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Morel

Amélie, Jérôme and Francis Morel

Words Mark Renton

13/12/2022

Amélie Morel, together with her brothers Jérôme and Francis, is leading a complex rebranding and repositioning process of the family company, maintaining the values built in its 140 years of history

In 2020 you celebrated your 140th Anniversary (the company was founded in 1880). Now you're launching a new brand platform, a new corporate image, a new logo. What's the brand strategy behind these changes?
Our strategy is based on two pillars: building a powerful distribution network and developing an attractive brand. Over the past 20 years we have built a strong distribution network in 90 countries with 15 subsidiaries and over 100 distributors. Today, we focus on a new image to empower the Morel brand with a new logo and communication.

Can you tell us more about the new corporate image and the new logo?
Authenticity is a key value at Morel. Thus, we have decided to capitalize on our heritage - and one very special feature at Morel is its cat emblem. In 1957, Jacques, our father, had the brilliant idea of imagining a maker's mark on gold-filled frames - a capital
'M' beneath a cat's head. This gesture, borrowed from the great jewelers, later inspired the creation of the first Morel logo. A cat was selected as the emblem of Morel because its vision is exceptional day and night, it is agile, and it has crossed time and continents. Since then, the cat has always been part of our story. Today we launch a new logo which celebrates our legacy by rejuvenating the historical logo. As modern as on the first day, the cat embodies our heritage, our independence and more than ever, our commitment...

Why was it necessary to launch a new brand platform and why right now?
A change of logo and brand platform is a key milestone for any company: during Covid, we took the opportunity to step back and realize what has made us successful for 140 years: our knowledge and our legacy. Thus, we have decided to lever those two pillars and integrate them completely within our communication strategy right up to our products.

Was this strategy already in your plans before Covid or is it a reaction to the changes in the market after the pandemic?
There was a before and after Covid. Before the pandemic, we had already made the transition to a single Morel brand, then we took advantage of this period to reposition ourselves on strategic issues, such as our ancestral know-how, our production, and our CSR (Corporate social responsibility) approach. We developed our subsidiaries to be closer to our customers and thus recreate links with opticians.

The market is facing deep challenges due to the increases in the costs of raw materials and energy, general inflation, and the war in our Continent. What's the impact of these factors on Morel's business?
Morel has always been supportive of its customers during all the past crises. We continue to work to absorb the costs of inflation and limit price increases globally.

What do you think will be the key factors for success in the new scenarios?
Our ambition is to be recognized globally as the leading French brand in independent eyewear. We strive to inspire confidence through generations of eyewear, building on our core values: authenticity, independence, passion, boldness and, more than ever, responsibility. We are working on many great projects: new releases, new collections, and even a new collaboration.
With regards to responsibility, we are committed more than ever to becoming a more environmentally and socially responsible company, thanks to the Morel engagement plan.

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