This report analyzes Polo Ralph Lauren's current market and opportunities in the post-pandemic world. It finds that while the company's revenue and stock price declined due to COVID-19, it has opportunities in e-commerce, social media, and eco-friendly products/partnerships. The report recommends digital marketing strategies targeting younger audiences, partnerships promoting sustainability goals, and focusing on online stores. A 2022 analysis should compare progress on areas needing work and adding new campaigns.
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A Market Analysis for
Polo Ralph Lauren
Lorena Berghezan
Full Sail University
Project & Portfolio II: Business and Marketing
11/20/2020
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This analysis report looks at the current company’s financial information, current market,
and new opportunities that have arisen in a post-pandemic world. The report contains data
gathered during the month of November 2020 and includes an environmental analysis.
Recommendations on how to implement new marketing strategies considering the changes in
consumer buying habits due to the pandemic include, new technology, E-commerce, social
media campaigns, and eco-friendly partnerships. A new analysis in 2022 must be carried out to
compare the areas the company needs to work on, add new campaigns, and keep working on its
customer loyalty.
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OBJECTIVE
This report provides an analysis of the current market and present-day opportunities to
help Polo Ralph Lauren with the implementation of new strategies focusing on the digital and
social media platforms to increase revenue by engaging with consumers in the post-pandemic
world.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Methods of analysis include mostly external, secondary information from the internet,
and online databases; there is a mix of qualitative and quantitative research. The data collected
from the sources are up to date and were gathered during the month of November 2020. Polo
Ralph Lauren’s financial information includes the economic fallout of COVID-19.
RESEARCH AND KEY FINDINGS
Polo Ralph Lauren is a publicly traded label that produces products ranging from mid-
range to the luxury segments; since 1967, it has positioned as one
of the world’s favorite brands. Besides the high-quality clothing
that feels just right, buying a Polo carries a cultural archetype
associated with moneyed, prosperity, and everything just right
that represents the idea of belonging to a life well lived that so
many aspire. (Junod, 2007).
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Financially, the parent company of Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Corporation, has
been hit hard by the economic impact of COVID -19, with net revenue declining 15.4 percent to
$1.27 billion in the fourth quarter. (Reuters, 2020).
In August 2020, the company reported first-quarter losses of $112 million and a 66% decline in
revenues to $487 million. (McDonald, 2020)
According to Yahoo statistics,
Ralph Lauren’s stock price
was at its lowest on March 30
of 2020 (-44.93%), when the
lockdowns and restrictions of
the pandemic started.
Polo Ralph Lauren has become the first global retail brand that introduced a new
technology that gives the consumers the power to
authenticate their Polo products by scanning the
Digital Product ID on the product label with their
smartphone. (Kapfunde, 2019). This process is
beneficial for the consumer because they will be
able to confirm the authenticity of their clothing,
learn about the product and receive styling tips and
recommendations; it is also beneficial for the company because it will provide insights into the
supply chain that helps drive efficiency around orders and inventory.
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Polo Ralph Lauren is taking steps to mitigate the environmental footprint taking into
consideration the impacts of energy, emissions, water, and waste across their operations and
supply chain. The company is also addressing the concern of the use of plastic and testing
alternatives to change their packaging that includes biobased bags, recycled content bags, and
bags with a lower impact at end of life. (Ralph Lauren Corporate).
Polo Ralph Lauren has reinvented one of its key products to be eco-friendly; each shirt
repurposes 12 plastic
bottles, helping the
company reach its
ambitious aim of
removing and reusing
170 million plastic
bottles from landfills
and the oceans by 2025. (Maisey, 2019).
Polo has a strong presence on one of the social media platforms, Twitter, where it has
ranked second among its principal competitors with 2.3m Twitter followers; 172.9 average likes
per tweet and 100% of
tweets with engagement
in November 2020:
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CONCLUSIONS
According to the report, one of the things that have affected the brand this year is the
pandemic; economically speaking, the losses have been devastating according to statistics and
reports. Although the parent company’s stock price was at its lowest on March 30 of 2020 (-
44.93%), we can see a slow recovery with a balance in growth and productivity.
Polo Ralph Lauren has been taking advantage of the opportunities that have emerged for
the brand, including a new technology that gives the consumers the power to authenticate their
Polo products, a reinvention of some of its products to be eco-friendly, and having a strong
presence in the social media platforms among its competitors.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the research, findings, and conclusions, Polo Ralph Lauren has many
competitive advantages that include product quality, brand recognition, ethical standards, and
new technology that can be used to target a younger audience while keeping its popularity
amongst middle-aged men and women. This would be possible by implementing digital
marketing strategies to build the brand’s presence in platforms destined for younger audiences
like Instagram, Facebook, and Tik-Tok, without leaving unattended the ones where they have a
strong presence like Twitter.
With the recent Polo eco-friendly campaign, the company should consider partnerships
with other stores that focus on Eco-Friendly Lifestyle needs; this could be beneficial, besides
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achieving the goals for protecting the environment by taking steps to mitigate the environmental
footprint, for the company's brand awareness as far as how the post-pandemic world will be
perceiving the brand in partnerships for a better world. This will also be helpful in achieving the
company’s goal of removing and reusing 170 million plastic bottles from landfill and the oceans
by 2025.
As far as costumer new habits that have emerged due to the pandemic restrictions,
focusing on online stores and making sales through them should be on the company’s top
priorities in our present world; of course, along with the implementation of strong social media
campaigns.
Another analysis report should be done in 2022, after the first quarter to compare the
areas the company needs to work on, add new campaigns, and keep working on its customer
loyalty.
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RALPH LAUREN (n.d). The Timeline. WebMD. https://www.ralphlauren.com/rl-50-timeline-
feat
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lauren/competitors?competitors=ralph-lauren%2Cburberry%2Ccalvin-klein%2Clacoste-s-a
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Junod, T. (2007). This American Life. EBScohost.
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=92ddbb42-f953-
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Kapfunde, M. (2019). Ralph Lauren Unveils a New Technology That Gives Consumers the
Power to Authenticate.
https://fashnerd.com/2019/11/ralph-lauren-technology-retail/
Reuters, (May 27, 2020). Ralph Lauren Posts Worse-Than Expected Quarterly Loss. WebMD.
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/ralph-lauren-posts-worse-than-
expected-quarterly-loss
Maisey, S. (2019). Want to be an eco-friendly shopper? Here are 7 ethical fashion brands to try.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/want-to-be-an-eco-friendly-shopper-here-are-
7-ethical-fashion-brands-to-try-1.894004
Jewell, A. (2014). Ralph Lauren Code of Ethics.
https://sites.google.com/a/email.vccs.edu/bus100ajewell/ralph-lauren-code-of-ethics
IMAGES
Fenner, J. (2018, Sep 17). The Polo App. [Photograph].
https://www.gearpatrol.com/style/a498625/polo-ralph-lauren-app/
NewsOne. (2019, Apr 19). Earth Polo. [Photograph]. https://www.newsone.tv/lifestyle/ralph-
lauren-launches-polo-shirt-made-entirely-from-recycled-plastic-bottles
