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Page 1: Guess Casestudy

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featuring sultry models previ-ously unknown in the industryand turned them overnight intosuperstars. Models such asClaudia Schiffer, Carrè Otis,Laetitia Casta, Eva Herzigova,and Naomi Campbell launchedtheir careers in the originalGUESS? campaigns. Directed bythe keen eye of Paul Marcianoand shot by then-unfamiliar pho-tographers such as Wayne Maser,Ellen Von Unwerth, Neil Kirk,and Raphael Mazzucco, theGUESS? brand was brought tolife from the deserts of theAmerican West, to the beaches ofRio and in the streets of Paris.

With striking images andfresh new product, the brandbegan gaining momentum andnationwide recognition. In the 1980s, GUESS?product expanded beyond jeans to include BabyGUESS?, GUESS? Watches, GUESS? Footwear,GUESS? Eyewear, and GUESS? Parfum. The1990s saw rapid international expansion thatbrought the GUESS? American tradition toEurope, Asia, South America, Africa, Australia,and the Middle East. The second decade ofGUESS? also brought the introduction of GUESS?Collection, GUESS? Handbags, Activewear,Jewelry, Swimwear, Golf, Home, Innerwear,Leather, Athletic, Belts, Neckwear, and Men’sClassics. Some of these businesses have come andgone as GUESS? continually refines its businessin reaction to the marketplace. In the mid-1990s,

GUESS? became a public company and launchedits Web site, www.guess.com. Prior to the newmillennium, www.guess.com became an e-com-merce site offering men’s and women’s appareland accessories.

THE PRODUCTGUESS?’ spirited philosophy is conveyed throughits design sensibility. GUESS? style celebrates thehuman form, demonstrated not only by the trulyspectacular faces who grace GUESS? signaturephotos, but more importantly by the very real

customers who are the true inspiration. With atouch of international flair, the all-American styleof GUESS? has always been original. GUESS?fashions feature great attention to detail and aEuropean passion for cut and fit. Quality and atti-tude set GUESS? apart, running the gamut fromcasual hip to downtown chic. The look ofGUESS? is classic yet stylish and modern inevery sense. The GUESS? customer has devel-oped his or her own personalfashion identity, finding a bal-ance between the fantasy offashion and the reality of life.Known for quality, trend set-ting, and marketing creativity,the company designs and mar-kets a leading lifestyle collectionof casual apparel and acces-sories for men, women, children,and babies. GUESS? licensedproducts now includes footwear,eyewear, belts, jewelry, leather, swimwear, watches,handbags, and fragrance.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTSTwo decades after the birth of the first GUESS?jean, the Marciano brothers — Maurice and Paul— continue to guide the company. Co-Chairmanand Co–Chief Executive Officer MauriceMarciano has overseen the company’s design direc-tion and led its unwavering and extraordinaryexpansion since 1982. Co-Chairman and Co–ChiefExecutive Officer Paul Marciano is credited withthe vision behind the GUESS? image and isresponsible for creating some of the most innova-tive images in advertising; he also oversees licens-ing, e-commerce, and the retail business.

Moving through the 21st century, GUESS? con-tinues to challenge its already high standards toremain a driving force in the world of fashion. Witha total volume of $1.2 billion in 2003, GUESS? sellsclothing and accessories to enhance the casuallifestyle of people with a flair for individualism. Infall of 2003, GUESS? Inc. announced the develop-ment and distribution of a GUESS? fragrance col-lection. The collection will reflect the GUESS?image and complement its customers’ relaxed, sexylifestyle. The fragrance line is a welcome addition tothe fashion giant’s licensed product family, and it

will work to uphold GUESS? asa complete lifestyle brand. Morerecently, in fall 2004 GUESS? isintroducing Marciano, a com-plete, upscale line of women’sapparel with a dressy yet sexyedge. Made from high-qualityfabrics, these garments stillembody a sense of Americanfashion and the European flarefor which GUESS? is famous.Marciano stores carry exclu-sively the Marciano line, which isalso available in select GUESS?retail stores nationwide.

PROMOTIONThe image of the GUESS?model has become a pop cul-ture icon in fashion advertising.Accessible yet mysterious, the

GUESS? Girl is portrayed as confident, spirited,and sensuous. The captivating images enable theviewer to act as voyeur, glimpsing what is simul-taneously public and private. The GUESS? imageis defined by its simplicity, proving that greatdesign and creativity need not be overly complex.GUESS? images have been showcased in interna-tional print campaigns in virtually all major mag-azines, and on television, billboards, bus shelters,

and telephone kiosks throughoutthe world.

BRAND VALUESGUESS?, Inc., is one of themost recognized and influentialbrand names in the fashionworld today. The label stands forquality and an innovative, dis-tinctive product design that con-sistently satisfies its customers.For two decades, GUESS? has

been on the cutting edge of fashion and style withindustry-leading designs and unparalleled cre-ativity in its advertising and marketing. GUESS?incorporates a timeless quality into every productit creates for men, women, and children. As itexpands to fulfill every aspect of its customers’lifestyles, the company remains true to its origi-nal inspiration.

