Today, I’ll share how the French Luxury Brand Goyard Malletier in Paris has built a globally recognized brand with an A-list clientele while remaining elusive, and how you can also grow your business.

Known for its exclusive line of travel trunks and leather goods, the company has a very interesting brand history and brand strategy. You see it was founded in 1792 and wasn’t known as Goyard back then. 

It was known as Maison Martin founded by Pierre-Francoise Martin who was a master box maker, trunk maker and did professional packing for European royalty and aristocrats. He was the official guardian of a young female ward and upon her marriage, he gave his business to her new husband Louis -Henri Morel as her dowry. 

The company name was then changed to Maison Morel while still maintaining the tradition and business model. Morel then hired a teenage apprentice, Francoise Goyard in 1845 who was privileged to be trained by both the original master Martin and the new owner Morel.

Just 7 years later, Morel suddenly died and the house name was changed to Goyard shortly after, which is the famous brand name for the most under-the-radar brand we now know more than 200 years later. 

Now, if you have been following me for a while, you would know that the “creneau” is a gap or hole in the market. A specialized area that a brand focuses on to create a distinct advantage.

Goyard is one of the few luxury brands that have remained focused on their core business, not employing licensing or broad brand extensions as a growth strategy.

If you visit their website you will find travel bags, bags, small leather goods, and pet accessories (BTW the first luxury brand to start a pet accessory line, made it with their signature Goyardine canvas).

That’s right. The bags are not made of leather but rather a highly durable, special patented waterproof canvas made from cotton, hemp, and linen. The brand has been sustainable long before it became fashionable.  

So, unlike many luxury brands, there isn’t a wide range of products in their stores and that makes it desirable because you won’t find Goyard on a T-shirt. Limiting the range and the number of products produced are powerful strategies to maintain a true luxurious essence. 

 In fact, they pride themselves on being small. 

I asked the sales rep, how many stores they had worldwide. I was told only around 26. Of course, they do have small shop in shop locations at a handful of department stores. 

Their Paris store on rue St Honore always has a long line and you can expect to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to 1hr and a half. I watched as security turned people away as closing time approached. The brand has strict guidelines; only 4 customers to 3 sales attendants and the attendant must complete each client’s transaction before moving on to the next. No multi-tasking. 

CONSISTENCY

Since 1892, the Goyardine has been printed with an interlocking chevron pattern that makes the brand recognizable. Unlike brands like Gucci, Coco Chanel, and Louis Vuitton who used the first letter of their names as monograms, Goyard used the Y instead, which is also symbolic of their history as a family in the logging business.

This consistent use and application of the symbol on its products has created high brand recognition and has become a mark of quality. Consistent use of your brand image and symbols is key to enduring success. 

REPUTATION MARKETING 

When Edmund Goyard took over from his father, Francois Goyard, he was determined to grow the brand internationally with an elite clientele. So he established the emblematic Goyardine canvas with the “Y” symbol to make the brand more recognizable and distinct and showcased the brand at various world expos while opening new stores.

With a long history of serving royals and aristocrats, the brand built its reputation as an exclusive brand for affluent clients.

However, the only publicity then was through showcasing the products at these world expos up to 1915, but to this day it relies on word of mouth. The brand does not use any paid advertising, nor do they grant interviews, nor celebrity endorsements, or work with influencers.  And it is the only luxury brand that does not sell products on its website.

As we move more and more into a digital age, it will be interesting to see if Goyard continues to uphold this no-eCommerce strategy or will they bend to the times.

In the meantime, this seems to increase the allure of Goyard making the product acquisition and in-store shopping experience even more exclusive, exciting and making the brand even more sought-after. 

For a time, only insiders who knew; knew about Goyard. Mademoiselle Chanel and Jacques Cartier were all customers of Goyard’s packing and trunk services back in the day.

Today,  due to social media and Hollywood stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kerry Washington, the brand remains in the spotlight, attracting a growing clientele while staying shaded from the bright lights. Goyard lets others do the talking. 

I have to share that the employees at Goyard’s rue St Honore store are not just pleasant but also extremely proud to be associated with the brand. I could see and hear how much even the security at the door believed in the quality and class of the product. It was different from some of the more commercial luxury brands. 

For customers, even though their entry-level Goyard St Louis is at the same price point as the Louis Vuitton’s Never Full, there is a greater feeling of exclusivity around the Goyard. It is really an understated bag and this is what many people love about it.

Some women prefer Goyard because the Louis Vuitton Neverfull market saturation is so high, though also a really well-made bag, the Neverfull lacks that luxury feeling of being exclusive.

And I suppose it’s OK because both bags are designed to be entry-level models for the brands. But Goyard wins on the prestige factor as all its bags are up there with more exclusive brands like Chanel and Hermes especially on the re-sale market. 

The secret of Goyard is strategic scarcity.  The key here is to remember that the quality of both your product/service and your brand presence, is what makes it desirable. Limiting its availability and accessibility is a powerful secret weapon.

Goyard doesn’t just have a great product and savoir-faire in luggage and bag design, they also have a distinct brand identity and timeless brand image. All powerful keys to successful brand building. 

The next thing to remember is WHO. The people using and talking about your products are key. Ensure that you are also building an A-list clientele that will appeal to other customers in the market.