Turner Eyes Still More for Polo Ralph Lauren

Brandweek,  May 1, 2000  by Sandra Dolbow

Tags: Benefits, brand, Branding, HEALTHCARE, MARKETINGNBCSOFTWARETurner

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As if Polo Ralph Lauren weren't big enough already ($1.7 billion in 1999), Jane Turner, new marketing director for Ralph Lauren Media, intends to make it even more so. Located in New York, Media is a joint effort formed in February by Polo Ralph Lauren, NBC and two NBC-affiliated companies. Turner, former publisher of Men's Health, joins Jeff Morgan, the magazine's former worldwide publisher, on board as CEO for about two months; Ralph Lauren's son, David, is chief creative and marketing officer.

Turner has had some experience in growing companies. At Men's Health, she spent seven years on a team that increased readership and revenues for a decade, extended the brand to 13 international editions in 22 countries and developed six Men's Health branded Web sites.

At Ralph Lauren Media, her initial focus will be polo.com which, after a fourth-quarter launch, will serve as the primary commerce platform for Ralph Lauren products online. Initial marketing for the site will take place over the Internet; later, additional media extensions, such as books, magazines, television and other "traditional media" will be developed to retain customers or feed them to the site. "We have an ambitious plan," Morgan said.

That plan includes polo.com mentions on the company's $100 million annual print ad campaign, hang tags on garments, shopping bags and a $20 million campaign on NBC, which will begin this fall, after the site launches.

"From day one, we'll launch with a known brand that stands for something," said Turner. "Ralph Lauren may mean different things to different people, but it's a positive story, and a brand name that is exciting."

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