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8 Ps of Luxury Brand Marketing

"#$%& '(#()* +&()&,-%. /0)11%1- 2%(,.&#(* 3)&,4 /)1 5607 83/5 5(#69:* 26;)%* <'=

I think every girl deep inside dreams about having the money to be able to buy the Louis Vuitton bag
"# $%&'( )* *+% #%, -)#.%* +%#/%01 )', wear a beautiful Chanel dress 2 34)0&*)*&5% #%/%)#-+6 7896 :;<;=

Luxury brands have always been a fasclnaLlng space and luxury brand markeLlng one of Lhe mosL compllcaLed ones.
So, golng by Lhe above consumer quoLe, Lhls paper aLLempLs Lo decode whaL makes Louls vulLLon, Louls vulLLon,
Chanel, Chanel ln slmple words whaL makes a luxury brand deslrable? WhaL are Lhe lngredlenLs/componenLs LhaL
make up a luxury brand?

ls lL Lhe physlcal / funcLlonal aLLrlbuLes llke Lhe producL quallLy, crafLsmanshlp, deslgn, Lechnology? As one
respondenL ln one of Lhe quallLaLlve research ln uAL sald When you buy something >&*+ #%)00? +&(+2@4)0&*?6 ?"4
can genuinely feel the difference. It is in the touch, the feel of the material; its in the smoothness, its in &*/ A&'4*%
details...

Cr ls lL Lhe self-asserLlng emoLlonal sLlmulaLlon of letting the others know that Ive arrived & I have a penchant for
flner Lhlngs ln llfe noL common Lo many? A respondenL sald B $"4(+* A? CDE6 F4/* *" G%%. A? G%? "' *+% *)$0%
,4#&'( *+% meeting. AnoLher respondenL sald B1 B /*". )* ) /&(')0 B 1%%0 B >&00 )**#)-* )**%'*&"' "1 .%".0%.

Cr ls lL LhaL luxury brands are [usL Lhe sLepladder Lo move Lo Lhe rlghL clrcle or an approprlaLe Lhlng Lo have or wear
ln LhaL clrcle? A respondenL sald There is a proverb which says if you wear nice shoes you enter nice place.

! #$%&'(%&$)* + *,-. (**,/%&$)0 1&..,/,)%&(%&$) ()1 2,)3&), (44/,5&(%&$) .$/ 4/$135% ,65,--,)5,7

ln my assessmenL, by-and-large Lhe above are Lhe Lhree ma[or moLlvaLors LhaL drlve people Lo deslre and acqulre
luxury brands. That said, its lmporLanL Lo acknowledge LhaL Lhey are '"* muLually excluslve.

Exclusivity has always been connected to luxury brands. But from the consumers perspective Lhe deflnlLlon of
excluslvlLy goes Lhrough an evoluLlon. AL Lhe early sLage, havlng Lhe ablllLy or affluence Lo ">' a luxury brand
deslrable and recognlzable by everyone ls excluslvlLy. lL ls a means by whlch consumers asserL Lhemselves - wheLher
lL ls Lo flL-ln or slmply Lo make a sLaLemenL.

As Lhe consumer moves on and wlLh more people [olnlng Lhe ownership clrcle, [usL ownlng a recognlzable symbol
ls noL enough the new need to dlfferenLlaLe seLs ln Lo furLher conflrm Lhelr soclal sLaLus and Lo sLand-ouL among
Lhe equals. 1he source of excluslvlLy, Lhen, can manlfesL ln form of acqulrlng llmlLed edlLlons or someLhlng wlLh
exLraordlnary producL capablllLles or rare maLerlals, crafLsmanshlp; it can also be driven by brands dlsLlncLlve
personallLy or slmply Lhe knowledge of Lhe brand legacy. Cne can also observe LhaL people who seek dlfferenLlaLlon
Lend Lo have larger reperLolre of luxury brands, have a cholce of noL-so-common luxury brands, have a deflnlLlve
reason for Lhelr cholce and someLlme even prefer Lo sLlck Lo speclallsL brands. lew of Lhe consumer quoLes (below)
from varlous quanLlLaLlve researches ln uAL emphaslze Lhls polnL:

