford. The
designers revealed that they are not
interested in keeping up with the
trends but to just have make their
products the right way.

The cofounders are high on quality

controlling their designs. The brand
currently works with only one factory in
Italy for manufacturing and production. The
company is still still in process of expanding
their from their six full time employees
based in NYC. Due to its growing fan base,
the company has the luxury of saying no, to
some wholesale orders so that the quality
of their bags would not diminish. Up till
today, the privately owned company have
launched their very own online retail, www.
mansurgavriel.com on June 2014 that allows
customer to customize the interior color of
the brand on their twotoned bags.

PRIMARY TARGET MARKET

Mansur Gavriel targets

women primarily of aged
25 - 34.
Middle to upper
middle class
Quality concerned

Minimalist
Seeks for timelessness
Appreciates versatility
Moderate spending power on luxury
goods

SECONDARY TARGET MARKET

Mansur Gavriel has a

secondary target market of
women aged 25 and below.
Socialite/bloggers
Actively pursuing

fashion trends
Has a personal income
or strong family
background
Fashion Enthusiasts

MANSUR GAVRIEL

COMPETITOR
ANALYSIS
BEING THE NEW PLAYER IN THE INDUSTRY, MANSUR
GAVRIEL THE BRAND ITSELF ARE PUT AGAINST DIFFERENT
COMPETITORS IN THE FASHION MARKETPLACE. BESIDES
THAT, BEING A NICHE BRAND, MANSUR GAVRIEL HAVE
GAINED

EXCEPTIONAL

POPULARITY

ACROSS

THE

COUNTRIES AND OF COURSE, IN SINGAPORE AS WELL.

SINGAPORE AS A WELL ESTABLISHED AND FAST PACED
ADAPTIVE COUNTRY, SINGAPORE CONSUMERS CONSIST
OF THOSE WHO HAVE BRANDS THAT THEY STAY LOYAL
TO AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL ACTIVELY SEEKING FOR
THE BRAND THAT APPEALS TO THEM THE MOST. THESE
BRANDS ARE DEEMED TO BE COMPETITORS OF MANSUR
GAVRIEL IN TERMS OF AESTHETICS RESEMBLANCE
OR MARKET SHARE IN SINGAPORE. COMPETITORS OF
MANSUR GAVRIEL IS CATEGORIZED INTO TWO, NAMELY,
ITS DIRECT COMPETITORS AND INDIRECT COMPETITORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DIRECT
COMPETITOR

Status anxiety was founded in 2005 from

Sydney, Australia. Status Anxiety is named
to mock the unquenchable desire of the
society to show status, especially though
fashion products .Their brand aesthetic is
to show simplicity and durability in designs
through premium leather ranging from
high grade Italian, French and New Zealand
leather. Status Anxiety is available online and
in stores through retail stockists. The official
website of Status Anxiety is statusanxiety.
com.au which is based in Australia but still
take on international orders and shipping.
Their products can be found in over 400
fashion boutiques internationally. Status
Anxiety claims that their appeal might
be broad, but are not for the masses
shows that they facilitating towards a
niche market instead of the mainstream.

VISION
To create an aspirational cult regardless of status that priorities functionality
and the simplest form of design without the need for lavish branding.
MISSION
Creating timeless and classic pieces with the best quality and durability at
reasonable prices.
USP
Embodying individuality and encourage personal expression through staple
products made from the finest quality.

TARGET MARKET

Female & Male aged 20 35 years old.

Working class
Artists / Avid Traveller
Non-conformist
Not trend followers
Prefers practically
Function over style
Urban llifestyle
Organized
Wants to make sure
they are getting their

moneys worth when

they make a purchase
Individualistic/
unconventional
Seeks for luxurious
quality without
concerning brand
names
Enjoys quiet gathering
& coffee with friends
alike

MANSUR GAVRIEL

10

DIRECT
COMPETITOR

Founded in 2011, Building Blocks is an L.A.

based design studio producing fashion
accessories. The brand is founded by
two sisters, Nancy and Kimberly Wu. The
two sisters started off working corporate
design jobs, Nancy in Nike and Kimberly at
Honda. The two grew tired and opted to
do something more creative and more for
their personal interest. It was Kimberly who
started collecting materials and making
her own bags and blogging about it. It then
quickly gained interest from friends and
avid readers that requested to get the bags
for themselves. The two sisters then quit
their day jobs and joined forces together in
an L.A. studio. The both of them are tired
of fast fashion and trends that flashes by
so quickly and decided that basic is what
works best. Their designs came mainly from
themselves, by designing what they would
like, personally, and suites their needs. The
concept of their designs is to strip down
everything to the very basic form of it,
hence the name Building Blocks, like how
shapes slowly build up to something entirely
different. For instances, a duffle bag would
have the shape of a cylinder and a briefcase
would have the shape of a rectangle. Their
products are made available through
stockists in 10 countries and also their
official e-commerce, building--blocks. com.

VISION
To clear away conventional standards of luxury by magnifying what is essential and editing out excess.
MISSION
To create fashion accessories that focuses on the idea of simple utilitarian
materials, shapes and forms.
USP
Encompassing the philosophy of starting from the square one and finding
inspiration from there.

TARGET MARKET

Female consumer from

age 20 - 35 years old.
Working class
Art student /
Photographer
Independent-minded
Prefers function over
style
Organized
Minimalist
Metropolitan lifestyle
Opt for things that are

light and easy to carry

Appreciates structures
and forms
Effortless and clean
lifestyle
Unbiased in making
purchase decisions
Enjoy the simple
pleasures in life
Takes pleasure in
reading and blogging

MANSUR GAVRIEL

11

INDIRECT
COMPETITOR

VISION
To remain the consistency of the brands timeless image.
MISSION
To provide luxury and versatile fashion goods that are offering value for
money.
USP
Versatility and functionality of the leather goods.

