Luxury brands never win from going mass market

When a luxury brand goes mass market or to a co-brand, the winner is the retailer that has convinced the brand custodian to reduce quality, size, price and margin in return for pie-in-the-sky promises that rarely work out.

Too often it has the opposite effect to Mark Ritson’s example of the Missoni and Target tie-up (MWlinks.co.uk/LittleLuxury). Indeed, there are sufficient examples of fallen brands, product and category killers with the devastating disaster that has been left behind.

Chanel never has a ‘sale” or bastardises its brand and there are good reasons for this. Despite Coco Chanel being an orphan and an artisan, as Mark points out, her legacy of keeping her brand upscale has served her well – as it appears to be doing for Burberry and others.

Mike Ganley, managing director
Sales and Marketing Improvements