Ok. I’m going to hold my hands up and admit something. Until about a week ago, I had no idea who or what Cracker Barrel was. Now, I know that may come as some surprise to my friends over in America, but the Cracker Barrel brand really wasn’t a thing over here in the UK. It turns out, it was quite a well-known and well-loved brand over there in America. I say well-loved, but it...
From all my years in research and consulting, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing worth sharing. Enduring fundamentals, mostly yet often overlooked. So, this year, I’m sharing some for your consideration. I hope they’re helpful. This week’s thought: Statistical significance is a perilous safeguard in marketing.
Luxury has always been built on discipline. Scarcity, heritage, and control transform objects and experiences into symbols of status. Social media, by contrast, is designed for ubiquity. It rewards repetition, frequency, and immediacy. The question for luxury leaders is not whether to participate, but how to participate without losing what makes them distinct.
Nuuly, the clothing rental enterprise from Urban Outfitters Inc., also home to Anthropologie, Free People, and Urban Outfitters, is winning in a market that Nuuly did not create. Nuuly is the pioneer. But, right now, Nuuly is the possessor of the prize. There is history behind this sort of situation where the category creator craters and a fast follower flips to the top spot. As The Wall Street Journal’s Heard on The Street column described...
Exclusivity has always been the currency of luxury. Scarcity, discretion, and control are what transform an object into a symbol of status. From the earliest maisons to today’s most ambitious startups, prestige has been built on what is withheld as much as what is revealed.
