LACOSTE

Lacoste is a French company, founded in 1933 by tennis player René

Lacoste and André Gillier. It
sells clothing, footwear, sportswear, eyewear, leather
goods, perfume, towels and watches. The company can be recognized by
its green crocodile logo.[2] René Lacoste,[3] the company's founder, was
nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on
the tennis court.[4] In November 2012 Lacoste was bought outright by Swiss
family-held group Maus Frères.

LACOSTE, STORY OF AN ICONIC BRAND:

1923 - The first crocodile, the birth of a symbol
After a Davis Cup match in Boston, an American journalist baptizes René
Lacoste “The Alligator” in reference to a bet between the tennis player and
his coach over a crocodile suitcase. Artist Robert George brings the
crocodile logo to life in 1927.

1933, Lacoste becomes a legend

The polo revolution wins over the world, and not just the sport of the sport.
With his first advertising campaign, René Lacoste officially launches the
brand, enters the world of fashion and launches a legend.
1951 - Lacoste sees life in color
Every season has its colors! In 1951 René Lacoste unveils monochromatic
polos followed by striped polos. In 1958, a Lacoste children’s collection is
launched.

1952 - Conquering the New World

René Lacoste's elegant shirt, with shortened sleeves and a buttoned
neckline, is released in the
United States.

1968 - The height of elegance

Clay, grass, and even snow! In the 1960s, Lacoste equips the French ski
team.

1970s - International campaigns

Present internationally since the 1950s, Lacoste begins to create
international advertising campaigns in the 1970s, celebrating the brand’s
sporting heritage and elegant style à la franchise.

1980s - The extended Lacoste product family

Following the perfume and leather goods launched in the 1960s, the
Lacoste product family grows again in 1981 with sunglasses, and in 1985
with tennis shoes.

2006 - The LACOSTE Foundation

Promoting the values dear to René Lacoste, such as tenacity and
perseverance, Foundation LACOSTE helps young people in vulnerable
situations by supporting their social integration through tennis and golf
practice.

2018 - Lacoste looks back...and forward

Looking back over 85 amazing years, Lacoste celebrates by reediting 15
pieces from each decade of its existence. And looking to our future,
Lacoste launches Save our Species, replacing the iconic crocodile logo
with 10 animals threatened with extinction in a very limited edition.

HISTORY:
René Lacoste founded La Chemise Lacoste in 1933 with André Gillier, the
owner and president of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm at
the time. They began to produce the revolutionary tennis shirt Lacoste had
designed and worn on the tennis courts with the crocodile logo
embroidered on the chest. The company claims this as the first example of
a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing. [6] Starting
in the 1950s, Izod produced clothing known as Izod Lacoste under license
for sale in the U.S. This partnership ended in 1993 when Lacoste regained
exclusive U.S. rights to distribute shirts under its own brand. In 1977, Le
Tigre Clothing was founded in an attempt to directly compete with Lacoste
in the US market, selling a similar array of clothing, but featuring a tiger in
place of the signature Lacoste crocodile.
More recently, Lacoste's popularity has surged[ due to French designer
Christophe Lemaire’s work to create a more modern, upscale look. In 2005,
almost 50 million Lacoste products sold in over 110 countries. Its visibility
has increased due to the contracts between Lacoste and several tennis
players, including former American tennis players Andy Roddick and John
Isner, French veteran Richard Gasquet, and Swiss Olympic gold
medalist Stanislas Wawrinka. Lacoste had also begun to increase its
presence in the golf world, where noted two time Masters
Tournament champion José María Olazábal and Scottish golfer Colin
Montgomerie have been seen sporting Lacoste shirts in tournaments.
Bernard Lacoste became seriously ill in early 2005, which led him to
transfer the presidency of Lacoste to his younger brother and closest
collaborator for many years, Michel Lacoste. Bernard died in Paris on 21
March 2006.[7]
Lacoste licenses its trademark to various companies. Until recently,
Devanlay owned the exclusive worldwide clothing license, though today
Lacoste Polo Shirts are also manufactured under licence in Thailand by
ICC and also in China. Pentland Group has the exclusive worldwide license
to produce Lacoste footwear, Coty Inc. owns the exclusive worldwide
license to produce fragrance, and CEMALAC holds the license to produce
Lacoste bags and small leather goods
In June 2007, Lacoste introduced their e-commerce site for the U.S.
market.[8]
In 2009, Hayden Christensen became the face of the Challenge fragrance
for men.[9]
In September 2010, Christophe Lemaire stepped down and Felipe Oliveira
Baptista succeeded him as the creative manager of Lacoste. [10]
René Lacoste Foundation is a community program developed to help
children be able to play sports in school.
In March 2016, the company opened a new flagship store on Fashion
Street in Budapest.[11]
In 2017, tennis player Novak Djokovic was named brand ambassador and
"the new crocodile" (next to Rene Lacoste) for Lacoste. This obligation
includes a five-year contract as well as multiple appearances in advertising
campaigns.

