BRAND CASE STUDY
BURBERRY
Burberry the British global
luxury brand we are so familiar with now, didn't always had an opulent
luxurious outlook down the history line. Founded by Thomas Burberry at a young
age of 21 in the year 1856, the brand was just a draper’s shop in Basingstoke,
England. The previous reputation of this brand was only producing waterproof
garments and outfitters which were supplied to the military during the war.
After going through the case
study, following are my reflections on marketing history of the brand Burberry.
Burberry had been facing many
issues with their brand
Strategic and tactical marketing,
both are equally essential for any brand.
The major strategic marketing decisions
made by Burberry were:
·
Reinvention of Burberry
·
Revamping the product line
·
Overhauling company’s distribution strategy
Then we come to the tactical
marketing decisions:
·
Hiring a top management team for success in
retail environment, from shop floors to fitting rooms. Hence, trying to figure
out what customers wanted, what price points people wanted and where the gaps
were.
·
Extensive customer base research with market
survey (GAP and SWOT analysis)
·
The name of the company was changed from
Burberry’s to Burberry with a new contemporary logo and new packaging.
·
With the strategy of repositioning the brand,
Burberry wanted to shift its customer base, from older customer to younger ones
while yet retaining the core customer base.
·
Burberry wanted to position between gaps and
stay true to their brand values. The right niche was between labels like Polo
Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani in apparels and between Coach and Gucci in
accessories. Hence, Burberry was more of an accessible luxury because of its
purposeful functionality.
·
The product line was updated by slashing the
SKUs. Out-dated products were eliminated and pave way for new design. New
design team was hired to update traditional products and have a new range of
products to form continuity in the designs. Bandanas, miniskirts and spike heel
boots were introduced among new products.
·
Burberry designed collections from season to
season, introducing clothing for warmer climates like the famous Burberry
bikini. New menswear and accessories were also introduced.
·
Then the issue of licensing was very important
to resolve. Burberry exercised control over design, sourcing, manufacturing and
distribution. No third party distribution was allowed. Burberry outsourced
products such as fragrances, timepieces, eyewear etc. It gave authorized
license to other companies with royalty to sell under Burberry’s name as they
didn’t have enough expertise. Prices were raised for profit as new
distributorship came in with strict control, credentials and quality check.
·
Sustaining brand value equally for a teenager or
a countryside Englishman. Hence, in motive of expanding the band Burberry
Prorsum came in. Hence, Burberry entered the haute couture world bringing a
modern vision to the brand.
·
Branding and advertising were focused majorly.
For a promotional campaign, Burberry hired famed fashion photographer, Mario
Testino, creative director Fabien Baron and ad agent David Lipman. The black
and white photographs had a heritage yet a modern look. Supermodel Kate Moss
juxtaposition with Stella were hired to model for the campaign having a both
aristocratic and modern bad girl look.
·
Now came the task to sustain the brand. The
non-target customers and Hip-Hop celebrities were also introduced to the brand.
·
Burberry Brit perfume was introduced to women in
mid 30s and the check became extremely popular too.
Burberry Prorsum
The brand new image of the brand
was further stroked by the introduction of the luxurious high end Prorsum for
the couture lovers. Burberry had many different lines available in several
countries but Prorsum became the most popular. Prorsum had extravagance with
hand-tailored intricate products. After communicating to the youth, Burberry
wanted to communicate to the first class fashion stores and opulent runways and
introduce the aristocratic to the brand’s new image. Top industry journalists
and editorial press covered the collections, showcasing it to the world.
Prorsum is not for the million but for the minority truly interested in fashion
and with that Prorsum debuted in London Fashion Week. It experimented and
showcased elaborate silhouettes, designs and fabrics.
Trading down in marketing is
reducing the product features and benefits of the product to suit selling price
and demand of the consumer. It helps the brand in many ways. It makes luxury
accessible to the general masses and also helps growing flagship stores all
over the world. It increases profits and sales to sustain a luxury brand.
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