Former Ralph Lauren Exec Francis Pierrel on Bringing ‘Elevated Brand’ Ethos to Promo
In this episode of Promo Insiders, Francis Pierrel, talks about moving from the luxury retail space to becoming the CEO and partner of LR Paris.
Late last year, LR Paris (asi/246857) tapped Francis Pierrel to be the CEO and partner of the New York City-based distributor, with the aim of leading the branded-merch agency through a period of accelerated growth.
Pierrel brings more than three decades of experience in retail and luxury brands, holding leadership positions at companies that include Esprit, Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. In this episode of Promo Insiders, ASI Media Executive Editor Theresa Hegel talks with Pierrel about how his high-end fashion background will be a boon for LR Paris, and why promo companies should strive to make branded merch that people not only want but that others “want to steal.”
Reflecting on his career in fashion, Pierrel said he’s excited to bring his own “secret sauce” to LR Paris’ operations. “When I arrived at Diesel in the early 2000s in the U.S., my job was to sell jeans to Americans and basically reinvent the lifestyle that goes with the jeans to the people who invented this lifestyle – and by the way, they were also very expensive,” he says. “We did it pretty well.”
Solving those kinds of retail challenges, he adds, translates well into the world of promo. “What I’m trying to bring here is really thinking like a retailer,” he says. “Forget the middleman, which is the person you transact with, but think about who they want to impress with that product.”
Key Takeaways
• Transition to Promo Industry: Francis Pierrel, initially in retail fashion, found himself drawn to the promotional products industry after meeting his partner, Charles Doligé. He was fascinated by the potential of working with big brands and saw a unique opportunity for disruption within the promo sector.
• The Importance of Branding: Having worked for major brands like Ralph Lauren, Esprit and Diesel, Pierrel emphasizes that branding is more than just placing a logo on products. It’s about thoughtfully designing products that resonate with the brand’s identity and making them desirable to consumers, even without a visible logo.
• Elevating the Product Experience: Pierrel believes that promotional products should be more than “swag.” He stresses the importance of creating thoughtful, high-quality products that people actually want to keep, rather than cheap giveaways that end up discarded, which reflects poorly on the brand.
• A Retailer’s Mindset in Promo: Pierrel aims to bring a retailer’s focus on the end-customer to the promotional products industry. His vision is to shift the mindset from merely making a transaction to creating a lasting, meaningful connection with the end-user through quality branded merchandise.
• The Future of LR Paris: Pierrel sees LR Paris entering an acceleration phase with a focus on expanding in the U.S. while maintaining strong international presence, particularly in Europe. He envisions the company behaving more like an agency, offering creative and customized solutions to clients rather than just being a distributor.
• Emphasis on Human Relationships: Despite the rise of automation and digitalization, Pierrel believes that the future of the promotional products industry lies in maintaining strong human relationships. Understanding clients’ needs and crafting tailored solutions is key to standing out in a market dominated by mass distribution.
• Learning From Mistakes: Pierrel advocates for a zero-mistake KPI visible to clients, while encouraging internal mistakes as part of the learning process to continuously improve service and products. He emphasizes that though some aspects of the industry may become automated, personalized service and expert knowledge will remain valuable.