TARGET MARKET

Male & Female age group

ranging from 18 - 40 years
old.
Working class /
Student
Traveller
Prefers versatility
Demand for value for
money
Opt for things that are
light, easy to carry and
store

Goes for timeless and

effortless pieces
Prefers to shop for
things that are easily
accessible
Conformist
Urban lifestyle
Active and fast-paced
lifestyle
Spends most of the
time traveling or
working

Longchamp is a classic fashion accessories

powerhouse that started in 1948 by
Jean Cassegrain and now owned by his
son, Philippe Cassegrain. Longchamps
production capital is based in France by
using leather sourced from France, Italy
and Uruguay. Longchamp capitalizes on
affordable luxury fashion market and
have value of approximately 1.1billion
Euros according to Forbes. As of 2012,
Longchamps sales were 454 million Euros,
an increase of nearly 75% sales from the
year 2009. According to French newspaper
La Croix, only 30% of Longchamps revenue
comes from its home country of France. An
additional 30% is from the rest of Europe,
the Middle East, and Africa, with 25% in Asia
and 15% in America. The revenue growth of
Longchamp comes from their persistency
to sticking to their affordable prices and
expanding store locations. In 1993, the
infamous Le Pliage foldable bags become
the most popular line of Longchamp bags
until today. Longchamps official storefront
is made available in over 80 countries,
online through its official e-store in
select countries and in department stores

MANSUR GAVRIEL

12

INDIRECT
COMPETITOR

COS, meaning Collection Of Style is a brand

under the H&M group launched in the year
2007. COS offers more classic designs and
higher end materials adding to the H&M
retail mix to compete with higher-end
retail, like Zara. There are currently 75 COS
stores worldwide as of 2013 and it is still
expanding to 40 more storefronts in the
coming years. The expansion of COS have
fueled the companys sales by an increase of
11% compared to the previous years. In 2013,
revenue generated rose to 32 billion kronor,
which is an increase of 22% profile. The sister
line also aids to target a more mature market
to balance out H&Ms end of the market
position. COS is available in 20 countries but
only retails online in the European market.

VISION
To position the H&M Group to a higher end of the fast fashion apparel
market.
MISSION
To create minimalist, modern and understated quality basics designs without
the luxury price tag of designer
brands.
USP
Concept of style over fashion by creating fashion pieces that combines fuses
both classic and modern essences.

TARGET MARKET

Male & Female aged 25 35 years old.

Working class
Family orientated
Confident
Individualistic
Prefers simplicity and
muted colors
Modern minimalistic
lifestyle

Pays attention to
details
Seeks for high street
fashion at more
affordable prices
Urban lifestyle
Enjoys socializing over
coffee and spending
quality time with
family & friends

MANSUR GAVRIEL

13

INDIRECT
COMPETITOR

VISION
Zatchels aim and continued philosophy is to design and create high quality
leather bags and accessories in England.
( Dean Clarke. 2013, Personal interview )

MISSION
To elevate Zatchels to be known as the classic British brand, with global
recognition for the high quality and the versatility of its collections.
( Dean Clarke. 2013, Personal interview )

USP
Truly British leather accessories label, with every piece being designed and
manufactured in England using traditional manufacturing skills.
( Dean Clarke. 2013, Personal interview )

TARGET MARKET

Male & Female aged 15-30

years old.
Middle class
Professionals/students
Family oriented
Artistic
In need of practicality
Loves personalizations

Appreciates quality
and craftsmanship
Seeks for timeless
simplicity with a
modern essence
Urban lifestyle
Strong appreciation
for leather

Zatchel is modern handmade British

accessories brand founded in 2011 as a
joint venture by director Dean Clarke and
business partner, Brian Brady. The company
act a manufacturer to its own productions
on traditional leather goods that offers
fun and the latest fashion stylings in equal
measure. The classic satchels created by
Zatchel are a form of trend reboot for the
21st century. The brand has quickly grown
to become a go-to brand for leather
accessories for both men, women and kids
in a variety of colors and finishes. Zatchels
currently has an international reach through
own brands retail, wholesale and online
sales. Zatchels stockist list spans through
Japanm Philippines, Australia, Singapore,
USA, China, Canada, Russia and Europe
and often featured in Grazia, Company,
Cosmopolitan, Instyle, as well as being worn
by celebrities such as Jessie J, Alex Jones,
McFly and Eliza Doolittle. ( Zatchels, 2011 )

MANSUR GAVRIEL

14

Product

Price

Place

Promotion

(distribution to Singapore)

Mansur Gavriel

For Women Only

(selected products

Price Range: $600 $1300

mansurgavriel.com
Stockist :

Featured in
fashion magazines

customizable)

net-a-porter.com

Exclusive editions

Tote bags

ssense.com

132k followers on

Backpacks

openingceremony.us

Bucket bags

shopbird.com

Instagram
Customization

Clutches

Direct Competitors
Status Anxiety

For Men & Women

Pouches

Price Range : $50 $400

statusanxiety.com.au Promotional video

Stockist :

Wallets

The Editors Market

Sling bags

Robinsons

Duffel bags

Benjamin Barker

Backpacks

Isetan

16k followers on
Instagram

Tangs
Yacht21

Building Blocks

For Women Only

Sling bags

Price Range : $100 - buildingblocks.com Featured in art

$1500

Stockist :

Duffel bags

Club21

Tote bags

Nana & Bird

Bucket bags
Rucksacks
Wallets
Bag accessories

magazine
Artist collaborated projects

MANSUR GAVRIEL

15

Product

Price

Place

Promotion

(distribution in Singapore)

Indirect Competitors
Longchamp

For Men & Women

Price Range : $73 -

Longchamp official

(selected products

$2200

flagship stores :

& artists

customizable)

Paragon

collaborations

Womens bags

Changi Airport

Mens bags

Ion

Small leather

Marina Bay Sands

goods

Departmental stores :

Luggage and

Designers

Promotional video
campaign
104k Instagram
followers

Takashimaya

travel bags

Isetan

Tech accessories
Shoes
Ready to wear

COS

For Men & Women

Price Range : $9 -

COS official storefronts :

Promotional video

Menswear

$400

Ion

Art installation

Womenswear

Westgate

Childrenswear

collaboration
117k followers on

Accessories

Instagram

Jewelry
Shoes

Zatchels

For Men , Women and Price Range : $95 -

Online stockist

Kids

doorstepluxury.com

$500

Satchels

Departmental stores :