B .#%1%# *" $4? A? >)*-+ 1#"A )' %H.%#* >)*-+2$#)',6 '"* ) 1)/+&"' 0)$%0=

B 0&G% *+&'(/ *+)* )#% %H-04/&5% )', /.%-&)0&I%, 0&G% *+% #%)00? *". /4&* brands and t&%/= J"4 G'">6 >+%#% "'% *&% &/
*+% .#&-% "1 ) ("", 8#A)'& /4&*6 $4t that youll only find in Italy, only at one location and not in any $#)'-+%/
anywhere else in the world. Thats like once in a while you want to buy something thats special )', >%)# &* ) 1%>
*&A%/ "' /.%-&1&- "--)/&"'/.

Whlle genulne appreclaLlon for producL excellenL needs no explanaLlon, as menLloned earller lL ls noL muLually
excluslve. ln slmple words, lL does '"* mean LhaL people who acqulre luxury brands for elLher asserLlng-self or
dlfferenLlaLlon have no appreclaLlon and love for beauLlful producLs. 8uL, Lhen Lhere are oLhers who buy luxury
wlLhouL havlng any baggage of whaL oLhers Lhlnk. 1hey buy lL because Lhey genulnely love Lhe physlcal / funcLlonal
aLLrlbuLes LhaL Lhe producL dellvers or because Lhey flnd a profound connecLlon wlLh Lhe brand / Lhe brand sLory.
1he boLLom llne ls LhaL wheLher lL ls self asserLlon, dlfferenLlaLlon or genulne appreclaLlon for producL excellence,
Lhese sLorles and Lhe aura LhaL surrounds Lhe brands ls whaL makes luxury brands deslrable. Packaged as the 8 Ps
of luxury brand markeLlng, Lhls paper aLLempLs Lo brlng LogeLher Lhe elemenLs and lnLerplay beLween Lhem LhaL are
employed ln Lhe luxury brand markeLlng mlx. Some of Lhe elemenLs have been named Lo 1&* Lhe 8 packaglng and
Lherefore, my humble requesL Lo readers wlll be Lo Lake Lhe broad-polnL made versus geLLlng sLuck ln semanLlcs.
?eL, anoLher polnL lmporLanL Lo acknowledge ls LhaL Lhe degree of slgnlflcance of Lhese elemenLs may vary from
brand-Lo-brand and markeL-Lo-markeL. 1he polnL-of-vlew of Lhls paper ls more LhaL of a pracLlLloner, Lhan a
LheoreLlclan.

%8, 9 PS 4&--(/* $. -363/: ;/()1 #(/<,%&)27

4,/.$/#()5,7

erformance refers Lo Lhe dellvery of superlor experlence of a luxury brand aL Lwo levels flrsL, aL a producL level
and second, aL an experlenLlal level.

AL a =>?@ABC DEFED, fundamenLally lL musL saLlsfy Lhe funcLlonal and uLlllLarlan characLerlsLlc as well as dellver on lLs
pracLlcal physlcal aLLrlbuLes a reclpe of quallLy or deslgn excellence lngredlenLs llke crafLsmanshlp, preclslon,
maLerlals, hlgh quallLy, unlque deslgn, exLraordlnary producL capablllLles, Lechnology & lnnovaLlon. lor example:

Cn Lhelr 70Lh annlversary,
4GCEH 4IJDJ==E unvelled a
new compllcaLed
wrlsLwaLch. Along wlLh a
unlque column wheel
chronograph movemenL,
Lhe day and monLh appear
ln a double wlndow aL 12
oclock, with a hand
lndlcaLlng Lhe daLe around
Lhe moon phase. 1he leap
year ls dlsplayed ln a small
round wlndow aL 4:30
opposlLe a maLchlng
wlndow for Lhe day/nlghL dlsplay aL 7:30.

