3) Is it necessary to have a large social media following today, to be appointed as a creative director (or hold a position of power) for a global brand? Dr. Nina Van Volkinburg Lecturer in Fashion Marketing London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, London, UK Representative of British character and synonymous with the trench coat, the global luxury fashion house Burberry is celebrated for its creativity, innovation, and design. Founded in 1856 by a 21- year- old Thomas Burberry, a former draper’s apprentice, Burberry originally supplied outdoor attire, but has since evolved to distribute ready to wear, fashion accessories, fragrances, sunglasses, and cosmetics.

Globally, the brand employs nearly 10,000 people and is the only luxury fashion brand in the FTSE 100. For the year ending 30 March 2019, the company reported a revenue of £2.72 billion, - 1% at constant exchange rates, and an adjusted operating profit of £438 million, flat on the same basis compared with the year before.

However, the second quarter of 2019 saw a stronger performance with a 4% increase in sales, with shares up 14% (its best performance in a decade). The surge boosted Burberry’s stock market value by more than £1 billion to £9.4 billion. Notably, the company was listed as 96th on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2019 rankings, a 4% increase from 2018, whilst competitors including Louis Vuitton (part of the LVMH group) was placed at 17th (+14%) and Gucci (part of the Kering group) was placed at 33rd (+23%).