Tote Bags

Robinsons

Sling bags

Tangs

Backpack
Clutches
Luggage Tags
iPad Cases

Lifetime
guarantee on bags
Personalize
engravings
Special editions
Pop up stores

MANSUR GAVRIEL

COMPETITION

16

rom the analysis and comparison, both Status Anxiety and Building Blocks share a
similar aesthetic and concept as Mansur Gavriel, by promoting simplicity and quality
with affordable pricing in comparison with contemporary luxury brands but still able
to provide customers with opulent quality of worth. Mansur Gavriel has gained its popularity
through celebrities and bloggers raving about the bags and it has quickly became the IT bag in
2014. However, its exposure in Singapore still remained scarce due to its lack of promotional
advertising in Singapore and also the Asia Market. Besides that, the accessibility of the brand is
also highly limited and thus, limiting its awareness from the publics eye. As for Status Anxiety
and Building Blocks, both brands even though have little recognition, have physical products
for display and made available for purchase in Singapore and hence gaining themselves a niche
market among Singaporeans.
As for indirect competitors, Longchamp is chosen to be one of the competitors because of its
mass market share in Singapore. The brand is well known on its own and it is almost a necessity
for every woman to own one of its durable and versatile nylon bag whether if its a handbag or
a travel bag. Even though it is deemed to be a mainstream brand, everyone would still think of
it as a classic and a bag that would never go out of style. Longchamp certainly have its visible
market in Singapore. The following indirect competitor would be COS. COS has gained its
hype in Singapore with its minimal modernism storefront that attracted a lot of youngsters and
professionals to visit. Its quality and simplicity in designs have won the hearts of many shoppers
to become a frequent buyer. The reason of choosing COS as a competitor is the minimalist design
of their products and of course, their bags. Given the devotee of the brand itself, they would opt
for COSs bags when minimalism comes to mind. Besides that Zatchels is one of the indirect
competitor of Mansur Gavriel because both brands share the same prime focus of leather in their
products. Zatchels have also became one of a cult favorites by Singapore consumers which makes
the brand a competitor of Mansur Gavriel.
In conclusion, Mansur Gavriel has definitely became a staple in many style enthusiasts but have
yet to penetrate in to the Singapore market that could potential increase its recognition and sales.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

17

MARKET
POSITION
<

Price

<

<

Exclusive
distribution

<

Wide
distribution

Affordability

According to the market position graph, Mansur Gavriel is positioned to have a higher
exclusivity in comparison to the other brands because of its limited amount of production
and accessibility constraint. Besides that, its ability for customization on its website also
allows for some unique colors customization for individual customers. Mansur Gavriel
even offers exclusive designs and colors on some of its stockists. e-commerce which
are not available on Mansur Gavriels official site. The price is comparatively higher
compared to its competitors because of its expanding hype and increasing market
demands allows the company to increase the price to gain more profit. Mansur Gavriels
position in the market provides an alternative for consumers that inclined towards high
street designer brands but are looking for something at a right price with premium
quality and design.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

18

MARKETING
PROBLEM
DIAGNOSTICS

ASSUMPTIONS

RESEARCH QUESTION
How can Mansur Gavriel penetrate into
the Singapore market given its relatively
low brand recognition and create brand
presence ?

RESEARCH PROBLEM

Low awareness
New entrants to the market
Poor accessibility to brand products
Imitation products
Limited designs

SUBPROBLEMS

No official physical point of purchase

Minimal advertising
Emerging brands competition
Well established competitor brands
Targeting Niche market
Limited designs

HYPOTHESIS

Stockist provide physical first hand access to the

brand to create a brand presence
Pop up store creates awareness of the brand and
its products
By endorsing a brand ambassador, customers can
associate the brand with the said ambassador
By creating more advertising campaigns, the
brand can gain more awareness from the public
Collaborations/limited editions creates exclusivity
Developing brand image allows consumer to
know and understand the brand
Providing the ease of shopping encourages more
visits and sales from customers
Niche marketing targeted early adopters

By further segmenting the target market, the brand can

get a better appeal to their customers. Lucy Whittington,
director at Inspired Business Marketing suggests that
customer segmentation allows the company to identify
how customer spends in order for the brand to target
the marketing strategies to each customer segments and
convey respective messages specially tailored to each
segment of customers. (Marketing Donut, n.d )
By obtaining feedback from customers, the brand can
reflect and meet future demands. According to The
Business of Fashion, brands should gather first-hand
information from customers to know their purchase
behaviors and to understand the customers through
direct interaction. ( Business of Fashion, 2012 )
Pop up stores allows brands to connect with customers,
generate more sales, build awareness and test new
markets. ( thestorefront.com, 2013 )
Partnership of brands or sponsorship a charitable causes
or a significant social issue is a strategic business
move because it helps to boost brand equity, raise
brand awareness and allows the brand to differentiate
itself from its competitors. However, the motive of the
partnership has to be sincere and practiced for a long
term to harvest trust from customers. ( personadesign.
ie, 2013 )
Contactless technology succeeds in reducing frictions
from purchasing journey to encourage repeat purchases
and loyalty. Mobile wallet apps also allows retailer to
collect customers data to offer personalized deals.
( ec1capital.com,2014 )

LIMITATIONS

Being a new start up business, the company has

a relatively lower budget to carry out marketing
campaigns.
Due to the founders strict quality control and lack of
man power, the production process is tightened and
causes more time consumed to meet with the orders.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

19

METHODOLOGY
SURVEY
An online survey is carried out to collect data of
Singapore

consumers

regarding

their

purchase

behavior and the brand recognition of Mansur

Gavriel.
online,

The

online

through

surveys

were

surveyshare.com

distributed

and

handed

out to passerby shoppers outside Somerset313.

Objective: The survey is to collect quantitative results
on the respondents demographics, buying behaviors
offline and online, and their brand perception of Mansur
Gavriel. By using surveys, more consumers can be
reached through mass distribution and snowballing.

INTERVIEW
An interview session was conducted with an experienced
buyer from Robinsons through email due to the
inconvenience in meeting up face-to-face. The interview
will provide an insight to the Singapore fashion scene and
seek further opportunities for Mansur Gavriel through
the eye of the buyer of possible stockist of the brand.

