The Principles of Marketing and Designing for Luxury Brands

In this episode of The Whole Idea Podcast by DCG ONE, creative director Justin Parnell joins host Greg Oberst for an attempt to define luxury (it’s not as easy as it sounds) and help you sell it. Justin and Greg cover 12 principles of marketing and designing for luxury brands and discuss the challenges that come with a sector that is as complex as it is simple.  

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Transcript

The Whole Idea Podcast by DCG ONE

Season 2, Episode 5: The Principles of Marketing and Designing for Luxury Brands 

Host: Greg Oberst

Guest: Justin Parnel, creative director, DCG ONE

Greg: 

Even for the most seasoned of marketers, it's one of the most challenging industry sectors. I'm speaking, of course, about…

Justin: 

… luxury brands. 

Greg: 

Hello everyone and welcome to the whole idea podcast. I'm Greg Oberst. My guest today, you heard the voice of Justin Parnell, creative director at DCG1 and our in-house expert on marketing and designing for luxury brands. Welcome Justin. 

Justin: 

Thank you, Greg, it's nice to be here. 

Greg: 

Yeah, good to have you in the studio gigs this week. 

Justin: 

Yes, it's good here on the West Coast.

Greg: 

Let's spend a minute or so attempting to explain what we mean by luxury from a marketing perspective. Is there a way to give luxury a universal definition? 

Justin: 

It's such a fun question because it kind of feels philosophical, not to Yeah deter the podcast that direction because it is, it's, it's a little bit of a we like philosophy here.

Justin: 

Philosophy is good, but I think if you were to pull anybody about what their definition of luxury is, it's going to vary, but I think there is a common theme. 

But certainly, I think if you were to ask somebody about what luxury is, it could be a watch that they earned, you know, they worked hard towards or was gifted. Maybe it was a luxury experience vacation that they took. Maybe it's time, you know, it's maybe it's family. 

Those are things that people often associate with luxury, but I think what grounds all of those is that it's, it feels rare, it feels exclusive, it feels one of those things that is truly memorable and not replicable. 

And so I think the term luxury can be open ended and open for interpretation, and I think a lot of brands have to kind of interpret it that way because at the end of the day, it's not meant to. 

Be open for the mainstream, and that's what makes it unique and special. 

Greg: 

Luxury is quite subjective. 

Justin: 

Absolutely, and I think a lot of it is this nice delicate dance between tradition, sort of heritage. 

And innovation, and I think all the brands that play in the luxury space have to kind of play into those key principles. 

I think that, you know, you want to play on your heritage and I'm certain we can touch on that, but I think a lot of them are having to look at this newer audience, especially this young, affluent audience that have entered the space and how to be in, you know, innovative for them to make it a truly special and Rare commodity that they get to experience and share with the, you know, their close ones. 

Greg: 

Culture, yes, there's another influence in terms of how people feel about luxury brands or what it is. So many influences. So, is this attempt to define luxury what makes it so challenging to market then, Justin? 

Justin: 

Of course, I think you still have to be authentic to yourself. 

I think any brand is going to face that whether you're a new brand or you've been around for 100 years. 

I know we work with a number of clients, especially in travel, that have been around for several decades, but even then, they're trying to figure out how to stay relevant, how to attract and retain. 

And so there is always this fun experiment as marketers to help them stay fresh and still be true to their you know their brand story and I think that gets to be part of the design exercise when we get to express their story in a very unique way through both photography, video, but even through copy and so I think brands more and more today are having to reinvent themselves to again to attract and a newer audience and retain kind of the old school audience that they're, they've been, you know, used to for so for so many years. 

Greg: 

We talk about understanding your audience in all aspects of marketing, but it's especially important to study that audience when it comes to luxury brands because of the crazy subjectivity and the wild understanding of what luxury even is to different people. 

Justin: 

Totally. And I think that regardless again of what the product is, again, it could be vacations, it could be a watch company. 

I think at the end of the day it's still about crafting memories. It's not always just the actual product itself, and I think that's what we were saying at the beginning. 

I think luxury sets itself apart because it is grounded in a memorable experience, and you really can't replicate that, and I think everyone will always rely on luxury as something that was so special, maybe at that one time. 

