RALPF LAUREN

BRAND – RALPF LAUREN Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and

business executive, best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand, and a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his collection of rare automobiles, some of which have been displayed in museum exhibits. As of September 2012, Forbes estimates his wealth at $6.5 billion dollars, which makes Ralph Lauren the 162nd richest person in the world.

BRAND IDENTITY

The outward expression of a brand – including its name, trademark, communications, and visual appearance – is brand identity.

Because the identity is assembled by the brand owner, it reflects how the owner wants the consumer to perceive the brand – and by extension the branded company, organization, product or service.

This is in contrast to the brand image, which is a customer's mental picture of a brand. The brand owner will seek to bridge the gap between the brand image and the brand identity.

BRAND IDENTITY - RALPF LAUREN An iconic fashion brand that

embodies timeless style, Ralph Lauren excels at creating stories around its merchandise by using technology and creativity.

Making its first reappearance in the top 100 since 2009, Ralph Lauren’s record brand growth in the past year can be attributed to highly innovative communication patterns and consistency across all touchpoints and formats.

At the forefront of the digital movement since the beginning, the brand saw the digital revolution as an opportunity to tell a story online when many fashion retailers saw the internet as a threat to store sales.

RALPH LAUREN COLLECTION

BRAND HISTORY The origins of the RL Corporation lay with launch of men's ties,

Polo Ralph Lauren in 1967. Born in 1939 as Ralph Lifshitz (he later became known as Ralph Lauren) in The Bronx, New York, to Ashkenazi Jewish parents from Eastern Europe (Belarus), Ralph Lauren pursued a career in menswear and had gained background working for Datrian Riser.

He received a US$50,000 loan to realize his vision for men's ties. By 1969, he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's. Around that same time, he released a line of suits for women that were tailored in a classic men's style; and this was when the first Polo emblem was seen.

The logo was on the cuff of the women's suit. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection of apparel and the first stand-alone store was opened in Beverly Hills, California.

The company entered the European market, and went international, in 1981 with the opening of a store on New Bond Street in the West End of London, England.

The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993. In 1997, the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange. By now, the company was structured to operate as an umbrella for its brands and other ventures and would be named the Ralph Lauren Corporation by the early-21st century. It was originally named Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, but in subsequent years the Polo in the name was dropped to reflect the company's presence in other concepts beyond the Polo line. The original Polo line remained as the flagship brand of the company.