University of Hertfordshire · 5CTA2035 Concept to Customer · Week 4 · Mon 26 Oct 2026

Final submission planner and crit

Four parts, one collaboration: strategic rationale, product ideation, the hype asset suite and the influencer seeding strategy. Bring all your work so far. Keep this sheet: it records the change you make before you submit.

Name

Hero product

Fashion brand

Non-fashion partner

Step 1 · 13:30 · 10 min Self-check the brief

Mark each line Ready or Revise. Circle the weakest part: that is your priority this afternoon. These checks map to the brief; they are not marking weights or a page count. Canvas instructions still apply.

Part	Check	Ready / revise	Action
1 Strategic rationale	About 500 words: why these brands belong together in 2026.
1 Strategic rationale	Each cultural trend has a dated, trusted source.
1 Strategic rationale	Brand equity theory explains at least one choice.
1 Strategic rationale	The partner is an organisation, not just a celebrity.
2 Product ideation	3 to 5 iterations of one hero product.
2 Product ideation	AI used for the initial concept and mood.
2 Product ideation	CLO3D or compositing shows co-branding and material detail.
2 Product ideation	Every iteration annotated and cited. (Photoshop mock-up optional.)
3 Hype asset suite	3 to 5 pieces: carousel, UGC, reel, post or press release.
3 Hype asset suite	Each shown in its intended environment, social-media ready.
3 Hype asset suite	Each has a job, a caption and an action.
4 Influencer seeding	Five cultural leaders who receive the first physical iteration.
4 Influencer seeding	Audience demographic for each, with a source and date.
4 Influencer seeding	Proposed, not confirmed; disclosure planned.

My weakest part, and what I will fix first

Step 2 · 13:40 · 25 min Plan the four parts

2a. Strategic rationale (about 500 words). Six moves. Note your main point and the source behind it. Word counts are a guide to balance.

Move	Words	My main point	Source (author, year) or theory
The partnership	~50
Why 2026: trend and source	~120
Brand equity: what each brings (theory)	~120
The audience	~80
Fit and risk	~80
So what	~50

2b. Product ideation log (3 to 5 iterations). One row per iteration. Stages: AI concept and mood; CLO3D or compositing refinement; optional analog Photoshop mock-up; final hero.

#	Stage and tool, date	What changed	Why	Citation for any reference
1
2
3
4
5

2c. Hype asset suite (3 to 5 pieces). Formats: carousel, UGC, reel, post, press release. Show each in its intended environment.

#	Format	Platform and ratio	Intended environment (where it is seen)	Its job (tease, reveal, worn, news)	Caption and action
1
2
3
4
5

2d. Influencer seeding (5 cultural leaders). They receive the first physical iteration. The rationale must be based on their audience demographic.

#	Cultural leader	Platform and reach	Audience demographic	Source and date	Why they fit
1
2
3
4
5

Label your AI visuals. “Student concept for an unofficial collaboration. AI-assisted visualisation using [tool], [date]. Proposed design; manufacture, performance and partner approval not confirmed.” For seeding: a free product can create a duty to disclose; plan a clear “Ad” label (ASA/CAP and CMA guide, updated 23 Oct 2026).

Step 3 · 14:05 · 25 min Build and fix

Work on your weakest part first. Then answer these in one sentence each: why would the partner agree? Which source shows 2026 is the right moment? If the logos disappeared, what would still show the collaboration? Can a reader see what changed between iterations? Is each hype piece shown where your audience would see it? What shows each leader’s audience matches yours? Which number is a fact, an assumption or a target? Is every AI image labelled?

What I fixed

What is still missing

Step 4 · 14:40 · 50 min Crit in groups of five

Each student: 3 min walk-through of the submission (not a pitch), 2 min questions, 2 min written feedback. Use evidence and the brief, not taste. Shortened adaptation of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process and I Like, I Wish, What If.

My question for the group (write it before you start)

Reviewer order: 1 what you understood and found strong; 2 answer the presenter’s question; 3 a neutral question; 4 an opinion only with permission: “I have an opinion about ___. Would you like it?”

Part	What reviewers could point to	What needs clarifying
Strategic rationale
Product ideation
Hype asset suite
Influencer seeding

I likeA strength, on the page

I wishAn unmet need, linked to the brief

What ifA possibility to test

Step 5 · 15:30 · 20 min Make one change

I will accept / adapt / decline this suggestion

Because

One change before submission

What I will keep, and why

“I will change ___ because ___; I will keep ___ because ___.”

Step 6 · 15:50 · 10 min Final check

Export your PDF and open it. Check that images and source notes are readable, AI images are labelled, and references are at the end. Check the filename, submission route, deadline and any page limits on Canvas.

Theories you can cite

Use one to explain one choice: “Using [theory], we explain [one choice in the collaboration], because [evidence].”

Customer-based brand equityWhat each brand already means to people, and what the partner adds. Keller, K.L. (1993) ‘Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity’, Journal of Marketing, 57(1), pp. 1-22.

Brand alliances and spilloverWhat each brand gains, and what it might lose. Simonin, B.L. and Ruth, J.A. (1998) ‘Is a company known by the company it keeps?’, Journal of Marketing Research, 35(1), pp. 30-42.

Narrative transportationFor the hype suite: a story people can follow. Green, M.C. and Brock, T.C. (2000) ‘The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), pp. 701-721.

Four-part brief from the module brief as supplied, 25 Oct 2026. Crit and self-check adapted from the Week 4 research pack. Seeding: ASA/CAP and CMA influencer guide, updated 23 Oct 2026. AI imagery: ASA/CAP, 29 May 2025 and 11 Jun 2026. Session materials: morchen.info/courses/5cta2035-concept-to-customer/week4/