Burberry re brand

Following on the notion of how regardless of quality, it is how brands advertise their products that changes our perception of the brand, the Burberry re brand is a famous example of this. 

The Burberry brand is defined by its authentic British heritage and is globally recognized by the iconic trench coat, trademark check and Prorsum horse logo. In the 70s the brand became associated football firms, hooliganism and later on "Chav" culture. Fake garments of the brand with the iconic check pattern were sold to the masses and as a result lowered Burberry's exclusivity and high desirability. The significant turn around for the brand happened in 2006 when the fashion house appointed Angela Ahrendts as their CEO.
Following a six-month tour of the brand’s global locations, Ahrendts found that the customer experience was anything but consistent. In the process of global expansion, the company had completely lost its focus and its exclusivity. Ahrendts’ first strategic move in starting Burberry's road to success was to centralize design and revive the brand’s heritage. In order to engineer a pure, global luxury brand that would compete with its much larger rivals, Ahrendts appointed Christopher Bailey to the position of global design director. Ahrendts was very clear in her mission: “Anything that the consumer sees—anywhere in the world—will go through his office. No exceptions.”

The success of Burberry’s re branding is seen in its ability to adapt current styles while still celebrating its history. The company continually launched digital marketing initiatives, such as Burberry Acoustic, Art of the Trench, and a partnership with Google, to bring the brands relevancy up to date with the new generation. By branding itself digitally Burberry successfully appealed itself to a younger consumer. Burberry also sought to use the power of celebrity endorsement to bring back that aura of exclusivity and high end appeal. 

In society, celebrities have always been a source for entertainment and idolisation. This then creates a Midas touch for whatever the celebrity endorses. When Burberry adopted celebrity endorsement in their campaign, it inevitably elevated their brand's status both in perceived quality and desirability. Burberry effectively used its celebrity endorsement campaign by selecting models that were current and high profile. Having models such as Cara Delevigne allowed for Burberry's brand image look current, edgy and exciting. This greatly appealed to the younger generation because of the emotional connection they share. Appeal is a major key in a brand's success because the more likely the consumer likes the advertising, the more likely it creates favourable attitude towards the brand. Furthermore by having these high gloss, celeb endorsed ads, it increased Burberry's exclusive appeal and made them look like a luxury product once again. 

In terms of the Brief, what Burberry's use of celebrity and digital endorsement represent is their shift in public perception. By using these two methods of advertising, Burberry are effectively appealing to its younger consumer, i.e Millennials, that other fashion brands had forgotten about. A digital platform for its advertising is an effective way to appeal to a generation where most of their time is spent on the internet. The rise in digital technology and social media,  means that Burberry's adverts are given greater exposure as their audience are on the platform which they spend the most time on. It is also because millennials are so exposed to the internet that celebrities are more exposed as a result. Combining these two ultimately increases their overall brand image and thus shifts their public perception.