Business Paper help. It is due 10/9 before 6:00pm.

Tatiana Gonsalves Operations & Project Management Midterm

Victoria's Secret was born at the peak of women's sexual revolution. It all started in 1977

when founder Ray Raymond wanted to buy his wife sexy lingerie but didn’t feel comfortable

walking into a store to do so. He then had the idea to create a store for men where they could

freely walk in and experience shopping for sexy underwear for any women in their lives.

Although the lingerie was made for women their target audience was men which almost caused

the first brink of bankruptcy. With the help of CEO Leslie Wexner, they revamped their approach

and largely contributed to what Victoria’s Secret is today: one of the most known brands for

glitz, glam, and sexy intimate apparel. However, history seems to be repeating itself; Victoria’s

Secret is still failing, and for a lot of the same reasons that originally dated back to the 1970s.

Hundreds of Victoria’s Secret stores have been permanently closed and that number only seems

to be growing. Without change, VS is estimated to become another Blockbuster situation; a once

popular brand that is not around anymore because they failed to be innovative.

There are many reasons why Victoria’s Secret isn’t doing so well but the main one is their

lack of innovation; they refuse to adapt to today's climate. This is not the 70s anymore..an

approach that worked back then does not work right now. Today's society is very into women's

rights, body positivity, and inclusivity. VS is lacking in most of those departments. They are a

brand that still executes oversexualized and unrealistic body standards; they still retouch and

airbrush ads of their already beautiful models. Women notice this and are not happy; competing

brands notice and create a competitive advantage. In 2014, Aerie, a competing intimate apparel

brand announced that they would no longer retouch any ad photos of their models. They also

have become more body positive and inclusive. Their campaigns include a large range of models

with different shapes, sizes, races, disabilities, and more. Since then their sales have grown

tremendously and continue to do so; they are now one of the top leading brands in the intimate

apparel industry.

For 23 years Victoria’s Secret has hosted its very famous Angels Fashion Show. What

started off as a fan favorite quickly turned into a controversy due to their lack of diversity once

again. They kept the same exact approach for 23 years; a show strictly showcasing tall, slim,

picture perfect “angels”. The brands response to all the backlash was to add their very first “plus

size” model to the show in 2018. This plus size model's name is Barbara Palvin and she is a size

four. VS also made it clear that they did not plan on making their show inclusive when an

ex-chief marketing officer dismissed the idea of adding actual plus size and transgender models

to the show. These ongoing issues then lead to VS officially announcing that their fashion show

was coming to an end in 2019. Instead of making the show more inclusive they decided to just

end the show all together. These are all factors that have contributed to the brands declining

sales.

Although Victoria’s Secret has had their issues and created a lot of controversy over the

years I believe the brand can be saved. VS was once extremely popular and the people's choice; I

think we can get that back the right way. My plan is to completely revamp VS and what it stands

for; it is extreme but necessary. Any outdated, sexist, and body exclusive values the company

seems to carry will be permanently executed. Women of all age, race, body type, shape, ect will

be able to feel like they belong and can shop without judgement. My plan will start with bringing

back the fashion show but in a completely new light. The goal is to have a long overdue diverse

show: no model will look the same. Petite, curvy, plus size, tall, short, disabled, and transgender

women are welcome and encouraged to sign up. Right before the show starts we will apologize

for how long it took for change, and emphasize how committed we are to change now. We will

also discuss our plans of action that will implement this change effective immediately. These

actions will include: the end of oversexualizating models, less extremely sexual ads, no more

retouching/photoshopping ads, and improving the in store experience by having all sizes

available on hand rather than online only. After being assigned this role I went to multiple VS

locations to check them out. Even though I went to several different stores they all seemed to

have the same problem: many of the larger sizes were not available in store. These stores were

fully stocked with XS and S in every style but a majority of the plus size apparel had to be

ordered online. This is not okay; people do not go to a store and shop with intentions to buy

online. According to Acute Market Research the plus size market is valued at over $178 billion

with a projected 4.3% annual growth through 2028, and 70% of women in the US are size 14 or

larger. This is a huge market VS is choosing to miss out on for not being totally inclusive. I

believe my plan can help VS gain that market which will then have a domino effect to then

attract all types of women in the market. Taking the same approach as Aerie is the best way to

save the company. Below I have attached a chart of Aerie’s sales and revenue for 5 years after

they made the switch to become more body inclusive and positive.

While my plan does involve a lot of risk, I believe it will ultimately go one of two ways.

Consumers will either be happy about the long awaited change and embrace it or they will think

it’s too late and not show any interest. I believe most people will embrace the change but I also

acknowledge the risk of spending hundreds of thousands on production for the fashion show and

all the stores overall changes for the chance of consumers not being into it. Not only is there a

possibility consumers might not be on board, there’s also the risk of sponsors from previous

fashion shows not being on board as well. Some sponsors that have been involved in the show

for years like the show the way it is and may not be ready to adapt to this change which could

result in them pulling out from the show completely; it’s unfortunate but a possibility. However, I

believe the positive will outweigh the negative. This is one of VS’s last chances to prove to their

customers all over that they have listened to everyone's concerns and are working towards actual

change that will cater to all. These changes can ultimately make or break Victoria’s Secret but I

am confident they will make it. With the use of the six step project scope I will break down my

plan in revamping Victoria’s Secret.

First I will be discussing the project objective. My main objective is to make women of

all shapes and sizes comfortable enough to shop at VS. I want to expand their market and bring

in all types of consumers. Overall I just want Victoria’s Secret's controversial past to stay in the

past and move forward with all these great and inclusive ideas. In order to make my objective

come to life, I need deliverables. These deliverables include the revamped VS fashion show,

ordering more units of plus size stock for in stores, and ending the use of photoshop/airbrush on

ad photos. The fashion show will showcase all types of women and represent change and

diversity. The beginning stages for this include finding a venue, hiring models, organizing the

stage & lighting, finding sponsors, and gathering runway outfits. We also need to order more

plus size apparel and start shipping them out to all stores. Finally, we need to seize any upcoming

ads that have been altered and replace them with the original and natural photos.

On February 19th, 2021 the $30 million budget for the Angels Fashion Show was

approved. On February 26th, 2021 the setting and venue was approved. On March 9th, 2021

models were hired. We have received thousands of applicants and from those we have picked

about 70 models who we believe will best showcase what the show is all about. On March 17th,

2021 The Beachwaver, a previous hair sponsor for the show agreed to return once again and

remain one of our sponsors. The technical requirements are a little different with the show this

year. Our venue must comply with all the COVID restrictions and guidelines. The venue is in

New York so our show can host at 25% capacity. Masks must be worn inside and anyone

attending is required to show a negative COVID test result within 72 hours of the show. Models

must be regularly tested 2-3x a week leading up to the day of show. There must be a main setup

so the show can be livestreamed not only online but on television as well. A majority of plus size

apparel units must go out before the show is aired.

Each model is limited to a total of 3 changes for the show. Rehearsals must take place

between the hours of 10am and 7pm. Only Victoria’s Secret apparel will be permitted for the

show. The fashion show must start at exactly 5:00pm and end at 8:45pm. The venue must limit

its capacity at 25% at all times: no exceptions.

After the show airs we will track Victoria’s Secret sales and traffic both online and in

stores. This will ultimately give us feedback on how the show has affected our consumers. If

everything goes according to plan I believe sales will skyrocket and Victoria’s Secret will be the

topic of conversation for a while. Although there are some risks involved the biggest risk is not

doing anything at all and letting VS continue to repeat their problems until it's too late. My team

and I look forward to completing this project and bringing overall positive change to the brand.