likely to be influenced by descriptive words like glamour, style, sexiness,
expertise, talent, sophistication, trend and precision. These can be described
as some of the elements of the Armani brand personality, which the public
understands through the brand image.
These elements can also be used to describe the personality of the man
Giorgio Armani because the Armani brand personality is an extension of the
personality of Giorgio Armani himself. This personality comprises the over-
all image that consumers associate with the brand or any product or service
that has ‘Armani’ attached to it. This means that Giorgio Armani is the brand
and the brand is he. The man Giorgio Armani and everything he represents
has been stretched to form the parent brand of Armani, making up the first
and second levels of the Armani brand strategy previously listed. The third
level of function of the Armani brand, which comprises the sub-brands, is the
main essence of the Armani branding strategy.
Armani offers a luxury fashion product portfolio comprising haute
couture, prêt-à-porterand children’s apparel, leather goods such as bags and
shoes, underwear, jewellery, fragrance, cosmetics and eyewear. The brand has
also diversified into non-fashion product ranges such as cafés, restaurants,
hotels, nightclubs, flowers and even sweets and chocolates. In addition, the
company has varied its offering in different ways. For example, in 2003
Giorgio Armani worked in collaboration with luxury carmaker Mercedes to
design a limited edition CLK Mercedes-Benz car.
The Armani brand has been stretched into seven sub-brand categories
ranging from high-end to medium priced men’s and women’s fashion goods,
children’s fashion and home products. These sub-brands are aptly named the
following:
1 Giorgio Armani
2 Armani Collezioni
3 Emporio Armani
4 Armani Jeans
5 Armani Exchange
6 Armani Casa
7 Armani Junior
A look at this list indicates that each of the sub-brands has ‘Armani’ linked to
it. This means that the brand power lies in the name ‘Armani’ with all its asso-
ciating attributes already described.
The seven main brand categories have different functions in the overall
Armani branding mix. They range from women’s and men’s wear collections
to diffusion lines that target different segments of the luxury market. The first
is Giorgio Armani, which represents the most exclusive and highest priced
products of the brand. It features goods showcased on the brand’s runway
fashion shows such as apparel for men and women, accessories, eyewear,
chapter 10 281case illustrations