One of the most successful clothing brands in the world, Polo Ralph Lauren has built its success around more than just its line of luxurious designer clothes, but the company is one of the top marketing designers also. It was awarded “ Luxury Brand of the Year” in 2010 by the Luxury Daily. A company that was founded by a man named Ralph Lifchitz, better known as Ralph Lauren of the Bronx, New York in 1968. Since the age of 12, Lauren’s had a strong appeal and taste for looking classy. He would spend the money he earned working with his father after school, purchasing expensive suites. In his latter years, while working for a company called A. Rivetz & Co., Lauren began designing wide ties, the beginning of what latter evolved into the giant clothing empire known as Polo Ralph Lauren. The success of his designer ties caught fire quickly, retail giant Bloomingdales was the first company to endorse Ralph Lauren’s ties, but that ended quickly, when Lauren refused to narrow his ties, and stuck to his product line. Lauren’s success in the designer clothes business was unusual for someone who studied business at City College. In 1968, he founded the company Polo Fashions, a company that would later expand its market, and is among one of the top designer brands in the world today.
Polo Ralph Lauren’s key success factors derive from the company’s powerful identity. It is notorious for it preppy American style in the designer world, but it is also luxurious, elegant and thrives to always be a classic. It appeals to a wide range of consumers, even if a person doesn’t wear Polo they are at least familiar with what it is. The way the company markets itself is also a big part of its success. For a company that started out less than 50 years a...
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People are often deceived by some famous brands, which they will buy as useless commodities to feel they are distinctive. People require brands to experience the feeling of being special. People spend their money to have something from famous brands, like a bag from Coach or Louis Vuitton which they think they need, yet all that is just people’s wants. Steve McKevitt claims that people give more thought on features or brands when they need to buy a product, “It might even be the case that you do need a phone to carry out your work and a car to get around in, but what brand it is and, to a large extent, what features it has are really just want” (McKevitt, 145), which that means people care about brands more than their needs. Having shoes from Louis Vuitton or shoes that cost $30 it is designed for the same use.
A big controversy happened, the well-known Fashion Designer Tommy Hilfiger was on the Oprah show. She asked him if it was true if he said he did not make clothes for Blacks and Asians, his clothes were intended for upper class White people. When he admitted he said those things, she asked him to leave. This E-Mail is an Urban Legend. Juicy Emails like these are simply for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken seriously. Like junk mail it should be emptied into the recycle bin.
Something people might frequently worry about is self-identity, and how to express who they are. When looking for an outlet to do this, the easiest way to show what kind of person someone is, clothes are usually the first choice: a black t-shirt with a cynical saying, or maybe some skinny black jeans. Whether the advertising agencies created the personalities that come with clothes or took advantage of what was already there, clothes are often sold as something more than just clothes. Companies must ask how to convince consumers to buy their product instead of the competitors’, regardless of price difference. Particularly Levi’s jeans, a 150+-year-old American business, has been trying different approaches to packaging the type of consumers that buy their jeans.
A weakness for Vuitton as a brand is their limited target market and customer segment. Although their products are very accessible and attainable, they only cater to the elite individuals. The longevity of debt within the company was very interesting because these obligations can cause of inability of growth within the company (Louis Vuitton-History, 2015).
Although the report's frame contains a set of controllable and tactical marketing tools that Levi Strauss & Co. blends to produce the response required in the target market, it is a fact that they have been achieving their objectives by delivering value to its consumers. However, notice that these tools represent Levi's point of view of the marketing mix available to persuade its buyers. And from the customer's point of view, each marketing tool is designed to deliver the corresponding benefits.
Polo Ralph Lauren the brand has become one of successful brand in America and across the world, as a well-known player in the design and lifestyle industry, under bender Polo Ralph Lauren collection of product range from reasonably inexpensive to expensive brand in men’s, women’s and children wear, accessories, perfumes and home furnishings. Widely seen as the number one brand that symbolize the American Style, Polo Ralph Lauren has implemented to its marketing strategy, which has leaded they to become a strong brand equity since being set up. Also, the brand has been selling its goods internationally, while it has kept up with its 45 years reputation and distinctive image developed across the different products and brands markets. Due to its marketing tools and its high quality brand image, this luxury brand keeps a constant relationship with its customers. Ralph is a truly inspired and continuously aspiring designer. (Garvin, 2008)
In 1967, the New York born bred Ralph Lauren started the Polo division of Beau Brummel neckties. Ties at that time were in an Ivy League phase-dark, narrow and undistinguished. But, for several years, Mr. Lauren had harbored the nation that the time was right for a new look. And so, he pioneered the wide tie-a four-inch tie made from opulent materials and fabrications that were unheard of in the business. Polo ties soon became the status tie. And Ralph Lauren became the menswear design to watch, as his ties revolutionized the industry.
