Anyone for damage limitation?

Published on July 29, 2011 by The Editor · No Comments

Marie Grant and Nathan Goldberg on damage limitation of marketing Amy

THE HERITAGE sports brand Fred Perry finds itself in a delicate situation – one possibly of damage limitation – after the untimely demise of its guest designer, Amy Winehouse.

Tricky marketing decisions
Launched last December, the capsule collection brought key pieces of Amy-Wear such as micro skirts, argyle sweater dresses, and of course polo tops-to an international audiences.

Now the company is sitting on more separates apparently devised by the troubled singer-songwriter for a third Autumn/Winter collection-and isn’t ruling out putting them on the market.

A spokesman said: ”Everything is on hold until we speak with Amy’s family.”

Are they cashing in?
Commercial interest in a celebrity will heighten dramatically if they exit very suddenly-only a rube would deny it-but business concerns can easily face accusations from a stunned public of cashing in.

So Fred Perry should tread VERY carefully here.

Cyber-kicking for Microsoft
Let us look no further than the cyber-kicking Microsoft received in the immediate wake of Miss Winehouse’s death.

After a tweet enjoining visitors to “remember” the late star by downloading “Black to Black” over at Zune”, the I.T giant’s U.K p.r wing was forced to apologise for what it itself termed “the commercially motivated tone” of the message.

Fred Perry-which has been vending its smart casual goods for half a century-has a street-cred stock FAR higher than Twitter’s or Microsoft’s.

Stone cold classics
Hipsters from Glasgow to Osaka, by way of Madrid and Milan are hooked on its stone cold classics. It is one of Britain’s most prestigious exports with a strong inter-generational appeal.

Moreover, one feels that in the last year, poor Amy had more on her plate than wondering how to ace the finishing touches to a new A/W collection for Fred Perry.

Do they need the flak
Not far from its online condolences to the Winehouses, the firm’s website states “The Fred Perry laurel is one of the most enduring and timeless logos in the world and is associated with with authenticity”

It must now ask itself-does it REALLY need the flak, the damage limitation exercis that selling this gear might trigger?

It could be appealing
Nathan Goldberg writes: I agree it is a delicate situation but from a business and ethical point of view it would make perfect sense for Perry to market an Amy Winehouse memento range.

It will clearly depend on the way they do it, but the idea of her name being commemorated in a tasteful and restrained way could be appealing to even the most sceptical.

Their daughter’s memory in a better place
Especially to her grieving parents whose life was plagued by the distress of seeing their daughter becoming a byword for dysfunction and personal disintegration.

…and everyone could win
As for Perry making a profit, perhaps they could give some of that to a charity on drug or alcohol abuse.

That way everyone wins, especially the memory of Amy.

The Fred Perry brand and how it developed…