Beyonce and Jay-Z. Angelina and Brad. Giselle and Tom. Power couples are a force to be reckoned with.
But there’s one very British powerhouse that we’ve seen grow from the footballer and popstar who found love to one of the world’s most influential pairings. I’m talking about David and Victoria Beckham, of course.
Having watched them become a lucrative marketing machine over the last decade, it was no surprise when it was announced earlier this week that the Beckhams’ estimated worth is fast approaching £500 million.
Analysts from the London School of Marketing studied the Beckham’s enterprises along with the marketing value of David, Victoria and their four children. They are believed to generating approx. £30m to £40m a year – now that’s my kind of pay packet!
Their half a billion pound fortune has come from three main companies that make up brand Beckham. Footwork Productions, where David’s football related ventures are collected, is valued at £150m. The Beckham label used for endorsements is valued at £70m and Beckham Ventures, which incorporates Victoria’s successful fashion line, is valued at £60m. This isn’t including their non-business assets that are worth around £190m.
18 years after meeting at a charity football match and 16 years of marriage later, they’re still as famous now as when he was a top footballer and she was a Spice Girl. So what exactly has given ‘brand Beckham’ its staying power?
Firstly, they know what their strengths are and they know what sells. They’re both savvy operators with a keen awareness of what the public want from them. They are both self-made and as architects of their own fortunes, they’ve made sure that ‘brand Beckham’ sells, and sells fast!
Victoria has shed her WAG tag and extensions (remember those (link: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/badenbaden-was-labelled-a-circusso-is-allowing-the-wags-along-to-the-2014-world-cup-a-mistake-9161080.html text: Baden-Baden) photos) and has built a solid reputation as one of the world’s most famous fashion designers even winning over US Vogue’s ice queen Anna Wintour, one of the industry’s harshest critics.
Victoria was always the fashion conscious Spice Girl so it was only a matter of time until she established her own fashion line. Naturally most people were sceptical when it first launched, but she has shrugged off the tag of “just another celeb designer” with dresses that sell like hot cakes. In 2014, she was selling £83,000 worth of stock a day, turning over a massive £30.39 million and making an estimated £3 million in profit. And it doesn’t stop there, business analysts have estimated that Victoria’s fashion business will be worth approx. £200m by 2019.
She has built a reputation as a style icon and has become notorious for never smiling, instead holding a perfect Posh pout at all times. This dates back to the Spice days. You’d be stupid for thinking she doesn’t play to this now. Of course she does, it’s all part of the brand.
David on the other hand is sport’s “nice guy,” heralding from humble beginnings in the East End. His genuine talent as one of our country’s best footballers, his charity work, his family man image plus the odd occasion when he strips off (link: http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/news/celebrity/2014/01/24/david-beckham-for-hm-ad-campaign-underwear-photos text: into his undies for H&M), have all contributed to making David and Victoria so bankable.
The booming empire of one of the world’s most glamourous couples is carefully curated by a strong team of advisors around them. Simon Fuller, the former manager of the Spice Girls and Simon Cowell, has been leading this team since 2003. His own fortune is estimated at £375 million.
Endorsements are carefully considered. The Beckham name is always lent to products that are upmarket, yet mostly affordable to non-millionaires, and have an air of classic luxury about them. Think Armani, Haig Club whiskey and uber pricey Breitling.
It’s not just about Victoria and David anymore either, there is a brood of mini-Beckhams to cash in on the famous name. Brand Beckham has been built into a family empire. They are an extremely family-orientated family, which has only served to increase their popularity. At Victoria’s New York Fashion Week shows, David is always front row with Harper on his knee and the boys by his side.
In fact, marketing experts have predicted that the power of brand Beckham could continue long into the future. The legacy of their children has the power to stretch the brand into the second generation, especially seeing as the Beckham offspring are already gaining ground with their own business dealings and marketing appeal. Romeo has already fronted a (link: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/burberry-launches-christmas-campaign-featuring-romeo-beckham-9837980.html text: Burberry Christmas campaign), which drove a 15 per cent sales boost at the time, and older brother Brooklyn already has an impressive 4.4 million followers on Instagram.
The power of the Beckham brand is well and truly here to stay. It’s certainly a far cry from the cringe worthy (link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2117577/What-thinking-David-Beckham-cringes-matching-black-leather-Versace-outfits.html text: matching leather outfits) and (link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/victoria-beckham-shares-unseen-wedding-3808395 text: OTT royal-themed wedding) complete with velvet thrones.
David and Victoria, we salute you!