Product

helps the consumers to express their social status and create and secure their image. The luxury consumers use the luxury products as status symbols to show their exquisite taste. They are triggered off by the emotional, social and psychological benefits associated with the products. As luxury products are not purchased solely for its function branding becomes even more crucial for its equity and consequently, the most important ingredient for a successful branding strategy²⁸⁸. Luxury products should make the consumer feel special. Luxury products should therefore, have that little extra that a “normal” product does not have²⁸⁹. That little extra can be a simple thing for ECCO’s new clothing line it could as already mentioned, be some very special buttons made by a special material from a certain area in Arabia which have been hand made there for several generations or a fabric that is extremely soft as we know it from e.g. Kashmir silk which just makes you feel very good like wrapped in a soft blanket when you wear it.

There are certain standards a luxury product should live up to in order to meet the luxury consumers’ expectations. Luxury products should among others be innovative and creative with an appealing product designs and packaging. The products should also be classic and timeless and of the highest quality. Moreover, the luxury firms often highlights that their products are made with meticulous craftsmanship and manufacturing precision²⁹⁰.

10.2.1 High-end Product requirements:

ECCO’s new brand extension into clothing should therefore live up to these requirements. Many of these requirements are though already an integrated part of ECCO’s shoe production. ECCO has a specific design (which by many is seen as classic), moreover, comfort and quality are what characterize the ECCO shoes. Also, ECCO shoes are tested to secure the consumer the highest quality and strength, ECCO are also eager to show their meticulous craftsmanship and their ability to create special and innovative products has been proven this year with the launch of a premium shoe collection which expressed an uncompromising design, great quality and unique material choice by e.g. snakeskin. But according to Dieter Kasprzak one of the designers behind the new Premium shoe collection what ECCO’s design team wanted to show were their passion as shoemakers²⁹¹.

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288 Okonkwo 2007, p. 129

289 Kapferer and Bastien 2009, p. 189

290 Keller 2008, p.195

291ECCO launches Premium Collection 2009

Communication about luxury brands and products primarily aims at creating dreams and second to revitalize the brand.²⁹² The luxury brands often use a specific visual language to sell their products.

Many brands have used the figure of the brand creator to represent the brand. Moreover, most of the successful brands have used logotypes that are usually short and very visual e.g. Chanel’s double C, Louis Vuitton’s LV and Dolce and Gabbana’s DG as visual symbol that accompanies the logo typed. Especially in Asia there is a logo fixation. Therefore, recognizable symbols are found all over the luxury products in China.²⁹³ ECCO has also started to use two different ECCO logos, one is just ecco written in small letter seen on e.g. the ECCO belts and wallets, the other is a small e often in gold seen either glued to the ECCO bags or dangling in a small strap from the top of the bag²⁹⁴. Other brands are characterized by a cult of detail, a favorite material, e.g. Prada’s use of leather, a hymn to the manual work or a typical way of doing things²⁹⁵. What may also be vital in the consumers’ final purchase decision is product characteristics such as scent and color²⁹⁶. Hermes has the color orange associated to its brand, the company bags, gift paper, etc., are in orange while Chanel’s associated color is black with the white double c logo on its merchandize.

Though luxury products are normally only for the chosen few who has got enough money. Many luxury companies have used different products to target different consumer segments. Just like ECCO’s Premium shoe collection which is in the very expensive end several luxury brands have used products which for “normal people” seems impossible to pay targeting only the extreme rich.

In the other end of the spectra they have used smaller and cheaper goods to catch the less affluent consumers known as the day trippers. Such cheaper entry level products can be used if the quality and service is still very high. Here the goal is not to sell a lot, but to draw new clients into the brands universe. This is what Louis Vuitton does with its small leather goods, Tiffany with its small silver jewellery etc²⁹⁷. ECCO’s earlier expansion into accessories allows the less affluent consumers to buy some of ECCO’s products. ECCO has traditionally made shoes for the mass market in Denmark, which for many Chinese have been quite expensive thereby being premium in China.

With the introduction of ECCO’s Premium shoe collection and the new clothing line which should be in the more expensive end, ECCO will cover a quite broad spectra with products that can be

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292Kapferer and Bastian 2009, p. 212.

293Chadha and Husband 2006, p. 20

294www.ecco.com

295 Kapferer and Bastian 2009, p. 220-221

296 Keller 2008, p. 195

297 Kapferer and Bastien 2009, p. 189

bought by different consumers, with different incomes albeit all can be categorized as affluent consumers.

However, ECCO has to think about which kind of products they offer in their stores. As it is today ECCO has a wide portfolio of shoes, which is at one hand good as it offers the consumers many choices, but on the other hand it has also led to ECCO having different products both in quality and price. Though it might be good for a company selling very expensive goods such as Gucci to have entry level products, it is not the same as having many mass-market products - affordable to most consumers. If a brands becomes affordable to the masses it may risk losing its luxury status and for a brand that is not yet linked with luxury or top of the premium it can also prevent a brand from reaching this status. Therefore, ECCO should seek to raise its price point. However, such a thing must be done with manner. A good way to do this could be by introducing new and better products with special designs or innovative products and outface the old and cheaper products.