KEY FINDINGS

20

MANSUR GAVRIEL

MANSUR GAVRIEL

21

22

MANSUR GAVRIEL

MANSUR GAVRIEL

23

SUMMARY
OF
RESULTS
From both the survey and interview, we can conclude that there is an
acceptance by Singapore consumers towards the brand and there is a
potential for the brand to strive in Singapore even though the current brand
awareness is fairly low. However, the distribution of the survey has introduced
the brand to some of the respondents who have not heard of the brand. The
quality of products is the main concern of consumers nowadays which is an
opportunity for Mansur Gavriel given its quality material and production.
Both sources revealed that the social media is the prime medium that they
are most exposed to and that was how they heard of the brand. This shows
the importance of social media and further marketing campaign should be
developed through this medium.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

24

SWOT
STRENGTHS

Production and materials from Italy

Use of Italian vegetable tanned leather
100% sell through rate
Bucket Bag became Lyst.com most viewed product
in 2014
Strict quality control
Contemporary price point
New entree to the market
Reputable online stockists with international
shipping
Official international e-commerce
Favorited by fashion influencers and celebrities

OPPORTUNITIES

Future collaborations
Complimentary product line
Artist endorsements
Marketing campaign
Flagship store

Special edition products

Widen target market
Prevail as a classic bag
Aggressive advertising
Strategic point of purchase
Customer loyalty
Positive brand image
Increase social media exposure

MANSUR GAVRIEL

25

WEAKNESSES

Production/manufacturing cost
Leather susceptible to scratching
Losing customers from wait listing
Unable to meet with orders
Limited manpower
New player in the market
Variety of products
Accessibility to consumers
Minimal advertising/ branding
Targeting niche market

THREATS

Emerging brands/ designers with similar aesthetics

Knock-offs
Fast changing nature of fashion/style trends
Consumer preferences
Increasing support of local designers
Taxes imposed cause price hikes in some countries
Possible recessions
Accessibility of competitors
Rising in labour cost and policy enforces
Delivery incurred defects

MANSUR GAVRIEL

26

PEST
POLITICAL

Singapore
government
agency,
International
Enterprise (IE) Singapore that aggressive promote
overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises.
( iesingapore.gov.sg, 2014 ).
The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook in 2013
has deemed Singapore to be the least bureaucratic
country in Asia making it the perfect place to set
up an operations base or business with a score
of 6.43 ranking in the second place after UAE.
Rankings were based on government interference,
attractive policies, transparency and accountability.
( Global Competitiveness Report, 2015 )
The Global Competitiveness Report 20132014
recognizes Singapore as a country with sound political
infrastructure and policy-making procedures;
leading to its ranking as the most transparent country
in Asia that enjoys a stable business environment.
( Global Competitiveness Report, 2015 )
Threat: Rising of support by government and local
consumers on local startups instead of international
brands.
Opportunity: Mansur Gavriel is able to penetrate
the Asia market through Singapores encouraging
business environment.

ECONOMIC

Singapore GDP per capita at US$60,400 is the

worlds 3rd highest (after Qatar and Luxembourg.
( sbr.com.sg, 2014 )
Opportunity: This denotes that Singapore consumers
are among the best spenders on luxury goods.
As of the 3rd quarter of 2014, Singapore overall
economy GDP at current market prices is $95,121m.
( mti.gov.sg, 2014)
Singapores economic grew by around 3.0 per
cent for the whole of 2014. Singapore economy
is expected to grow by 2.0 to 4.0 per cent in 2015.
( mti.gov.sg, 2014)
In the third quarter of 2014, the wholesale and retail
trade sector expanded by 2.0 per cent, extending
the 1.8 per cent growth in the previous quarter.
( mti.gov.sg, 2014)
Singapores current GST rate is accounted at 7% as of
2007 and onwards. ( mti.gov.sg, 2014)
As of 2014, the consumer price index increased
by 0.9 per cent compared to a year ago.
( mti.gov.sg, 2014)
Opportunitys: The growth of retail sector in Singapore
creates a favorable environment for Mansur Gavriel
to reach the retail sales floor.
Opportunity: A positive economic outlook for
Singapore that creates a higher standard of living
and thus, increasing consumer spendings.
Threat: The increase of GST and CPI indicate the
increase of cost of living which might affect the
rise in price and services, affecting the consumers
purchasing power.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

27

TECHNOLOGY

SOCIAL

Singapores total population was 5.47 million as of

June 2014. The total population grew by 1.3% from
June 2013 to June 2014, the slowest growth rate in
the last decade. ( nptd.gov.sg, 2014)
The number of citizens in the working ages of 20 to
64 years will decline from 2020 due to more citizens
retiring and fewer citizens entering the workforce.
( Population White Paper, 2013)
By 2030, the family structure in Singapore is likely
to reverse itself with more elderly members than
younger ones. By 2050, Singapore will have an
inverted population structure with more in the
older age groups than the younger age groups.
( Population White Paper, 2013)
As of 2013, Singapore has a literacy rate of 96.5%
based on the population aged 15 years and above.
(edb.gov.sg, 2014 )
With the highest number of millionaires per capita
in the world (about 1 in every 30 Singaporeans is a
dollar millionaire, and 3,870 are multimillionaires
with net worth exceeding US$30 million), Singapore
is a natural magnet for luxury. ( sbr.com.sg, 2014 )
Singapore is the key regional hub for Luxury in
ASEAN, and a top hub in Asia-Pacific, with a
market size in 2013 of 2.5 billion (ca. S$4.3 billion)
compared to the ASEAN market size of 5.5 billion.
( sbr.com.sg, 2014)
Threat: The inverted population structure causes the
decrease in the younger market that Mansur Gavriel
is targeted at.
Opportunity: The increase in literacy rate can keep
consumers to be more receptive and alert towards
new ideas and developments.
Opportunity: This implies that Singapore consumers
have a high disposable income on luxury goods.