Marketing Mix Of Lacoste:

Marketing mix articles
Lacoste is associated with Lifestyle and Retail industry and deals in
accessories and apparels. It is of French origin and was founded in the
year 1933 by its famous co-founders Andre Gillier and Rene Lacoste.
The brand is easily recognizable through its logo of the green crocodile as
Rene Lacoste was popularly hailed by his fans as the Crocodile. In the year
2012, the brand changed its ownership as it was purchased by Maus
Freres. Lacoste faces fierce competition from several lifestyle brands and
sportswear companies like the following-

 Zara

 H&M

 Reebok

 Nike

 Tommy Hilfiger

Product in the Marketing Mix Of Lacoste :

Lacoste’s products are premium quality ones and cater to the upper class
of the society. The company first started with tennis shirts. Then the product
portfolio in its marketing mix expanded into perfumes, leather products like
wallets and bags, sunglasses and shoes. Lacoste shirts available for men
are polos, sweatshirts, jackets, trousers and tracksuits. For women they
have t-shirts, denims, skirts and polos. In shoes it has a collection of casual
and sports for men and women they have sandals, shoes and slippers. In
accessories Lacoste sell fragrance, socks, watches, caps, sunglasses and
scarves. Leather products like bags and belts are also available. They also
have a specialized kids-collection which includes polos, tops, bottoms,
sweaters, sweatshirts and dresses. Lacoste have a sports collection
primarily for tennis which includes tennis polos, shorts, wrist bands etc.
They also have a Novak Djokovic collection which has shirts which
represent the style of the ace tennis player. They also have a fall winter
collection featuring clothes suitable for that season. The clothing comes in
small, medium, large and extra-large sizes.Lacoste is a vintage company
that is known for niche look, quality designs and modern comfort. It is
undoubtedly a leader in the premium-casual-wear segment and this is
reflected in its modern collections via unique style and natural
elegance. The company started its operations by producing tennis shirts
that included an embroidered crocodile logo displayed on the chest. It
expanded its portfolio to include shirts for sports like sailing and golf. In the
year 1951, brand Lacoste started introducing color shirts besides the
already available tennis-white shirts. With time it expanded its portfolio to
include several items like-

For men –

 Apparel includes sportswear, trousers, coats, shorts, jackets,

sweatshirts, t-shirts, knitwear, polo and shirts

 Footwear includes canvas, plimsolls, boat shoes, loafers, boots, city

shoes and trainers

 Accessories include socks, underwear, fragrance, sunglasses,

watches, hats and caps

 Leather goods include belts, wallets and bags

Women

 Apparel includes dresses, shorts, skirts, jackets, coats, knitwear, tops

and sportswear

 Footwear includes trainers, canvas and boots

 Accessories include caps, scarves, hats, watches, fragrances,

sunglasses and gloves

 Leather goods include belts and bags

Kids-

 For both boys and girls brand offers choice in apparel, footwear and
accessories

Place in the Marketing Mix Of Lacoste :

