The Impact of Modern Media on the House of Chanel
When Karl Lagerfeld took over as chief designer for the house of Chanel in 1983, Chanel was still a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world. Little marketing outside of magazines and television was necessary. However, as modern society has become increasingly reliant upon the internet and media, Chanel’s marketing strategy had to evolve.
Recently, Karl Lagerfeld has been doing some personal branding work with modern technology. He provided DJing services for the Grand Theft Auto video game series. He has also lent his voice to a French animated film called, Totally Spies. He was also recently declared editor-in-chief of Madame Figaro, the women’s publication branch of the French journal Le Figaro. While this is not directly related to the Chanel brand, it clearly illustrates that Lagerfeld is willing to do some out-of-the-ordinary media work. An international celebrity, he has developed a reputable personal band. And his brand does nothing but enhance the House of Chanel’s fabulous glow.
When it comes to Chanel, early this year, it, and a few other famed luxury brands, announced they would be selling goods online. Traditionally, high-end designer products sold their goods exclusively in their boutiques or in luxury department stores, out of the fear of damaging brand equity through online sales. However, with the rise of Internet commerce in recent years, brands are finding it harder and harder to deny that an online marketplace is a great idea. Chanel is not yet ready to begin selling all of their products online. They plan on beginning by selling only signature fragrances online. If this venture goes well, they plan on expanding the online boutique to include eyewear and accessories.
Otherwise, one of Chanel’s most revolutionary media ventures is that of Chanel News. The site keeps loyal consumers up to date with the creative happenings within the House of Chanel. The site looks similar to that of the common blog but the content is anything but that! A viewer can find exclusive previews to the upcoming collections, celebrities in Chanel fashion, photos by Karl Lagerfeld, films produced to exhibit the collections, and more! Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel fashion, declared of the site, “The idea [of Chanel News] is to give all these social networks a location where they can have genuine information about Chanel.”
As Vikram Alexei Kansara, Managing Editor of The Business of Fashion, says, “marketing fashion collections mostly meant buying pages in magazines or space on strategically positioned billboards.” Chanel’s shift to an online news and information site is indicative of the shift most, if not all, traditional industries are currently facing: the shift to an online world. The Chanel News site is low-cost publicity. Chanel-lovers can congregate to one website and feel as though they are receiving exclusive brand information and previews.
There have been four movies made in the past about Mademoiselle Chanel’s life. Chanel Solitaire (1981), Coco Chanel (2008), Coco Before Chanel (2009), and Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009). Two more films are rumored to be in the works, as well. The films drew attention to the life of the couturier and built some new interest in the brand as a whole.
Between a shift to online boutiques, the production of films about upcoming collections, and a new Chanel news site, the House of Chanel is changing with the times. They are finding new ways to reach new audiences. There is a continued use of magazine and billboard advertisements in combination with these new forms of media. And with men like Karl Lagerfeld, a master at personal branding, at the helm, the brand is sure to have a long and media enriched future.
