Okonkwo Prelims

being a celebrity doesn’t mean an automatic success potential in fashion

branding. The real issue is to apply effective business strategies required in

the development, management and sustenance of a brand because relying on

a celebrity name alone to uphold a business venture is the fast lane to busi-

ness failure.

Endorsement of luxury fashion brands by celebrities is a strategy that

undoubtedly has great importance in the luxury goods sector. Although the

short-term results are difficult to accurately measure, if managed effectively,

this strategy often yields long-term benefits such as increased brand loyalty

and brand equity, which ultimately translate to higher sales turnover and

brand value.

People

People in the luxury branding mix refers to everyone that is affected by the

brand and everyone that affects the brand. These include those involved in the

development of products and services, brand management and the employee-

wide staff involved in the daily business processes. People also constitutes

customers and the general public whose attitudes and predisposition towards

a company and a brand affects its performance. People are the most impor-

tant element of any service because the experience they have with a brand

influences their relationship with that brand and is transmitted to the

customers.

People in the luxury sector can be categorized into three broad groups.

1 Customers, who have been extensively discussed in Chapter 3

2 Employees

3 Brand ambassadors

Employees such as retail store sales representatives and customer services

staff are usually the first direct interface between consumers and the brand

they represent. They are the representatives of the brand and reflect the spirit

of the brand wherever they are located and under every circumstance. The

luxury sector retails high-involvement goods and therefore the service expec-

tation is high. The people who sell luxury products to consumers in the stores

are consequently required to be professional, exhibit expert knowledge, be

sufficiently stylish and emanate the brand’s aura. This places a high level of

responsibility on the employees of luxury brands.

There is a general consensus among a large percentage of luxury

consumers of the negligible and sometimes poor level of customer services

provided by the staff of luxury brands within the stores or after-sales.

Consumers often complain that several representatives of luxury brands

provide a ‘cold’ and ‘aloof’ service in their bid to maintain the ‘prestige

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luxury fashion branding