The Anti-Laws Of Luxury Marketing #21

Jean-Noel KapfererOctober 24, 20121 min

#21 Do not look for consensus.

Testing implies looking for consensus: any option could be chosen as long as 
it is elected by the majority of common consumers. In fact, intimacy with luxury 
decision makers teaches us that big success as a rule creates a lot of 
discussion within the company itself. This can be held as a working principle 
of luxury brand management. The key questions are: How to lead? Are consensual 
decisions the sign that it will be a lasting success or a temporary fad? 
Interestingly, in the perfume business – which is dominated by mass strategies – 
the most successful fragrance launch of the past 20 years, Angel, was chosen 
despite poor test results. Its success was driven by a minority of respondents 
that rallied around the product’s new and completely original scent. Religions start the same way: they succeed in creating a sect 
of militants and advocates.

Contributed to Branding Strategy Insider by: JN Kapferer, excerpted from his book, The Luxury Strategy with permission from Kogan Page publishing.

See all of the Anti-laws of Luxury Marketing here.

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