You, you hear the term of once in a lifetime all the time, it's because sometimes luxury is that it's that one thing that you received or that one experience that you've got to be a part of that will never be replicated for you or your guests. 

Greg: 

Justin, we've established that knowing your audience is foundational for any brand marketing, but especially for Luxury brands. What else can you do as a marketer to get your arms around luxury brand marketing? 

Justin: 

That's great. I think every brand is granted in, I would say like 12 key principles to again just to invest in their experience, their legacy, and their status symbol. I would say number one that comes to mind is exclusivity and really it's just catering to a very discerning few, making it feel extra special, feeling rare. 

I think, #2, this might seem obvious, but it's superior quality. It's that zenith of craftsmanship that comes to mind. 

It's really obviously paying attention to every little detail, no matter how small or nuanced it might be, but it's that precision that makes it feel extra special and not mass produced. 

The third one is exceptional design. 

I know it's a little bit more abstract, but I think there is this beauty in the balance of tradition and innovation that needs to come through, design, but certainly brands offering. 

A little bit of their legacy but also pushing the boundaries to make it look even extra special and extra tailored. 

Greg: 

I want to come back to design eventually because I know that's another area of your expertise but go ahead. 

Yeah, and then the fourth one is very, very critical, and I think there's another one that comes to mind after this one, but personalization is so key for luxury. It's really offering something so tailored about your consumers' preferences, and if any brand. 

is in this space, they should know who the audience is, even if they understand that one person that's going to experience it, because, you know, I think about travel all the time and In the luxury space when you walk into a luxury home or a hotel, they know everything about you. 

They know maybe the temperature of the room to set it, the music that's going to be playing, maybe the mattress top or the pillow that you prefer. So, it's all these little things that need to come through in the experience of luxury, but even in marketing. 

You know, we can tailor the copy a certain way, a certain tone, or the imagery could change. And I think when you take these extra steps in marketing that way, that's where it feels like we're speaking directly to you and not to the masses. 

Greg: 

It's also a good way to drive home this idea of exclusivity that you touched on earlier. 

Justin: 

Yeah, yeah. And then customer service, I think that ties in a little bit to personalization, but it really is that more proactive approach to anything. 

When you walk into a luxury store, there is someone to greet you and there's someone there to help tailor your needs and kind of curate, you know, a wardrobe or an experience once you're in that. 

It is no different when you're You know, you've landed on a luxury brand's website. I think there is a little bit of that customer service that needs to come to life as well. 

Greg: 

There's a lot of connectivity between these principles I'm hearing. 

Justin: 

Yeah, I think the, the other one that's obviously pretty much a given, but premium pricing, I know it's the thing that probably sets it apart even further from for most people to understand because it's not achievable, but it's definitely that way because I think elevated pricing is more of a reflection of the actual value of the piece, you know, it sounds like it's more of a strategic positioning tool, but. 

If you're able to set that value high, it makes people dream, it makes people want and wish, but obviously it's not so affordable that everybody can have it. You kind of want to still have it feel exclusive through your pricing as well. 

Greg: 

Yeah, if it's if it's too low of a price, that kind of breaks the illusion of the principles we've just talked about

Justin: 

Yeah, and I think we've said this a little bit, but I think the 7th 1 that comes to mind is, heritage and story. 

Storytelling we'll definitely want to talk about this, when we come in a little bit in the details of design, but I don't care if it's a brand that's been around forever, but or if it's just been around for a couple of years, I think it's the, the story of why you're in the space that matters, you know, you certainly want to associate yourself with the younger audience and certainly maybe it's the older audience, but I think when you have this compelling story in the space, I think it's important to celebrate that and it comes through all the the little design nuances that come into your product itself, but your heritage and your story is what makes a brand feel luxury. 

It's not intended to just be a very transactional type experience, and I think it should be celebrated. 

Greg: 

OK, I think we're up to number eight now. 

Justin: 

8th 1, I feel like these are a little bit newer in the space, but I think more and more brands are trying to feel a little bit more relevant in their ethical practices and just staying a little bit more committed to. 

Sustainability, and then, you know, a healthier planet, all that kind of stuff. So even if it feels like it's a little niche in design, sustainable practices, I feel like have been integrated more and more, and I think you even see this in fashion, especially. in the world of fast fashion, I think luxury is starting to even invest more in the quality of materials just so it is not obviously just going to land in a landfill, you know, within a month or so. 

