Burberry’s Change



The quintessentially British luxury brand - Burberry, has been struggling to reflect a clear, bold direction in its offer to its target audience. Since the exhaustion of its central emblem- the tartan pattern around 2002, the brand has been inconsistent in its vision, creative direction, and overall strategy.

[2024]



At its core, Burberry is a historically innovative brand in practical clothing and quiet luxury. Its water-resistant trench coat was groundbreaking and is to this day a cultural archetype of outwear. However, since the brand’s decline in the 1990s, no true innovation has been offered to the target audience- leaving it unimpressed and cracking the brand’s coherence in image. Therefore, my suggestion is that Burberry’s rebranding would focus on its essence as a British brand.

In my view, this can be done in one of two ways. The first would focus on the traditional, older, and wealthier demographic, offering them nostalgia for British heritage and the lost days of classic British folklore. This would mean the brand’s mission would be to bring generations together through enjoying British tradition and the bold stories behind utilitarian fashion. As a result, its values would focus on respecting history, and integrity, empowering family connections, and celebrating success and generosity. 

Therefore, Burberry’s products would be recognized as celebratory tokens of formal achievements, which would be collected at every major milestone in the lives of the consumers. The products would offer a way for the younger generations to reconnect with their heritage and show pride and respect for their family histories.

The second way, and in my view- the more innovative one, would be to focus on the identity mirage of Britain today and offer a new perspective on the essence of British culture. This would mean the brand’s mission would be to celebrate the essence of the evolving British culture by reimagining utilitarian fashion. This means the brand’s values would focus on limitless creativity, showcasing local talent, inspirational innovation, and the freedom of individual expression. In this case, the brand would collaborate with different British artists, offering diverse interpretations of ‘What it means to be British’ through redesigning the archetypes recognized by the brand, in the form of capsule collections. That way, the brand would spotlight up-and-coming artists, signaling itself as a culturally pivotal house to all British talents while maintaining exclusivity thanks to the one-of-a-kind collections. This direction would appeal to younger crowds, looking for cultural affiliation and creative expression of the modern interpretation of traditional values.
At the risk of sounding completely clique, I would like to admit that I honestly believe that struggles are the best opportunities to reinvent brands. That’s why I feel that rebranding processes can often be even more interesting than branding a new business from scratch. As a fashion enthusiast, I hope Burberry finds a way to rebrand and reconnect with new consumers.