In this excerpt from the Spleen and Ideal, part of the collection of poems Les Fleurs du Mal, Baudelaire offers us a journey into a world where luxury blends with peace and pleasure.
His words describe a world of luxury: "shining", "rare", "rich", "smooth", "leisure", "beauty," "splendor". All terms that we will see later in this document shape the world of luxury that is involved in a perpetual quest of sensual pleasure. That is why the architects of luxury have a role that could be likened to that of soothsayers or magicians: they allow us to dream, to animate our senses; their art is based primarily on emotion and magic. To enter the world of luxury is to forget our rationality and our legendary Cartesianism, and to be transported by the sensations.
But beyond these abstract criteria, luxury is also defined by its many activities, its premium brands, personalities who embody the brands, and places that symbolize the brands.
This is what we propose to answer by analyzing the luxury world, its marketing strategies and communication techniques that depict the environment and ultimately its future prospects.
We see that luxury goes beyond the product and offers a universe that has endured for centuries, while adapting and modernizing in tandem with changing times. We shall trace the origins of luxury as far back as the Renaissance period. We will then identify the clientele of luxury, the relevant sectors and actors interacting and battling it out to retain their place in this universe. The central element of the luxury market is the product with unique characteristics that inspire seemingly far-fetched dreams and glamor.
Various strategies combine to maintain and develop the luxury segment to target an even wider audience: intuitive marketing, advocating exclusive luxury and grandeur, or scientific marketing based on industrialized production and equipped to handle increasing competition. All aspects related to the luxury market, be it the level of demand, product, pricing, distribution, etc remain distinct from that of bulk products.
The biggest challenge faced by the luxury market is brand image communication. At a time when modernity is synonymous with diversification, luxury brands are trying to identify themselves using all the tools of communication. In the upper echelons of luxury, brands try to garner consumer attention by engaging in advertising techniques that are unusual and bound to make the consumer sit up and pay attention. However, these advertising techniques, commonly called "shockvertising" or "porn chic", may offend the cultural sensitivities of some by their lack of ethics.
In some instances, each photograph or picture created for the luxury brand tends to rise to the level of artwork. Now, movie stars have replaced supermodels as the ambassadors of luxury brands as part of the strategy to up the ‘glam' quotient of the brand. In this industry where imagination must be fertile, glitter, extravagance, exotica, mysticism, class and glam blend to attract customers.
However, luxury brands maintain a secular tradition which has its strengths. The challenge is not to come down from its pedestal for the sole purpose of keeping the cash registers ringing. To sustain its place in contemporary times, luxury brands must effectively combine tradition and modernity.
Tags:Luxury market, Luxury brand image dissemination, Communication strategy of luxury brands
[...] All terms that we will see later in this document shape the world of luxury that is involved in a perpetual quest of sensual pleasure. That is why the architects of luxury have a role that could be likened to that of soothsayers or magicians: they allow us to dream, to animate our senses; their art is based primarily on emotion and magic. To enter the world of luxury is to forget our rationality and our legendary Cartesianism, and to be transported by the sensations. [...]
[...] We will see that the legitimacy of luxury brands comes partly from tradition, and partly from the creation. In fact, "behind the curtain of smoke which makes the dream, the aim of the luxury industry is still, surprisingly, to cultivate traditional skills and a search of almost ascetic quality." There is thus a meeting of the ephemeral (fads) with the sustainable, which draws on tradition and craftsmanship. The creative talent is the second factor in legitimacy. It is the originality and exclusivity of their creations, sustained over a long duration, that are the strength of the brand. [...]
[...] Structures Castarede, Jean, The Luxury , What do I know?,University Press of France GO Danielle Mellerio, Olivier (Foreword), Luxury: Strategy, Marketing , Ed Economica Paris. Baudrillard, Jean, The Consumer Society, Gallimard. Roberts, Kevin, Lovemarks, The Future Beyond Brands, Power House Books New York. Sicard, Marie-Claude, Luxury, Lies & Marketing: But what are luxury brands? Pearson Education, France, Paris Marchand, Stephen, The wars of luxury , Fayard Art and Advertising, 1890-1990, Exhibition organized by the Centre Georges Pompidou October 1990 to 25 February 1991, Grand Hall. [...]
[...] and the third to the world of high quality and well-being." (See Appendix figures in billions of francs) However, as we shall see later (cf. A.1.e) lines of business are leading the ranking in terms of turnover: - Perfumes and cosmetics; - Fashion; - Leather goods; - Champagnes, wines and spirits; - Hotels and restaurants In our study, we focus mainly on the first three branches. The different areas listed above include the actors of luxury, that is to say multiple brands, or groups of renowned brands. [...]
[...] Some luxury brands even invest in the arts community: "Gucci has sponsored a major exhibition at the Pompidou Pop Art, and the artist Richard Serra was financed at the Venice Biennale 2002." Ultimately, one could say that contemporary art has become a "title of nobility in fashion." Luxury: Appearance or reality? The brands of luxury goods as opposed to consumer products highlight the values go beyond 'profits tangible products luxury in its essence, is our desires and wildest dreams. The marketers have been quick to offer us things that give us the impression that once purchased they will transform our dreams into reality. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
