We all know it, we all have seen it. A checkered pattern on a scarf, on a shirt or a trench coat. Yes, I´m talking about the British luxury brand Burberry. A Brand that´s been on the market since 1856, when Thomas Burberry opened his first store in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
Since over 160 years, the company have faced a roller coaster ride regarding their image. Frankly, if you ask people what they associate with the brand you often hear things like “High Quality”, “Luxury”, “Britishness”, “Heritage”. Let´s be honest: Which luxury brand does not desire associations like this.
However, was it always the case in the history of the prestigious brand?
This article will show you how the brand drifted away from their values in the early 2000s and with the help of strategic tools resurrected like a Phoenix from the ashes.
First, if you take a glance on the Burberry homepage you will quickly notice the emphasize of the brands heritage or tradition, respectively. From the in 1888 patented gabardine; a water repellant, breathable fabric until reached milestones like the 500th shop in the world. Certainly, the timeline with highlighting events in the companies´ history accompanied by stylish photography might convey an impression the company knows how to tell a story to give a consumer the feeling: Yes I did not just bought a product, I also bought a piece of history.
Take a look at the two pictures below and consider what I told you in the previous section.
Does this look like brand, who claims to be luxurious, unique and prestigious?
Without discriminating other readers´ opinion, I think the majority would definitely say NO!
Picardie, UK editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar said that Burberry had become associated with a downmarket image. Supported was these thesis with the fact that Burberry extensively licenced their product, which ultimately opened the door for the downmarket imitation. The famous check was everywhere, even on disposable nappies for dogs. Also, it had become a label which was associated with baseball caps in nightclubs. The peak of the negative public image were reached when former EastEnder actress Daniella Westbrook, who lost her septum through chronic cocaine use, was filmed by leaving a Burberry store being dressed with the iconic check from head-to-toe. The distinctive check become uniform of choice for yobs and football hooligans. The brand totally lost their exclusiveness for what they nowadays stand out again.
Therefore the story needed a new poem and a 160 degree turnaround. The first strategic decision was made to put Angela Arendths in charge of the brands strategic direction. Together with former Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey they had a clear mission: We need to tell a story!
Indeed, telling a story about a brand is a sensitive tool and can disastrous go wrong. However, Burberry succeeded and showed successfully how it has to be made. Take a look on the video, told by the former CEO of the company Angela Arendths.
Conspicuously often she emphasizes the value “trust” and how to build a trustful relationship not only between the customer and the brand, but also with the core of your brand: Your employees. In fact, how do you want to project values to your customers, suppliers etc. if within your company none of the values be part of the work-life? This fact illustrates perfectly what Ahrendts faced after her inauguration as CEO for the company. It was a classic day of British weather, gray and damp. Ahrendts had a meeting in a room with 60 people of the executive team and no one wore a trench coat or anything of Burberry, even though they got a top discount. In the video Angela Ahrendts also said: “Trust is a really big part of the values of the company and almost underpins every form of communication.” She and her team agreed they had to find a way to communicate the story as effective as possible. They were aware that the story had to be authentic for different target audiences and different mediums, so they told the story in a world common language: The Digital Language.
Visual elements accompanied by the terrific idea to implement the music angle on the website and in fact in the stores opened a new world of telling a story. Burberry also did not forget their British roots and therefore launched a feature called “Burberry Acoustic”, where the consumer is still able to watch live acts of young British musicians on the website, mobile phone and also a live stream in the stores. To offer a seamless experience from digital to retail, they even redesigned the Flagship- store at Regent street to reflect the Burberry.com website.
The strategy to put music and emotions first was a crucial decision for the brand and refreshed the image of Burberry immensely. The story with its focus on heritage of the brand, but also new innovative features and particularly the digital approach were a highly successful campaign and elevated Burberry back to the top!
That's it for today. I see you soon.
Cheers!
Niklas
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jun/16/angela-ahrendts-burberry-chav-image
https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/lbs-case-study/burberry-social-media-initiative/story/191422.html
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jun/16/angela-ahrendts-burberry-chav-image
https://uk.burberry.com/our-history/
https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/history-of-the-burberry-check
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krQG2Hceov4&t=7s
Picture Sources:
-https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/original-advertisement-for-burberry-trench-coat/3gE5E-LExOhoEA
-https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4342770/Danniella-Westbrook-slips-Burberry-AGAIN.html
-https://www.facebook.com/1FootballAwayDays/posts/the-burberry-hat-days-until-the-brand-dropped-it-in-2004-because-of-its-associat/527214780976063/
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