The US storage industry is a 22 billion dollar industry. Why? Because we are really good at collecting stuff and America loves to shop! Sure, that’s great but, what about taking an editorial look at what you have and perhaps giving it away? Re-cycle, re-fresh, re-new and lower your carbon footprint. Congratulations, you’re livin’ free now…and that gives you room to look at things from a different point of view. Is luxury, freedom?
Isn’t luxury about having more stuff that your heart desires in a cavalcade of colors? Maybe not. Let’s do a re-think on the truth about luxury: Luxury can be simple, streamlined, gorgeous, minimal and well-engineered and usually made of unique or special materials that may have a newly perceived value. Sounds like an electric car, or perhaps a luxury eco-built home. The 21st Century is already 10 years old and many lifetimes of change have affected everyone worldwide. Western economies are already doing a big “re-think” while new economies, like China, Brazil and India are enjoying the ride of their newly wealthy economies. Western economies, are the canary in the tunnel for the future where too much stuff will simply end up in storage locations, forgotten and gathering dust and the rivers and streams the same if the (new) economies don’t pay attention. Now, back to the freedom of Luxury…the idea is simple, really.
Choose wisely: a lifestyle where the concept of luxury isn’t just “more” or “fancier” or “better” but is truly a life worth living…its curated. After all, too much of a good thing has destroyed many societies (remember the French Revolution) so the idea here is to choose a lifestyle of unique and meaningful luxury that has beauty and integrity. Research shows that the newly wealthy are more in tune to choosing wisely when they make purchases. In applying this idea to products or services; eco-sensitivity and community value that brings your audience into a new frame of mind is the new trend in marketing in the luxury industry. Secondly, luxury is about craftsmanship, artistry, and a passion for quality. This has been the definition of luxury, but we believe that “new luxury” may also be technology and the ease by which we transform our lives with it. So, as the world has signed on to life as an “ipad experience” our perceptions have markedly changed. Perceptions of what is luxurious, has shifted. This will surely continue to happen in the future the “new luxury” of time, space and improving health rise to the top of human needs.
The new luxury lifestyle is more than just acquiring “fancy” things. Time is the new luxury, as is discovering new experiences near your home or across the world. Sure, we’re all for a faster car, a more perfect diamond, or the perfect shoe; but luxury audiences want more. They soon discover that the true meaning of luxury is the “less is more” concept, especially when its rare, unique, curated and extraordinary. This means that marketing to this audience has to be carefully considered and be more creative, more informed, more exclusive, of course. But we believe that the message to this audience has more to do with “how” to live your life, rather than with what.
ARTIFICE atelier, the editor.
Food for Thought: Value, is also a perception. What’s the message of a product that has a symbolic value?
ARTIFICE Atelier 