Burberry is pushing to make its website a multimedia experience with an "acoustic" section with music videos from undiscovered British artists (dressed in Burberry clothing) and live airing of fashion shows.
As well as broadcasting its spring/summer 2012 runway show to millions through worldwide media partnerships, the company also premiered the collection on Twitter, in what it has dubbed a ‘Tweetwalk’. Women’s fragrance Burberry Body was launched on Facebook and through a YouTube homepage takeover as well as through outdoor advertising.
Burberry said half-year revenues rose 29% to £829.6m, from £641.1m at the same time last year while pre-tax profits, after exceptional items, grew by 24% to £158.7m from £128.0m at the same time last year. It put that down to strategies that also include a global focus on the brand, including in emerging markets, product innovation, investment in people and processes, and the use of enterprise management software to deliver a global view of the business, allowing decisions to be made more quickly.
Chief executive Angela Ahrendts said: “Burberry has delivered a strong first half, reflecting our continued investment in innovative design, digital marketing and retail strategies. This consistent performance, balanced across channels, regions and product divisions is enabled by our closely connected global teams and creative thinking culture.”She said Burberry was seeing the initial returns from five years of investing in infrastructure, and added: “We are confident that this solid foundation will enable us to optimise both our strong brand momentum and the luxury sector’s opportunities, especially in high-growth flagship and emerging markets.”
