Burberry
Bespoke Trench Coat.
One of the very first connections I have with luxury retailers is with Burberry. During my high school senior year, Burberry announced the introduction of its Burberry Bespoke program. It is an online program available for customers to design their own Burberry trench coat. Customers select the cut of their trench coat, the fabric, the color, and then navigate through options such as bronze-studded sleeves, bridle leather cuff straps, mink linings and shearling collars. Bit by bit, the screen assembles the virtual trench coat as specified. The real-life version arrives in four to eight weeks, in a box the size of a human torso, from Burberry's factory in Yorkshire, England (Sonne).
"Honestly it makes no difference at all" how many custom coats Burberry sells, Ms. Angela Ahrendts Burberry's Chief Executive, says. "It's customer engagement. You want them to engage with the brand."
While the upwards of $6,000 price point has always hindered me from actually purchasing a coat, the online service still allows you to design your own trench coat and share it on social media with friends and family. What a genius way to bring luxury products to a mass consumption level. The do-it-yourself service allows almost twelve million different combinations including men and women’s options (King). Every coat can also be monogrammed in four different fonts.
While the bespoke products may not be Burberry’s best seller, the customization program aims at influencing overall brand perception and can serve as inspiration to many customers. It is also a way for affluent customers to still have the level of unique luxury they expect from a high end designer.