Like all the brands grand complications, it has two
lnLerchangeable backs - one ln sapphlre crysLal LhaL
reveals Lhe movemenL complexlLy and Lhe elegance of
lLs flnlshlng, Lhe oLher, a whlLe gold solld back LhaL can
be personallzed wlLh a dedlcaLlon or an engravlng.
$KELG *=EE@KGMCE> 5I>?N?L>G=I CIE K??N OGCBI7
SelecLlon by nASA, a walk
ln space ln 1963 and slnce
1969 slx mlsslon Lo Lhe
moon ls whaL makes Lhls
serles wlLh exLraordlnary
capablllLles. AfLer lL
became a llfe-savlng
lnsLrumenL durlng Lhe
Apollo 13 mlsslon, Lhe
SpeedmasLer wenL on Lo
become a symbol of peace,
as boLh Amerlcan & SovleL
asLronauLs wore lL ln Lhe
flrsL [olnL space-mlsslon
durlng Lhe cold war. lL
never lefL Lhe Space
rogram as lL sLlll Lhe only
waLch cerLlfled by nASA for
all LvAs (LxLra-vehlcular
AcLlvlLles).

A luxury brand musL perform aL an EP=E>JENCJGD DEFED as well, l.e. Lhe emoLlonal value of Lhe brand Lhe consumers
buy lnLo beyond whaL Lhe producL &/ Lo whaL lL #%.#%/%'*/. lor example: 8olex sLands of symbol of herolc
achlevemenL & 1lffany ls a symbol of love and beauLy.











4,1&2/,,7

Many luxury brands have a rlch pedlgree and exLraordlnary hlsLory LhaL Lurn ln Lo an lnseparable parL of Lhe brands
mysLlque. 1hls mysLlque ls generally bullL around Lhe excepLlonal legendary founder characLer of Lhe pasL, maklng
up an lnLegral parL of Lhe brand sLory and brand personallLy.

So, when consumers buy say a CarLler or a Chanel producL - lL ls noL only because of Lhe producL performance
facLor, buL subconsciously they are also influenced by the brands rich llneage, herlLage and Lhe years of masLery.


Coco Chanel sLarLed her buslness ln
1913 and wlLhln a few decades,
became a revoluLlonary couLurler.

karl Lagerfeld Look Lhe helm
ln Lhe 1980s and has been
modernlzlng Lhe brand ever
slnce.

WlLh Chanel Coco Mademolselle campalgns
ln 1981, 2008, 2009 & Lhe recenL 2011,
Chanel has conLlnuously leveraged lLs
pedlgree / brand mysLlque.


Cuccl opened Lhe doors of lLs own museum ln llorence Lo
mark Lhe compleLlon of Lhe house's 90Lh-annlversary
celebraLlon.

Slmllarly, 8olls-8oyce celebraLed Lhe 100Lh annlversary of lLs
lconlc emblem, Lhe SplrlL of LcsLasy wlLh '100 cars for 100 years'
and feaLured a collecLlon of 8olls-8oyce models, supplled by
members of Lhe 8olls-8oyce LnLhuslasLs' Club, daLlng back Lo 1911


4(35&%:7

Cver-revelaLlon-and-dlsLrlbuLlon of luxury brand can cause dlluLlon of luxury characLer, hence many brands Lry Lo
malnLaln Lhe percepLlon LhaL Lhe goods are scarce. Case ln polnL - 8urberry dlluLed lLs brand lmage ln Lhe uk ln Lhe
early 2000s by over-llcenslng lLs brand, Lhus reduclng lLs lmage as a brand whose producLs were consumed only by
Lhe ellLe. Cuccl, now largely sold ln dlrecLly-owned sLores, followlng a nearly crlppllng aLLempL Lo wldely llcense
Lhelr brand ln Lhe 1970s and 1980s.