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THE MARKETDenim wear has evolved drastically in pastyears from its origin as basic work attire toa highly fashionable and profitable busi-ness that is now a $10 billion industry inthe United States. From high-end hautecouture designers to mass-market retailers,everyone in the fashion industry wants apiece of this lucrative business. In the pre-vailing denim war, GUESS? has come outon top with innovative designs, originalwashes, and stylish trends.

ACHIEVEMENTSGUESS? has grown from a small Californiajeans company in 1981 into GUESS?, Inc.,a global lifestyle brand. While jeans formthe foundation of the company’s history andsuccess, GUESS? designs, markets, and dis-tributes full collections of women’s, men’s,and children’s apparel, as well as acces-sories. In August 1996 GUESS? became apublic company, with two of the Marcianobrothers still leading the business. GUESS?has successfully granted licenses for themanufacture and distribution of many of its prod-uct categories. Additionally, GUESS? has licenseesand distributors worldwide.

The GUESS? retail environment encompassesfreestanding stores and in-store shops in some ofthe world’s most prestigious malls and departmentstores. The GUESS? wholesale business is repre-sented in approximately1,450 department storeand specialty store loca-tions. Approximately 600in-store GUESS? shopsare available to young menand women throughout theUnited States. Domest-ically, GUESS? has over200 retail stores, includingoutlet stores and GUESS?Kids stores.

Through licensee anddistributor arrangementsand its store network, thecompany has attained a worldwide presence withover 450 stores in 37 countries now featuring theGUESS? brand.

GUESS? derives its net revenue from the saleof GUESS? men’s and women’s apparel andlicensed products through its network of retail andfactory outlets primarily in the United States andCanada and on their on-line store www.guess.com;from worldwide sale to wholesale customers and

distributors; and from net royalties from world-wide licensing activities.

Reaching out to the community is an essentialaspect of the GUESS? mission. The GUESS?Foundation was established in 1994 as an exten-sion of the company’s view of the need for phi-lanthropy and its sense of corporate responsibility.

The scope of the nonprofit organizationsit supports grows each year. The foun-dation devotes careful attention torequests for financial assistance and is abenefactor to organizations that work inmany areas, including improving publiceducation, assisting the homeless, andpreserving and protect-ing the environment.The GUESS? Founda-tion has supported can-cer and AIDS researchand treatment, disasterrelief, and many others.

GUESS? Commu-nity Outreach donates time,money, food, and GUESS? mer-chandise to help organizationsthat reach the needy in manycommunities.

Paul Marciano is a truevisionary who has shaped thedirection and look of GUESS?advertising from its inception.

Recognized by its industry peers, GUESS?advertising has won every prestigious designaward including the coveted CLIO Award, theBelding Award, the One Show, the LondonNational Advertising Award, the P.I.A. Award,the Mobius Award, and the Benny Award,among many others. The MetropolitanMuseum of Art selected the GUESS? PressBook and Nashville catalogue for themuseum’s Permanent Library Collection.

HISTORYIn the early 1980s, fashion jeans had littledirection. People felt denim was dated, andjeans were not considered a fashion state-ment. Combining a love of the AmericanWest with European sensibility, the Marcianobrothers, creators of GUESS? Inc., wouldchange that perception forever. Raised inMarseilles, France — a region that culti-vated a passionate understanding of Frenchdesign and the essence of style — theMarcianos developed designs that weretimeless, sensuous, strong, and chic. TheGUESS? approach was fresh and set the

standard for the future of denim.Initially, retailers greeted GUESS? with skep-

ticism. Buyers weren’t interested in denim, but thebrother’s infallible instincts and persistence pre-vailed. Their three-zip stone-washed Marilyn jeanwas sexy, with a unique style and attitude.Bloomingdale’s finally agreed to sell two dozenpairs of the three-zip Marilyn jean as a favor to theMarciano brothers. The entire stock sold outwithin hours, and the rest became history with acareful blend of product and image.

GUESS? quickly infiltrated popular culture andemerged as a late-twentieth-century icon. GUESS?created groundbreaking advertising campaigns

❍ The numbers inside the triangle logo representthe suite numbers of the first GUESS? offices.

❍ The name GUESS? was inspired by a bill-board spotted by Georges Marciano thatread, “Guess what’s in a Big Mac?”

❍ Approximately 30 people are involved inproducing one pair of GUESS? jeans.

❍ GUESS? advertising campaigns havejumpstarted 85 percent of their models tobecome household names.

❍ Juliette Lewis, Drew Barrymore, Mila Kunis,and Tom Skerritt were all GUESS? models.

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT GUESS?