Lacoste targets the upper middle class and upper class of the society.
These customers do not hesitate to pay the high price of the luxury
products as owning a Lacoste is a status symbol. The pricing strategy in its
marketing mix is therefore called as premium pricing strategy. The prices of
t-shirts, polos and jackets are in the range of Rs.800 to Rs.25000 which is
very wide. Lacoste competes directly with H&M and Zara through this
pricing strategy. The range for Sport shoes and casual shoes is between
Rs.4500 and Rs.8000. The price range of Lacoste for the leather bags and
purses is from Rs.6000 to Rs.8000. Belts come for around Rs.4000.
Watches are priced between Rs.9000 to Rs.12000. Sunglasses come for
around Rs.9000 with little number of variants. Fragrances are in the range
of Rs.2500 to Rs.5000. Caps and scarves are in the range of Rs.2500 to
Rs.3500.Lacoste is a globally recognized brand with its product presence in
nearly one hundred and twenty countries like Australia, Canada, India
and China. The brand introduced its products in United States market for
the first time in the year 1952 and by 1970s had gained immense
popularity. The company has a strong community that includes a workforce
of ten thousand employees responsible for distribution, production,
designing and communication all over.
It operates by means of its own boutiques located at independent places as
well as in very popular departmental stores like Halls, Belk, Macy’s and
Nordstrom. Lacoste products are easily available using 10,600 wholesale
point-of-sales. It also sells its products by the use of 11 online outlets that
meets client requirements by a single click.

Price in the Marketing Mix Of Lacoste :

Lacoste is a global brand and is present in around 120 countries which
include India, China and the United States. It first got in the US market in
1952 and by the end of 1973 had found a loyal customer base cementing
the brand’s position there. Lacoste has its own retail outlets in big malls
where there is a great footfall of people. They also make sure that the malls
are visited by people who can afford the premium products. The outlets
convey elegance through simplicity which adds to the value of the brand
offering. Lacoste sell through popular stores like Macy’s, Nordstrom and
Halls. The clothing and other products can be purchased through the
website through card payment. Also, there is an option to return the product
in 15 days after buying it if the customers want to do. The orders are
delivered in 3-7 days depending upon the address of delivery. Lacoste
brand also sells on ecommerce sites like Amazon, Alibaba and Flipkart
where there can be discounts obtained by the customers.Lacoste has
targeted sports personalities and fashion conscious people as its target
customers. They prefer customers who have high buying power and who
do not hesitate before making a purchase because of a price tag. Owning a
product from Lacoste is a status symbol and buyers have no hesitation in
flaunting it through their purchases. It is in simple terms an expensive and
trendy brand name that deals in high-quality and premium items. The
company has adopted a premium pricing strategy for its products as it is
sure of its customer loyalty. The Rich clientele is the main reason why
product prices seem reasonable and affordable to its potential and
permanent customers.

Promotions in the Marketing Mix Of Lacoste :

Lacoste promotes itself majorly through its successful brand ambassadors.
Novak Djokovic promotes the brand for tennis clothing. Lacoste had also
been associated with other famous personalities like star tennis players.
Famous golfers Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie have been
the brand ambassadors as well. They have sponsored top tournaments like
Rolland Garros. It has also promoted itself in the film ‘Timeless Elegance’
by featuring the clothing collection in the film. There is a Lacoste foundation
which funds an organization in Philippines which is lobbying for protection
of crocodiles. It also helps children in sports at school level. It markets itself
through print advertising more than the TV ads. Lacoste advertises in
magazines like GQ, Cosmopolitan etc. Digitally its promotions can be seen
through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook where customers can get a
glimpse of the current campaigns. Its website too does the same. Hence
this completes the marketing mix of Lacoste.In order to maintain its rich
heritage and iconic image, Lacoste has adopted several marketing
strategies. The company is aware of its social responsibility and has taken
part in several events. It helps children in sports at school level
through Rene Lacoste Foundation. It funds an organization in the
Philippines that is working towards saving crocodiles from being extinct.

Lacoste has adopted an aggressive marketing plan and its ads are shown
via television, magazines, billboards and social media platforms. It has
roped in several famous personalities to promote its brand name like John
Isner, Andy Roddick, Richard Gasquet and Stanislas Wawrinka. Famous
golfers Colin Montgomerie ad Jose Maria Olazabal are also associated with
this world-renowned brand. In the year 2009, LaCoste roped in Hayden
Christensen as the face for fragrance in men’s section.

