Communication, Business And Digital Transformation: The Case Of Burberry

The proposed case study focuses on the relationship between business strategy, brand management and communication in digital times.
The main questions of the case are: Is it possible for a luxury brand, which bases its sym-bols and narratives on a long tradition and consolidated brand, become an example of rad-ical business and technological innovation? And how this transformation can work?

Burberry, a fashion brand born in 1865 in London, known all over the world for its classic trench coats and that entered the cinematic imagination thanks to Humphrey Bogart in his unforgettable farewell at Casablanca airport, proves that yes, it is possible. For this to happen, however, it is necessary to listen to and understand the market (the different mar-kets), build a clear business strategy, adopt an agile and open approach to innovation, and learn from mistakes. This case can be used for a range of audiences, including undergraduate and graduate stu-dents as well as junior and experienced executives given its managerial implications. The case has been written to support discussions about digital marketing critical issues and digital transformation from the standpoint of marketing.
Alternatively, or simultaneously, the case can be used as a decision-making case or to demonstrate concepts relating to the world of marketing management in a module fo-cused on digital strategy or digital marketing.
Furthermore, the case can be put to use to help understand the process of error manage-ment in organizations, in particular to attempt to learn from failure and to encourage open communication and dialog to try to identify where things are going wrong.