|
27 April 2006
Hong Kong
According to a global online survey of 23,500 consumers in 42 countries conducted by ACNielsen in November 2005, Ralph Lauren is the world’s most popular designer brand followed by Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani and Gucci. Yet when it comes to the most coveted brand if money were no object, Italian fashion powerhouses take the lead, with Giorgio Armani the most aspired-to, followed by Gucci and Versace globally.
Across the globe, 16 percent of global internet consumers purchase Ralph Lauren. North American consumers were the most loyal to the US designer, with Ralph Lauren raking Number One on US consumers’ choice for current and most coveted fashion brands. Christian Dior (13%), Gucci (12%), and Giorgio Armani (12%) completed the top four designer brands currently most purchased among the world’s internet consumers.
In Asia Pacific, the popularity of these brands were quite in line with the world ranking, except that Louis Vuitton (LV) and DKNY also made the top five ranking, with at least one in ten claiming to have bought the French brand’s products. In fact, nine of the top 10 markets with most people buying LV products hailed from Asia Pacific, with Hong Kong (23%) and Japan (17%) the top two markets globally purchasing Louis Vuitton.
People in Asia are also making the world top ten list for brands like Prada (6), Celine (7) and Ferragamo (8) outperforming their counterparts in Europe and the US in terms of current product ownership of these brands. Philippines for example has most people in the world buying Ralph Lauren (34%) and Celine (18%) products, while Koreans top the list for Ferragamo’s products (12%).
“A brand cannot be built overnight and it is even more difficult to sustain. To be successful in diverse international markets, these designer brands have to consistently ensure the ‘values’ their designs represent will transcend cultures and age groups, although it is not an easy feat in the fickle fashion industry where trends and fads are the order of the day,” added Bienvenidos Niles, President ACNielsen Asia Pacific. “As the economy in Hong Kong continues to improve and booming tourism, opportunities for these designer brands are huge.”
The story is a bit different in the Pacific where local fashion designers in Australia and New Zealand are prospering. It is hard to find consumers in these two countries who stand out for a particular international brand.
Most aspired brands… if money were no object
When asked which designer brands they would buy if money were no object, consumers in Asia Pacific certainly had their own list – leading consumers in all other regions in their aspirations towards Louis Vuitton (32%), with Hong Kong housing the world’s most admirers of the brand – justifying the recent opening of LV’s flagship store in the city.
In fact LV’s is not the only brand appealing to the Asia Pacific consumers but Gucci’s fans have made the brand on par with LV with a third chose the brand as their most coveted brand. Other brands that top the list for Asia Pacific consumers include Giorgio Armani (28%), Chanel, Christian Dior and Versace (respectively 22%).
On a market level, Taiwan (30%) and Japan (27%) have the world’s most consumers admiring Hermes if money was no object, while the Philippines consumers (45%) remain loyal to Ralph Lauren. Koreans topped the world as the most aspirational to a host of brands including Gucci and Ferragamo, Fendi and Celine. In Hong Kong people now have a new target to pursue, with most people the world over wanting to buy a Bottega Veneta (8%) if money was no object.
Fast growing markets - tomorrow’s fashion Meccas
The future survival of leading fashion houses depends on brand longevity and it is no surprise that designer fashion houses have been investing in their future by building commercial and brand presences in the fast growing markets of Asia, UAE and Russia.
Making up the world’s most populated nation, Chinese consumers who can afford designer brands are currently ‘investing’ in Chanel (15%), LV (13%) and Versace (12%) the most among other brands. The potential for these brands is far greater with as many as 38 percent of future big spenders said they would opt for Versace and Chanel and a third for LV. The effort of all the fashion shows held in Shanghai these days is worth it!
“These internationally acclaimed designers well understand that strong brands make for profitable businesses. They are not merely selling fashion – they are selling an image - something consumers are willing to pay a premium for,” Mr Niles commented. “Such positioning works exceptionally well in fast growing market where people have become more sophisticated with increasingly higher disposable income.”
Global results from the ACNielsen survey reveal that Christian Dior – which has also successfully re-positioned itself with a more youthful image and is a favourite among the international young ‘IT’ crowd - has high commercial potential in UAE, Russia, Latin America and India.
Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Versace too, have very strong growth potential in the new emerging markets of Russia and India, possibly because of their ‘I have arrived’ appeal, combined with a ‘glamorous life’ celebrity image, particularly appealing to the upcoming nouveau riche.
The ACNielsen Global Online Survey, the largest twice-yearly survey of its kind, is aimed at gauging consumers’ opinions to a variety of subjects ranging from current confidence levels, spending habits/intentions, current major concerns and attitudes. The online survey interviews 23,500 consumers in 42 markets across Europe, Asia Pacific, UAE, North and Latin America about their current and aspirational fashion brand purchasing.
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world's leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns. To learn more, visit www.acnielsen.com.
맨 위로 이동
|
