We live in the age of fast-paced lifestyles, ad-hoc decisions and overly-busy people. A society that is continuously changing and evolving, and that woke up to the realisation that not everything is eternal, especially when it comes to brands.

Some of the biggest companies that operate in all sorts of domains are still standing up despite of but also due to a single factor: change. And this factor is also the only constant in the equation of a business. The problem that comes with this is that not everybody is aware of this (especially general managers and owners).

So what are companies supposed to do in order to keep their business running and the customers faithful? It’s simple: design management is the answer. And this is what we are trying to prove in our company. For starters, let’s start with a short definition of this sometimes ambiguous concept. Design Management is a sum of the ongoing processes, strategies, and business decisions that enable innovation and create effectively-designed products and services, as well as real, strong brands that enhance our quality of life and provide organisational success.

A recent article in the retail field related that Ralph Lauren’s Polo flagship store on the Fifth Avenue NYC announced it would close the store in less than two weeks.The design store is one of the dozen similar companies that have announced their end in order to cut costs and efficiency in their companies.

The reason? The brand is and has been struggling for a while to connect with millennials, stay relevant and keep up with fast-fashion brands like H&M, ZARA or Uniqlo. Research has been done and a team of people responsible with retail analytics visited the store to see what it looks like.

Despite being one of the busiest streets of New York, the Ralph Loren store was full of unfashionable clothes and lacked visitors big time.

First thing you notice as a visitor: the storefront window. This one was covered in mannequins dressed in the brand’s known preppy style, but the display was drab and had a washed-out, old feel to it. Nothing stood out.

Polo Ralph Lauren

THE PROBLEM:

Ralph Lauren’s team certainly did not pay any attention to the visual impact and first impression that a storefront window has on the walk-in rate of a store. But this is unfortunately 99% of the details that drive people into opening a store’s door- especially when it comes to a high-end shop, which comes upon as exclusivist and expensive.

THE SOLUTION:

DESIGN, DESIGN, DESIGN.

It’s all about pleasuring the eye. Especially the first impression you leave to the passengers.

It is the same thing that happens in a presentation. The first Power Point Presentation slide is the most important part. The first outfit in a fashion show is the most iconic one. Keep in mind: Leave a good impression and make the experience memorable from the very first second.

Next thing they have noticed in the store: the endless raws of polo shirts in garish colours, that were unfashionably large, and that cost over $85. Compared to the same-style cotton shirts at H&M that cost $10, the Polo shirts do not live up to their expectations and are really hard to justify. Another passé detail were the beige, wool, wrinkled suits on display inside the store, which are far from appealing to the modern NYC man, unless you want to channel a “Downtown Abbey” look. The menswear, as well as the womenswear section were empty and lacked of any help despite the useless number of personelle.

THE PRBLEM:

Dated, unfashionable, overpriced clothing pieces that do not appeal to the modern customer. The brand has based their product choices on their fame and autonomy, disregarding the demands of the modern society. They know they have a number of faithful clients that stay close to their brand, but forget to think about the new and potential clients they could attract.
They do not have their strategies straight and up to date and leave behind a dated look & feel.

THE SOLUTION:

Stay up to date with the demands and changes of the modern customers. Your goal should be attracting new customers and keeping old ones – and you can only achieve this is you try to understand you customer. His hobbies, his needs, the trends, the influences. Polo by Ralph Lauren is just an example we have worked out here of brands who take advantage of their fame but are actually way ahead outclassed by fast-fashion stores like Zara, who are in touch with the newest tendencies and offer their customers just what they need.

Think design innovation in all ares of your business: from the product design, to the packaging, to the outdoor advertising and to your strategy design. Everything needs to look modern and needs to appeal to a modern, educated, hungry-for-newness customer living in the 21st. century.