Strategic Analysis of Ralph Lauren: Marketing Concepts and Strategies

This report provides a strategic analysis of Ralph Lauren, a globally recognized fashion brand known for its premium lifestyle products. The report examines the company's marketing strategies, focusing on marketing management orientations such as product and sales orientation, and their application to the women's Polo collection. It delves into the consumer decision-making process, exploring how Ralph Lauren leverages brand image and product quality to influence customer behavior. The report also includes a literature review that discusses various marketing concepts and their relevance to Ralph Lauren's operations. It concludes with recommendations for improving digital marketing strategies and broadening the brand's appeal to a wider audience. The analysis underscores Ralph Lauren's success in the fashion industry, attributed to its effective marketing strategies and customer-centric approach.

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Strategic analysis of Ralph Lauren
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1STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF RALPH LAUREN
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Literature Review...................................................................................................................2
Consumer decision making process in Ralph Lauren’s Polo line..........................................3
Conclusion and recommendations.............................................................................................5
References:.............................................................................................................................6

2STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF RALPH LAUREN
Introduction
Ralph Lauren is one of the most well known brands offering fashion clothing and
accessories for men and women around the world. The company was founded in the year
1967, by Ralph Lauren and currently has its headquarters in New York, United States. The
company offers a plethora of mid range and luxury products to its customers. Ralph Lauren
has been a frontrunner in this industry and is responsible for producing, marketing and
distribution of accessories, home products, apparel and fragrances. In women’s fashion, Polo,
which is almost synonymous with Ralph Lauren, was only available for men until 2014. In
2014, 25 new looks were introduced under the Ralph Lauren Polo Women’s Collection and
there has been no looking back since (Kapferer 2014). This report will examine the marketing
concepts of marketing management orientation, product orientation and sales orientation
keeping in mind Ralph Lauren’s Women’s Polo Collection.
Discussion
Literature Review
According to Gounaris and Tzempelikos (2013), there are essentially four types of
marketing management orientation which include product marketing orientation, marketing
orientation, sales orientation and societal orientation. The basic foundational principle of
marketing management orientation is that any brand must be able to anticipate and
understand the needs of the customers and market their product accordingly. For instance, the
concept of product orientation suggests a customer would not want cheap products, instead
they would be looking for products with quality. In other words, if a company is producing a
product that is expensive, the USP would be the top product quality it guarantees.

3STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF RALPH LAUREN
Šályová et al. (2015) on the other hand are of the opinion that a company’s market
orientation is of prime importance. In other words, the marketing strategy of the company, or
the way a particular product is showcased to the world would make a difference. Terho et al.
(2015) on the contrary hold a different perspective. According to these authors, it is the way a
product is sold which plays an integral role. Unlike product orientation, the sellers in this case
are not concerned about the needs of the customers. Instead, they are more concerned about
the tactics that can be used to sell a product. Murphy, Oberseder and Laczniak (2013) opine
that the onus is on the companies to ensure that the impact of the company operations on the
environment and the society are taken into account. This is because a customer would be
more willing to buy a product from a company which is ethical and exhibits corporate social
responsibility.
If these marketing concepts are applied to Ralph Lauren, it can be said that the
company follows the concept of product oriented marketing. The products of Ralph Lauren
are not exactly cheap. In fact, a higher pricing range is usually followed for most products.
This is because it is expected that the customers of the company would be willing to pay
more if they are guaranteed top quality. For instance, in the case of the women’s polo line, it
is well known that Ralph Lauren was one of the companies to have put Polo on the fashion
map. Thus, when customers are paying more for the product, it is because of the brand value
and the exceptional quality that comes with it.
Consumer decision making process in Ralph Lauren’s Polo line
The company ardently follows the consumer decision making process when it comes
to marketing its products for its customers. The steps in the consumer decision making
process are as follows:
 Recognition of need

4STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF RALPH LAUREN
 Gathering information and research
 Evaluation of the alternatives
 Purchase of the product
 Post purchase evaluation
The first step in the consumer decision making process is met by the effective
international marketing strategies of the company. Since the women’s Polo collection is an
exclusive one, the brand’s TRP is that most of celebrities including royalty prefer this brand.
This creates a favourable brand image in the market, which triggers the need in people to buy
this product. Once the customer feels the need, he or she evaluates his choices and weighs out
the alternatives. However, Ralph Lauren has created a favourable image in the market and
also has earned a distinction for being an authority in Polo wear. As a result, the customer is
convinced that when it comes to Polo apparel, Ralph Lauren is the only brand they should
trust. Finally, the customer is convinced to purchase the product and is provided with
exceptional quality products and services. In the final step of the consumer decision making
process, it must be mentioned that the company emphasizes on building steady and long term
relationships with its customers through marketing, branding, product and customer service.
In other words, most women who buy products are loyalists who would choose this brand
over others (Kapferer and Michaut-Denizeau 2017).
Ralph Lauren has created an image in the market which portrays it as one of the most
elegant and sophisticated Polo brands for women, with even the royalty flaunting their Ralph
Lauren Polos proudly. Naturally, the brand is an international name and recognized, loved
and respected around the world (Kessous, Roux and Chandon 2015). This is one of the most
important factors when it comes to creating a brand differentiation strategy, which in turn is
important for the consumer decision making process (Park et al. 2014).

5STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF RALPH LAUREN
Conclusion and recommendations
In conclusion, it can be said that Ralph Lauren is certainly one of the biggest names in
the fashion industry owing to its effective marketing strategies and effective utilization of the
customer decision making process. The company is perfectly aware of what the customers
want and forms their product and marketing strategies accordingly. Some recommendations
can be made to the company:
 The company needs to improve its digital marketing strategies. Although Ralph
Lauren is a brand which does not quite need aggressive marketing, the company needs
to work on it digital marketing campaigns so as to reach out to younger audiences.
 The brand image of Ralph Lauren has remained unchanged since the establishment of
the brand. It aims its strategies at poised, elegant women who prefer to dress in
sophisticated Polo wear. It would be recommended that the company revamps its
marketing and brand voice so as to make it more inclusive and attract a wider
audience.

6STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF RALPH LAUREN
References:
Gounaris, S. and Tzempelikos, N., 2013. Key account management orientation and its
implications: A conceptual and empirical examination. Journal of Business-to-Business
Marketing, 20(1), pp.33-50.
Kapferer, J.N. and Michaut-Denizeau, A., 2017. Is luxury compatible with sustainability?
Luxury consumers’ viewpoint. In Advances in Luxury Brand Management (pp. 123-156).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Kapferer, J.N., 2014. The future of luxury: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Brand
Management, 21(9), pp.716-726.
Kessous, A., Roux, E. and Chandon, J.L., 2015. Consumer–brand relationships: A contrast of
nostalgic and non‐nostalgic brands. Psychology & Marketing, 32(2), pp.187-202.
Murphy, P.E., Öberseder, M. and Laczniak, G.R., 2013. Corporate societal responsibility in
marketing: normatively broadening the concept. AMS review, 3(2), pp.86-102.
Park, J., Kim, K., Kwak, J. and Wyer Jr, R.S., 2014. Priming thoughts about extravagance:
Implications for consumer decisions about luxury products. Journal of Experimental
Psychology: Applied, 20(1), p.40.
Šályová, S., Táborecká-Petrovičová, J., Nedelová, G. and Ďaďo, J., 2015. Effect of marketing
orientation on business performance: A study from Slovak foodstuff industry. Procedia
Economics and Finance, 34, pp.622-629.
Terho, H., Eggert, A., Haas, A. and Ulaga, W., 2015. How sales strategy translates into
performance: The role of salesperson customer orientation and value-based selling. Industrial
Marketing Management, 45, pp.12-21.