One of the most popular undergarment companies in the world, Victoria’s Secret, will abandon one of its most popular promotional strategies. After receiving public criticism for several years, the company finally decided to completely reinvent its brand image.
With this new change, instead of working with some of the world's most
popular models, the company will now work with other inspirational women, such
as entrepreneurs and activists. This change is intended to signal the brand’s
refreshed and reinvented public image.
Previously, some of the world's most famous models were both the face
and the voice of the lingerie brand. That strategy was first implemented in the
1990s and was used for about three decades
According to the brand’s CEO, this change is being introduced because
models are no longer viewed as culturally relevant, with many members of the
public criticizing the brand’s image as being outdated. In the first two
decades of this promotional strategy, as well as with the runway shows, the
company functioned as one of the biggest global voices regarding what was
deemed attractive.
The marketing chief of Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands, Ed
Razek, was considered to be one of the most influential people in the modeling
industry of the 2000s. He worked in that position for several decades and
helped jumpstart the careers of a number of famous models before finally
stepping down from the role in 2019.
Although this reinvention was recently announced it remains to be seen
how receptive the public is going to be to these new promotional strategies.
The response to the announcement has been relatively positive from a number of
people, which shows the brand is still able to potentially remain relevant and
not be seen as outdated during this time.
For companies looking to implement a similar reinvention strategy, it’s
best to do so carefully and to prepare thoroughly before the launch.
From O'Dwyer (edited)