Broadly, theres natural paucity (Lhe acLual scarclLy), Lhe Lechnology-led pauclLy and Lhe LacLlcal- drlven pauclLy.

)GCA>GD =GABJCQ ls Lrlggered by scarce lngredlenLs llke plaLlnum, dlamonds, eLc. and/or Lhose goods LhaL requlre
excepLlonal human experLlse, for example handcrafLed quallLy LhaL consLralnLs Lhe mass producLlon.
%EBIN?D?LQ+@>JFEN =GABJCQ ls as a resulL of concepLlon-Llme lnvolved ln conLlnuous lnnovaLlon and research-&-
developmenL process.
















%GBCJBGD+ @>JFEN =GABJCQ are more promoLlonal ln naLure such as Lhe llmlLed edlLlons or Lhe speclal serles Lo
generaLe arLlflclal deslre and demand. AnoLher devlaLlon wlLhln Lhls ls Lhe cusLomlzaLlon of luxury good, e.g. Carson
uSA cusLom made a dlamond-encrusLed Mercedes SL600 for rlnce Al-Waleed bln 1alal of Saudl Arabla ln 2007.












4,/*$)(7
1he persona of a luxury brand ls largely a resulL of flrsL, lLs dlsLlncLlve pro[ecLlon plus coherence of lLs appllcaLlons
across consumer Louch-polnLs and second, Lhe brand communlcaLlon Lhrough lLs adverLlslng.

1he FJMAGD R>GN@ J@ENCJCQ captures the brands personality, mystique & emotional values in a nutshell. The distinct
and conslsLenL orchesLraLlon of Lhe ldenLlLy ls cenLral Lo esLabllshlng Lhe vlslblllLy, famlllarlLy & common ldenLlflable
brand lmagery. 1he vlsual brand orchesLraLlon can manlfesL by way of lLs coherenL appllcaLlon of lLs ldenLlLy, Lhe
brand color(s), Lhe oLher deslgn elemenLs llke lcons, Lhe unlquely ldenLlflable deslgn, branded envlronmenL and
even Lhe Lone-of-volce.













Whlle Lhe luxury brands vlsual ldenLlLy ls a falrly sLable facLor, luxury brand G@FE>CJMJNL ls a more dynamlc and
versaLlle markeLlng vehlcle. Whlle Lhe pedlgree of Lhe brand has lLs role, keeplng-up Lhe conLemporary-appeal and
Lhe newness-facLor ls cruclal for endurlng brand relevance. 1herefore, luxury adverLlslng noL only needs Lo generaLe
Lhe deslre for Lhe seasonal collecLlon, buL aL Lhe same time it must also enhance the brands cool-quoLlenL, Lhereby
maklng lL conLlnuously deslrable and asplraLlonal.

AL an overall level, luxury adverLlslng messages can be
observed:
As more emoLlonal and sensual Lo dlsLance lL
from mass-premlum brands
CreaLe a world and an aura LhaL ls Lruly
excepLlonal Lo Lhelr brand slgnaLure
CeneraLe ma[or dlfferenLlaLlon ln lLs producLlon
and execuLlon















Cne of Lhe relaLlvely new Lrends wlLhln luxury brand communlcaLlon ls Lhe use of Lhe long-form-commerclals or Lhe
shorL-fllm-vldeos Lo generaLe lnLeresL wlLh Lhe onllne audlence. lL ls clearly a pursulL where luxury brands are
looklng Lo brldge Lhe gap beLween Lhe famlllar world of prlnL and Lhe fasL-evolvlng world of onllne. lL has also
proved lmpacLful as ln a maLLer of few mlnuLes, Lhe vlewer can have a clear undersLandlng of Lhe brand lmage or
Lhe sLory Lhe brand ls Lrylng Lo convey or slmply promoLlon of Lhe new collecLlon.