Greg: 

Well, you see this principle working its way into brand stories across the board and extending to where products are made and fair labor practices. But, well, let's just say that it's true for luxury brands too, this incorporation of sustainable and ethical practices. 

Justin: 

Next I think about is experiential marketing is, become a little bit more new and relevant, especially now where luxury brands are curating more immersive experiences, and I think this allows their consumer to connect emotionally more in maybe a physical space or just outside maybe of a store or anything else, I think you're hearing more and more about brands are becoming lifestyle brands. 

So, it's not just a hotel, maybe there's a fitness angle to it. Is there a fashion angle? Is there a music component? Whatever those tangents they're trying to bring to the consumer. 

Greg: 

Easy access to the beach... 

Justin: 

Yeah, absolutely. It's totally that kind of fostering that deeper relationship wherever the consumer goes, whether it's again, back at home or if they're back at your resort, they're experiencing it all the way through. 

Greg: 

I hadn't thought about that point before, but I wonder now, is there a product or service that's more experiential than luxury brands? It’s all about the experience. 

Justin: 

Yeah, I think that's where you want that 360 kind of experience for them and that's we, we always say that in travel, it's, you know, it's not just when they are on a trip with you. 

It's also when they're planning the next trip or reminiscing about that last trip because you've integrated so much of that, personalization and the customer service part of it. They're already dreaming about that next memorable experience and so I think that's what luxury is all about. It's about wearing the watch, and I think the next one, it's, you know, it's still modern but relevant is your digital presence. 

A lot of times brands started like everybody else in a physical space or the printed space and now you really do need that digital footprint, that digital front door to your brand, because not everybody might have access to your product within their city, but they definitely want to experience it as they're shopping online. 

And so in this era of digital interactions, whether it's on, you know, traditional websites or maybe even social media, I think brands really have to curate more of these online experiences that again touch on their essence, their, their heritage, their story, and allowing all their products to tell the story without a lot of like a lot of fluff or gimmicky, and so I think you definitely have to invest in those angles, but it doesn't mean you have to make it feel like it's opened up to the masses, and I think that's the try to feeling a little bit more relevant in the luxury space is not to be so gated anymore, but it really kind of entrusting that few ambassadors can now tell your story in very unique ways, you know, they're able to kind of showcase maybe how does this fit this outfit look in the real world, not just in a say a studio space. 

So, I think there's something unique where brands are almost now entrusting others to help tell their story, and you're seeing that a lot more, especially in say like luxury fashion, but even in hospitality where they want to showcase influencers, digital creators to experience their space, posted on their own content. 

So, I think the more you're seeing luxury brands go outside of the traditional advertising, it's definitely come through more and more on social media. 

Greg:

Yeah. 

Justin: 

My next one I was kind of thinking about too was cultural sensitivity and inclusion, and I know that ties a little bit back to what we were talking about with ethical practices, but you know, we're, we're really needing to see brands, especially in this luxury space, being a little bit more respectful and understanding about everybody that could experience their product and, you know, you don't want to just kind of alienate one segment, because the more the brands celebrate diversity. 

The longer they're going to stand out, yes, and I think the last one is, it's a little bit more on the experiential marketing one, but it's innovative brand experiences, and this is, I always think about some of the images that come to mind for a lot of people about luxury. 

It's always kind of these stuffy things about like over opulence, like super yachts and stuff. 

So, I think now brands really need to go a little bit beyond old images and really instill a little bit of what in the digital space, I'm trying to think of like how you could bring a super yacht experience into a digital experience. Is it an AR type experience? So even if you can't afford this super yacht, what is it like to be on board? What is the service? What are the stories? Where do people sleep? How do people eat? 

I think bringing in technology that way it really is the best way to start telling your story, and I think a lot of brands you'll start to see that now we certainly been able to kind of embrace these emerging technologies for luxury brands because I think AR is like that next portal to allow an invitation into this very high-end society. 

And so, I think it gets people dreaming and then you can certainly tailor it and you can still make it feel real, but I think there's something unique about what we can now do with a lot of these emerging technologies. 

Greg: 

OK, those were a lot of principles. Let me see if I captured all of them here. I'm just going to repeat. The 12 luxury principles you just talked about exclusivity, super quality, exceptional design, personalization. So far so good? 

