Cognitive Dissonance: "Polo = Prole/hiphop/Outlet brand" vs. "Ralph Lauren/RLPL is not"

I saw a lower class person wearing black sneakers stamped with a red "Polo" marking. How does Polo relate to RL? Obviously, Polo has shifted its target market in the last 20 years. The extra giant horse logo is another example of the shift.

What are your thoughts on this bifurcation of a brand? Can someone rehash the distinctions between the various flavors & incarnations of this brand? Thanks.

I reserve this post for future editing.

Ralph Lauren is very interesting. "Real" Ralph Lauren is generally very elegant, classic, logoless, and expensive. The Ralph Lauren and Polo branded cheap stuff is exactly as it sounds. It's kind of ruined the name of the nice Ralph Lauren.



Tony Romo said:

Ralph Lauren is very interesting. "Real" Ralph Lauren is generally very elegant, classic, logoless, and expensive. The Ralph Lauren and Polo branded cheap stuff is exactly as it sounds. It's kind of ruined the name of the nice Ralph Lauren.

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6 billion in the bank has a way of taking the edge off of diluting the brand I'd imagine.

Serious answer - one actually that edmorel had posted about a while ago that I can't find right now - RL is the one brand that completely encompasses all levels of spending, without diluting its brand image whatsoever.



Reevolving said:

I saw a lower class person wearing black sneakers stamped with a red "Polo" marking. How does Polo relate to RL? Obviously, Polo has shifted its target market in the last 20 years. The extra giant horse logo is another example of the shift.
What are your thoughts on this bifurcation of a brand? Can someone rehash the distinctions between the various flavors & incarnations of this brand? Thanks.

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What does lower class person mean?



cwh812 said:

What does lower class person mean?

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The 99%ers.

Goddamnit, Reev! Not another one of these pseudo-intellectual threads.



Regarding the hip-hop thing.... last time I checked Purple Label IS a hiphop status symbol. Can't bang Beyonce without an RLPL tie collection

Partner Let me upgrade u
AudemarsPiguet you
Switch your neck ties to purple labels
Upgrade u

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http://www.elyricsworld.com/upgrade_u_(feat._jay-z)_lyrics_beyonce.html

BTW, going to be putting up some soporific RLPL's later!



cwh812 said:

What does lower class person mean?

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I could have sworn that it was decreed, that they wear a stamp on their foreheads, indicating as such



SpooPoker said:

Serious answer - one actually that edmorel had posted about a while ago that I can't find right now - RL is the one brand that completely encompasses all levels of spending, without diluting its brand image whatsoever.

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Here's the quote you were looking for...I think it sums up the RL brand very well - from this link:

"I think anyone that is in anyway associated with the clothing business really needs to look at Ralph Lauren as their patron saint. No one, in men’s or women’s clothing, has done what he has. From the highest income earner to the deep discount outlet shopper, you’ll find at least one Ralph Lauren item in their homes. There is a quality and price point ladder, but no dilution to the brand name and the name means something to everyone on that ladder."



Beatlegeuse said:

Here's the quote you were looking for...I think it sums up the RL brand very well - from this link:
"I think anyone that is in anyway associated with the clothing business really needs to look at Ralph Lauren as their patron saint. No one, in men’s or women’s clothing, has done what he has. From the highest income earner to the deep discount outlet shopper, you’ll find at least one Ralph Lauren item in their homes. There is a quality and price point ladder, but no dilution to the brand name and the name means something to everyone on that ladder."

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Thats exactly it, thank you. And damn I am good at paraphrasing with my amazing memory.

******* WOW @ this post.



Beatlegeuse said:

...but no dilution to the brand name ."

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But, is that really so? Outside of RLPL, I don't think SF reveres RL as it does other brands.
I don't think you can wear an item that is stamped "Polo" the same way you could 20 years ago.
I mean, if their brand wasn't diluted in some manner, this thread would not exist.

I like to think of it as Ralph Lauren being a 'Lifestyle Brand', each sub-brand fits a different life: Purple Label for someone who is the board of directors or high end socialite - Black Label for the office/business man, or the traveling business man - RRL for someone who enjoys quality but with a style suited for a Ranch, Polo Ralph Lauren for casual/sport wear, RLX for certain sports and outdoor activities, Rugby for the collegiate and preppies. Ralph Lauren also sels fragrances, leather accessories, silver accessories, and home furnishing. Then Chaps and Club Monoco for the outliers, Chaps being for those who don't care/can't afford Polo RL - Club Monoco as an alternative to brands such as Express, albeit Club Monoco has much better quality - but its style and aura is the similar to Express

I completely agree that the 'Big Pony' is a bit excessive, but it can be tasteful when utilizing it correctly. By correctly I mean dressing up like you are about to go for a polo or rugby match - or in a slick casual sense. However once you start wearing it 3x larger than your size with jean shorts and chains - yes that is not classy, nor was it the intended way for it to be worn (I really don't care how people wear it, and of what demographic - in my mind Utopia is the whole universe wearing Ralph Lauren). That being said the intent is to wear it as if Doug Pickett or Nacho Figueras wears it.

Lately I've seen every brand copy the giant logo trend, Burberry, Lacoste, Express, and a few others. It got ridiculous with US POLO ASSN started doing it and now a big pony shirt to the non-discerning eye looked no different than a US POLO ASSN polo. I sometimes wear Big Pony polos usually when amongst friends hanging out whether its in a park, or barbecues etc.. I find it to be a preppy and cultured icon and can stand it being big for that purpose..It was meant to be a closer resemblance to the current outfit a Polo player wears - with the number on the side and sometimes on back.

In the end, I think RL has diverged its brands a bit too much - one thing I learned in Business School was to keep your product lines to a small, especially when they tend to overlap - there is overlap between many of the sub-brands - especially now that they introduced Black Label Denim and Denim and Supply - the amount of sub-brands is excessive.

Just my thoughts and criticism.

There's no way Ralph Lauren hasn't diluted the brand name. For most people, It's now associated with expensive stuff that can be had for cheap at outlets and department stores.