Sponsorships are also a way to target specific market segments. For exam-
ple, Louis Vuitton sponsors the annual American Yacht Regatta competition,
and in exchange the trophy has been named the Louis Vuitton Cup. The
company also receives immense positive publicity and access to some of the
world’s wealthiest individuals through this sponsorship venture.
One of the major benefits of sponsorship is that it is a precise way of
marketing because it provides a brand with its own specific territory. This
makes both the brand and its message stand out. It is also a great way to attain
competitive advantage. Like public relations, the sponsorship programme
should involve an analysis of the current company situation, a definition of a
clear set of objectives and the identification of the target audience. This will
provide a guideline for mapping out and clarifying the strategy and its
resources and performance measurement.
Some important points to remember in the development of sponsorships
and other promotional tactics are the following:1 Be distinctive and innovative.
2 Be consistent in portraying the brand personality and image.
3 Understand who the target is and satisfy them.
4 Analyse competitors’ strategies and differentiate from these and avoid
sameness.
5 Understand that each brand is unique and different and therefore promo-
tional messages should correspond to the unique nature of a brand.The celebrity connection
Celebrity endorsement of luxury fashion is hardly a new phenomenon but has
been in practice for several centuries. Charles Worth, the man who invented
haute couture in Paris in the nineteenth century understood the importance of
linking celebrities to brands, even before this was recognized as an important
marketing communications tool. To promote his fashion house, La Maison
Worth, he sought a high society lady and influencer of court fashions Princess
Von Metternich, wife of the then Austrian ambassador to France and close
friend of Napoleon’s wife Empress Eugenie. This celebrity’s patronage and
connection with La Maison Worth contributed immensely to the success and
status of Charles Worth’s couture house as the most influential in the world at
this time.
Celebrities are highly important and valuable to brands especially in the
luxury fashion sector. There is no argument about this. They wield enormous
power in fashion circles and can contribute to making and breaking brands.
Fashion designers pamper them and brand managers recognize their potential
to brands and utilize this effectively. For example, Marilyn Monroe’s decla-
ration that she wears only Chanel No. 5 to sleep, contributed to making the156
luxury fashion branding