The Cult of the Luxury Brand

In this summary you will learn

• What cultural forces drive the Asian devotion to luxury brands
• How the luxury industry carefully cultivates and exploits this cult-like phenomenon
• How Asia’s luxury brand market marvel is accelerating
• What Asians are buying

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Why you should read The Cult of the Luxury Brand

Asia has fallen madly, deeply, hopelessly in love, and the objects of its affection are Louis Vuitton bags, Ferragamo shoes and Burberry trench coats with their instantly recognizable plaid lining. What spurred this region-wide obsession with luxury brands? Radha Chadha and Paul Husband analyze this socio-cultural phenomenon in an in-depth study of the “luxeplosion” reverberating throughout Asia. New money is upsetting old ways, allowing people to purchase their way up the status ladder. The practice of “gifting” and a cultural emphasis on conformity contribute to the craze. Chadha and Husband identify how the luxury mania took hold, country by country, and then explain how the luxury industry started and sustained this cult. Savvy marketers can use this information to plan how to penetrate the Asian market. The prose is lively, engaging and witty, elevating this marketing manual into the fun-to-read category. getAbstract enthusiastically recommends it to those with a passion for fashion, a curiosity about the Asian shoppers’ psyche or an interest in entering the high-end Asian market.

About the Authors

Radha Chadha, an expert in Asian marketing, has worked for worldwide ad agencies. She is now a brand consultant. Paul Husband began working in Hong Kong in 1988 as marketing manager for a retail center. He is an expert in Asian shopping center planning and development.