NETJETS
PROBLEM: A Need to Serve High Net Worth Clients in a Different Way
SOLUTION: A Portfolio of Unique Luxury Items Exclusively for NetJets Owners
NetJets serves many of the world's wealthiest and most sophisticated customers. The company provides the highest quality aircraft, pilots and safety to its customers without marketing hype. The emphasis is on service and subtle details. NetJets wanted to provide its owners with something unique and special. Luxury Solutions suggested the creation of a portfolio of unique, one of a kind luxury items to be offered exclusively to NetJets owners during the holiday season. Items included custom made sweaters from Loro Piana, charters on Mirabella -the world's largest sailing yacht, Babe Ruth's original uniform, a custom Steinway Piano with Steuben Glass, Chopard's limited edition "Ice Cube" diamond watch, Cartier's Mystery Clock, and Baccarat's Black Crystal Chandelier by Philippe Starck.
CHANEL
PROBLEM: Risky International Fragrance Launch without any Consumer Insights
SOLUTION: Comprehensive Global Consumer Study
Chanel, has long been a leader in setting fashion and fragrance trends. Fragrance has been central to its success which has been driven by its creativity in design and advertising. One of Chanel's most creative and remarkable advertising campaigns was for Egoiste Men's fragrance for which the Chanel creative team built a replica facade of Cannes' famous Carlton Hotel. The fragrance, was equally as creative, but unfortunately proved to be too polarizing and was not a commercial success. Realizing the importance of market research to help guide their fragrance choice, Chanel hired us to conduct an international research study based on the FragranceTrack methodology we developed. The study included three phases of testing and was conducted simultaneously in the US, France and Germany. The ultimate winning fragrance led to a hugely successively launch of Allure for Men, Chanel's first master brand.
FAUCHON
PROBLEM: Over Expansion in the US Market
SOLUTION: Complete Restructuring of US Operations
Fauchon is a very well known brand in Europe, but in the US it was not well established. New management implemented an aggressive expansion into the US via a retail roll-out in New York. A flagship store was built on Park Avenue with several other stores built and more planned. This strategy was very costly and failed to produce good results. New Private Equity owners hired us to restructure the business and develop a new strategy for the US market. We implemented a full restructuring, closing all stores other than the flagship and significantly downsized the factory and headquarters staff. The Park Avenue flagship was updated and revitalized with new merchandise, a new cafe and a champagne bar, leading to a 30% increase in revenues. A new direct marketing strategy was developed online and via a direct mail catalog. We installed a new POS system to collect customer addresses and used this to launch the new direct to consumer business. First year results produced revenues in excess of sales in a typical store. Revenues more than doubled in the second year enabling the company to replace the lost revenues in the closed retail stores in a much more profitable way.
LA PRAIRIE
PROBLEM: Lack of Deep Consumer Insights Around the World
SOLUTION: Video Market Research in the US, Italy, Germany, Korea and China
La Prairie is a very prestigious and high priced brand and it is difficult to conduct focus groups with its clientele. We designed a virtual focus group through the use of online video technology to interview dozens of women around the world. The feedback was translated, analyzed and edited in o numerous video clips then presented to management for the development of new marketing strategies. This same approach was used to interview La Prairie skin care specialists around the world to serve as testimonials for the brand’s 35th anniversary and presented at the company’s global management conference.
SUNSTONE VINEYARDS
PROBLEM: Wine Club In Need of Revitalization
SOLUTION: New Club Designed With Improved Value Proposition
Sunstone Vineyards is one of the most successful vineyards in California’s Santa Ynez Valley specializing in Bordeaux style wines. It was one of the first vineyards to implement a Direct to Consumer Strategy launching a very successful wine club 10 years ago. With the proliferation of other wineries introducing wine clubs, it became necessary to rethink the club’s design. We worked directly with the owner to devise an entirely new approach to club marketing. The new club replaces the industry’s standard 20% discount with a new innovative approach which is much more compelling to consumers. In addition, the new club set a new standard for shipping costs by offering free shipping to all wine club members. A new Reserve Club was successfully introduced increasing revenues and margins. The results of the new program have been tremendous. New club memberships doubled in one year and attrition rates have been reduced by more than one-third.
