It’s not just branding, it’s Marks & Spencer branding

People are pretty vocal when it comes to their opinion about the ultimate British brand. For some, their love of British culture ties back to fashion icons like Vivienne Westwood, and Doc Martens. For others, the true tale of British retail emerges when we examine high street icons like John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, and of course, Marks & Spencer.

Marks & Spencer is one of the oldest and most well-known brands in the UK. Originally conceived in 1884, it’s been changing the way we think and feel about shopping for more than 100 years, through a consistent focus on value, quality, and customer experience.

While, like any long-standing company, Marks & Spencer has faced a few hurdles on the road to success, it’s also been able to show us the power of an organisation that knows how to embrace its values, and evolve to suit the needs of its customers.

The M&S brand has survived countless difficulties, dry spells, and PR problems, and remains a formidable presence in the heart of British culture, trading in more than 300 stores across the country. Today, I’m going to explore the power of the Marks & Spencer brand, and learn more about its journey of convincing customers to “Spend it Well”.

This isn’t just any brand: This is the Marks & Spencer brand

The start of the Marks & Spencer brand traces all the way back to 1884 when a Russian refugee named “Michael Marks” arrived in Britain and opened his own Leeds-based penny-stall. In 1894, Marks met a former cashier named Thomas Spencer, and the two entrepreneurs decided to establish their first store in a Leeds arcade, during the year 1904.

Since that time, the M&S identity and service offering has changed drastically, creating its own clothing sub-brands, food and lifestyle sectors, and even homeware catalogues. Decade after decade, this quintessentially British brand has proven that it’s capable of adapting to whatever its customers need, from pioneering new clothing fabrics to delicious catering and luxury foods, all produced to deliver more “special moments” to the marketplace.

As an icon of British culture, Marks & Spencer has shown companies throughout the world how important it is to accommodate the needs of a changing audience while remaining consistent when it comes to brand values and focus. After all, while certain elements of the M&S name have changed over the years, its devotion to delivering value has remained the same.

The versatility of value: The evolution of M&S branding

While Marks & Spencer has remained honourably true to its goal of “making every moment special” over the years, that doesn’t mean that the company hasn’t adjusted on the behalf of its customers. Like any modern brand, M&S has had to acclimatise to suit the expectations of a changing audience. In fact, the company’s business logo is a fantastic example of how Marks & Spencer recognised a need to change, without losing its heritage.

M&S has taken advantage of the power of logo design, to demonstrate that while the core idea of value remains crucial to the company, it’s also taken steps to re-assess what “value” means to its customers. The new logo is clear, simple, representing a more focused Marks & Spencer, while the “Est. 1884” demonstrates its place in history.

Even the recent marketing campaign, complete with the new “Spend it Well” slogan, helps to show how the business has evolved over the years, replacing the “Only M&S” banner to showcase the fact that M&S now place more focus on the needs of the community.

The video advertisement is reminiscent of previous visual pieces we’ve seen from the Marks & Spencer brand, but it also highlights, in an emotive way, how the company has entered a more “switched-on” cultural state.

Marks & Spencer marketing: Spend it well

In recent years, M&S has attempted to maintain its sense of heritage as a quintessentially British brand, while simultaneously launching an upgraded brand identity, focused on a “shared” community.

The new “Spend it Well” looks to some analysts to be a radical departure from the previous marketing strategies adopted by Marks & Spencer. However, the truth is that the latest efforts continue to represent the company focus on quality. The only difference is that M&S has re-assessed its definition of value, based on new customer needs.

In fact, according to the Marks & Spencer executive director, the latest “Spend it Well” idea, comes from extensive research into its customer base. After all, it’s no longer enough for even powerful brands like Marks & Spencer to rest on the existing recognition they’ve built for their companies over the years. Effective brands need to show their community that they’re capable of evolution, based on a solid understanding of their audience.

Fortunately for M&S, its renewed focus on the value of things like experience, social performance, and eco-friendly responsibility has allowed the brand to earn even more respect from its target audience. In fact, according to a YouGov.co.uk analysis, the M&S brand is now the most trustworthy, and respected brand in the UK, rising ahead of competitors like Boots, John Lewis, and Heinz.

M&S: A quintessentially British brand

Marks & Spencer continues to be a powerful icon in British history today, not just because it holds true to its values and heritage, but also because it’s been willing to adjust its vision according to the needs of an evolving audience.

Over the years, M&S has refused to change its stance on placing value and quality first, but it has made changes to the way it defines those words, and what the company can do to deliver more “special moments” to its audience. As the world has grown more focused on social consciousness, for instance, M&S adapted, introducing “Plan A” for business sustainability.

When M&S customers began to crave deeper relationships with their brands, M&S took to social media and began investing in influencer marketing to strengthen connections with its community.

If there’s one thing we can learn best from Marks & Spencer as a quintessentially British brand, it’s that remaining true to your value doesn’t mean ignoring evolution. While your values can stay the same, sometimes your understanding of those values needs to change to reflect the thoughts and ideals of your audience.

To find out more about what you can learn from the Marks & Spencer brand, check out my full length article, where I cover everything from its marketing tactics, to history, and strategy. When it comes to investing in your business brand, take a leaf out of the M&S book, and spend it well.