VALUES OF LACOSTE
As with our logo & our brand, the following values are central to the
community that forms our company. These values are common to all at
Lacoste and they affirm our uniqueness.

COOPERATION
Since its creation, Lacoste has based its success on the acquisition of
talent and expertise.
AUDACITY
Being audacious means having confidence in our future, in the
development of our brand and in our community.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Understanding its role and its contribution to the community.
ATTENTION
Attention to others is the foundation of our common interests and values.

BEING
Being part of Lacoste means defending the brand, having faith in its future
and being proud to represent it.

MISSION OF LACOSTE
Sharing our vision of casual elegance, and our optimism and faith in the
future, is the purpose of our business. It is the pride and passion of each
person who works for Lacoste. Optimism and elegance are the core values
of Lacoste, promoted with enthusiasm and passion. Our mission is to share
this positive view of life with our customers and partners. Our mission is to
make LACOSTE a unique casual luxury brand embodying elegance such
as Frenchness. This requires a high level of quality and professionalism
within areas such creation, style, manufacturing and retail. LACOSTE
products and employees make clients live a unique experience regardless
of the distribution network, physical or digital, everywhere in the world. Its
mission is to have the proper balance of comfort and elegance which can
be adopted by all. ‘’Your style is our mission’’ is lacoste’s slogan. This
slogan explain ‘’lacoste is market-oriented or product-oriented’’ As it is
seen, lacoste is market-oriented. Lacoste’s aim is selling best quality
products made with high technology to sportsmen and trendy people.
VISSION OF LACOSTE
Our primary goal is to be the leader in the premium casual wear market.
We are dedicated to achieving this ambition in the years to come. One
Brand, One Team, One Voice, for a controlled growth based on operational
excellence, customer satisfaction and talent development. It really want to
make the brand more real and urban. Lacoste is all about color and up to
now it’s almost like every season we did all the colors in the world. My idea
is to create stories around color, create novelty and use color in a more
subtle way to make it more realistic. That approach is quite different. It had
also been working a lot on the evolution of fabrics, much softer, much more
comfortable. With optimism and elegance, LACOSTE pledges to respect
the people who make up its ecosystem.

Lacoste signs global partnership with Club Med:

Lacoste has come together with Club Med for a golf and tennis themed
month featuring weeklong stints at Club Med Resorts in Marrakech La
Palmeraie in Morocco, Opio en Provence in France, Da Balaia in Portugal
and the Vitel Golf Ermitage in France.

The extended event, which will go through May 6, will also feature tennis
and golf ambassadors including Guy Forget, Mansour Bahrami and Jean
van de Velde, who will be hosting tournaments and smaller special events
during the lengthy event.

Lacoste, which has been on the collaboration train lately with capsule
collections for Supreme and Yazbukey, has now added collaboration to
their roster. A limited edition of L.12.12 polo shirts in red, white and blue will
be available at 16 Club Med resorts in Europe and on Lacoste.com.

At the rate Lacoste had been going this year, they are set to become the
collaboration kings.

Target Consumer:
Lacoste’s target audience comprises men and women in the age group of
18 to 45 years and beyond belonging to the SEC A category. Its patrons
appreciate tradition and the assurance of good taste that the brand
provides through its products. Lacoste products assist these individuals in
expressing better, to the outer world, their life-style that encompasses
elegance, refinement, comfort and quality. Lacoste targets people from the
age of 18-44 since its a brand that targets the youth as well as older
people. It produces clothes within a wide range with basic silhouettes but
different colors and prints which can be for the youth. Since Lacoste started
out as a menswear brand, a majority of their target group is male. However,
of late their global strategy has shifted to focus more on women as well.
This happened because they noticed that more and more women across
the world are buying Lacoste. Within India, people who fall in upper middle
class and upper class are the ones who buy Lacoste. This is apparent from
the salary of the target group for Lacoste. The lifestyle that Lacoste is
suited for is found more amongst Business class and people in corporate
sector.

