Polo, of course, was one of the first brands to enter the extension game on a large scale and still sets standards. While a licensing executive at Polo, I grew the business substantially, but always following the strategies and rationales set by Ralph Lauren. He knew his brand and he knew his customer. Every Polo/Ralph Lauren licensed product was required to deliver on the same brand promise he established when the Polo business launched. If I wanted to make the business case for a new extension, I had to first convince Mr. Lauren that the new venture would maintain and enhance his brand’s equity. Apparel for infants and toddlers appeared at first to be too far afield from Polo’s elegant image, until we created what was essentially a new product category of a higher quality and design quotient than what was then on the U.S. market.
Apple is another great example of an admirable strategy. Apple has taken its brand promise of “cool innovation” and exponentially expanded its definition, equity and revenue through brand extensions, continuing through the recent launch of IPad.
A recent extension I find really impressive is Disney’s new English language schools for children in China. Not only are they enhancing their positioning as an educational tool, Disney is introducing a whole new- and sizeable - market to their characters through numerous references in both the school and the lessons themselves.
And, in another sector, Proctor & Gamble’s IAMS brand, which promises to nourish pets and protect them from disease, recently licensed the brand into pet insurance, solidifying the brand’s protection positioning and creating an entirely new product category in the process.
Tracey is a recognized leader in the fields of brand management and brand extension. She has over twenty years’ experience in senior strategic brand management and consulting positions for world-class multinational companies, including Polo/Ralph Lauren, FILA Sports and Turner Networks. Her work spans multiple channels, product categories, industries and countries and her cross-industry experience gives her a unique perspective and expertise on the potential of brands to mine new revenue opportunities while enhancing brand equity.
Consistently designing and delivering on growth-oriented strategic and business plans for large enterprises, Tracey has also crafted numerous strategic alliances between brands and companies. She has a track record of building consensus around common goals, across multiple departments, divisions and companies, as well as a P&L management track record and perspective.
Tracey received her MBA, with a concentration in international marketing, from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is on the faculty of the University of Texas’s McCombs Graduate School of Management. Tracey speaks on multiple brand topics to industry groups and serves as an expert witness in trademark litigation.
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