Justin: 

Yep, you're acing it. 

Greg: 

Premium pricing, customer service, brand heritage and story, ethical and sustainable practices, experiential marketing, digital presence, cultural sensitivity and inclusion, and then finally innovative brand experiences. 

Justin: 

Good job. 

Greg: 

That is a lot to think about for marketers. No wonder it's such a challenging sector. Let's look now at it from a designer's point of view, Justin. What's your process for designing for luxury brand assets and ensuring that your work reflects the ethos of the brand, not to mention incorporating all those principles that we just talked about. 

Justin: 

Oh man, this is my favorite thing maybe to talk about luxury design is, it's a challenge because for any designer, editing is always the hardest thing in luxury, it truly is about simplicity and restraint, and that is not, it's actually harder than it sounds because. 

Luxury brands, I would say, favor minimalism. It's not to say there's like a maximalist kind of style, but even if you think about maximalism, there's still this restraint within it. 

And even if it's favoring minimalism, it's not because these brands lack ideas or showcasing something. It's just because true sophistication doesn't need to shout. It's that old cliche that it often sort of whispers. So, it's more about doing less and so it's, it's always that thing when you open up. 

Our design documents and trying to figure out what to put on this page, throw it all on the page and then really start to pull back. I don't think there's anything more prevalent about restraints than the practice about negative space or white space, really it's the space between design elements, and I think that really is what. 

Immediate luxury design looks like there's a lot of white space and it's because, as we were talking about, it really allows the product to speak for itself. You don't need a lot on a page that sounds fussy, you don't need a lot of gimmicks, I think it's really just allowing The imagery, the video, maybe it's the select typefaces that need to be on this page to kind of just speak, there's a little bit of this like poetry in simplicity and design, and I love that because it's actually a little bit harder, it's a little bit of a different nuance when we're designing because a lot of brands obviously have to say a lot or show a lot. 

Because it's a complicated product, luxury isn't always complicated. It really is just showing true craftsmanship, so you don't have to overcomplicate it with a lot of, a lot of words. 

Greg: 

So true, I find when I'm writing for luxury brands, the best thing for me to do is get out of the way. And if the quality and the product service is there. I just have to elevate that and let that do the work naturally. 

Justin: 

Absolutely. 

Whatever is in the photo or maybe in the video, and maybe it's just a few short words that really just need to get people dreaming and wanting to, you know, explore your product. 

Greg: 

Justin, you just directed a shoot in New York for an American Express sub brand. There's a good mini case study if you will. 

Justin: 

Yeah, we had this incredible opportunity to work with Centurion, I think a lot of Listeners may have heard about the name Centurion. It's often referred to as “the Black Card…it's very elusive and intentionally elusive for ultra-high net worth audience, and they've recently opened up a social club, a private social club, so we were able to kind of bring it to life a little bit more through video. It was actually a video shoot. 

And it was an interesting medium because when we think about Centurion, they don't really need to advertise. It's an invitation only experience. It's an invitation only product, but they do have this space, and there is a lot of competitions, particularly in New York, but elsewhere as well, where all these private clubs are popping up everywhere. So how can they stay relevant and you know, we took that challenge of like it needs to come through video. It can be posted on social as we were talking about, it can be on their website, but even card members are trying to figure out the emotional value, what is the space in it for me? And it's all about exquisite dining. It's about exquisite art. 

It's these memorable experiences, whether it's a pop-up event, bringing in a very, you know, highly acclaimed sommelier or chef that comes into the space or a musician. So they've really curated this entire floor in New York at the one Vanderbilt, that is all about every type of interest for their card members. And so, through video, we had to bring the space to life and not just celebrating the details of every space, the dining spaces, the lounge spaces, but it was also educating how card members could use that. 

So that's, I think that's one medium among many others that I think luxury brands like Centurion are investing a little bit of opening the door, opening the gate a little bit to kind of showcase what the lifestyle is like behind the curtain. And American Express, you know, like a lot of luxury brands, it's not so much about transactional goods anymore. 

It's truly painting a lifestyle brand. The card is sort of in the background at this point, whether it's the platinum card, but certainly Centurion card. It's just giving you this access and this comfort to explore and experience things that are so unattainable. 

