When one talks about amazing luxury brands, Chanel is always on the list. The company was started in 1909 by Coco Chanel, formerly Gabrielle Chanel and it continues to be one of the finest brands as far as fashion is concerned. Also, the fragrance Chanel No. 5 was curated by Coco Chanel herself and it still continues to sell like hotcakes.
Chanel S.A. is a French privately held company lead by Alian Wertheimer and Gérard Wertheimer, grandsons of Pierre Wertheimer, who was an early business partner of the couturière Coco Chanel. It focuses on high fashion and ready-made clothes, luxury goods, and accessories.
But why is the brand so significant?
Chanel introduced pants and the collarless tailored suit in women’s fashion and redefined fashion in its own way. Coco Chanel made luxury and comfort go together and freed the women from the binding corsets and introduced elegant comfortable designs that are a staple of the brand now.
Where did it all start?
Coco Chanel’s mother died when she was just 11 and was abandoned by her father, she lived in an orphanage and there learned sewing and later became a seamstress. However, her story did not end there as she became the mistress of Étienne Balsan who was a French socialite and heir, and through him, she started meeting the elite socialites. In this process, one of Balsan’s friends agreed to invest in Chanel’s boutique, and the ‘House of Chanel‘ started in 1909 in Paris. She started selling hats that she designed and made, her fashion sense was appreciated and the brand became popular and expanded to several parts of the world. Today, the brand sells fragrances, jewelry, fashion, bags, skincare, and cosmetics.
Branding Strategy
Promoting Free Independent Women
Chanel’s branding revolved around reinventing the highest quality, luxury, French origin fashion, and bringing the element of “feminine elegance”. It highlights timeless modernity and also, promotes the concept of “uncomplicated luxury” that looks more simple than opulent
Its brand equity is built around the charm and beauty of its founder Coco Chanel and her long-lasting legacy. She never followed any established norms for fashion and established a brand that became the face of modern independent women. To this day, independence and freedom are the core values of Chanel which remain evident in its artistic designs and the social causes it supports.
Rocking the Social Media Game
Chanel is more than a 100-year-old brand and barely needs an introduction. The brand maintains its status by sponsoring major fashion shows like the Paris Fashion Week; it made headlines in 2018 by sponsoring the restoration of the “Grand Palais” located in Paris, France.
The brand also posts high-quality videos about its legacy and its latest collection on its YouTube channel and has about 1.6 million subscribers on the platform. The brand uses Instagram to display its products and has about 40.3 million followers on Instagram. The brand has a separate Instagram account for its beauty line and is putting special emphasis on beauty products. Also, the company has around 13.1 million followers on Twitter and 22 million page likes on Facebook. The social media marketing game of the brand is really strong and all the pages are quite active.
Chanel does not have a very aggressive marketing strategy. The legacy and high-quality products speak for the brand.
Often, celebrities like Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, Kristen Steward, Kylie Jenner, and many others are seen donning their Chanel bags, dresses, shoes, etc. which also helps the promotion of the brand without actively promoting it. To add to it, the outfits worn by celebrities are further covered by fashion websites and magazines which ultimately helps the brand.
Also Read: Zara – The Tales of the Global Fast Fashion Retail Brand
Distribution Strategy
Chanel has about 310 stores worldwide and some of these are located at airports to target wealthy travelers. Each store of the brand is grand and some even look like museums. Also, the brand has an impeccable website through which it sells its products. Currently, Chanel has around 3 stores in India.
The Logo and the iconic products
The logo comprises two Cs interlocked which was designed by the founder herself and the two Cs are her initials.
The most iconic product of the brand is the Chanel No.5 perfume and it continues to be appreciated by people to date. Icons like Marilyn Monroe have praised the fragrance.
The concept of the “Little Black Dress” was also given by Coco Chanel and Vogue Magazine called it “Chanel’s Vogue”. Short black dresses are fashion statements to date. Chanel symbolizes its modern, comfortable yet elegant fashion.
Corporate Social Responsibility – The Social Chanel
The foundation Chanel works on uplifting women in around 35 countries and is supporting 80 plus projects. It has helped 4,700 girls complete vocational training programs and has impacted the lives of 148,000 women.
“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different” – Coco Chanel
The brand started in 1909 by a woman single-handedly revolutionized fashion and gave timeless fragrances and fashion pieces to the world. Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, but her designs are celebrated to date.
Very informative article