Marketing 1

STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT

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Strategic Brand Management

Gucci

In 1921, Guccio Gucci started the Italian fashion company Gucci, making it among the

earliest Italian fashion companies in business today. The brand started as a bag maker, producing

high-end travel items and equestrian gear for Italy's wealthy upper classes. Everyone must have

heard of Gucci, one of the most well-known fashion houses. A simple style is one option, but the

company also has campaigns that are overtly sexual. Gucci has maintained its status as the peak

of excess glamour in contemporary fashion history. There was a time, however, when it was not

like this. Since the success of Gucci has grown over the years, learning about the brand's history

and how it came to be is critical.

How does the brand employ social-psychological branding techniques?

Gucci aspires to be the trendiest brand by emphasizing inclusivity: appealing to all people

regardless of their gender (Athwal et al. 2018). With additional ready-to-wear options, the Italian

luxury brand can better capitalize on current fashions. Typically, rich, high-profile, fashion-

conscious affluent are the typical Gucci clientele. If the company's customers are believed, they

want designs and colors that have a retro or vintage vibe. As previously said, these customers are

well-off and hence choose high-quality and luxurious goods. A Gucci consumer maybe a

businesswoman/man, a blogger, or a stylist, among other professions (Rajan, 2019). It does not

matter what their job is; it must be lucrative because of the exorbitant price of Gucci products.

They like shopping, socializing (at high-end restaurants and cafés), going to the theatre and

travelling because of their wealth.

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However, aristocrats and prominent characters have always been a big part of Gucci's

marketing strategy, and the desire to emulate their lifestyle is one of the brand's most crucial

elements. Currently, Gucci has the best platform to promote their clothing, not just Instagram,

Twitter, or Facebook; sponsoring musicians on YouTube can help the company reach the

younger demographic that isn't afraid to spend a lot of money on a single piece of clothing.

Because of their commitment, Gucci's clients continue to buy the brand's products, proving this

behavioral segmentation theory. Gucci can alter its costs to reflect the quality of its products

since it has a wide range of experience in multiple aspects. Throughout the years, Gucci's

psychological segmentation was driven by causes such as increased discretionary income,

decreasing unemployment, and the growth of the healthy class, among other things.

Technically, lifestyles and personality were separated into two categories in the

psychographic profile. Those well-off who make a good living each month can afford to buy new

automobiles and residences. This shows even the businessman's standing. They are identical to

other goods that contain the same component. Officially sanctioned public service

announcements such as those found in the media are insufficient (Newswire today 2009). Proof

that Gucci brand consumers are often swayed by media, such as television and radio

commercials, friends' groups or flyers and emails from family members, can be found in this

case study of a wealthy New York City kid.

However, Gucci has used its past and traditions to convey excellent quality in all aspects

of its business. Maintaining Gucci's tradition while keeping up with the times keeps the brand

relevant. "Luxurious," "modern," "timeless," "eclectic," "romantic," and "influential" are all

possible descriptors for Gucci's brand image and positioning. People between the ages of 15 and

40 are Gucci's primary customers, and they tend to be fashion-conscious.

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How does the brand build brand equity?

Gucci Name

Typically, as a slang term and a brand name, the word "Gucci" has come to represent

luxury and wealth. Such as Cardi B and Kanye West, anyone can hear it used to describe

anything that is "doing well" in songs by both well-known artists and viral sensations, like Lil

Pump. Since Gucci is known for its aggressiveness and opulence, numerous rappers and hip-hop

musicians have drawn inspiration from it, which has led to the birth of this slang. "

The Gucci Logo

The Gucci one stands out as the most identifiable among premium label logos. Aldo

Gucci, Gucci's son, rejoined the fashion brand in 1933 and created the logo for his father as part

of his job duties there. It is an artistic as well as memorable approach to portray the founder's

worth in a visually ageless manner by using the initials of Guccio Gucci himself.

