Brand Identity Versus Trend Conformity in Saturated Luxury Markets: A Multi-Framework Analysis of Gucci's Strategic Repositioning, 2022–2024

In saturated luxury markets, firms face a tension between sustaining a distinctive brand identity and conforming to prevailing aesthetic trends. This study examines to what extent Gucci’s emphasis on trend adoption over brand identity, following the transition from Alessandro Michele’s maximalism to Sabato De Sarno’s quiet-luxury direction, influenced its market positioning and revenue between 2022 and 2024. Drawing on secondary data, including Kering financial disclosures and academic and industry literature, the study applies four frameworks: Porter’s generic strategies, a 4P analysis, the Ansoff matrix and Aaker’s brand equity model. Gucci’s revenue is benchmarked against Chanel and Hermès over 2015–2024. The analysis suggests that the repositioning moved Gucci from a broad differentiation strategy toward a narrower differentiation focus, placing it in direct competition with established quiet-luxury incumbents, and that brand loyalty, brand associations and online brand awareness weakened while perceived quality was largely retained. Gucci’s revenue fell from a peak of approximately €10.5 billion in 2022 to approximately €7.7 billion in 2024, a decline of about 27%, while Hermès continued to grow. These findings are consistent with the view that trend adoption without alignment to established brand identity does not sustain competitive advantage. However, reliance on secondary sources, the absence of brand-level profit data and unmodelled confounders, such as the wider luxury-sector slowdown, limit causal inference. A hybrid strategy that integrates heritage creativity with selective trend adoption is recommended.