I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that we have faithfully observed the terms of approval in the conduct of this project. Signed: .................... Date: ..../..../........
Brand Timeline
Store Requirements
Brand Journey
Products
Brand Positioning
Consumer
Font
Sustainability
Logo
Communication Guidelines
Colour
Brand Touchpoints
Tone of Voice
Strategies
Thomas Burberry was born in England, and became and apprentice draper. Burberry partnered with digital giant Google to launch their campaign Burberry Kisses. The iconic Burberry check print was developed. The invention of the first Burberry trench. This was developed to serve the military in WW1.
Thomas Burberry invented Garbadine, a breathable, durable fabric.
The brand was listed in the London Stock Exchange.
As Burberry was first developed as an outerwear brand, they were the outfitter of choice for many polar explorers.
The film, “The Tale of Thomas Burberry� was published.
The company moved its first store to London. Burberry opened the first store in India, in Dehli.
3
The business is currently worth ÂŁ7.2 billion.
At Burberry, our brand story and the history of the brand is the foundation of everything we do. Without our quintessentially British history, the brand would not be what it is today. Founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856, our brand has developed over time to be a distinctive British brand, known for their iconic beige and unique plaid print. Incorporated into our branding, products and packaging, the plaid print has been an integral part of our brand throughout its history.
“Burberry is a global luxury brand with a distinctive British identity. The brand has a strong reputation for
design,
innovation
and
craftsmanship.”
However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for Burberry as a brand, and we have had to overcome some difficulties in our time. The iconic Burberry check was adopted and associated with “chavs” in the early 2000s, with celebrities such as Daniella Westbrook sporting head-to-toe Burberry check, lowering the demographic exposed to Burberry. This adoption of the Burberry check saw the decline in our sales, as our recent consumers were disassociating themselves with our brand. Following the exposure of the Burberry check being worn by chavs, we then saw the downfall of our iconic plaid print being used in counterfeit products and being sold across varies market stalls across the country, completely defacing our brand and everything we stood for. Despite this, as a brand we have made significant increase and development since the struggles we experienced. With the like of new faces such as chief executive Marco Gobetti. Gobetti’s mission is to develop our brand and establish it brand amongst our competitors, taking our brand into a more upmarket position amongst other brands.
4
“Burberry is a luxury
brand which is recognized
internationally with a
worldwide distribution
network. The mission of
the company is to maintain
its integrity and vitality of their brand, at the same
time, continue to develop
the business which remains
relevant to ever evolving
markets and consumer tastes.� 6
HIGH FASHION
LOW FASHION
HIGH QUALITY
LOW QUALITY
7
The Burberry logo is a bespoke version of the font Bodini. Bodini is a modern serif style font, which conveys a high quality and luxury vibe, which directly relates to Burberry.
The primary font used for headings, caption and body, both in upper and lower cases is Proxima Nova. This is a clean looking sans serif font, which makes it easy for people to read and clear to view. The secondary typeface is Times, which is a classic font that has been used by other brands and used in many instances.
There has been a development of the font over the years and development of Burberry. The old font is the lowercase one which is pictured. The new font is now all upper case. This gives our logo more superiority and looks more sophisticated, both attributes which reflect the brand and what we stand for.
9
As we are such an iconic fashion house, which has existed for over 150 years, the logo is an integral part of our brand since the founding of our brand. The Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo was created in 1901. The knight is holding the word “Prorsum”, which is Latin for “forwards”. This has connotations of forward thinking, suggesting that we are a leader in our field. The logo also shows the equestrian holding a shield. The equestrian represents purity, nobleness and honor, while the shield represents protection. This is due to the original roots of our brand, with the initial product being outwear. The use of black in the logo reflects strength and durability. In 1904, Burberry founder Thomas Burberry registered the logo, and later our iconic check in 1920.
The colour of the logo has occasionally been seen in muted beiges, to tie in with our iconic beige. However, the logo in its right form is black and white. This is a simple colour scheme for the logo but is classic and simplistic, as we believe that the logo speaks for itself in a way that doesn’t need the input of colour. Due the the integral part the logo plays in our brand, it has barely changed since the 1900s.
10
As a luxury brand in a very overcrowded market, it
colours such as a muted beige and white, and contrasting
is important for us as a brand to be distinctive and
high value colours such as red and black. The contrast
stand out amongst our competitors. The Burberry
between the colours has made the check so iconic and eye
plaid check is very iconic, and the colours included in
catching, with glimpses of the red being visible from a
the check have become the core colours of our brand,
distance. The colour avoids using contrasting hues which
and colours that consumers associate with our brand.
means that the colours all sit well in harmony, creating a
The Burberry check, which consists of black, white,
muted elegance and a luxury feel to the blend of the colours.
beige and red, was first created in the 1920s, with the first intention of use as a lining. It quickly became an
The check has taken inspiration from the traditional
iconic symbol of the brand and therefore we decided
Scottish pattern. Traditional Scottish plaid uses a
to incorporate it into more elements of our brand.
triad of bold colours, which has been replicated in the Burberry check, using three bold colours. The
Our infamous Burberry check combines low value
Burberry check is a more classy subtle version of this.