It's hard to market a lot of these things, but it really has transformed, I think, yeah, what the heritage of American Express is, but it's really fun to be a part, be huge partners with them. 

To see how they're leaning more as a true lifestyle brand. 

Greg: 

The experience, one of the principles you coming back to. Justin, I get why digital presence is one of your guiding principles. Still, I think about print as the longtime go to medium for luxury brands. Is that still the case, you think? 

Justin: 

I think print has actually become more of an actual luxury in itself, I think. It's something so unique about print because it's, it's a little bit more of this sacred kind of exclusive experience. You're holding something and the tangible quality of a piece gets to come through. 

And so I think as a designer, we're paying attention to all those little fine finishes, the, the paper stock, the weight of it, is it a linen or is it a cotton, all those specialty type papers, the texture, is there extra finishes like foiling and embossing, UV coating comes to mind. 

I think all of these layers add a sense of care and sophistication that gets dwindled in from the old say like direct mail days. I think when you're doing it for a small commodity, you're really investing more into the piece and it's all these little details. It's no different than, you know, say designing like a handbag, but I think when you're even doing a very high-end piece of collateral or a magazine. 

There is something to be said about how intimate holding a printed piece can be and something if it's so tangible and there's a lot of thought, it feels less disposable and it's not something that people are just going to go quickly recycle. It might be something they actually want to display on their coffee table. 

That's why coffee table books are all the rage these days because they're almost artwork, you know, it's just something you've invested in and there is a lot of detail that goes into. 

Those type of pieces as well. I think package design is a key part of it too, because you're really getting to have this unboxing experience to it truly does feel like this gift that no one else has received and so what's in it, it's all those little fine finishes that get layered on top of each other, but there is a bit of a user experience to print that still is relevant, especially in package design and so. 

That's why I think print in this niche audience, it's actually becoming more and more important because I think people are still, you know, looking for this like tactile type experience, and again I keep coming back to how print always feels a little bit more intimate and it's not, say like digital where obviously it feels like it's been open to everybody to stumble upon when they're doing a Google search, but print just feels like this landed on your, your doorstep or your inbox or your your mailbox, I should say as like this truly unique gift that only you're about to experience. 

Greg: 

All right, just in the last question, what do you see as the big challenge for luxury brands and marketing in the immediate future? 

Justin: 

I honestly think it's coming down to being authentic to themselves or bombarded with so many brands, luxury or not, I think the ones that are able to break through are the ones who can stay true to their story. 

Again, it doesn't need to be a 100-year-old company, but if there's something so profound about a brand story, I think that becomes a little bit easier for a newer audience to be attracted to them or an existing audience to remain loyal to them. 

But if you're not conforming to whatever new trend is out there and kind of remaining true to your craft and that core product, I think that's where luxury will always stay ahead and still stay relevant, whatever. 

The new invention might be, but I think all luxury brands still need to remain authentic to themselves and put away the noise that gets thrown at so many consumers today because, yeah, we're all overwhelmed and it's hard to understand who is new or even a true luxury brand, just because I think a lot of brands today are even changing their branding, their typefaces, their colors to all look the same, and so I think a lot of luxury brands need to make sure. 

They're not looking like the masses. 

Greg: 

Justin, thanks so much for joining us on the whole idea podcast today. Great insight. 

Justin:

Thank you so much, Greg, for having me. 

You can get more from Justin and his perspective on designing for luxury brands in a new blog post on DCG1.com. 

And here are my key takeaways. 

• Luxury means different things to different people. Be sure to understand how your audience defines it. 
• Guiding principles of marketing for luxury brands underscore the need for exclusivity, personalization, authenticity, and quality that's precise and detailed. 
• Traditions that underscores heritage and expertise are also important principles. 
• And despite all the principles, designing for luxury brands is ironically about saying less, making room for the hero attributes and letting them do their thing. 

My thanks again to Justin Parnell, creative director at DCG1. If you have questions for Justin about marketing or designing for luxury brands, drop a note to podcast at DCG1.com. 

Thanks very much for listening. This episode assembled with the help of producer Kelsey Brewer. I'm Greg Oberst. Watch this channel for our next podcast and more expertise, insight and inspiration for whole idea marketing. 

Take care.