Tell a Good Story, Ralph Lauren-Style

CHICAGO -- Whether you've ever worn a shirt stitched with that iconic polo-player logo, you can't deny the lure of the Polo Ralph Lauren (RL Quote - Cramer on RL - Stock Picks) image. Think of those ads, filled with elegant models lounging around the pool in the Hamptons, or arrayed on a stylish plaid picnic blanket with mountains rising in the distance. These idealized images may not reflect the life of the average American, but they're powerful enough to resonate all over the world.

Ralph Lauren sells its story as much as it sells clothing and home accessories; the mythology is a key to the company's success. If you find the right story for your business, it can help you compete in the global marketplace.

We all know these are tough times for retail. Just this week, MasterCard Advisors (MC Quote - Cramer on MC - Stock Picks) released figures that showed U.S. sales of clothes and shoes fell 3% in July, the eighth straight month of declining sales. So you'd think the current economy would be especially tough on upscale brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren.

Not exactly.

In an earnings report this week, Polo Ralph Lauren announced that net income increased 8% in the past quarter, to $1 billion. Although the company admitted sales of men's and women's clothing in the U.S. had fallen, that drop was offset by sustained growth in Europe. "The global appeal of our iconic products continues to expand," said Lauren in a statement.

So how does an American brand sell itself overseas? In part, by celebrating the success story of Ralph Lauren himself. Born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, he now lives a jet-set existence right out of one of his ads, with homes in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Jamaica and a ranch in Colorado. You don't have to be an American to envy him -- or to try to emulate his life.

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