This is who Victoria is. This is the woman that Victoria's Secret's designers design for, the woman Victoria's Secret marketers create advertising for and the woman to whom all Victoria's Secret sales associates are trained to sell.
And this is her secret-Victoria doesn't really exist. Or more precisely, the number of real women in the entire world who are like Victoria is very sma no more than a handful. So why would a company like Victoria's Secret organize all of its design, marketing, and sales efforts around meeting the linge- rie needs of a woman who, for all practical purposes, doesn't really exist?
Victoria's Secret knows how few of its actual custom ers are like Victoria. However, it is convinced that many of its customers would like to be treated as if they were victoria, if only for a time, when they come into a Victoria's Secret store, Victoria's Secret is not just selling lingerie; it is selling an opportunity, almost a fantasy, to be like Victoria-to an exciting and sexy city, to travel the world, to have refined, yet edgy tastes. To buy and wear victorias secret lingerie is-if only for a moment or two- an opportunity to experience life as Victoria experiences it Practically speaking, building an entire company around meeting the needs of a customer who does not actually exist creates some interesting problems. You can't just call victoria on the phone and ask her about trends in her lifestyle; you can't form a focus group of people like Victoria ask lingerie. In a sense, not only has victoria's Secret invented victoria; it also had to invent victoria's lifestyle-and the lingerie, fragrances, and ac cessories that go along with that lifestyle. And as long as the lifestyle that it invents for victoria is desirable to, but just beyond the reach of its actual customers, Victoria's Secret will continue to be able to sell a romantic fantasy-along with its bras and panties.