Sex in Consumer Culture by Reichert Tom Lambiase Jacqueline

Author:Reichert, Tom, Lambiase, Jacqueline
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781136684043
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Ralph Lauren: The Man and the Brand

Polo/Ralph Lauren is a leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of premium lifestyle products. For more than 30 years, Polo's reputation and distinctive image have been developed across an expanding number of brand extensions and global markets. The company, still directed by its founder Ralph Lauren, believes it is “an original idea, built on the universal and enduring appeal of the American lifestyle,” and that its products “seem always to be the perfect expression of how people want to live” (“Annual Report,” 2000).

In a true rags-to-riches story, Lauren, born Ralph Lifshitz in 1939 in the Bronx, New York, was raised in a family with modest means. While waiting tables at resorts during his teens, Lauren was exposed to a lifestyle he desired to emulate—one exemplified by wealth and status. Evidently he did not keep his wish a secret because the only word listed under his senior high school yearbook photo was “Millionaire.” In 1967, after a stint in sales at Brooks Brothers, Lauren began designing neckties. By 1968, he had formed Polo Fashions, Inc., so named because polo was a rich man's game and it conveyed the image of money, style, and exclusivity that he wanted to associate with his designs (Pendergast, 1994).

Initially, Lauren struggled to remain profitable without compromising the style or image of his products. Asked by Bloomingdale's to make his ties narrower and remove his name from the label, Lauren refused. Soon thereafter, Bloomingdale's became a regular buyer of Polo merchandise. His products consisted of a full men's clothing line, a smaller line of women's clothing, and Chaps, a Polo fragrance introduced with a national ad campaign in 1978. After costuming The Great Gatsby and Annie Hall, Lauren found himself at the forefront of a classic fashion revival, one that was congruent with the style he strove to project.

Today, Polo/Ralph Lauren, which went public in 1998, represents more than Polo fragrance, ties, and oxford shirts—it represents a mega-brand. The company consists of three integrated operations: wholesale, retail, and licensing. Polo's wholesale business is divided into two groups: Polo brands and Ralph Lauren Collection brands. The Polo brand group operates, distributes, and markets Polo by Ralph Lauren, Polo Sport, Ralph Lauren Polo Sport, RLX Polo Sport, and Polo Golf. Through licensing alliances, Polo creates and markets most of its products. As of 2004, Polo had 20 product lines and 10 international licensing partners for its apparel and accessory lines. No longer a fledgling business, Polo/Ralph Lauren is a sizeable corporation with an estimated brand value of $2.1 billion.

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