Abstract

The case study discusses the marketing strategies undertaken by Lacoste SA (Lacoste), a French clothing company to enhance its image in the US market. It shows how Lacoste which was a premium menswear brand in the US in the early 1950s lost its appeal in the market after it was taken over by General Mills, a popular FMCG company in the US. It then talks how Lacoste bought back the US rights to the Lacoste brand with a view to restoring the brands image in that market. The case shows how under the management of Robert Siegel, who joined as Lacoste USA’s CEO in 2001, revived the brand and re-established it as a high-end fashion label in the US.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• The importance of brand image for the success of apparel companies
• The marketing strategies of an apparel company to revive the image of its clothing brand.

Keywords

Martha Stewart, Lacoste SA, Imclone Systems Incorporated, Kmart, Macy's, Martha Stewart Living, House Energy and Commerce Commission, Blueprint, Brand Revival, Securities fraud, Image Rebuilding, NBC, CBS, Entertaining, The Apprentice