1he shorL-flash-vldeos aL MonLblanc
webslLe focuses on lLs crafLsmanshlp legacy:
hLLp://blL.ly/ulSC8l



Louls vulLLon creaLed a 3-mlnuLe
LhemaLlc vldeo for its journey
campalgn.
hLLp://youLu.be/nClueM3L1?u

A one-and-half mlnuLe vldeo by 1lffany
& Co. focuses on promoLlng glfLlng
durlng holldays.
hLLp://youLu.be/8acfkM3876g

AparL from Lhese, wlLh Lhe lnLenL of enhanclng the emotional connections with discerning mlndseLs, luxury brands
have been explorlng Lhe dlglLal space by engaglng Lhem ln Lhelr acLlvaLlon programs. 1he ob[ecLlve ls Lo generaLe a
genulne afflnlLy wlLh Lhe brand LhaL Lranscends beyond Lhe producL, Lo an exLenL where, Lhe consumers feel LhaL
Lhey have found a soul maLe.


WlLh Lhe ob[ecLlve of strengthening the brands assoclaLlon Lo
love and romance 1lffany & co. launched
whaLmakesloveLrue.com and lhone app as a gulde Lo Lhose
who wanL Lo Lake Lhelr romanLlc relaLlonshlp forward. 1he
webslLe also showcases selecL Lrue love sLorles of real people
Lo glve LhaL personal Louch.

In line with its brand essence of symbol of heroic
achievement, each year rolexawards.com showcases
ploneerlng pro[ecLs of real people LhaL demonsLraLed
lnnovaLlve LhoughL and beLLermenL of human-klnd. 1hereby,
esLabllshlng a personal afflnlLy wlLh Lhelr audlence, beyond
celebrlLy endorsemenL.

Some of Lhe luxury brands have also uLlllzed Lhe soclal medla. 1he ob[ecLlve may noL necessarlly be, as deep as,
engaglng Lhe audlence ln Lhelr sLoryLelllng, buL lL has been done largely Lo generaLe Lhe deslre or Lhe lusL for Lhe
brand or Lhe producL. lL ls also an effecLlve Lool Lo keep-up Lhe conLemporary-appeal and Lhe newness-facLor by
havlng a conLlnuous dlalogue.


!lmmy Choo organlzed a real-Llme Lreasure hunL around
London vla loursquare Lo engage fans boLh onllne and off.


Cuccl has
successfully kepL
Lhelr hlgh numbers
of lacebook fans
engaged by
conLlnually updaLlng
Lhelr conLenL,
Lhereby sparklng
conversaLlons ln Lhe
form of likes and
commenLs.



43;-&5 .&23/,*7

ubllc-flgure or celebrlLles have been LradlLlonally employed as one of Lhe markeLlng mlx ln luxury brand
adverLlslng and Lhey sLlll conLlnue Lo garner aLLenLlon, credlblllLy and lmpacL. ubllc flgures can span from fllm-sLars
Lo muslc personallLles, from sporLs personallLles Lo royal famllles and even Lhe deslgner Lhemselves. 8uL because
celebrlLy endorsemenLs are no longer excluslve Lo luxury space and exLenslvely used (and abused) across mass
caLegorles, lL Lake a dlfferenL meanlng when lL comes Lo luxury brand endorsemenL.

noL only does the public figures associated values and personallLy have Lo resonaLe wlLh LhaL of Lhe luxury brands
aura, but theres a distinct difference in the way celebrity role ls crafLed, execuLed and sLraLeglcally uLlllzed. 8eyond
LradlLlonal adverLlslng (largely prlnL ln selecLed medla), less ln-your-face adverLlslng Lools are employed llke
accessorlzaLlon or dresslng celebrlLles for Lhelr walk down Lhe red carpeL, producL placemenLs wlLhln movles and
Lelevlslon programs, lnvlLes Lo speclal evenLs. 1hls sLraLegy aLLempLs Lo remove Lhe appearance of selllng whlle
sLlll promoLlng Lhe producL by making it seem as a part of the celebritys lives, Lhereby poslLlvely affecLlng
consumers attitudes, brand value & purchase intention.


