Ralph Lauren is a premium fashion and accessories brand that, according to Forbes, is estimated to be valued close to five billion dollars. The brand consists of about nine different umbrella labels within fashion alone, such as Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Black Label and Lauren by Ralph Lauren. The sheer size of the Ralph Lauren empire has been built on the image of the ‘thoroughbred-country-club-preppy-chic’, or otherwise known as All American Classics.
What is amazing is that as fashion trends change so frequently, the Ralph Lauren conglomerate has kept the All American Classic look relevant and desirable.
But what is the secret of the brand that charges $70 for a plain cotton polo shirt with an embroidered horse? The answer is ‘Lifestyle Marketing’. To begin, Ralph Lauren has always aligned itself with lifestyle preferences of the wealthy, such as Tennis, Golf and Polo. The brand has built up a wealth of heritage, brand references and associations that keep its brand lines highly sought after.
What is increasingly interesting is that Ralph Lauren is now borrowing from these desirable lifestyle preferences and bringing them to the masses via their web experience. Already in operation for many seasons, Ralph Lauren publishes its own luxury lifestyle publication online called RL Magazine. The publication consists of full-length lifestyle features reporting on sports, interviewing with celebrities, reporting on exotic destinations, offering insights on the making of hand made products such as purebred horse saddles, sharing the latest restaurant openings, and more. The beauty of the publication is that the content is authentic, articles are written by real journalists and specialists in their field, and they are written to subtly complement Ralph Lauren brands as a whole.
By fusing cultural aspects into their brand image, Ralph Lauren is providing the customer a chance to become an insider. As part of Fashion’s Collective’s ongoing dialogue about luxury brands entering into a new phase of ‘Lifestyle Marketing’, we feel Ralph Lauren’s example is right in line with the type of value consumers are seeking.
Photo Credits: Image Courtesy of RalphLauren.com
Written by: Agata Seidel
All articles are copy-edited by Gina Conforti
