Group 4, Section A consists of 6 students studying the history and transformation of the Burberry brand. Burberry started in 1856 as a manufacturer of durable, waterproof coats and uniforms. It gained popularity through the 1920s but then lost exclusivity through overlicensing. In the 1990s, Burberry brought in new leadership and transformed the brand through tighter design control, reduced product lines, and opening flagship stores to showcase its luxury lifestyle vision. The brand was successfully revitalized and expanded into new categories while balancing its heritage with trendiness. Ongoing challenges include managing overexposure of the signature check pattern and sustaining brand positioning as it continues growing.

1. Group 4, Section A
Ajitesh Jaiswal (08P007)
Anuj Dharnidharka (08P013)
Reeti Bhatia (08P039)
Siddharth Singh (08P048)
Subhratosh Khan (08P050)
Varun Malik (08P053)

2. 1860
• Waterproof and breathable material is invented by
Thomas Burberry
• Considered leisure class sports wear
WW I
• Designed officer’s uniforms for British Army
1924
• Burberry’s classic “check” appears as the lining of
trench coats
1930’s
• “For safety on land in air of afloat, there is nothing
equal to the Burberry coat

3. 1940’s
• Burberry meets Hollywood
1960’s
• Supermodel Twiggy revitalizes the trench
1970’s and 80’s
• No longer on fashion runways but trench coat is
used in movies like Pink Panther and Dick Tracy
2000
• Plaid of choice for the well-heeled and fashion
conscious

4. • Burberry was originally synonymous with quality
and durability
• Was part of regulation uniform for soldiers during
WW I
• Distinctive check pattern begins appearing during
the 1920’s and becomes a registered trademark
• Celebrities, adventurers and politicians begin to be
seen in Burberry’s signature check
• Original designs and uncompromising quality
make Burberry a symbol of both luxury and
durability

5. • Ownership changes in 1955 and Burberry
continues to grow worldwide due to licensing and
distribution agreements
• Brand becomes licensed from wallpaper to
chocolates
• Price, design and quality begin to vary
• Unauthorised parallel trading occurs
• No respect to the brand image
• Sold in retail environments inconsistent with its
quality proposition
• Brand loses its exclusivity

7. Revenues grow about 3 times within 3
years

9. New Goal:
• To transform Burberry from a tired outerware
manufacturer to a luxury lifestyle brand that was
aspirational, stylish and innovative
Hiring the best talent
• Top management team made up of A-list industry
talent
• People who had worked on shop floors and in
fitting rooms
• People who knew
– What customers wanted
– What price points people wanted
– Where the gaps were

10.  Surveyed the market and identified gaps
 Goal was to attract younger customers while
retaining core customer base
 Contemporary logo and packaging were
introduced
 Didn’t want to be cutting edge nor just classic
 Key differentiator from other brands was its
functionality

11. • Updating the Product Line
• Slashing the number of product stock keeping
units (SKU’s) from 100,000 to 24,000
• Eliminated outdated designs and had a consistent
look about products
• Almost a 1000 new styles each season across
womenswear menswear and accessories but
stayed true to its heritage
• With non-licensed products Burberry exercised
control over EVERYTHING (design, sourcing,
manufacturing, distribution)

12. • Curbed inconsistencies in price, design and
quality across markets
• Tighter control over distribution
• Opening up of flag ship stores
– Display full product range
– Showcase the vision
– Testing ground for new concepts and designs
• Create consistent brand image to avoid risk of
brand credibility

13. Lower end
• Low price labels to appeal to younger, fashion
conscious customers
• E.g.: Thomas Burberry and Burberry Blue and Black
Upper end (Burberry Prorsum)
• Limited distribution, not meant to be a brand for
millions of people
• Ultra luxury and appeared on runways with the
fashion greats
• Opportunity to showcase new brand image and get
editorial press for its collections
• Way to tell people something new was happening at
Burberry

14. • 10 million pound budget to overhaul the image
• Aim was to appear trendy without discarding
its rich history and heritage
• Although the campaigns were chic fun and
witty the model used appeared aristocratic and
classy
• Kate Moss was chosen as brand ambassador
because she was ultra stylish yet young and
sexy

15. • The Burberry brand has successfully been turned around
• Expansion into product categories such as perfumes,
childrenswear and footwear
• Popularity of brand among non-target customers needs to
be tapped
• The distinctive Burberry “check” appears in over 60-70%
of all sales, more restrained use is required
• Pervasiveness of the “check” needs to be done in a more
strategic way (not too much nor too little)
• Sustaining the brand positioning
• Broken brand has been fixed but biggest challenge now is
to continue to grow the brand without risking customer
burnout