Case study provided by The Brand Council.
Think Kangol and immediately you think of the hippest hats around -- Kangol wearers exude effortless cool.
The brand that is now recognised globally began life in 1938, when Russian Jacques Henryk Spreiregen began making and branding his own berets in the Lake District. The brand name Kangol was allegedly put together using the K from silK, Knitting or Knitted, the ANG from angora and the OL from wool.
The mid 1950s saw the introduction of what is now seen as the ultimate homeboy accessory, the 504 cap; and as Kangol began to grow it extended into women's designs. During the 1960s, the brand was embraced by movers and shakers including the Beatles, Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin.
The now familiar kangaroo icon wasn't introduced until 1983.The move was prompted by the surge of interest in Kangol hats in the US to the extent that imitators were entering the market. Many Americans had been going into shops asking for 'kangaroo' hats and caps. So instead of trying to re-educate the entire nation, the kangaroo was adopted clearly differentiating the Kangol brand as the headwear leader.
With a firm grip on the hats market, Kangol began developing in new directions during the 1990s, diversifying and growing the brand to include clothing, footwear, bags and eyewear.
It has maintained its status by a continued inspiration from constantly evolving British society -- linking with music and street culture. Kangol's philosophy is to celebrate the diversity of the modern nation and its people. By having an understanding of the many different strands of Britishness, the brand has an advantage when competing with the rest of the world.
Kangol has deliberately avoided heavy reliance on traditional advertising. On the rare occasions it has advertised, exposure is limited to a select group of style magazines. Instead, it prefers to create awareness through association, using PR and activities that allow it to communicate in a subtle way that the target audience appreciates. The likes of its music and photographic campaign with Dazed and Confused does just that. Kangol has also introduced a fresh new website so it can get closer to its wearers and issues relevant to them.
Celebrity endorsements have long been central to this strategy. LL Cool J sported a Kangol Bermuda Casual on his debut album, Radio, spawning a hip new audience and anchoring Kangol at the core of a movement as the hip-hop phenomenon grew. Samuel L Jackson wore a variety of 504 caps throughout the whole of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.
Inspired by the colours of the Union Jack (but jumbled up a bit, like Kangol Britain), the entire Kangol brand is now broken down into three sections -- White, Red and Blue. Blue includes Kangol's heritage collection, featuring re-invented classics from the Kangol archives. Red signifies youthful, colourful experimentation - Red wearers spend life on the edge, are thrill-seekers and solo action junkies.
White is the directional expression of Kangol. Keeping an eye on the fast-moving world of fashion, these designs are created in collaboration with Britain's brightest design talent on a seasonal basis. Kangol pioneered this project in 2000 with Katharine Hamnett. Since then, Bella Freud, YMC, 6876, Antoni + Alison, and Heather Allan have all made their individual interpretations of Kangol's signature pieces.
The continued success of the Kangol approach is confirmed by ongoing approval from the fashion elite - -not least by celebrity wearers both in the UK and stateside with the likes of Jude Law, De La Soul, Outkast, Guy Ritchie, Macy Gray and Limp Bizkit to name but a few.
漏 2002 Superbrands Ltd
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