The mobile penetration in Singapore as of 2013

is 156%, computed by the total number of mobile
subscriptions divided by the total population.
( deb.gov.sg, 2014 )
Based on IDAs annual survey, during the year
2012, 52% of internet users in Singapore are online
shoppers. ( ida.gov.sg, 2012 )
The proportion of online shoppers peaked for age 25
to 34 years old at 72%, followed by the age group 15
to 24 years old at 51%. ( ida.gov.sg, 2012 )
The primary internet activity of internet users are on
the social network based on the IDA annual survey
with the dominant age group of 15 to 24 years
old at 73% followed by 25 to 34 years old at 62%.
( ida.gov.sg, 2012 )
Singapore showed a growth of 13% since Jan
2014 in number of active social media accounts.
( wearesocial.sg, 2015 )
Web traffic on mobile phones increased by 34% for
Jan 2015 as compared to Jan 2014, meanwhile, the
page views on laptops and desktops decreased by
14%. ( wearesocial.sg, 2015 )
Opportunity: Half the amount of Singapore internet
users are online shoppers support the growth of
e-commerce business.
Opportunity: The Singapore online shoppers are
dominated by the younger age group which is the
target market of Mansur Gavriel.
Opportunity: The use social marketing will be able
to create more exposure to Singapore users.
Opportunity: Marketing strategies can be targeted
on mobile devices to create more awareness and
ease for consumers.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

28

MARKETING
STRATEGY
PROPOSAL

MANSUR GAVRIEL

29

NEW TARGET MARKET

The target market for Mansur Gavriel is 25 to 35 years old which is going to be remained for the new target market proposal because Mansur
Gavriels aesthetics appeal to this range of consumers.
Middle to upper middle class
Quality concerned
Minimalist
Seeks for timelessness
Appreciates versatility
Moderate spending power on luxury goods

Product

NEW MARKETING
MIX

The product of Mansur Gavriel remains the same because from

both the interview and surveys, participants are interested in the
products when being showed images of the bags. Besides that,
Mansur Gavriel have received nothing but positive reviews and
feedbacks from customers online.

Price
The price of Mansur Gavriel have increased after its surplus
demand, however, the price of the products are considered to be
at the right price point given the market position and the quality
of the products. The survey results constituting a majority younger
target market age, 21 to 30 years old further validated that a 53% of
them has a disposable income of S$500 - S$1000 which shares the
same price range as Mansur Gavriels price points, S$600 - S$1300
allows Mansur Gavriel to strive in the Singapore market.

Place
Mansur Gavriel will need to have a physical point of contact
because it has a relatively low brand awareness in Singapore
from the survey results, only 21% of respondents have heard
about the brand. Also, there is no local stockists of the brand in
Singapore so there is literally no physical point of contact in terms
of advertising and purchasing point between consumers and the
brand. Therefore, a brick and mortar store will be ideal to raise its
brand awareness in Singapore. However, given the company is still
relatively new, it is unlikely for the company to start up a flagship
store, thus working with a stockist in Singapore will be more ideal
to test the market and raise the consumers interest. However, the
stockist will only have limited designs and colors so customers
would have to order online for more options and for customizable
colors. The stockist will act as an advertising medium for their
frequent shoppers to gain recognition towards its products
physically and further introducing them to the brand itself.

Promotion
The promotional campaign in Singapore will be carried out through
the pop up store alongside with a fashion show to raise more
awareness and buzz amongst the shoppers. The pop up store will
be tied with social media because survey shows how consumers
are attached to social media, hence, it is vital to utilize the social
media platform to reach out to more consumers. A new Instagram
account will be created for Mansur Gavriel to form a community
of Mansur Gavriel loyal and new found customers to share their
love for bags. Besides that, Mansur Gavriel will collaborate with
WWF to raise public awareness towards wildlife creatures facing
extinction. This will generate a positive brand image for Mansur
Gavriel for support a good cause and also supporting WWFs
movement in saving the environment. Apart from that, it is ideal
that Mansur Gavriel could launch a complimentary app to their
e-commerce. Due to the 100% sell-through rate, it affects the
customers demands and they are often being put on the waiting
list for months till the next restock or collection launch. The app
could assist the customers by giving notifications on the next
stock arrivals and creating alerts during new promotions or new
collection launch. They could even track the delivery status of the
purchases on the app itself. Through the app, customers would be
able to make more secure payments through a native app than
the mobile browser. This also allows customer to get the latest
updates and information on the go. The app also connects with
the newly established Instagram account to showcase happy
customers in the Mansur Gavriel community.

30

APPENDIX

MANSUR GAVRIEL

MANSUR GAVRIEL

31

MANSUR GAVRIEL

32

DESIGN
BRIEF 1
COMPANY PROFILE
MANSUR GAVRIEL WAS FOUNDED IN APRIL 2012 BY TWO PASSIONATE WOMEN, RACHEL MANSUR AND FLORIANA GAVRIEL.
THE DUO REALIZED THEIR INTEREST IN LEATHER AND DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES TO CREATE BAGS FOR WOMEN. MANSUR
GAVRIELS FIRST COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014
AND OBTAINED POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM BUYERS. THE MAIN
CONCEPT OF THE BAGS IS TO PUT THE FOCUS ON ITS MATERIAL, WHICH IS ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER WITH MINIMAL HARDWARE TO COMPLIMENT THE BAGS. THE USE OF ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER IS BECAUSE IT IS A CLASSIC
LEATHER THAT AGES OVER TIME AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT
WHICH IS MANUFACTURED AND SOURCED IN ITALY ITSELF. MANSUR GAVRIEL PLAYED WITH COLORS, CUTS AND STITCHING AND
PRESENTING THE BAGS WITH CONTEMPORARY PRICE POINTS
IN HOPE OF MEETING CONSUMERS NEEDS. THE PRICES OF THE
PRODUCTS RANGES FROM SGD$600-$1300. ACCORDING TO THE
FOUNDERS, THE BAGS ARE TARGETING DIFFERENT WOMEN PSYCHOGRAPHICS WITH ITS VARIATION OF COLORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

33

DESIGN PROJECT OBJECTIVE

This design project is to gain more recognition for the brand through offline
point of contact. Due to the fact that Mansur Gavriel prior point of purchase
is through its online website and online stockists. Singapore have yet to have
a local access to Mansur Gavriel products and thus, Singapore consumers are
unable to reach the products in the shortest amount of time, given the long
waiting list of the brand. Therefore, it is ideal to create a physical point of
contact to the brands products for Singapore consumer to touch and feel the
products and increase their recognition of the products and exposing them
to the brand aesthetics.The objective of this design brief is to create a pop up
store in Singapore for consumers to see the products in real life and have first
hand access to the products and further work with a Singapore departmental
store to let Singapore consumers have exclusive access to the brand. Besides
that, the pop up store will also be a form of education to the consumers
regarding the beauty of Italian vegetable leather to gain more appreciation to
the nature of this classic leather and how it is being used in creating the bags.

