Brand Diversification: The NellyRodi Case
In an uncertain economic climate and increasingly saturated markets, diversification has become an essential strategic lever for brands. New product categories, collaborations, licensing, experiences, and services—the ways to expand a brand’s universe are multiplying. But how can a brand diversify without losing focus?
This is precisely the question we will explore during NellyRodi’s annual conference on March 19, held at the headquarters of Le Monde newspaper.
To explore the topic, we don’t have to look very far: what if we started with NellyRodi itself?
Pierre-François Le Louët, President of NellyRodi, shares his perspective.
Would you say that NellyRodi is a diversified brand?
Yes. NellyRodi would not still exist 41 years after its founding if it had not been able to regularly launch new activities. In 1985, we began by publishing trend books for the textile industry. Today, our activity has diversified into consumer insights, brand strategy consulting, and conference organization. Last year, we even launched the NellyRodi Trends Club, which now brings together 150 members. It’s a new subscription-based model for us, but one we were able to implement quickly thanks to a well-chosen ecosystem of digital tools.
Of course, the history of NellyRodi is not made up solely of successful diversification projects. But trying new things is part of our DNA—and if that sometimes means failing, we are perfectly comfortable with that as long as there is something to learn from it.
There is also another type of diversification that we have always considered as occasional incursions into the product space—rather than consulting—simply to prove to ourselves and to our clients that we can surprise them, open new paths, new aesthetics, and new markets.
In the late 1980s, during a very pop period, we commercialized a range of white blouses in Japan. In the mid-1990s, at the dawn of the home décor boom, we collaborated with Breton manufacturers to create a series of faience tableware and table linens, reinterpreting ancestral craftsmanship. In the mid-2000s, when perfumes all seemed to smell the same, we launched a collection of nine highly distinctive fragrances, distributed at Colette and Luisa Via Roma, anticipating the explosion of niche perfumery.
Last year, to celebrate our 40th anniversary and support our development in the hospitality sector, we imagined a scented candle inspired by our Parisian hôtel particulier, created in collaboration with Lola James Harper. You can still find it today at Le Bon Marché.
All these products are opportunities to embody the innovative spirit of NellyRodi—unexpected punctuation marks that enrich our core business.
How do you avoid spreading yourself too thin with all these activities?
In fact, there is a very clear common thread across our different activities: the mission of our company, which is now written into our statutes—to imagine and shape the future of the creative industries.
All our activities revolve around what we have always loved and known how to do: helping brands become relevant, desirable, and successful. This relies on our ability to anticipate shifts in lifestyles and consumer aspirations, which is a bit like our R&D.
Brand strategy and consumer foresight: everything we do can ultimately be summarized by these two areas of expertise. What changes are the formats and the distribution channels.
We also make sure to create as many synergies as possible between our activities. For example, the foresight research that we synthesize in our trend books and studies feeds the strategies we develop for our clients, ensuring that they are finely connected to the reality of markets and consumers.
What have you learned from the diversification projects carried out in recent years?
That the key is always credibility in the eyes of clients.
The question we always ask ourselves when evaluating a new project is: “Do our clients consider us legitimate in this type of activity?” If, at a given moment, the answer is no, it is our responsibility to ensure that it eventually becomes yes.
Legitimacy is something that must be earned and built over time. You need patience, a long-term vision, and the discipline to resist the temptation to rush things. Some seeds we are planting today may only bear fruit in 2030 or beyond… but I won’t tell you which ones.
