Ralph Lauren
When you think about the Ralph Lauren label guide, have you ever wondered what the difference between the two is? Of course, there are many similarities, as they are both parts of the Ralph Lauren brand, but some significant differences set them apart. This differentiation within the brand is not unique to premium brands. Over the past few years, Ralph Lauren has reduced the number of labels inside its brand by combining some of them into one tag. Sometimes it wasn't obvious which customers each tag was targeting, so merging simplified the process. It was also overwhelming to open Ralph Lauren's website and see seventeen different sub-tags from the past. Most customers don't even understand that the brand has different segmentations.
In the 50 years since its founding in 1967, Ralph Lauren has been recognized as almost the creator of the quintessential American lifestyle. The brand has used classic designs as its core, but has also evolved them in line with emerging trends. Revenues for fiscal 2017 totaled $6.7 billion, a decrease of 10% compared to similar revenues generated in fiscal 2016. In May 2017. Ralph Lauren Corporation appointed Patrice Louvet as president and chief executive officer (CEO), replacing Stefan Larsson. Prior to joining Ralph Lauren, Patrice Louvet served as Group President of Global Beauty at Procter & Gamble.
This is worth remembering!
Ralph Lauren started on a modest note, working from a drawer in the Empire State Building in New York City and selling men's ties under tie manufacturer Beau Brummell. With this support, Ralph Lauren quickly expanded into an entire line of menswear, which Lauren called "Polo," paying homage to his love of sports. In just two years, Ralph Lauren was first given his own store in Bloomingdale's department store in Manhattan. Building on this early success, Ralph Lauren launched a full women's collection and later opened its first store on Rodeo Drive in posh Beverly Hills - the first freestanding store for an American designer. Today, Ralph Lauren Group manages a total of 17 fashion brands and four lifestyle brands in 493 directly operated stores in 30 countries. Ralph Lauren is best known for the polo shirt of the oldest brand in its portfolio, Polo Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren's product lines cover all areas of apparel fashion, including menswear, womenswear, women's watches and jewelry, children's wear and sportswear. The distinct identity of the preppy, aspirational American look is so powerful that it is now defined as a key element of American fashion. With multiple sub-brands under the Ralph Lauren umbrella brand catering to different market segments, Ralph Lauren has indeed become one of the strongest fashion brands in the world. Unlike the usual branding practices typically seen in the consumer goods industry, the branding philosophy in the fashion and luxury goods industry is quite different.
Polo grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, opening boutiques in the United States and abroad. In 1986, Lauren opened his company's flagship store in New York's Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue, which has since been surrounded by several other Lauren stores. Since Goldman Sachs bought more than a quarter of the company in mid-1990, Polo Ralph Lauren went public on June 11, 1997, trading under the symbol RL. As of October 2015, Polo's success has brought Lauren a personal fortune estimated at more than $6 billion, ranking Lauren among the 200 richest people in the world.
Summary
Since its launch, the Ralph Lauren brand has developed and operationalized a strategy that directly taps into the fashion industry's blue ocean capabilities - a balance between haute couture (sophistication) and classic lines (design and heritage). By successfully combining new age identity with classic designs, Ralph Lauren has maintained its appeal among a wide range of consumers. Ralph Lauren has consistently developed different products at different price levels for different markets. From apparel to accessories, fragrances, home products for men, women, children at prices ranging from tens of dollars to thousands. Each Ralph Lauren label will have a target customer, a distinct market and different prices for each label.
Lauren underwent surgery in mid-1980 to remove a benign tumor from his brain. Since then, he has funded a number of cancer research and care initiatives, and in 1989 co-founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University. Using his considerable fortune, Lauren amassed a famous collection of rare cars, including a 1930 Mercedes-Benz Count Trossi SSK known as the "Black Prince." In 2005, Lauren allowed his collection to be exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In 2011, a selection from his car collection was exhibited in Paris.