CUSTOMER UNDERSTANDING
Dorten EXPEDITION
ASSUMPTION
THE NEXT GENERATION IS OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF LUXURY AND POSSESSIONS. TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, STATUS IS DEFINED BY KNOWLEDGE AND PARTICIPATION.
APPROACH
And, in contrast to the past, much more frequently via hidden codes and cryptic signals. The secret of success for internationally successful young brands also lies in their attitude and consistency. Berlin is home to many such companies. We wanted to delve even deeper into the topic, to create encounters, to think further. We visited a few of the best – from the media, fashion, retail, mobility and art sectors. To talk to their creators about the yeses and nos of their personal brand management: Aesop, Andreas Murkudis, DriveNow, MYKITA, Slavs and Tatars, Vom Einfachen das Gute and ZEITmagazin. Courage, experimentation and connoisseurship. Attitude, passion, regionality and curation.
Terms that run like a thread through our expedition and in sum contour the essence of a new understanding of premium. Are we dealing with a sustainable phenomenon that will fundamentally change the luxury market?
We believe so. Because what elites once differentiated themselves by has become the currency of the masses. At the same time, the premium brands that once often emerged from manufactories have in some cases reached a size that deprives them of the ability to produce uniqueness and quality – at least in the sense in which we understand this more holistically today. After all, an increased awareness of international interrelationships, human rights and environmental protection is changing the way we think about these concepts. Who is still excited about experiencing the same thing in every city in the world? And why invest one’s wealth in brands that produce on the same assembly line and under the same conditions as H&M?
Premium has reached a new level of existence, partly because those who can afford it no longer want to play the passionless game of the big players. Today, desirable luxury is characterized by authenticity and transparency. By a substantial attitude and consistent action that is compatible with the post-materialistic values of the new elites. And this is currently found predominantly in the small and regional. It’s not what’s on it, but what’s behind it that’s gaining in importance: products with stories that meaningfully enrich one’s own life.
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