13
Our brands tone of voice is something that reflects our brand and its personality, the way that Burberry is perceived from the view of a consumer. One of the core themes of personality that runs through our brand is its roots as a British grown brand, and remains with this at the core of everything we do. This is reflected in our products, our marketing and even the models we use in our campaigns. Models such as Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss are known to be quintessentially British models, something that we feel reflects our brand very well.
Another element of our tone of a voice as a brand is our timelessness. One of our signature items, the Burberry trench coat is something that has been fashionable since the early 1900s, with Thomas Burberry's invention of it. Items such as the trench coat are still at the core of a timeless, modern style, with hints of heritage and classicism reflected in our branding and our tone of voice.
The tone of voice is something that is carried across all areas and products in our ranges. This is evident across our clothing, accessories and beauty.
17
Overtime, as a brand we have consistently developed our stores to reflect the ongoing digital changes in society. During the designing of the flagship store on Regents Street, the consideration of the shopping experience for the current consumer was taken into account and reflected in the final design. The investment in in-store technology has allowed us to display innovative content across multiple platforms, operating in an omnichannel market. The increase of technology in stores has allowed the audiovisual experience for customer to become an encounter with Burberry in ways that appeals to all their senses. Ipads were introduced into stores for every customer to be able to access the increased inventory through Burberry World. The store includes the world's tallest retail screen, screens which can turn into mirrors, and 550 hidden speakers.
Through doing this and putting such an emphasis on the digital, it is clear that our technological experience for the customer is blurring the lines between physical and digital, as the store was designed to be a physical version of the website.
"Walking through the doors is just like walking into our website. It is Burberry World Live."
20
"In renovating this iconic London building we have worked with some of the UK's finest craftsmen to restore a wealth of historic features, at the same time as pushing the boundaries of digital technology. The result is a space defined by contrasts: at once imposing and intimate, its
juxtaposition of craft and innovation is designed to delight, surprise and entertain. It is a reflection of how we approach everything at Burberry - revealing the different layers of the brand's heritage within a modern context, and forever celebrating design and expert craftsmanship."
Overtime, the product ranges that we launch have
we have now taken over three sectors, Burberry
developed and evolved to suit our consumer and
Prorsum, Burberry Brit, and Burberry London.
their needs and requirements. Initially, Burberry
Burberry Prorsum reflects our ready to wear
started out as an outerwear brand. As Thomas
catwalk collection, Burberry London is our
Burberry developed Gabardine, the fabric was
iconic trench coats and accessories, and Burberry
developed alongside the infamous Burberry
Brit offers our more casual clothing. We operated
trenches. Our traditional plaid check was used in
in this way of splitting our product offers into
conjunction with the trenches, and soon after in
categories for a period of time, but in 2015 we
the use of another of our popular products, our
made the decision to merge these again. Now, all
scarves. Over time, Burberry has evolved and
of our products coexist under the brands name.
“The behaviour of the luxury customer is evolving, their style is more fluid and this is reflected in the way they shop.� ~ Christopher Bailey ~ 23
Our consumer is fashionable. Our consumer is driven. Our consumer is timeless. Our consumer is sophisticated.
Our consumer is you.
Our target consumer is someone who desires luxury, while still being functional. As a brand, our point of difference is our ability to provide luxury, aspirational products, while still being functional. In order to reach our target consumer, we had to carefully consider where to pitch our products in the market, and who we would be competing with. For example, in terms of our apparel, we are competing against strong brands such as Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani, while we also are competing with Coach and Gucci in the accessories field. In order to appeal to our consumer, the price point of our products has to fit their budget. Through investing time in our digital footprint, through the use of social media, we have been able to lower our target consumers average age as this is accessing a more youthful market.
29
As a global luxury retailer and manufacturer, employing over
the amounts of water, fertilisers and pesticides used in cultivation, as well
10,000 people and with over 400 retail locations worldwide,
as the energy-intensive processes of spinning, weaving and dyeing cotton.
Burberry is acutely aware of its responsibilities and the
From our iconic scarves and knitwear to our distinctive outerwear, cashmere
opportunities
change.
has been at the heart of our product offering for the past 130 years. Each
As a luxury company, we create products using only the highest
spring this luxurious fibre is combed from the winter undercoat of goats that
quality materials and multiple communities from across the
live in the vast plains of Central Asia. Warm, soft and lightweight, it takes
world are involved in bringing these to our customers. This
the hair from one goat to make a single Burberry classic cashmere scarf.
means the impact of our business on the environment and our
Climate change and increased global demand for cashmere are causing
interaction with local economies is international and varied.
challenges for the fragile ecosystems of the Mongolian Steppe, a major
to
drive
positive
production centre of global cashmere supply. Overgrazing by cashmere goats Acting responsibly and with integrity is in Burberry’s DNA. Thomas
is depleting native grasslands, with cashmere farming linked to significant
Burberry was a man of strong philanthropic principles. He donated
environmental challenges, including desertification and biodiversity
clothes and materials to the Red Cross and local charities and he
loss. An additional challenge for the long-term viability of the cashmere
was well known for welcoming those in need into his home. Just
industry is its ability to attract and retain the next generation of Mongolian
as his invention of gabardine is the foundation of our company, so
cashmere herders and preserve existing herding skills and knowledge.
too the example he set remains a part of our culture. We believe
From our classic signature handbags and wallets, to runway inspired
in the power of our heritage to positively influence our future
seasonal updates of prints and colours, leather is an important raw material used across our accessories, apparel and shoes.
