Third Season Shop
Branding Strategy, UX Writing, Market Research, Operating Plan, and Startup Business Plan
Third Season Shop is a botanically inspired novelty gift shop that helps people reconnect with nature.
My Roles & Responsibilities
As the sole proprietor owning this business, I created the brand idea, wrote the business plan, designed the branding materials, handmade the products, photographed them, marketed them on social media, and developed the online shop website.
Project Info
This was a brand concept I developed for a project during my graduate program in Business of Art & Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art, in 2018.
Read on to learn about the trial launch.
Why should we reconnect with nature?
Younger generations who are setting out to college or starting a life of their own often very quickly become too absorbed and dependent on technology and media, in turn growing too isolated and distracted to engage in healthy forms of self-care.
The Japanese practice of “Forest Bathing” - unplugging and spending some time in nature - has shown to immensely improve mental wellbeing.
Understanding that many millennials reside in cities or do not have the means to travel often, Third Season aims to bring small bits of nature into their lives, and ultimately become a reminder to step away from the daily bustle and enjoy some quiet time to practice self-care, self-reflect, and just breathe.
Target Market
Millennials around the ages of 17-36
Primarily female
Genderfluid, nonbinary individuals
Liberal arts students
Apartment-living
Follows related trends
In recent years (2014-2017), colorfully mystical and nature-inspired photography and art has grown in popularity, especially amongst independent online shop owners, lifestyle bloggers, and teen to post college-aged social media users. Alongside the growth of this genre of online media, is a wholesome theme that always feels closely associated. Since millennials are projected to become the largest demographic in the US, and are growing increasingly more tied to digital commerce, they would likely respond well to an online brand that shares similar values to theirs.
Brand Values
Duality of Nature, Cyclical Change, Eco Therapy, Self-Care & Healing, Healthy Environment, Healthy Lifestyle Habits, Eastern Philosophy, Honor Life’s Highs and Lows, Go With the Flow
Product Examples
Pressed Flower Pendants, Smudge Bundles, Incense & Sage, Dried Flower Tea, Floral Potpourri, Crystals & Gems, Wildflower Seedbombs, Art & Posters, Books & Stationery, Curated Artist’s Items
Third Season believes that building a healthy understanding of your surrounding environment and connection to nature can help improve your relationship with yourself.
Discovery & Research
A competitive analysis was conducted on a variety of small online brands, and some local brick and mortar gift shops.
Top Competitor: Crystal Cactus by Audrey Kitching | Key Takeaways
Strengths
Colorful, mystical, bright styling
Attractive line of products
Run by internet-famous model, Audrey Kitching
Weaknesses
Many products lack practical functionality
No custom orders
More expensive than other similar brands
Pricing Strategy
Using prior fame to justify higher product pricing
Marketing toward millennial women
High price = luxury item
Differentiation
Third Season Shop will stock products that intend to be more functional, and have a more cohesive brand theme, backed by a genuine set of values and beliefs. Pricing will be more reasonable, and a corresponding social media presence or online blog will provide customers with a reason to follow more closely and build a more personal relationship with the brand and its owner.
Marketing Plan
Key PR, branding, and advertising actions to focus on during start up stages
Introduce the brand to the target market by making one post a week on social media, using relevant hashtags and keywords to gain viewing traffic.
Curate and operate an online store and gather shopping and customer data as more items are announced and sold.
Continue to interact with other social media users in similar markets to draw more people to view content.
Promote posts using Instagram and Pinterest Ads
Operating Plan
Key Management & Business Location
Third Season Shop is a sole proprietorship ecommerce store formed in October 2018 by artist, Susan Ren in Baltimore, Maryland.
Management Structure
The owner of the shop will handle all the business functions from product creation, posting to web, marketing, shipping, and monitoring expenses.
Production & Distribution
Archival Arts, Inc. will be a main source of production for art prints and packaging supplies.
All products will be sold online via Third Season Shop’s online store powered by Shopify, and via social media.
Start-up Costs
$30 Shopify payment
$80 web advertising
$100 packing and shipping supplies
$200 materials to create handmade products
$300 production costs
Website Branding
Original Style Tile
Live Shop Preview
Slideshow displays various product spreads
Brand values stated on front page
Product pages prioritize image displays over text
Mobile Shop Preview
Final thoughts
On October 31st 2018, a trial launch for Third Season Shop was announced via Instagram to a base audience of over 600 people.
According to Shopify’s analytics, the store reached 75 visitors in the first month of operation, and 23% of visitors made a purchase. Each product type was bought, with pressed flower pendants and smudge bundles being the most popular.
“Third Season” was a brand concept I developed for my thesis project during my graduate program in Business of Art & Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Making our business ideas a reality was completely optional and I ran a trial of the shop to gain a better understanding of how to budget and plan for operation, build and manage a Shopify store, and design all the branding content and materials.
This experience taught me about the backstage processes of running a business, how to create a brand vision and voice, and helped me sharpen my graphic design, web building, and marketing skills.
Developing this brand identity ultimately led me to my greater purpose of pursuing UX/UI Design as a career.