Marketing Strategy

As a result of numerous successful techniques employed by Gucci throughout its

existence, the brand's history is replete with many success stories. It is clear from its history that

Gucci has always been forward-thinking regarding the markets it seeks to penetrate. It was also

very evident to whom the company was not catering. Successfully entering American markets

during this time was a golden period for the brand; it was a time of great growth. Celebrities

were more than happy to help publicize it (Nizamidou, 2022). The company realized that the

American film industry was at its peak, and many actors/actresses had previously been

associated with companies. Since then, Gucci has become synonymous with A-list celebrities.
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Flora's unique brand look was born out of the business's willingness to make a scarf for Princess

Grace of Monaco. By localizing the design, the company created an entire line of products.

Gucci was the first to produce a floral design collection and earned it some free publicity.

When the brand expanded into the East, it did an extensive study to determine where its most

affluent residents lived. After doing market research, the brand narrowed its attention to those in

the Chinese and Japanese markets. Having become identified with an alluring sexual quality,

they spawned an entirely new clothing line. Because no other runway was taking this technique

at the time, they could garner attention with their innovative method. After implementing this

strategy, the brand saw an increase in sales of $10 billion (Van Horne, 2021).

Additionally, it is no secret that Gucci has been around for a long time. Still, it is been

able to re-establish itself as a contemporary brand by working closely with Hollywood stars,

social media stars, and other high-profile figures. Brand Gucci has shifted its focus to celebrities

that can readily connect with a younger demographic by outfitting stars such as Blake Lively,

Brad Pitt, Rachel McAdams, Harry Styles and Rihanna.

Further, Gucci brand has operated very closely with internet stars and has turned many

young and upcoming Instagram users into luxury-brand stars on the other side of that. These

alliances have proven successful because of the connections with view leaders who aim to

impact the purchase behavior of opinion seekers who actively seek data to facilitate their buying

behaviour and decisions. Consumers make purchases depending on what they signify and regard

products as an extension of themselves, so this type of promotion can be used to affect the

brand's meaning and, thus, the possibility of sales.

Brand's Authenticity and Technological Integration

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Gucci is known for its contributions to the fashion industry and shattering stereotypes and

limitations. This was accomplished with great success, and a distinct visual identity for the

company was born. As part of a thorough redesign, the brand's womenswear collection was

expanded to include androgynous fashion. To the brand's delight, this approach proved to be

extremely fruitful. Gucci has always launched new collections with an overarching message in

its advertisements, showing that the brand's heritage still holds today. Additionally, collections,

promotion, and even the in-store experiences all reflected this theme.

Adversely, Gucci is working to provide its smartphone customers with a more

customized experience because technology is becoming an integral part of our daily lives and

routines. Customers can get assistance from knowledgeable Gucci store representatives twenty-

four hours a day, seven days a week, through the company's call centers (Lodi, 2020). The call

centers are all situated in Florence, but the company purposes to add five more positions. One of

the company's main goals is to create a sense of openness and accessibility among its clients.

Customer engagement can be improved by offering a more tailored experience to customers and

employees alike.

Diversity and Inclusivity

Having an equal representation of all races, ethnicities, and genders is a common goal for

many corporations today. Customers worldwide are affected by these issues, which are being

debated delicately. Customers expect brands to be inclusive and represent them fairly to succeed.

Gucci's history demonstrates that the brand has adapted to a wide range of market segments

(Micco, 2021). Because of its broad appeal, the company has a devoted following of clients and

a contented staff. A shadow community of millennials and Gen Zers who meet with
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technological specialists has also been formed. Throughout the shadow community, ideas and

techniques for implementing them into the brand were frequently explored.

Gucci Promotion Strategy

In addition to traditional advertising methods like billboards and print ads, this

organization uses various other methods to get its message out there. Your social media

marketing campaigns are on sites like youtube, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and even Pinterest

(Leglay, 2020). For social media promotion, they also work with various bloggers and other

social media influencers. In addition, this business has a style app with a variety of fashion

suggestions, interactive movies, and geo-location tops, to name just a few things. Gucci realizes

how important it is to integrate the brand's rich heritage with the modern consumer mindset as a

corporation. Consequently, the brand's history and quality are used greatly in its marketing

campaigns.

