“I like romance, I like glamour, and I like realism. I think that’s a great combination.” Ralph Lauren

An analysis byMarissa de Beeld

Marta FigarSigrid Meltzer

Suzanne van TrigtTamara ThuisZoe Zablow

THE HISTORY OF RALPH LAURENRalph Lauren Corp. creates premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. The company has developed several brands including Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear and a few more.

The Beginnings Today

1967 Present

1967- Founded by Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz)He started by creating a line of men’s ties1968- Launches a line of menswear1969- In order to promote a lifestyle with his ties, he named his line after a classic and elegant sport: Polo.1971- The first RL store is opened in Beverly Hills and in the chain Bloomingdale’s.

1971- Launching of first Polo women’s collection1972- Introduction of the iconic polo shirt1989- Polo flag sweater becomes a bestseller1993- launch of Polo Sport line

Ralph Lauren has engaged in several philanthropic projects such as the Pink Pony foundation to fight Cancer2007- Recognized by CFDA as American Fashion Legend Award2015- He announced his stepping down as CEO of RL corp. being replaced by Stefan Larsson

TIMELINE

Facts and Figures7450 Net revenues (in millions$) in 2014 in Euros#89 World’s most valuable brand according to Forbes 30+ Number on countries in which Ralph Lauren’s products are retailed

1981- The company became international and opened a store in London1993- Polo sport line was introduced 1997- The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange1999- Opening of RL Restaurants2000- Launch of the official website

1974- Lauren gained recognition by providing clothing for the movie The Great Gatsby 1977- Designs clothes for the film Annie Hall by Woody Allen2006- Becomes official outfitter of Wimbeldon 2008- Outfitter of US olympic team

Expansion Collaborations Polo

THE TARGET PROFILE

Ralph Lauren’s target profile is a young male between the ages of 21-30, graduated and

eager to succeed in life

However the brand is trying to modernize its products to target this group of the sector, it is still very classic and in

line with its sophisticated brand image

THE REAL TARGET PROFILECUSTOMER PROFILE

MenYoung Adult/ Adult

18 - 50Casual, elegant

Shop 2 items on average

Shops alone or with partner

Likely to be follower of the brand

Classic

Not a trendsetter

International

Sophisticated

PRODUCT, PRICE AND STYLISTIC IDENTITYIn order to analyze the stylistic identity of Polo Raph Lauren, we have chosen three iconic products of the men’s collection: the Polo’s, the sweaters and the casual shirts.

Polo V-neck Sweater Sports Shirts

Colors The three products are sold in a warm and wide range of colors, light hue

Iconic colors: Deep Navy, Avenue Red, Orange and other colors such as: grey, light blue, green, pink

Iconic colors, Autumn Jade, Real Camel, Medieval Purple, Autumn Yellow, Polo Black

Pastel colors, white grey, dark blue, stripes

Fabrics/materials 100% cotton, Mesh, Stretch Mesh

Wool, Cashmere Cotton, Twill

Silhouette Different fits: Classic, Custom and Slim fit, Long sleeved, Rugby

Slim Fit & Classic Fit Slim, Standard and Big&Tall fit

Price (in dollars) Entry price: $89.5Core price: $98.5Top price: $125

Entry price: $98.5Core price: $125Top price: $265

Entry price: $89.50Core price: $98.50Top price: $198

The particularity of these three products is that the Polo logo is embroided in a diffrent bright color creating iconic products characterised by the quality of the cut and fabric.

PRODUCT, PRICE AND STYLISTIC IDENTITYOccasions of use

Part of the stylistic identity of the brand it is also important to consider the « Create Your Own » function on the Ralph Lauren website. This enables the consumer to customize its polo by adding his own elements and choosing its favourite colors.

Daily wear (formal/informal) - The polos, V-neck sweaters and sports shirt can be worn in an informal setting, it reflects an urban style with a more weekend spirit.It is suitable to go shopping with family and friends and casual gatherings in general. A polo in a bright color would suit perfectly for a luch with friends for instance.