Even though he knew he could find clothes at a cheaper price, he wanted to make a point by dressing stylish and succeeded in doing so since he was 12. Ralphs company provides many different products including fragrances, clothing for all ages and genders, furniture, and dining ware. Ralph Laurens cloths are manufactured in many places some of which include the Philippines, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, China, and Hong Kong. The main headquarters of POLO still resides in New York City. He employs over 10,000 people with 388 stores worldwide and has an annual revenue of 2.2 billion dollars. Ralph has had many autobiographies written about him. Many start off by talking about his early life and move up from
2006). Burberry’s product line, especially the famous trademark plaid, unfortunately, is not difficult to imitate, the development of “fake Burberry” affects their revenue. In 2010, Burberry won $1.5 million in counterfeit case (Matthew 2010), but the counterfeit apparel and accessories is still the key issue for all major luxury brand (Maman 2012).
The high pressure luxury brand industry has evolved over the last few decades from a small and selective to a multibillion dollar arena offering significant potential and growth opportunity for the luxury brands that compete within its realm. With many luxury brands competing for over $225 billion (The Economist, 2009) in revenue each year it is easy to see how strategy plays an important role.
However, when looking to create a luxury brand, one must go beyond what is required of an ordinary brand, to create something of high value and therefore high prices. So instead of just having brand values, it should have brand beliefs, as this will create a stronger emotional connection with its customers. It should aim to go beyond having a logo, but rather a set of distinguishable icons and the brand’s points of sale needs to be somewhere that connects with its customers and becomes something of a pantheon among other retail outlets. Similarly the customer segmentation should have role reversal, so the customers want to buy their products. Luxury brands should instead of actively promoting their advantages over their competitors, never push the customers into buying their products, thereby offering mystique and letting the customers make the value creation. Lastly, a true luxury brand not only offers products but rather a way of life, allowing them to branch out over several product categories, into every aspect of their customer’s
First connotations were simple: "jeans are tough and rugged as men who wear them". This image of a 100% man was even strengthened after western movies appeared. Soon jeans, and so Levi’s brand which in people’s mind turned to be their synonymous, became a symbol of freedom, adventure and independence. In this moment, managers of LS&Co decided to expand the brand. Even though there where various new cloths introduced to the market ; 501 jeans remained their top-selling product. It was their new brand strategy to "offer products for every life style", which turned to be a fiasco. Not only it didn’t bring expected results, what is more, this to big diversification caused drops in sales. It was so decided to come back to the core product and it’s image. To strengthen the Levi’s position on a market, their launched a new campaign which emphasizes emotional connection between jeans and theirs owner. To wear 501 it is to be yourself – they said.
Dubois and Czellar (2002) refer to luxury brands as those goods that can offer comfort, beauty and refinement. On the other hand, a prestige brand is referred to as a brand that has achieved a definitive level of accomplishment, either in the quality or performance. O’Cass a...
-Status symbols: Sophisticated customers who value the distinctive, exclusive collection seem to value the corporate-branded version of luxury. –Philip Martiz, chairman of the board
Levi's has always tried to minimize the impact culture has on its ability to produce standardized products and campaigns. This is done to achieve economies of scale and a higher quality but cultural differences can be very important in the global and domestic markets. The characteristics of a particular cultural group will affect the type of products it desires and how they purchase it and use it. From the 1950s to the 1980s Levis was the image of rebellion and counter culture with public icons such as Elvis and Marlon Brando publically seen wearing the brand. This helped in giving the brand an image of originality and authenticity. But what Levis failed to grasp was that culture changes through time and consumer behaviour and choices change along with it. The rap culture which began in 1992 brought about new trends of loose baggy clothes. Levi's which sold straight tapered jeans failed to meet the needs of its consumer market who demanded loose baggy jeans which were considered as "cool" at the time. This demand was fulfilled by competitor brands such as JNCO, Kickwear and Boss etc who were quick to grab on to Levi's market share with products which were more suited to the younger generation. Even the rebellious image of Levis was taken by other brands like Diesel and Pepe.