TARGET MARKET
The target consumer for this campaign is mainly young female professionals
aging from 25 to 35 years old. They are constantly searching for products
that are functional and timeless. The target market are in an upper middle
class where they want low-key luxury instead of big designer brands. They
prefer everything that are toned down and have minimal look to it to fit with
their working attire or casual style. The target market could be bloggers,
photographers, designers, artists or even students that are seeking for a
muted staple piece. They are individualistic and are actively seeking for things
are that new to the market to avoid mainstream products. They have a strong
appreciation of details and craftsmanship.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

34

PROJECT
INFORMATION
Conceptual

Pop up store to introduce the brand being exclusively sold

at Robinsons.
Pop up store inspired by plants and natural elements
because that is the core inspiration of the founders.
A fresh, soft vibrant approach to the pop up store to show
femininity.
Using the bags itself as main component of display.
Showcasing and comparing the maturing Italian tanned
vegetable leather for customers to learn about its beauty
over time.
Alongside of the pop up store, a specially designed photo
booth will be set up for customers who successfully made
purchases to have their photos taken.

Technical

The pop up store will be comprised of a black metal flower

cart of size in length of 83" , width of 38" and height of 84.
The flower displays are made from silk flower arrangements.
The photo booth backdrop is made from high density PVC
wall panels taking up the size of 5ft x 7ft.
The single user swing frame is made from metal and
the wooden swing seat is held on by using twisted rope
decorated with silk flowers and leaves.
Staff training for product knowledge and as photographer
for photo booth.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

35

Commercial

The pop up store will be set up at inside Robinson

because Robinson is the proposed first and only permanent exclusive
stockiest for Robinson in Singapore because the survey results
revealed that a majority of young consumers are frequent shoppers
at Robinson and they share the same niche market Mansur Gavriel
is targeting. Also, the location of Robinson located at the prime
shopping destination at Singapore allows more visits from locals and
tourists as well. The pop up store will have a span of 1 month during
June to create enough awareness for Mansur Gavriel being a newly
introduced brand sold in Robinsons Singapore. The initial planning and
sourcing of materials for the booth and designs will start in mid-April.
Alongside with the popup store, Mansur Gavriel is also launching a new
instagram account, @MGhappygirls to gather all the happy customers
into an account to share their joy of being the owner of a Mansur Gavriel
bag, with their hashtag tagline, #happygirlhappybag, the popup store
with have a new complimentary hashtag which is, #happygirlsg to be
included into the campaign to show where the happy customers are
from. This creates a sense of community in customers around the world
and also will raise more attention in social media.

With every purchase sold, customers can get a style shot taken at a
booth with their purchase.

By using #happysg and #happygirlhappybag, customers can find
their shots on @MGhappygirls instagram account as well as on the
Mansur Gavriel app ( refer to design brief 3 ).

Financial Data
Flower cart : $2800
Swing set: $400
Silk flowers: $500
Booth Design Team : $2000
Store space for 1 months : $20,000
Contractor : $2000
Staff/photographer : $4,800
Printed materials: $1500
Miscellaneous: $2000
Total: $36,000

MANSUR GAVRIEL

36

DESIGN
BRIEF 2
COMPANY PROFILE
MANSUR GAVRIEL WAS FOUNDED IN APRIL 2012 BY TWO
PASSIONATE WOMEN, RACHEL MANSUR AND FLORIANA GAVRIEL.
THE DUO REALIZED THEIR INTEREST IN LEATHER AND DECIDED TO
JOIN FORCES TO CREATE BAGS FOR WOMEN. MANSUR GAVRIELS
FIRST COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014 AND OBTAINED
POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM BUYERS. THE MAIN CONCEPT OF THE
BAGS IS TO PUT THE FOCUS ON ITS MATERIAL, WHICH IS ITALIAN
VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER WITH MINIMAL HARDWARE TO
COMPLIMENT THE BAGS. THE USE OF ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED
LEATHER IS BECAUSE IT IS A CLASSIC LEATHER THAT AGES OVER
TIME AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT WHICH IS MANUFACTURED
AND SOURCED IN ITALY ITSELF. MANSUR GAVRIEL PLAYED WITH
COLORS, CUTS AND STITCHING AND PRESENTING THE BAGS
WITH CONTEMPORARY PRICE POINTS IN HOPE OF MEETING
CONSUMERS NEEDS. THE PRICES OF THE PRODUCTS RANGES
FROM SGD$600-$1300. ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS, THE
BAGS ARE TARGETING DIFFERENT WOMEN PSYCHOGRAPHICS
WITH ITS VARIATION OF COLORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

37

DESIGN PROJECT OBJECTIVE

This project is to create a positive brand

image for Mansur Gavriel through
collaborating with a foundation to
raise funds and awareness. Mansur
Gavriels collaboration with WWF is
to help raise awareness and funds
to stop wildlife crime by backing the
rangers. Conservation rangers work
tirelessly to protect endangered
species that are targeted by poaches
for illegal wildlife trade, some are
even killed in the process. They
usually earn very little and some go
months without receiving their salary
or seeing their families to protect
these animals for a cause and they
are not getting the recognition they

deserve. The way Mansur Gavriel can

generate buzz for this collaboration is
through a guerrilla fashion show. The
fashion show will be presented in the
form of a shadow play. This enables
the audience to truly focus on the
silhouettes of the bags on the models
and also the silhouettes of majestic
wildlife species that are in the threat
of facing extinction - elephants, rhinos
and tigers. The founder of Mansur
Gavriel have a strong appreciation for
nature which is the main source of
inspiration for them, which makes it
more than appropriate to support the
nature while theyre at it.

