Luxury Travel, Lifestyle and Marketing Trends

Panelist and marketer Karen W. Escalera, president and chief strategist at KWE Group, was recently featured in a Lodging magazine article “Four points of view on positioning and designing for high-end lodging” by Philip Hayward, and she offered this insight…

Retailers have known for decades that a shopping experience should be a complete experience. This is particularly true in the current climate of uncertainty and financial hardship. Consumers are looking to retailers for an escape from the daily grind; a place where they can lose themselves and feel happy. Imagine how put off they would be to find out that the store is noisy, sales staff could care less,and the place smells “off.” Don’t think for a moment they’ll be back once the economy picks up again.

In other times, a luxury product offering discounts risked tarnishing its image and cachet, traditionally a big no-no. But as the economies around the world continue to deteriorate, luxury retail and travel industries (cruise ships, tour operators, hotels, attractions, etc.) have resorted to slashing prices to merely stay afloat while continuing to market aggressively to build market share so that when the economy turns around, they’ll be in a stronger position than ever before.

What’s it going to take to sell high end vacation real estate in 2009? A lot, but it’s doable. Think of what it takes to get into a top college…

Mobile technology, social communities and guerilla marketing is where recent attention has turned. As smart minds always advise, to stand out from the pack is to do something different, which can include a tactical throwback from the past: an effectively written letter on the finest engraved stationery, complete with a full-sized product sample – no miniature samples or plastic packets in sight.