Chopard has been offlclal parLner of Lhe
Cannes lllm lesLlval slnce lasL 14 years,
showcaslng and premlerlng Lhelr
collecLlon by accessorlzlng celebrlLles on
Lhe red carpeL.

1he Lebanese slnger and unlCLl goodwlll
ambassador Nancy Ajram was Cartiers
speclal guesL aL Lhe CarLler lnLernaLlonal
uubal olo Challenge held ln uubal, uAL
ln 2010.

Cmega have sponsored Lhe !ames 8ond
franchlse slnce 1993 earller wlLh lerce
8rosnan and now wlLh uanlel Cralg

Long-form-commerclals / shorL-fllms have also uLlllzed Lhe celebrlLy-facLor. Chanel for lnsLance recenLly creaLed 3-
mlnuLe shorL fllm wlLh acLress kelra knlghLley who replaced kaLe Moss ln lLs ads for lLs Coco Mademolselle
fragrance. CLher prevlous faces of Chanel have lncluded lrench sLar CaLherlne ueneuve and nlcole kldman, who
represenLed Chanel no. 3.

Slmllarly, as a parL of Lhelr core values campalgn, Louls vulLLon used Lhelr webslLe as Lhe onllne medlum Lo
showcase their celebrity endorsers journey, their story to bring to life how the brand has been promoting the art of
Lravel and lnsplrlng legendary [ourneys.


1he Coco Mademolselle campalgn wlLh kelra knlghLley
hLLp://youLu.be/1lC2o1nChAu

Angellna !olles journey, her story (her journey to Cambodia) is
one of Lhe celebrlLy sLorles feaLured on Louls vulLLon webslLe
loulsvulLLon[ourneys.com

4-(5,#,)%7
1he reLall branded envlronmenL ln luxury brandlng ls all
about heightening the consumers brand experience and
ampllfylng Lhe brand aura. Pence, Lhe branded
envlronmenL, Lhe movemenL of LruLh, ls where lL musL
live the brand by orchestrating immaculate detailing
LhaL engages all senses of Lhe dlscernlng audlence.

SLarLlng from Lhe cholce of sLore locaLlon, Lhe chaln of
Louch-points consumer interacts, the salespersons
presenLaLlon and Lhe lmpacL of each Louch-polnL ls
crlLlcal ln creaLlng a unlque lndulglng experlence.

1haL sald, todays evolvlng luxury consumers are lncreaslngly seeklng beyond Lhe Lyplcal sophlsLlcaLed, over-Lhe-
Lop, cosmeLlcally eleganL presenLaLlon or even Lhe excluslve lnvlLes, prlvlleged prevlews. WlLh Lhe lncreaslng
democraLlzaLlon of luxury brands and Lhe rapld emergence of massLlge brands Lhe luxury consumers have
become more dlscrlmlnaLlng and demandlng. 1hey are seeklng a more knowledgeable and professlonal asslsLance,
a LrusLed and rellable collaboraLlon helplng Lhem Lo manage Lhelr sLaLure and llfesLyle. noL only has Lhls led Lo Lhe
new buslness offerlngs llke CulnLessenLlally (more below), buL also luxury brands are lncreaslngly lnvesLlng ln
Lralnlng and empowerlng Lhelr sales sLaff.


AnoLher lmporLanL polnL Lo noLe wlLhln Lhe placemenL facLor ls LhaL lL ls noL llmlLed Lo Lhe physlcal envlronmenL
where Lhe brand reLalls, buL lL exLends Lo all Lhe envlronmenLs or consumer Louch-polnLs LhaL Lhe brand assoclaLes
lLself wlLh. 1hls spans from Lhe exLremely selecLlve nlche medla where lL adverLlses Lo Lhe sporLs, Lhe evenLs, arL,
conversaLlons LhaL lL places lLself wlLh.



lf luxury ls abouL envlronmenL and aesLheLlcs, Lhen fashlon
magazlnes llke vogue, lnSLyle, vanlLy lalr, Harpers Bazaar,
eLc. provlde LhaL complemenLlng envlronmenL and aesLheLlcs
for luxury brand Lo adverLlse ln prlnL medla.

