When Guccio Gucci started his small luggage company in 1921, little did he know it would grow up to become an icon of fashion and the world’s biggest selling Italian brand. Recognised by its quintessential G loops, the brand instantly elicits a sense of status, pride and appeal. By the 1960s, Gucci had grown up to be an established luxury brand and throughout the 80s it saw high revenues and a rush of feigned goods, both indicating the brand’s success. However, the 90s saw the brand take a dive downwards and on-board came Tom Ford, who revived the Gucci again with innovative and appealing marketing strategies. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Influencer Marketing
Initially, fashion magazines had supermodels showcasing their range and products, but with the advent of technology especially smartphones and access to the internet along with multiple social media platforms, a new influencer-based marketing strategy emerged and Gucci too took advantage of the same. This helped in gaining millennial appeal especially when one saw icons like Rihanna and Harry Styles endorsing Gucci products. Celebrities using products is ultimate testament of the brand. However, choosing the right endorser or influencer is extremely important and a lot can go wrong with the company’s image and message.
Driven -by-trend strategy
It was important for Gucci to show that it was a classy brand. But it was getting equally important to project being in line with the current trends as well. By doing this Gucci has not only retained all its classics but has also introduced new trends. This is the reason the brand is still prominent and has a high loyalty and recall value in the older age group as well as millennials. It is still appealing for all age groups alike with its monogrammed GG loop and red and green bands.
Shockvertising or Shock Advertising
Though you may wonder, whether this strategy works in todays market, the answer is an honest-Yes! This type of advertising is one that affronts intentionally. It offends the masses by breaching societal norms. Today, even social media relies on shock value to encourage viewer encouragement. For Gucci, this worked because it was implemented at the right time which was the return of alluring in fashion
Meme Marketing
Millennial’s can be impulsive and not taking everything too seriously. Based on this notion, Gucci introduced their campaign “That feeling when Gucci” to promote their timepieces and invited content from those who have used their watches write about how they feel when they are “Gucci”. So, one can see how the brand believes in being inclusive and learning from and for the current culture.
It is difficult for any business to retain customers due to the sheer number of choices available to them today. But with marketing strategies that appeal to the new customer group and the old ones alike, one can be in business effectively- and Gucci shows just that.