Has any change in the brand's marketing communications activity suggested a strategic

shift?

Significantly, this new creative director, Alessandro Michele, has had an enormous

impact on Gucci's design and marketing. Gucci’s leather products, which contribute for more

than 55 percent of the brand's profits, range from more discrete items that display minimal

branding other than its characteristic red stripe or the double "G" emblem to flamboyant stitching

and more showy designs targeted at the youth of today (Hall, 2021). Gucci's current success is

largely attributed to Alessandro Michele. The new design of the latter choices has captivated the

attention of millennials, a notoriously tough generation for this market to approach. It has

substantially outperformed the luxury goods market trend. Harry Styles, Kate Moss, and Rihanna
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are just a few millennials who have worn Gucci in the past several years. For premium brands,

endorsements from well-known people have traditionally been the gold standard of success.

Gucci's unpretentiousness is one of the main reasons for the brand's success with younger

consumers. To begin with, the plan has been a huge success, with apparel that is gender-neutral

and marketing that is a lot of fun.

As a luxury brand, Gucci has changed the game to create an online customer experience.

As far as marketing is concerned, Gucci has typically relied on print media, primarily in

advertisements in fashion publications, with each campaign telling a tale specific to the current

season (Cabigiosu, 2020). Currently, Gucci is taking advantage of internet revolution by actively

utilizing social media as part of their PR strategy." There are no two ways about it: shopping at

Gucci's website and in-store is like no other. There is a catwalk-like feel to the collections that

are displayed on the company's website. There is a lot of energy in the brand's online store

experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, leading fashion firms are racing to meet the ever-increasing demand for

the Gucci premium brand, and they're doing so in an unprecedentedly fast manner. Gucci is a

household name synonymous with high-end luxury goods worn and purchased by the world's

most prominent and well-off citizens. Although new fashion firms have emerged, Gucci has

remained at the top of the fashion industry, despite the competition. Because of the company's

size and stellar performance, it's critical to create a pattern of business tactics that will help guard

against any potential hazards.

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References

Athwal, N., Istanbulluoglu, D. and McCormack, S.E., 2018. The allure of luxury brands’ social

media activities: a uses and gratifications perspective. Information Technology & People.

Cabigiosu, A., 2020. The new consumers of luxury. In Digitalization in the Luxury Fashion

Industry (pp. 33-67). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Hall, S., 2021. Fashion Torn Up: Exploring the Potential of Zines and Alternative Fashion Press

Publications in Academic Library Collections. Library Trends, 70(1), pp.51-71.

Leglay, A., 2021. Advertising and branding in French fashion companies: Case studies of fast

fashion, ecological fashion and luxury fashion.

Karamalak, O., Kalbaska, N. and Cantoni, L., 2021. What do hashtags afford in digital fashion

communication? An exploratory study on Gucci-related hashtags on Twitter and

Instagram. Semiotica, 2021(243), pp.325-351.

Lodi, H., 2020. Modesty: A Fashion Paradox: Uncovering The Causes, Controversies And Key

Players Behind The Global Trend To Conceal Rather Than Reveal. Neem Tree Press.

Micco, M.D., 2021. Can the strategy of the Italian fashion luxury brand Gucci sustain the brand´

s middle term future among its target? (Doctoral dissertation).

Nizamidou, C., 2022. Provocative products, the boomerang effect, the shooting star crisis and the

panacea of workforce diversity. EuroMed Journal of Business, (ahead-of-print).

Rajan, D., 2019. Patterns of using sex appeal and hypermasculinity in men’s magazine

advertisements.
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Van Horne, B.A., 2021. Own Your Politics: The Entanglement of Resistance and the Luxury

Fashion Industry.