EQUITIES LUXURY GOODS Best Of: Brand Trivialisation 30 JUNE 2015 For the convenience of our clients, we are re-publishing and updating the most significant research insights lest they were lost in the flow of big reports. Luca Solca (+44) 203 430 8503 Brand trivialisation risk is not something you can anticipate from sales and profit trends
[email protected] You will eventually see an impact on sales and profits – by which time it is too late. Yet, the seeds Paola Bertini of brand equity destruction are sown long before one sees the pernicious results. (+44) 207 039 9521
[email protected] We think that analysing brand perception, brand distribution and product range architecture Hui Fan can help in anticipating and detecting trivialisation risk before it materialises: (+44) 203 430 8507
[email protected] 1. Is the brand obvious to all? Or is it ‘hiding in plain sight’? Hard luxury brands offer a better scale vs visibility ratio. We use Google and Baidu hits as well as website traffic statistics as proxies of brand ubiquity. 2. Is distribution directly controlled? Brand exclusivity as perceived by consumers rests heavily on their building the equation Price = Value. Direct retail maximises price discipline. 3. Is the ratio of full-price stores to factory outlets high or low? If luxury is about perceived exclusivity, then in the ideal world factory outlets would not exist. The more products there are ‘walking’ on the street – bought at full price or not – the greater the impression of ubiquity. 4. Is the brand identified with a few specific products? The narrower the sales mix and the stronger the brand association with a specific product, the higher the risk of brand trivialisation.