CUSTOMER REWARDS:
Lacoste introduced a le club lacoste for the customers, it’s a community
united by style and spirit. Here, your loyalty is always rewarded: 4 levels,
each with its own status rewards, gifts, "Made in LACOSTE" tips and
exclusive get-togethers and events.
In a word (or rather 3 words), PRACTICE YOUR ÉLÉGANCE

If a customer spends £1 in the purchase of lacoste products it gets 1. There

are 3 levels in it. The first level is of 150 points in which a customer gets
Welcome Gift, Access to the Ticketing Platform
Exclusive Customization Options, Plus all the rewards of PLAYER - LEVEL
1.

The second level is of 450 points in which a customer gets Welcome Gift,
Lacoste Events, Birthday Gift, Plus all the rewards of CONFIRMED -
LEVEL 2.

The third level is of 750 points in which a customer gets Welcome Gift
La Loge : a Very Private Event, Birthday Gift, Plus all the rewards of
ADVANCED - LEVEL 3.

International affiliation:
Lacoste is today present in 120 countries through a selective distribution
network. Two Lacoste items are sold every second in the world.

The apparel retail industry consists of all menswear, womenswear and

childrenswear. The global apparel retail industry has shown reasonably
strong growth in recent years. According to Technopak report in 2012[1],
the apparel retail market will grow to USD 1 trillion by 2012. However, much
of this growth is not going to be in developed economies. The reason of
this can be attributed to the fact that these economies have reached a
saturation level as far as retail is concerned and the real money now lies in
the developing economies i.e. the BRICS.

In addition to this, global apparel markets in the recent past have shown a
paradigm shift, moving towards increased product differentiation, and
catering to a diverse, aware, and demanding customer base. Retailers
have thus gravitated toward demographic shifts, societal influences,
economic influence, and environmental concerns. With growth in
developed economics cooling, retailers are facing pressure due to
restricted consumer spending. Under such conditions the global apparel
value chain has shown a distinct shift both at the front- and supply-end.

REGIONAL TRENDS IN INDIA

In India, demand for readymade and western outfits is growing at 40-45%
annually (Delloitte, 2011). Lacoste, which deals in both the fields, can see
this as an opportunity to grow its market share in India. Critical success
factors are to deliver affordable and accessible fashion and provide value
added services to sustain consumers (Delloitte, 2011).

Consumers from India continue to hold foreign products in high esteem,

believing they possess premium quality. As a result, brand products have
become favourites. This perception among consumers has encouraged
domestic players to enter into joint ventures with international companies.

CASUALWEAR MARKET IN INDIA

The casual wear market is growing rapidly in India. Its current size is
estimated at $2.3 billion for the top 30 cities and is expected to grow at 18
per cent a year to $4.4 billion by 2015 (Technopak, 2011). The men’s
segment has the largest share (63 per cent) in the category. Since Lacoste
is seen primarily as a menswear brand for casuals, this is a huge
advantage for the brand. The key drivers for the growth of casual apparel in
India are given in Figure 2.

Casual wear brands in India see potential in all segments of the market —
lower medium, medium and semi-premium/premium. International brands
like Tommy Hilfiger and Espirit have seen steady growth over the years.
Others like Mustang, Calvin Klein and Guess are increasing their footprint.
Mango, Zara and Marks & Spencer have introduced casual wear at the
entry-level to attract first time consumers.

SPORTSWEAR MARKET IN INDIA

The sportswear retail market in India is estimated at INR 365.8 billion and
is expected to grow at a robust CAGR of 33% during 2010–2014. The
market includes sports apparel, footwear and accessories, with footwear
being the largest segment, accounting for around 60% of the total market.
The country’s sportswear segment is largely unorganised with the
organised segment constituting only about 30% of the market. (Sartorial
Views, 2012)

When sportswear first came to India, it was seen as a niche segment

targeted only at sportspeople. However, with a change in lifestyles and
incomes, people have started seeing sportswear in a new light. This has
been furthered by the introduction of foreign players and liberalization. The
drivers for the growth of sportswear in India are given in Figure 3. With
people seeing sports as a way of life and an easy of staying fit, Lacoste has
the opportunity to capture the market with its merchandise and promotion.