TARGET MARKET
The target market for this campaign
is male and female audiences from
age 25 to 45 years olds. They are
mostly working professionals or
avid travelers. They are often busy
but will take some time to admire
the environment around them. This
target market are compassionate and
wants to spend their money where
it is worthy. They are from middle to
upper middle class seeking for gifts

for someone or themselves. They are

traveling on feet most of the time
to work and about. They want to be
able to help others while making a
purchase for themselves so it could
justify their purchase and for a good
cause.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

38

PROJECT
INFORMATION
Conceptual

Technical

Shadow play guerrilla fashion show

A guerilla fashion show that uses the art of shadow to
present the silhouettes of the bags and also the animals
that we are trying to save.
Models will be wearing skin tight bodysuits so that the bags
are the main focus.
Alongside with the models, shadows of wildlife creatures
will appear behind the screen. These creatures are
presented using paper puppets.
After the walks, there will be a short play about the wildlife
and how the rangers are protecting them.
During the end of the show the screen will drop, revealing
the models wearing T-shirts that says Help the Rangers,
Help the Wildlife.

An outdoor projection screen is used for this project of size

107 x 80.
The shadow projection falls on the screen by using a 1000W
LED outdoor spotlight in warm white light.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

39

Commercial The fashion show will happen within the time frame of
the pop up store, which is in June on a weekend so that customers can
head to the store to check out the products. The fashion show will take
place on Orchard Road where there is a peak of traffic during weekends.
It is one of the top frequent visit spots of younger consumers and tourists.
An hour before the fashion show, ushers will be giving out flyers during
models preparation and music setup. The purpose of this is to inform
passerby that something is happening soon and they could stay tune to
what is going to happen. This generates a hype and buzz to passerby
to anticipate the event. As for the pop up store, in support of the WWF
movement to back the rangers a specially designed edition of the Mansur
Gavriel bucket bag holding tie dyed roses which are being sold for S$15
each with a tag of thank you note from the wildlife protection rangers.
All proceeds of the roses will go directly to WWF to back the rangers in
buying them a first aid kit during their patrol duties. This campaign will go
on for a duration of a week.

Financial Data
Projector screen and materials: $700
Lighting: $1120
Setup team : $1000
Art Team : $2000
Shadow play artists: $3000
Contractor: $1500
Models : $3000
Fresh roses supply: $600
Printing materials: $300
Total: $13,220

MANSUR GAVRIEL

40

DESIGN
BRIEF 3
COMPANY PROFILE
MANSUR GAVRIEL WAS FOUNDED IN APRIL 2012 BY TWO
PASSIONATE WOMEN, RACHEL MANSUR AND FLORIANA GAVRIEL.
THE DUO REALIZED THEIR INTEREST IN LEATHER AND DECIDED
TO JOIN FORCES TO CREATE BAGS FOR WOMEN. MANSUR
GAVRIELS FIRST COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014
AND OBTAINED POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM BUYERS. THE MAIN
CONCEPT OF THE BAGS IS TO PUT THE FOCUS ON ITS MATERIAL,
WHICH IS ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER WITH MINIMAL
HARDWARE TO COMPLIMENT THE BAGS. THE USE OF ITALIAN
VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER IS BECAUSE IT IS A CLASSIC
LEATHER THAT AGES OVER TIME AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF
IT WHICH IS MANUFACTURED AND SOURCED IN ITALY ITSELF.
MANSUR GAVRIEL PLAYED WITH COLORS, CUTS AND STITCHING
AND PRESENTING THE BAGS WITH CONTEMPORARY PRICE
POINTS IN HOPE OF MEETING CONSUMERS NEEDS. THE PRICES
OF THE PRODUCTS RANGES FROM SGD$600-$1300. ACCORDING
TO THE FOUNDERS, THE BAGS ARE TARGETING DIFFERENT
WOMEN PSYCHOGRAPHICS WITH ITS VARIATION OF COLORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

41

DESIGN PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to encourage shoppers to shop online on
Mansur Gavriels official e-commerce. Through using an offline stockist as a
medium to first introduce the brand to Singapore shoppers, the brand will gain
more brand presence in Singapores fashion scene. However, given the limited
product assigned to the stockists, Mansur Gavriel still encourages customers
to shop on their official website for more product options. Therefore, the
proposed idea of this brief is to develop a native mobile application for Mansur
Gavriel itself. The app provides browsing, shopping, purchasing conveniences
as well as bringing the Mansur Gavriels customers together where they can
interact with each other through the app.

TARGET MARKET
The target market for this strategy is targeting Mansur Gavriels primary target
market which is women from age 25 - 35 years old.The target market are
professionals in middle to upper middle class. They are that are tech savvy and
always seeking for new information. They are smart consumers and cautious
on making purchases. This target market are active on the social platform and
appreciates the convenience of shopping and being on the go.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

42

PROJECT INFORMATION
Conceptual

Technical

The Mansur Gavriel app is to encourage customers to shop

from Mansur Gavriels official e-commerce.
Developing a Mansur Gavriel native app for the ease of
shopping.
Provide the convenience of browsing and wish listing
products.
Customers are able to make purchases securely on the
native app as compared to web browsers.
Customers can easily track each of their deliveries on the
go.
Forging a sense of community amongst Mansur Gavriels
loyal customers.

iPhone users are able to checkout from the app using Apple
Pay.
Mansur Gavriel app required location service.
The app is supported on iOS and Android devices.
The interface is optimized for smartphones and tablets.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

43

Commercial The app will be launching during July after the pop up store
has generated enough consumer awareness towards the brand. The official
app allows more purchasing opportunities from Mansur Gavriels official
e-commerce through secured payments and ease of shopping. Customers are
able to be notified once their purchase is being shipped and whenever there is a
tracking update. The app will also be in sync with the Mansur Gavriel Instagram
account, @MGhappygirls to show a feed of satisfied customers and their style
shots. The app is able to detect which model of the bag each customer is using
on the feed so that other customers can wish list or purchase the bags being
seen on other customers on the community. They are also able to post their
feedbacks and reviews on the products through the app to help with other
customers in making purchasing decisions. Customers are also required to
make an account for the app so that Mansur Gavriel can retain the customer
data for further product suggestions according to their past purchases and style
preferences through the wish list. They will also be notified on their account
when the product on their wish list is restocked, made available on their nearest
stockist or selling out fast. The launching of the app will be posted through
Mansur Gavriel main Instagram account @Mansur Gavriel to encourage their
loyal supporters to download the app. Besides that, the app is also made known
through the departmental store, Robinsons, which will be the only stockist for
Mansur Gavriel in Singapore by using a QR code poster placement alongside
with the products for customers to scan to brought into the app store for apple
devices or the play store for android to download the app in order to browse
for more products.