8olex assoclaLes lLself wlLh more Lhan 130 evenLs ln golf, salllng,
Lennls, moLor-sporL, arLs and aL equesLrlan LournamenL vs.
assoclaLlng wlLh sporLs llke fooLball / crlckeL LhaL have more mass
followlng.


uue Lo Lhelr orlgln ln Lhe wrlLlng culLure, MonLblanc supporLs
and honors modern-day paLrons of Lhe arLs Lhrough forums
llke ue La CulLure ArLs aLronage, ?oung ArLlsL World
aLronage, ?oung ulrecLors ro[ecL, Lhe MonLblanc CulLural
foundaLlon and Lhe unlcef cooperaLlon.

lLallan carmaker MaseraLl placed lLs Cran1urlsmo coupes ln "a
guerrllla-sLyle-producL-placemenL for Lhe 2011 LlmlLless movle
where Lhe maln characLer needed a rlde Lo express luxury, sLyle
and performance.

L.g.: CulnLessenLlally, a 8rlLlsh company wlLh 60 offlces
worldwide describe themselves as a luxury lifestyle company
LhaL provldes conclerge servlces Lo affluenL and hlgh neL worLh
lndlvlduals. 1helr servlces lnclude excluslve access Lo Lhe hoLLesL
vl-evenLs, culLural happenlngs, once-ln-a-llfe Llme experlences,
Lop resLauranLs, clubs, spas and hoLels, access Lo flne wlnes,
prlvaLe [eLs, luxury cars and yachLs, parLy planners, arL, educaLlon
and lnvesLmenL consulLanLs, Lravel and advenLure speclallsLs,
bespoke glfLlng and sLyllng servlces and much more.
hLLp://youLu.be/0f2f!3xcz0!
4/ S43;-&5 /,-(%&$)*T7

8 ln luxury brandlng plays an enormous role ln lmage prollferaLlon of Lhe brand, Lhereby subLly lnfluenclng publlc
oplnlon. lL ls also employed Lo convey oLher supporLlng messages and aLLrlbuLes of Lhe brand whlch cannoL be
expllclLly capLured ln adverLlslng, buL by no means are less lmporLanL Lo creaLe brands personality, mystique and
emoLlonal values whether its via the pedigree factor or via public-flgure any of Lhe prevlous 7 Ps mentioned.

lL ls also a sophlsLlcaLed brandlng machlne for malnLalnlng ongolng relevance and dlalogue wlLh Lhe luxury
consumer, especlally so ln fashlon, Lechnology and seasonal Lrends drlven caLegorles. AL a LacLlcal level, 8 ls
uLlllzed Lo generaLe buzz & convey Lhe brand news, polnL of vlews of lnsplrers and lnfluencers (celebrlLy Lalk or Lhe
deslgner speak), a cruclal supporL for brand acLlvaLlon (llke Lhe fashlon weeks, sporL-evenLs, Lhemed prevlews, eLc.).



4/&5&)27

rlclng plays a qulLe a blg role ln Lhe way consumers percelve luxury brands. Consclously or sub-consclously,
consumers Lend Lo generaLe a menLal luxury sLaLure or lmage wlLh Lhe prlce-range LhaL Lhe brand operaLes.
1herefore, lL ls lmporLanL for luxury brands Lo prlce Lhmeselves rlghL as seLLlng Lhe prlce lower Lhan Lhe consumer
expecLaLlon and wllllngness Lo pay can poLenLlally harm Lhe brand value, whereas Lhe reverse can poLenLlally noL
glven enough [usLlflcaLlon for consumers Lo go ahead and buy.