To get a general overview of the macroenvironment for Lacoste’s operation

in India at present (2013), an analysis is done of the political, economical,
social and technological facts in India.

COMPETITORS OF LACOSTE:

Competitor Analysis
`1. FRED PERRY

Fred Perry prides itself on being the first British heritage brand to
successfully blend sportswear with streetwear to create some of the most
iconic styles of the last century. The brand was born in the late 1940s,
when former Austrian footballer Tibby Wegner approached three times
Wimbledon champion Fred Perry with an idea.

Their initial venture was the very first sweatband, which was quickly
adopted by tennis players across the courts of Britain. In 1952, the pair
launched what was to be Fred Perry’s most famous garment: a slim fit
cotton pique shirt with Laurel Wreath embroidery.

From the beginning, Fred Perry – and the tipped pique shirt in particular –
has been associated with a whole series of subcultures driven by musical
affinities. Mods, skinheads, suede heads, soul boys, rude boys, two tone.
There was even a short-lived subculture known as the Perry Boys. When
Britpop took the world by storm in the mid-1990s, it was no surprise to find
bands like Blur and Oasis sporting the epitome of street fashion credibility.

Today, the Laurel Wreath logo is recognizable worldwide, with shops and
customers across 50 countries around the globe. The original Fred Perry
cotton pique is still synonymous with underground fashion and British Cool.

2. RALPH LAUREN

Since 1967, Ralph Lauren has defined the essence of American style while
elevating it to new heights of luxury. Striking a balance
between timeless and modern, Ralph Lauren creates collections that
express a unique sense of personal style inspired by the rich visual
imagery around him: the rustic beauty of the American West, the golden
age of Hollywood glamour, the sleek innovation of automotive design or an
authentic equestrian heritage.
What began more than 40 years ago with a collection of ties has grown into
an entire world, redefining American style. Ralph Lauren has always stood
for providing quality products, creating worlds, and inviting people to take
part in the dream. Ralph Lauren was the innovators of lifestyle
advertisements that tell a story and the first to create stores that encourage
customers to participate in that lifestyle.

POINTS OF PARITY

Product Offering

Lacoste, Ralph Lauren and Fred Perry compete in the same product
category – casual clothing for men, women and children. For the clothing
lines, all three brands use cotton pique – medium weight cotton with a
raised woven design, and the resulting pattern maybe squares or other
geometric shapes – as the main fabric.

Price Range

All of the three brands offer medium to high pricing points for their apparel
lines. There is a slight price difference between the three, with Lacoste
being the cheapest and Ralph Lauren the more expensive option.

Distribution Channel

Based on a brief market survey, it can be concluded that all the three
brands have similarly the same amount of boutiques, retail corners and
duty free outlets within Singapore – as an example Orchard, Takashimaya
and Changi Airport. The option to shop online is available for all the three
brands.

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

Brand Origin
Fred Perry originated from Britain – it is synonymous with underground
fashion and a signature British style although it was first created by a tennis
player. Ralph Lauren originated from the States – it emphasizes on
redefining the classic American style and infusing it with luxury. Lacoste
originated from France – the brand highlights the importance of comfort,
innovation and fashion for casual and sports clothing.

Brand Positioning

Ralph Lauren focuses on luxury, classic American style clothing – the brand
is perceived as elegant, classic, sophisticated and preppy. Fred Perry is
perceived as the more rebellious luxury brand with a background that is
often associated with musical affinities. Lacoste, on the other hand, is
highly associated with sports, especially golf and tennis.

Store Layout

The store layouts for all the three brands are very distinctive, each following
its own origin. Fred Perry offers an edgy feel with dark coloured walls and
wooden interior that highlight its product offering. Ralph Lauren, on the
other hand, highlights its famous focus on luxury classic American style by
designing its stores with white interior and the American flag on its wall.
Lacoste newly revamped stores has an all-white interior with a great
emphasis on Lacoste and its heritage. Additionally, the interior design of the
store gives visitors an impression that the brand is young, vibrant and
modern.

