Once upon a time there was brand that defined a generation of professional women. However, after only 34 years, is this brand ready for retirement? It is a question examined in the Wall Street Journal story, “After Targeting Younger Consumers, Liz Claiborne Hits Snag” (read full article at online.wsj.com). It is a fascinating look at a once iconic brand and its failure to age gracefully.
The article details a series of factors that have contributed to the brand’s now shaky position in the market, It is a cautionary tale for up and coming and established brands. When I first read the article, I was struck by how much I had forgotten about Liz Claiborne. Before reading this today, if asked to name clothing lines, this one would never have come to mind.
Liz Claiborne fell out of favor with their market but also with their biggest customer, Macy’s. Couple this with questionable management decisions and you have a brand marching to the graveyard of “used to be big.” The latest move will make it difficult if impossible for the brand to return to its glory days. JC Penney who has aggressively tried to revitalize their brand in recent years may not attract the same audience that once loved Liz.
We can all learn from the Liz story, don’t allow your customers to become bored with your brand. Listen to your market even as you expand to to add new customers and keep it fresh in the marketplace. And if the person leading your company has 11 straight quarters of losses, it may be time to keep the brand but retire the leader.
Posted via email from Marketing, Musings and More from Karen Swim
Hi Deborah, you can read the article by clicking the link right under the picture that say via online.wsj. Unfortunately, when you post from posterous and are using a site approved excerpt your link choices are limited. It’s in red and right beneath the picture. Thanks for asking, others I’m sure would like to read the full article as well.
Nancy, exactly! What were they thinking? I do not want to disparage JC Penney’s but essentially they are reinventing the brand for a different type of consumer. Many share your feeling and will not follow them there. It’s such a sad story of a brand gone wrong and I believe there are deeper lessons there on how far too many brands view women who are not 20.
I loved Liz Claiborne when they were in Macy’s and Belk, but I sure won’t be following them downscale to JC Penney. Construction quality of the garments is sure to suffer at the lower price point, for one. What on earth are they thinking?
Sorry to hear the news about Liz Claiborne. Would love to read the article on Wall Street Journal, but the link in the article is not enabled?