Work wear (formal) – The shirt collection can be suitable for a less formal day at work e.g on fridays.It is perfect for business travels thanks to the breathable fabrics of the shirts and v-neck sweater.

Leisure wear (informal) – The Polo collection suits perfectly for leisure days and vacations. The fabrics used are very comfortable which is generally what men seek especially if they have to wear suits during the week.It also target men who like keeping a preppy style while travelling and feeling comfortable.

Special occasions (formal) –Not suitable for an evening event nor for a wedding. At cocktail parties could be worn the classic shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren in a neutral tone.For a ceremony or evening at the theatre for example a shirt and a v-neck sweater can be appropriate if there is no dresscode.

THE IMAGE IDENTITYThe basic communication identity is to convey the American style by referring to Old England. Timeless, classic cuts and high-quality products are key to the success of this brand. By photographing the Polo brand in a countryside environment, they sustain the identity of the brand. Furthermore, Ralph Lauren is often in the spotlight to represent his brand. Their communication is in line with their Polo brand strategy. So as to understand the characteristics of the identity of Polo Brand within the Ralph Lauren group, the following dimensions are analyzed: Creativity, Media and its website.CreativityThe key message of Polo is the preppy American lifestyle. They use a tone of voice that is classic, warm and adapted to seasonal effects. Thus, they use commercial looking models in a familiar environment, for example a sport field, a living room or on the streets. To supply its retailers, Polo Ralph Lauren displays its clothes in a showroom. The designer itself is very influential in the Ralph Lauren World as an ambassador of the American lifestyle the brand stands for. In their advertisement or webpage they do not use celebrities to gain attention from customers.The brand uses videos to advertise their lifestyle for every segment they target. The videos always show happy people, most of them young fashionable couples and youngsters playing sports. They also use elements as dogs and families, to give customers a warm feeling.MediaIn addition to advertising the brand in fashion & lifestyle magazines, such as Vogue, the brand has its own: Ralph Lauren Magazine These ads are recognizable and represent the brand. They are important to create brand awareness and strengthen the Polo identity. Ads can be displayed on billboards mostly around their stores where they try to convey their lifestyle rather than the products. This is important for Polo since the brand represents a lifestyle and not just clothes. Moreover, Ralph Lauren is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Their image on social media resembles their website and in-store image, therefore we can conclude that they are efficient in conveying a unified message concerning their brand.There are some less successful initiatives to advertise the group such as Ralph Lauren TV, Ralph Lauren Collection app. However, this app does not add much value to the Polo brand. WebsiteThe website has a white background with a clear font ensuring that the content is readable. In order to show the brand identity they incorporate many photos. The double navigation system is difficult to understand for the customer looking for a particular brand of RL. Polo for instance was not easy to find. It works this way: browse a sub-brand first and then continue to find what kind of products you like. There is also the option to search for a specific product and then select by brand. The content of the Polo brand website is high level, products are shown with powerful slogans. The content matches the design. Product descriptions are short but straightforward. The brand story is extensively shown in another part of the website :World of RL, engaging the customer even more. At the bottom of each page, it is to subscribe to Ralph Lauren's newsletter, which contains all information about RL’s different brands. Furthermore you can register as a customer at the right top of the home page.

THE RETAIL IDENTITY

LOCATION: La Rinascente, next to the Duomo, which is a rather touristic area

PROPS Polo sticks, skis, hiking sticks, mannequins

MUSIC General department store music

COLOURS Multicolour polo's, neutral colours for professional clothes

and suits

LIGHTS Pale, diffused, spotlight

MATERIALS Predominance of wood in floor, wall and shelves and some

metal racks

VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Ralph Lauren’s target is the 'nouveau riches' of the 80’s: Country club and American lifestyle. In store they try to portray the ambience of this high society. Everything is well organized and in line with the Country club theme.

The Polo philosophy emphasizes that everything is about the lifestyle

“To reflect a casual, conservative and patriotic lifestyle they try to create a

high society ambience”

Assisted sales service at Polo Sales assistants dressed adoc with the brand’s identity: Chino pants and smart red, blue or white shirts