Are You Experienced? Pushing the boundaries of Luxury

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Change | Agent - March, 2005

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Luxury is no longer about rampant materialism or having and getting, but the enjoyment and revelling in the luxury experience.

Written By Nicola Doyle

Are You Experienced? pp 16-20

What do you buy the person who has everything? You know the type. They already own the Cartier watch, the Tiffany necklace and the Armani suit. Chances are their silverware is from Christofle, their home theatre system by Bang & Olufsen and they drive a Mercedes. It's not an easy task , which is why websites such as redletterdays.co.uk have done so well.

Red Letter Days sell once-in-a-lifetime experiences - the chance to drive a Formula 1 car, fly in a fighter jet or make your own movie. It's the perfect gift for the person who already has it all, and among the affluent population of countries like the United States, such experiences are becoming the new luxury of choice.

Luxury consumers in the US (the top 25 percent of households with incomes of US $75,000 and above) spend in excess of $300 billion on luxury goods every year, but the population's culture of conspicuous consumption has left the consumer with a surfeit of material goods that, in turn, has left them yearning for something extra.

"Despite the fact that luxury consumers buy prodigious amounts of luxury goods every year, they gain die greatest satisfaction and happiness from die luxury experiences they participate in," says Pam Danziger, president of consulting firm Unity Marketing, which specializes in consumer insights for luxury marketers. "Luxury is no longer about rampant materialism or having and getting, but the enjoyment and reveling in the luxury experience."

When the price is priceless

Samantha von Sperling runs Polished Social Image Consultants, which covers everything from personal shopping services to extreme makeovers and is best described as a sort of finishing school for adults (she will even teach you how to use a knife and fork correctly).

"I turn shopping into a total experience," says Sperling. "I have everything ready, so when the client arrives at the store they have their own dressing area, all the outfits I have pre-chosen are laid out, and there will be coffee, food and personal service so the client really feels special."

According to Sperling, what makes her business such a resounding success is this personal attention and service.

"Luxury has gone beyond status. As the world gets smaller and the boundaries between work and home blur with wireless communication, anyone can buy anything, anytime over the internet." says Sperling. "So the only reason people come to me is to experience great service. It's that sensory luxury experience of feeling and interacting - the more extreme the luxury experience, the more people will seek it out rather than purchase online."

Celebrities have long had access to the extra experiences money and fame can buy. From private jet travel to personal assistants, every daily experience becomes extraordinary, and today's luxury consumers are demanding the same thing.

Total Shopping Experience

Samantha von Sperling believes that luxury is in the living, not the buying.

This Story ran in Change Agent Magazine, pages 16 - 20, March, 2005.

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