Luxury isn’t what you think it is.
What I learned from my time steeped in fine dining and legendary hospitality: You have to anticipate your guest’s needs. Luxury isn’t explained, it’s experienced. And that is why the best hospitality groups operate the way they do. That experience is what people remember forever.
“Luxury isn’t explained, it’s experienced.”
Your brand should not be any different. You need to anticipate your customer’s needs and desires. Why would your brand be a part of all of their life’s moments? You don’t just sell clothes, jewelry, real estate, or coffee - you sell memories and social status. So give that to your customers. They’re so hungry for more of it, I promise you.
It’s not as hard as you think to anticipate what your customers will be dreaming of next summer. But it does require that you’re on the pulse and in the know. You must be in conversation with them, paying attention to detail, remembering those little moments. As a founder, it can be difficult to maintain the high level vision and to be in the details like this.
Mastering the art of anticipation requires not only a strong brand and position from the beginning, it is equally the constant play and feedback with your loyal customers. What desires are insatiable for them? How can you anticipate that they’ll need another icy cold glass of water after that filthy dirty martini?
The answer is that it’s communications. Marketing. Research. And it’s being the trend setter, not the trend follower.
For brands who want to be positioned as luxury - the it-girl brand of the year, the cool girl brand of the year - you need to be able to move with agile conviction. You have to be able to be in communication with your customers. They have to feel like your brand is the only way they’ll feel fulfilled.
So the initial brand positioning alone is not enough. You need to invest, over time, into the relationships and communication habits that make the impact. How you act this way requires confident creative over time. For every seasonal drop, new product, or new retail location, you need a creative team who is more a cofounder than contractor. You need a team who is steeped in YOUR brand world, your loyal customers, and is capable of bringing your brand to their world.
That’s why Oava doesn’t just do branding. We do anticipation. We grow the relationships your customers have with your brand. We invest in your success and your brand’s social status.
If your brand feels stale or like you’re talking to the wall, despite glowing reviews and decent revenue: this is the path you must take to make your initial entreprenual vision come into reality.
Need to learn more? Reach out. www.oava.studio
Warmly,
Meg