There are many ways in which we are able to positively influence the environment by making wise choices when creating our products and
The impacts of leather production can be significant and stretch right
sourcing our fabrics and materials. Cotton is used to make gabardine,
along its value chain, from methane emissions and conversion of natural
the iconic fabric invented by our founder Thomas Burberry in
ecosystems to pastureland to the chemicals, water and energy used in the
1879. Tightly woven in Burberry’s Yorkshire Mill, this breathable
processing and tanning of leather. With leather accessories accounting for
and lightweight fabric has been used in our trench coats for over
more than 10% of our total greenhouse gas emissions, we are focused on
100 years and is the foundation of many of our products today.
working with our supply chain partners to mitigate the material’s impacts.
Cotton production and global demand have significantly changed since
Burberry use wool in a range of products including scarves, jumpers and coats.
we first manufactured gabardine. Today, conventional cotton farming
Our policy prescribes the sourcing of all products and raw materials to come
can have significant environmental and social impacts arising from
from suppliers that are governed by the highest animal welfare standards. .
31
32
At Burberry, it is important that the same brand message is carried across all of our platforms and channels, and that the consumer builds the same image of Burberry through every interaction they have.
With the recent booming of social media, the influence we have digitally has been increasingly important to us. In 2013 we launched ‘Burberry Kisses’, our digital campaign, partnering with Google to bring our consumers the technologically advanced experience they now demand and expect. Burberry Kisses is a digitally advance campaign which allowed the customer to digitally interact with Burberry, and ‘send’ a kiss from your smart device to anyone across the world.
"Burberry Kisses began with the idea of giving technology a bit of heart and soul, and using it to unite the Burberry family across the world - by telling a story that makes the digital personal" At Burberry we have also put a significant amount of emphasis into our social media profiles and the way in which that allows us to connect with a wide demographic of consumers. As the younger demographic becomes more and more reliant on technology and social media, it is important that we engage with them in a way which feels natural to them. Social media is a free form of advertising for us, as it allows to to tailor our content around the current needs of the consumer, partnered with the latest content to share with our followers.
35
As an international brand, it is important for us at Burberry
more timelines and feeds. Similar to this, the use of
to consider the various ways in which we interact with
advertising is way to present the consumer with various
our consumers, and the touchpoints at which we are
touchpoints. Adverts such as Burberry Kisses allowed
accessible for our consumers to be exposed to our brand.
a physical interaction with the customer through our advertising. Our moving image and print adverts are
As previously mentioned, the millennial generation have
renowned for their reflection of the brand and our values.
driven the rise in social media use, therefore demanding that us as global brands have to keep up. Social media
One of the more obvious touchpoints for interaction
is a significantly influential platform in which we have
with the consumer is in the stores, store fronts and
multiple opportunities to interact with consumers and act
in our concessions. The physical interaction with a
as touchpoints for them to access us as a brand. One of
store, its products and staff members is something that
the most effective ways of introducing touch points to
simply cannot be contested in terms of the emotional
a consumer is through accessing a platform which they
connection to a consumer. The ability to see, feel and
feel familiar with. Social media is an ideal example of
touch a product appeals to a consumers senses in a
this as the user is able to personalise their platform and
way that no other touchpoint can. Therefore, there
whose content they see. However, the use of sponsored
is significant responsibility on these touchpoints
posts means that the as a brand we are able to grow
that they are consistent in the representation of the
more exposure from consumers through appearing on
brand and the way it is perceived through all outputs.
39
PRODUCT IS AT THE HEART OF OUR TRANSFORMATION We will reshape our offer, increasing and invigorating the fashion content. We will create compelling luxury leather goods and
accessories to attract new customers. We will build on the strength of our apparel and re-energise it. We will build our offer to provide a complete look for our customers, while continuing to simplify our ranges.
COMMUNICTION WILL CONVEY NEW ENERGY We will put product at the centre of our communication. We will leverage our extensive digital reach to convey new energy. We will be bold in the way we engage luxury consumers, reinventing our editorial content and experiences.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WILL REFLECT OUR POSITIONING To ensure our distribution is consistent with our brand positioning, we will rationalise non- luxury wholesale and retail doors, with an initial emphasis on the US and then EMEIA. We will transform our in-store experience by refurbishing our stores and enhancing our luxury service. We will continue to lead innovation in digital, delivering personalised experiences and true omnichannel services.
42