Financial Data
Interface designer: $1300
App developer: $12,000
Total: $13,300

MANSUR GAVRIEL

44

SURVEY
QUESTIONS
DEMOGRAPHICS
1. What is your age?

15 - 20 years old

21 - 30 years old

7. Where do you usually make purchases

the most ?

Online stores

Boutiques

Department stores

12. Which platform do you use the most

to make online purchase ?

Laptop/PCs

handheld devices

31 - 40 years old

2. What are your monthly disposable

income/allowances?

< S$500

S$500 - S$1000

S$1000 - S$1500

> S$1500
3. What is your current occupation?

Student

Sales

Housewife

Professionals

Entrepreneur

Artistry
4. Would you consider yourself as a trend
follower or a non-trend follower?

Trend follower

Non-trend follower
BUYING BEHAVIOR
5. How often do you go shopping ?

Once a month

Once every two weeks

Once a week

> Once a week
6. Where do you usually shop ?

Ion Orchard

Somerset 313

Robinsons

Takashimaya

Haji Lane

Bugis Street

Others : ________

8. What is your 3 main consideration

when making a purchase ?

Price

Design

Quality

Material

Brand

Reviews/feedbacks

To support a cause
9. How do you notice new information
sources about products/brands ? Rate
1 - 5 on which medium is the most
influential to you, 5 being the most and 1
being the least.

Social media

Magazines

Billboards/banners

Word of mouth

Shopfronts banners/brochures

Bus/MRT stations
10. Which social media platform do you
usually use ?

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr
11. When shopping online, what is your
main consideration ? Please rate 1 - 3, 1
being the most concerned and 4 being
the least.

Security issues

Product credibility

Product delivery

Device compatibility

BRAND RECOGNITION
13. Have you heard of the brand, Mansur
Gavriel, and from where?

Yes

No
14. If yes, where from ? ( refer to question 13 )

Social media

Word of Mouth

Magazines

Online stores ( Ex: net-a-porter,
steven alan etc.)
15. Would you be interested in
purchasing the bags ?

Yes

No

16. What is your impression of the brand

?

Clean, simple design

Choice of colors

Quality material

Expensive

Wouldnt consider it

MANSUR GAVRIEL

45

SURVEY
RESULTS
1. What is your age?

4. Would you consider yourself as a trend follower or a non-trend

follower?

2. What are your monthly disposable income/allowances?

5. How often do you go shopping ?

3. What is your current occupation?

6. Where do you usually shop ?

MANSUR GAVRIEL

46

7. Where do you usually make purchases the most ?

10. Which social media platform do you usually use ?

8. What is your 3 main consideration when making a

purchase?

11. When shopping online, what is your main consideration ?

Please rate 1 - 3, 1 being the most concerned and 4 being the
least.

9. How do you notice new information sources about

products/brands ? Rate 1 - 5 on which medium is the most
influential to you, 5 being the most and 1 being the least.

12. Which platform do you use the most to make online purchase ?

MANSUR GAVRIEL

47

13. Have you heard of the brand, Mansur Gavriel, and from
where?
16. What is your impression of the brand ?

14. If yes, where from ? ( refer to question 13 )

15. Would you be interested in purchasing the bags ?

MANSUR GAVRIEL

48

INTER
VIEW

WITH MELISSA LEE, BUYER FROM ROBINSON SINGAPORE

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Could you start with with

introduction of yourself ?

49

brief

coming in with their collections to

Singapore.

Sure, my name is Melissa Lee, from

Malaysia. I have worked under robinson
as a buyer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
and currently in Robinsons Singapore. I
would usually do merchandise planning
on seasonal buying and accessing
the current in-house labels for the
womenswear department. I have been
working with Robinson for more than 5
years now.

What are the acceptable price range

of mid-luxury goods of the Singapore
market ?

What do you think of Singapore market in

accepting newly introduced brands?
I personally agree on a saying that
Singaporeans can be somewhat reserve
on certain things howeover I think we are
fairly open to newly introduced brands.
What target market are the most active
in pursuing newly introduced fashion
products/brands?
Certainly younger crowds age range
from 18-25 year olds seeing how younger
crowds love exploring and experiencing
fresh new products.
What are the best selling
products in your opinion?

fashion

I would say bags and shoes because it is

definitely a need for everyone. Those that
the things that I always encourage people
to invest in just because it really affects
a lot in someone's daily life in terms of
comfortability and functionality. To me,
shoes and handbags are not just merely a
fashion statement, it is an essential.
What do you look for in bringing in brands
to Singapore?
I can't never comprehend bad quality
items hence product's quality is my main
concern when looking into new brands or
any established brands. I would also love
to see uncommon and unique designers

$200-$1200 would be ideal.

Well,
it really depends on what the
brands have to offer, its values
that are offered to the consumers.
What criteria a brand needs to survive
and sustain in Singapore?
It has to have it's own signature and
strong brand identity. Because consumers
nowadays have evolved, they are smarter,
they don't just buy something because
it looks pretty, they are into the whole
experience, the process of learing about
the brand to the service, to the reviews.
Having a strong identity can definitely
help the brand differentiate themselves
from
competition,
I
would
say.
Have you heard of the brand Mansur
Gavriel? And how?
Yes I have, in fact I've studied a little a bit
of this brand and I currently eyeing on the
bucket bag in tan. Found out through my
friend, whom found out through Instagram
bloggers and such, we always exchange
fashion finds to keep each other updated.
What do you think of it?
I love the brand very much from the
design to the quality/workmanship,
especially their structure and the colors.
In your opinion, do you think their
products would appeal to the Singapore
market? And Why ?
I absolutely anticipate Mansur Gavriel
being love by the Singapore market as
it has it's own character and story to tell.

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MANSUR GAVRIEL

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