Tod’s: A Global Multi-Brand Company with a Taste of Tradition

Abstract

As with many other Italian companies, the Tod’s Group began as a family business and has since evolved into a global fashion player boasting a portfolio of four brands (Tod’s, Hogan, Fay, and Roger Vivier). The group operates in 37 countries and yields a total sales revenue of €965.5 million as of 2014, approximately 70 % of which has been generated from exports. The Tod’s Group adopts a double management approach: (i) a vertical strategic decision-making process in the upstream to ensure the entire group achieves cost and operation efficiency and (ii) a horizontal operating process in the downstream to guarantee a diversified identity of brands in terms of design, marketing, and retail management. The group employs a hybrid branding strategy, wherein the core brand Tod’s utilizes a corporate dominant strategy while the other brands (Fay, Hogan, and Roger Vivier) prefer brand dominant strategies. Tod’s, the group’s core brand, currently leads the group’s global markets, representing approximately 60 % of overall sales in 2014 and 70 % of its stores worldwide. This chapter explains the group’s unique approach to brand communication and commitment to corporate social responsibility, particularly in terms of local communities, the environment, and the welfare of its stakeholders and employees.