How do you build a brand based on a luxury lifestyle story with a passionate creator?
When a luxury brand begins its birth there is an ideal pedigree or story that might reflect a family and history that gives it a sense of place and origin. Royalty the world over is one of the brand stories that often needs no introduction. Unique personalities have populated the royal stratosphere in England beginning in the 18th century with the Duchess of Devonshire who is considered the first upper crust ‘style star’. Fast forward to the early and mid 20th century and you will find a number of unique personalities among them, the father of India Hicks, David Hicks, considered the leader of his generation in Interior Design. Turning many British castles and country homes into chic palaces of colorful style or smart spaces for the creative elite that reinvented the old classics and refreshed them creating an empire that bore his signature style around the world. India Hicks, one of three children by his wife, Lady Pamela Mountbatten has taken up the family passion for lifestyles and design in launching her own line INDIA HICKS that expands on her growing collection of lifestyle books.
India Hicks, the creator of her own brand designs accessories and gifts such as handbags, belts, scarves, jewelry and beauty products with the inimitable chic simplicity that is combined with a love of luxury in its DNA. Her designs are fresh, classic yet re-invented British Luxury inspired that make them easily accessible to everyone making her practically the Martha Stewart of fashion and beauty. Her own history and lifestyle on the islands in the Bahamas is captured in a number of her books on interior style with an exotic island twist. With years of experience designing products for other companies, the time came when she wanted to step out on her own. But she has done even more to break the mold by expanding the sales platform to include a “tribe” of women who promote the brand in their own communities. This is a key difference in the sales strategy of this luxury brand; the gospel of the brand is spread via a number of representatives who are on the ground sharing the message of the brand and their style curator INDIA HICKS.
What makes a brand based on a personality successful? There are a number of unique elements that make a personality driven brand work:
- Leveraging the story of the creator to generate desire for the product and its unique history and brand message.
- Passion from the creator who engages the target audience with aspirational dreams and goals. Creator is as Expert, Curator and Best Friend to the audience.
- Devotion to the quality of the product in all its details, from packaging to ingredients to manufacturing and quality control.
- Passing the story on through a message of passionate fans who share in their communities making the message both personal and aspirational.
- Promote an Aspirational lifestyle that everyone can enjoy and immediately apply in their own busy lives as professionals, power moms, or both.
- Inspiring the Brand Ambassadors to empower themselves through creating their own business while sharing in their own communities about the brand.
- Adapting the values, hopes and aspirations of the creator that rings true to all aspects of the business and its products.
India Hick’s brand has already taken hold around the US and will continue to expand by adding more ambassadors to the group as she continues to introduce new products. Her latest introduction is a series of skincare products that she has developed in chic clean black and white packaging making it easy for travel or a busy lifestyle.
For further information on the products: http://www.indiahicks.com
Note: We recently received the travel package for the new “Unexpected Beauty” and will report back our review on the products at our magazine on fashion and beauty feature at: http://www.artofstyle-magazine.us
ARTIFICE Atelier 