After reading the agenda for the National Retail Federation’s 101st Annual Convention & EXPO, which was held last week at the Javitz Center in New York, I clicked through to one of the sessions I would definitely attend had I been able to attend this year’s show: How Ralph Lauren keeps a classic brand modern.
For years, I’ve had a Ralph Lauren corner in my living room. When trying to figure out how to decorate an awkward spot in the room, my sister suggested I go to the local Ralph Lauren store for inspiration. We browsed the beautiful displays set up in the store that featured warm yet worn overstuffed leather furniture, distressed side tables draped with antique lace, holding classic books, old glasses and unique, antique-style lamps, bookshelves stuffed not only with books but with family photos in eclectic frames, paisley pillows sharing the chair with a plaid wool throw, hunt-club inspired artwork and short stacks of old leather suitcases. Each decorating item looked so comfortable and homey yet perfectly placed. Despite the relaxed feel, I knew achieving this level or comfort and ease would be anything but easy! But after several failed attempts, I nailed the look and have kept it ever since with a few modifications and updates over the years.
To me, the Ralph Lauren brand whispers exquisite style and impeccable taste. There’s no need to shout because they have the American style market cornered in a refined and classic manner. The company simply has a flair that few brands can match.
Since creating the brand more than 40 years ago, Ralph Lauren, the man behind Polo by Ralph Lauren, RRL, Chaps, Club Monaco, American Living and more in the clothing, fragrances, home furnishings and accessories lines has become synonymous with classic good taste. At 72, he remains CEO of the entire empire that includes nearly 400 stores worldwide, and a presence at more than 9,000 stores – both high-end and mid-level department and specialty stores as well as the online counterpart of each Ralph Lauren brand.
The NRF 101st Annual Convention & EXPO session, How Ralph Lauren keeps a classic brand modern, was about the image the company has created and developed over the years and how they have successfully expanded on the concept with new lines and products. One of the ideas discussed by David Lauren, the company’s EVP of advertising, marketing and corporate communications, was a principle the company uses called “merchantainment,” which blends commerce with culture and enables the company to remain modern and appealing to existing customers as well as attracting new ones. The link to the session mentions that they create 360-degree marketing initiatives that encompass all channels to brand a lifestyle, adding, “David will explore his evolutionary vision of how he wants the brand to unfold in the digital space, by using technology to expand the brand’s philosophy
