"Brands that stand the test of time innovate to stay relevant and build upon the product imagery that first captured customers' hearts. So-called legacy brands and their associated images include Timberland boots, the Burberry raincoat, Tiffany diamonds, and Levi's jeans. Even Disney, whose fantasy characters remain central to the customer experience. Each consumer-facing brand expanded its appeal while staying true to its foundational equities."
"Was Coach a legacy brand? We first put our distinctive glovetanned leather bags into people's hands back in the 1960s, and they not only used them, they also cherished them. Now, as we entered a new decade (the 2000s), we were striving to create products people loved by embodying our brand's fundamental equities - quality, function, durability - but also by expanding our brand's personality to be more fun, fashionable, and feminine."
"To that end, our Signature C logo products were a grand slam, and a rare game-changing achievement in the fickle fashion business. But one blockbuster innovation isn't enough to maintain sustainable growth, or achieve legacy status. Coach had to keep innovating by offering exciting products, anchored in bags, with aesthetics and prices that appealed to a larger cross section of consumers."
Legacy brands sustain relevance by innovating while building on founding product imagery and core equities such as quality, function, and durability. Brands like Timberland, Burberry, Tiffany, Levi's, and Disney expanded appeal without abandoning foundational assets. Coach established emotional customer attachment with glovetanned leather bags in the 1960s and pursued broader appeal in the 2000s by making products more fun, fashionable, and feminine. The Signature C logo products were a major success, but single innovations cannot guarantee sustainable growth. Coach needed ongoing product innovation anchored in handbags, with varied aesthetics and price points to attract a larger consumer cross section and aim for legacy status.
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