RESOURCE FURNITURE
PROBLEM: A Need for Growth
SOLUTION: Focus on Primary Product Range, Expansion of Showrooms, Addition of E-Commerce
Resource Furniture is a very successful specialty furniture business focused on multi-functional furniture. After 15 years of rapid growth the company’s growth began to flatten. After a comprehensive business audit involving the entire team, we developed a new strategic plan focusing on the company’s primary product line - luxury wall beds. In addition we recommended the expansion of the company’s showrooms and the opening of a new e-commerce enabled web site. We also helped the company implements a new strategic budgeting process, a new incentive compensation plan and a series of metric management reports. In two years the company doubled its business.
INSTYLE PRODUCTS
PROBLEM: Company & Branding in Need of Revitalization
SOLUTION: Company Restructuring & Relaunch of Brands
InStyle Fragrances has been a leading mass market brand for the past 15 years sold in CVS and Walgreens. A dramatically changing landscape in the mass market for fragrances left the company in a very difficult position and the company needed to change its approach to retailer relationships. We negotiated new supplier contracts with the retail chains and closely monitored and changed the companies approach to managing charge backs. We implemented a complete restructuring of staff and operations creating significant cost savings. The flagship line was relaunched with a modern new design, new bottles and new cartons leading to an improved position on shelf and an improvement of eight margin points. The new Instyle body spray packaging (above) won an American Package Design Award. These strategic and swift moves returned the company to profitability within one year.
TRIBEZA MAGAZINE
PROBLEM: Creative Lifestyle Magazine in need of fresh new ideas
SOLUTION: New Design format, editorial content and improved events
Tribeza Magazine had been a successful lifestyle magazine covering the arts and culture of Austin, Texas. But after eight years the publication had grown a little stale and was in need of new creative energy. Luxury Solutions redesigned the layout of the magazine, refreshed the logo and added a range of new content, editorial features and various guides. In addition we designed a new web site and newsletter and added a series of blogs. New life was infused into the publication and business through new formats at annual events such as the Tribeza Fashion Show and the Tribeza Wedding Day Planning Event Show. Social Media strategies were launched through Face Book and Twitter. As a result the business grew by over 50% in the year following these initiatives.
JASMIN.COM
PROBLEM: Lack of High End E-commerce Options for Fine Fragrances
SOLUTION: Jasmin.com
In the late 1990's the internet was in its infancy. Fine fragrances began appearing online on unauthorized sites through the gray market. These sites often discounted fragrances and presented them in a very unflattering catalog format. Jasmin.com introduced an entirely new approach which created the high end image and context desired by the luxury fragrance marketers. The site featured the world's first online museum of antique perfume bottles, an online magazine and brand pages featuring each brand's advertising images. The site was the first to launch a major fragrance exclusively online when Procter & Gamble's fragrance division chose jasmin.com as the exclusive distribution channel for the launch of its Boss Hugo Boss fragrance.
SHIFLET GROUP ARCHITECTS
PROBLEM: Recovering from Great Recession
SOLUTION: Relaunch Brand
After the great recession there was a big down turn in the designing and building of luxury homes. Architects who previously turned down business suddenly needed to market themselves. We designed a complete brand makeover including a new logo and brand identity package, a new web site with videos of the founder and a local advertising campaign in high end magazines. This helped reestablish Shiflet Group as the pre-eminent architectural firm in Austin for elite luxury homes.
APRES BY CK BRADLEY
PROBLEM: Need for New Energy for Dormant Fashion Line
SOLUTION: Retro-Chic Ski Clothing Line
In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s CK Bradley pioneered a new modern twist on preppy. This was way before Tory Burch or others arrived on the scene. With stores in Newport, RI and Manhattan she was really beginning to make a name for herself. Then, for personal reasons she halted her line. A few years later she wanted to relaunch her fashion house and decided to launch a retro-chic line of ski clothing in 2010. We helped with the strategy, production and raising seed capital. We also helped design an innovative marketing approach by decorating a vintage airstream trailer to serve as the marketing signage and mobile pop-up store. The founder, pictured above, traveled with a couple of friends to the chic western ski resorts such as Aspen, Vail, Park City and Jackson Hole. The three woman team dubbed themselves the “Apres Girls” and passed out t-shirts, cups and hats as a means to generate press and consumer attention. The chic, retro designs were way ahead of their time - these designs are from 2010 and the designs and colors are similar to what you see on the slopes today.