OUGD603 / Extended Practice - Florist Branding: Luxury Branding.

OUGD603. 
FLORIST BRANDING. 
LUXURY BRANDING. 


I had a look into a couple of articles about luxury brand to understand the roots of such a brand and how they work on contrast to other brands, I will then take the points made in said articles and compare them to luxury brands to see how they compare. 

BLOG ARTICLE / WHAT MAKES A LUXURY BRAND.


'One of the top things a luxury brand must do is tell a story.'

'A luxury brand also must have the power to make people feel something.'

A luxury brand also must have the power to make people feel something. Herman writes, “People buy luxury brands in order to feel special and apart from the crowd, to feel superior and privileged, and to feel of value and importance.”

We go back to Herman, who writes, “Luxury is not about unattainability. After all, you cannot profit from consumers that cannot buy your brand.”

So the definition of luxury is fluid and moving toward being more inclusive.

“Today’s luxury shopper is by no means restricted to the ultra-affluent. Demographic analysis shows there is a great deal of purchasing by less affluent groups, and that enthusiasm for luxury is high among younger shoppers.”


THE GUARDIAN / LUXURY GOODS MARKETING.

Advocate beliefs

Luxury brands should advocate beliefs to customers rather than simply rely on brand values. Beliefs go further; they’re more specific and, consequently, more segmenting. Unlike mass brands, luxury brands should not strive to please everyone, but those customers whose beliefs align with their own.

Be more than a logo

When consumers think of a true luxury brand, they’re likely to think of a whole set of visual icons, rather than one single logo. These can include monograms, brand symbols, logos, colours, patterns, images and even concepts. A good example of this is Bottega Veneta, whose leather goods display no visible symbols or logo, but are instead recognised by the weaved leather pattern of their products. Then there’s Chanel. Think of the brand and you’ll think of black and white, the number five, the camellias, pearls, or a little black dress. Luxury brands should actively choose their symbols and iconify them through constant repetition.

Involve the customer in a ritual

A true luxury brand cannot stop their offering at the product; they must go beyond that to offer unique services or rituals. This can start with something as simple as attentive sales people and prompt customer service, but it should really go beyond that to create a consumption “ritual” that allows customers to experience the brand.

- Another good example is Porsche, which innovated the delivery process by allowing customers to pick up their new car right off the assembly line in Germany.

Pull customers into an exclusive circle

Mass brands define who their customers are and “push” products towards them. For luxury brands, the roles are reversed: consumers must be “pulled” towards the brand with the promise of belonging to an exclusive community. Many consumers may want access to this circle, but only a select few who truly share the brand beliefs can really belong.