I'm taking my love and self-proclaimed expertise of fashion to a global level. Fashion is a living, breathing, vibrant art that literally touches everyone on a daily basis. It speaks volumes about an individual, their personality, and even the society they come from. As part of my global advertising and PR class, I chose to do a comparative study on PR strategies in fashion between the United States and the United Kingdom.
    Despite the US being the British Empire's rebel child, these language sharing nations present vast cultural differences. With those in mind, I chose a target audience that I felt I could most closely identify with: college students.
    College-aged young adults are a key market for many designers and brands wanting the youngest, hippest crowd flaunting their apparel. If American designers like Marc Jacobs can be popular in the UK while British designers like Ted Baker can be prominent in the US, clearly their PR campaigns have been tailored to engage culturally different audiences. This is the process that interests me.

What will research find?    
The most important thing to learn is the techniques that PR professionals use for this audience regarding fashion. The research will explore these questions:

• What are examples of effective ways to market fashion brands to college students?

• Do these strategies differ from the US to the UK, or do they work in both?

• What are globally the best practices to promote fashion brands to college audiences?

What is my research plan?
    After answering these questions with secondary research, I will compare successful fashion campaigns for the target audience in each country. These include:

• One brand that has successfully campaigned in each country to see how how plans were changed accordingly

• Two specifically American campaigns

• Two specifically British campaigns

    I will then analyze the strategies that work the best in the US and those that work the best in the UK. As supplemental research, I will interview three American and three British professionals that have worked on the campaigns that I am focusing on. Then I can draw conclusions with help from someone who has been there.
    This blog will post research updates along my journey to London!

    Ever heard of the Kentish Invasion? If not, get with the program! Kent State’s Global Advertising and PR program, that is. Two-dozen Kent students, including myself, are embarking on the trip of a lifetime this May. When the semester officially ends for others, our European journey begins. 
    Our hard work will continue for the remainder of the semester to get the most out of studying abroad. Though challenging, this class is rewarding on many levels.      
   What are our class goals?
   Our studies are individualized with each student choosing a passion and turning it into an educational project. We each related our chosen topics to advertising or PR and are researching it from both US and UK perspectives to compare our findings. We also created individual websites to promote our personal “brands.”       

What about this trip calls to me?
    The destination and the academic focus of this trip both call to me. I visited London in high school and fell in love. The buildings, the history, the people- everything was amazing. The friendly, warm atmosphere instantly felt like home. Despite London’s size, its quirky neighborhoods give the same “little city” feel as Pittsburgh, my beloved hometown. I knew I’d return someday, specifically hoping to study abroad. 
    This fall, I did a double take when I saw a poster for this class. A trip to London pertaining to my major? SOLD! I was beyond elated.


Why is London right for me?
    The other study abroad programs aren't my perfect fit. A semester is too long for me and the six-week summer programs conflict with precious work days. Our trip is just long enough. Also, we get to live in a foreign country without a language barrier! 
    This helps to focus on the academic aspect, which came at a critical time for me as I pondered a PR minor. This class not only solidified my decision, but is also an impressive resume builder that I could not pass up.

Why can't I wait to get there?
    So far, I’ve met awesome people and we haven’t even left the classroom! I know traveling and learning with them will be... As a Brit would say, bloody brilliant.