The Shop’s Strategic Playbook & HBCU Tour Strategy

ROLE: Qualitative & Quantitative Researcher, Brand & Creative Strategy

The SpringHill Company, Robot

THE ASK
Articulate the strategic positioning of The Shop to guide its growth into new content, experiences, and products. 

THE APPROACH
Starting with its city tours last year, where we interviewed attendees, we looked into the brand’s roots, interviewing its key stakeholders and co-creator, to distill the research into insights that aligned with the brand’s history, but also propelled it into its next chapter.

THE STRATEGY
Any time you enter the barbershop, you leave better than you came in.

That feeling rings true for any barbershop experience, and we needed to ensure that this was being communicated about The Shop, too.

The strategy developed helped to inform the brand’s refresh, including a new tagline Where Culture Shapes Up, and its larger ecosystem—the hero show, the recently launched Grooming Line, city and HBCU tours, and a U.K. version of the show, which will be produced and hosted by Idris Elba.

HBCU TOUR
As an extension of the strategic positioning, we developed a HBCU Tour playbook that will guide how the brand shows up on college campuses to engage with those who are at the bleeding edge of culture: young, Black students who are actively creating culture. Additionally, I helped to secure a partnership Texas Southern! The tour kicks off in fall 2024!