1he prlclng sLraLegy ln luxury brands galned spoLllghL ln Lhe recenL pasL noL only because of Lhe challenglng
economlc envlronmenL, buL because of more lnformed-and-exposed consumers who are more dlscrlmlnaLlng and
demandlng, for whom premlum prlclng wlLhouL subsLance doesnt imply luxury. A recenL research by unlLy
MarkeLlng suggesLs LhaL affluenL shoppers wont spend ten-Llmes more for someLhlng only Lhree Llmes beLLer. 1he
luxury-brands must, therefore, justify their price through the interplay of the 7Ps mentioned on Lop, Lhereby keep-
up and malnLaln a hlgher percelved value.

1he sales promoLlons also Lend Lo be handled dlfferenLly by luxury markeLers. Whlle few have resorLed Lo sales and
dlscounLs, mosL oLhers play lL by addlng more value Lo Lhe purchase llke glfL wlLh purchase, glfL-cerLlflcaLes or
rebaLes for Lhe nexL purchase, mulLlple lLem dlscounLs, onllne or emall excluslves, more loyalLy polnLs, no shlpplng
and handllng charges by onllne reLallers, eLc. Luxury brands also use Lhe channel of luxury reLallers llke Parvey
nlchols, Saks 3
Lh
Avenue who offer annual sales by offerlng Lhem sllghLly lower prlces.









AnoLher way employed by luxury brands ls by creaLlng an exLenslon lnLo a secondary llne wlLh relaLlvely lower prlce
polnLs llke Clorglo Armanis - Armanl Lxchange, Roberto Cavallis - Just Cavalli, Pradas Mlu Mlu, Alexander
McCueens - McC llnes.





<,: -,(/)&)2* U %(<,$3%*7

ln concluslon, Lhe key Lo luxury brand markeLlng bolls down Lo Lhe followlng Lhree polnLs:

roducL excellence by lLself ln noL enough, Lhe luxury brand musL perform aL an experlenLlal level as well.
As luxury consumers evolve, noL only Lhese acL as polnLs of dlfferenLlaLlon, buL also as subsLance to justify
a premlum value and prlclng.
Whlle pedlgree facLor ls lmporLanL Lo exuberaLe Lhe years of masLery or llneage, lL ls cruclal Lo generaLe
ongolng relevance and dynamlsm Lhrough Lhe persona, 8 & publlc-flgure facLor.
Luxury brands A4/* conLlnue Lo malnLaln a cerLaln degree of excluslvlLy and sLaLure wlLh Lhe pauclLy facLor
and Lhe placemenL facLor from Lhe reLall experlence Lo Lhe Louch-polnLs lL assoclaLes lLself wlLh.

The 8 Ps of luxury brand markeLlng can provlde a hollsLlc framework Lo luxury markeLers. The 8 Ps may noL be a
universal methodology, yet it presents a strong analytical toolbox Lo audlL and leverage Lhe brand poLenLlal.
1haL sald, a pragmaLlc approach musL be underllned, as Lhe slLuaLlon and challenges would dlffer from brand-Lo-
brand and markeL-Lo-markeL.



8ohlL Arora ls SLraLeglc lannlng ulrecLor aL 8aLes an Culf (8C Croup) ln uubal, uAL.
WlLhln Lhe luxury segmenL, he has worked on Lhe sLraLeglc communlcaLlon pro[ecLs of
ue 8eers, lord-Llncoln, Al 1ayer Croup, Cmega waLches, luxury real-esLaLe pro[ecLs,
luxury healLhcare pro[ecL, hlgh-end consumer durables and banklng deslgned soluLlons
for Lhe hlgh-end consumers. wlLh agencles LhaL also lnclude !W1 and ?&8 where he
worked prevlously.
$VVJBJGD B?NCGBC: rohlL[baLespangulf.com
: https://twitter.com/#!/rohitsharing
: hLLp://ae.llnkedln.com/pub/rohlL-arora/6/293/104

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