EasyGroup prepares to step up brand extensions

by Nicola Clark, Marketing 19-Jul-06

EasyGroup intends to extend the easy brand into further sectors, despite the struggles of its easy4men grooming line.

EasyGroup IP Licensing, the company which owns the easy brand, is to
appoint a managing director to oversee the activity.

According to the company, the role will involve 'managing the continued

growth of the easyGroup business as well as the continued extension of

the easy brand into consumer-facing industries'.

The brand has already been extended into the car, hotel, cruise, mobile
phone and pizza sectors. Its ill-fated easy4men line launched in
December 2004, but Boots is to delist it following poor sales, though
easyGroup denies this (Marketing, 15 February).

Other easyGroup extensions have had more success. EasyHotel, which
launched last August, is poised to report its second profitable year.
The chain recently appointed Lawrence Alexander as chief executive; he
will take up his position at the end of July.

EasyCruise is also set to expand, with the launch of the line's second
ship in Amsterdam this August.