CURRENT ASSESSMENT

Based on the analysis above, Lacoste is not losing out in the points of
parity compare to its competitor, especially in the product offering. Its
distribution channel is also located as strategically as its competitor. Yet,
the problem that Lacoste have is utilizing its points of difference to give it
an edge from its competitor, especially in brand positioning. Only
sportsman who is a loyal fan and loyal follower tennis and golf can really
affiliate Lacoste as sports brand.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF LACOSTE:

Lacoste SWOT Analysis

Below is the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities

& Threats (SWOT) Analysis of Lacoste. Strengths
are:
1. The brand is present in over 120 countries and
employs over 1000 employees.
2. The brand has an iconic image and a very rich
heritage in the fashion industry.
3. The brand is highly accessible. Even-though
positioned in the niche segment, the brand has
reasonable price points compared to its
competitions.
4. The brand has a very rich clientele in the sports
fraternity
5. The brand has an elaborated product line
including Bags, wallets, perfumes and shoes.
6. The brand is socially responsible as it funds
organizations in Philippines to protect the extinction
of crocodile.
7. The brand is very famous for its plain polo’s in
Strengths multiple colors

Weaknesses Here are the weaknesses of Lacoste :

1.The brand sales and image is affected by fake

imitations of the products
2. The brand has been involved in environmental
issues and has been accused of “dirty laundry”
blamed for using hormone-affecting chemicals in
their T-shirts.

Following are the Opportunities of Lacoste :

1. Demand for Lacoste’s products are Increasing in

the Asia-Pacific region significantly.

2. The worldwide demand of green-clothing which is

an opportunity for Lacoste to explore as the brand
uses natural cotton fiber for all its clothing.

3. Demand for active sportswear in the Australasia

Opportunities Region.

The threats of Lacoste are as mentioned :

1.increasing competition from lifestyle brands like

H&M, ZARA and sportswear companies like adidas
and Nike are increasing

2. Increasing number of counterfeit products and

market, Lacoste has become one of the most
Imitated brands.

3. The company has lost significant market share to

Threats other brands

Online Marketing Tactics:

Following tools and tactics will be used in order to increase traffic on the
website and engage customers with Lacoste’s brand on daily basis.
1.  Website Features
2. Website Promotion in Offline space
3.  Blog
 4. Email Newsletter
5. Social Networking Platforms
6.  Niche Social Networking Platforms
7. Content Marketing
8. Social Media Posting Plan
9. Online Advertising Platforms
10. Online Word of Mouth
11. Search Engine Optimization
12.  Mobile App

Website Features:

1. Website will sell all products that Lacoste produces (Big Head + Long
Tail).

2. It will make suggestions and recommendations of Long Tale while

consumer is browsing the website.

3. Store traffic will be minimally affected as the website will be primarily

targeted to new younger audiences who already have habits of online
shopping; n  It does not mean that old customers cannot buy from the
website, but it is less likely that they will change their buying habits.

4. Overall sales will increase with the help of online store.

Social Networking Platforms:

Facebook Page – It is going to be the largest traffic generator to the
website and/or other social media platforms. Pictures of Lacoste products
and Videos of new marketing campaigns will be posted daily. Fun info
graphics and statistics will be reposted from Tumblr.

  Google Plus – This channel is important for Google Search and Search
Engine Optimization. Facebook efforts will be duplicated to this channel.
  Twitter – 271m people use Twitter every month around the world. 78% of
them are on mobile and 77% are outside the U.S. It is an appealing global
communication channel for Lacoste, especially for connecting with young
audiences.

  YouTube – Lacoste’s advertisements and video materials will be hosted

on this channel and distributed through other social networks.

Niche Social Networking Platforms:

Instagram – Daily photo updates from Lacoste Stores, Offices and
Runways will be posted to young mobile users

  Pinterest – Photos of Lacoste’s fashion products, collages and fashion

tips will be Pinned to Lacoste Pinterest boards. Pinterest works as an
effective traffic generator to fashion blogs and apparel web shops.

  Tumblr – Cool product photos, memes, info graphics and ad campaign

graphics will be posted daily. Hash tags will be used excessively.

  Polyvore – Fashion bloggers and stylists use Polyvore as a tool for

making fashion collages. Lacoste is going to add its fashion items to the
Polyvore’s product catalogue.