Branding can also be traced back to pre-historic times when cattle-rearing
men imprinted their names or a distinctive mark on their livestock to differ-
entiate one farmer’s livestock from the others. This system was also used to
separate the good quality cattle from the low quality ones, and helped
consumers to make better purchasing decisions by associating certain attrib-
utes to certain cattle farmers.
These elementary methods indicate that early traders understood the
underlying principles of branding even without exposure to sophisticated
business techniques.
The development of branding was further enhanced by the industrial revo-
lution, urbanization, improvements in transportation and the social infra-
structure, beginning from the late eighteenth century. This period brought
about the introduction of city signs on products as a form of brand symbol.
The method was adopted to indicate the origin of products, which often had
certain ‘associations’ and ‘perceptions’ among consumers. Certain product
manufacturers such as Twining of England introduced branded products as
early as 1706. It was also in this century that Schweppes introduced its
branded drinks in 1798. Branding methods, however, became more promi-
nent towards the end of the industrial revolution in the latter part of the nine-
teenth century.
Branding, as we know it today, has advanced from crude methods of
differentiation to a refined and indispensable business concept for any enter-
prise that desires long-term benefits. It plays a key role as the most important
intangible asset generator for an organization. The luxury fashion sector in
particular recognizes the crucial role of branding and therefore applies brand-
ing as a core competence and central factor of all business strategies.Origins of luxury fashion
The history of luxury fashion is similar to that of branding in terms of devel-
opment from ancient to modern times. Fashion’s history has, however, been
written about extensively by those more qualified than myself to do so; there-
fore its repetition is not the purpose of this chapter. However, there are key
periods, events and circumstances that led to the evolution of modern luxury
branding, which are worth recounting. For example, events following the
industrial revolution brought about mass production techniques and led the
way for the current prêt-a-porter fashion. Also, the dissolution of the world’s
monarchies, aristocracy and social class systems brought a change in luxury
fashion, notably after the First World War. These factors show an important
link between fashion and mankind’s history and social evolution.
Fashion is a symbol of society and has continuously been influenced by
historical, social, traditional, religious, political, economic, psychological and
more recently technological changes. The luxury industry has also witnessed14
luxury fashion branding