7 Timeless Traits That Define a True Luxury Brand
The most debatable issue in the luxury market today is “what makes a brand luxury.” Between product exclusivity, the latest luxury market trends, and changing luxury brand perception, there is a sort of identity crisis brewing just beneath the surface.
While the traditional elements of luxury branding like heritage logos, sky-high prices, and high desirability remain cornerstones, today’s Gen Z and Millennial luxury consumers are redefining luxury, demanding innovation, agility, and modern aesthetics.
According to Bain & Company’s Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study (Fall 2023), the global personal luxury goods market grew by 11% in 2023, driven largely by Gen Z and Millennial consumers, who now account for nearly 45% of luxury purchases.
The concept of luxury has changed like this many times in history before. However, there are always certain luxury brand characteristics that are common among all brands. These are the same traits of premium brands that make a person desire Hermès Birkin rather than their Amazon lookalikes, want a Chanel Tweed Jacket more than an H&M Blazer, and wait months and years for the new Lamborghini or Rolex.
Despite market evolution, certain traits consistently define luxury brands – those that create desire, longevity, and prestige.
In this blog, we’ll explore what luxury is, what makes a brand luxury, and seven essential traits of luxury brands. Global Bay has over a decade of experience building websites for luxury brands, which is why our agency experts have stepped in with their views on luxury brand positioning strategies and how the world’s most famous luxury brands have the fitting qualities to maintain their high-end branding.
The True Definition Of Luxury
It’s difficult to put the meaning of luxury in one sentence or two.
Everyone has a different way of perceiving luxury. Some people believe that luxury brand identity is all about charging ridiculously high prices for a mediocre product. Some people are put off by high-end branding and think that when a brand proclaims itself as luxurious, it comes off as haughty instead. Others see the luxury appeal in branding as artistic, emotional, and symbolic.
Luxury, for brands, is something that has to be earned. It is not something that you can claim, do, or offer. It comes from within. The qualities of a luxury brand must exude naturally and consistently from your brand as if you are exactly where you were meant to be all along.
To never appear tacky, rushed, or frazzled is what strikes a chord with the luxury market customers. That is what truly defines what makes a brand luxury. In other words, luxury brands are confidently gorgeous without any limits, unapologetic without confines, and markedly superior so that when someone buys their high-end products, they change their lives.
What Makes a Brand Luxury?
Have you ever wondered what actually makes a brand luxury? What is it that makes people put their names on a three-year-long waiting list for a handbag? Or why do people save up half of their monthly earnings to get a product just for its logo? After all, there are cheaper alternatives available at TK Maxx.
Luxury connoisseurs know it when they see a luxury brand. It is not just about premium quality or occasional indulgence that makes a brand deluxe, but the intangible and aspirational aspects of luxury that come with it.
Many clients approach Global Bay for their luxury branding needs and to create a stunning website with all the luxury brand characteristics.
Between handling their high-end branding and advising them on how to keep up with fast-moving digital trends without compromising on their luxury brand’s positioning, we have come to the conclusion that there are seven essential traits that every true luxury brand must have.
7 Timeless Traits Of A True Luxury Brand - A Quick Glance
1. Strong Beliefs and Identity
A true luxury brand has an unwavering identity and doesn’t try to please everyone. Its aura appeals to ultra-high-net-worth Individuals (UHNWIs) and aligns with specific causes or values.
The most important luxury brand characteristic is a strong brand identity. Luxury brands only ally themselves with a specific outlook or group of customers. For example, Tiffany stands for romance, Aston Martin for refined power, and Bottega Veneta for understated exclusivity.
A true luxury brand advocates its beliefs to the customers, not the other way around. Tiffany’s go-to luxury brand positioning strategy is selling diamonds for romantic confessions of love – engagement, anniversaries, etc. Aston Martin can seduce billionaires, Moët & Chandon is meant to be sprayed on yachts, and Bottega Veneta is so high class that only the elite dare to look at the price tag.
Customers who connect with their exclusive products and premium quality on a deeper level are the only associations that these brands want.
This is why Tiffany would never use fake gems in its jewellery, Aston Martin would always be mentioned in the same breath as James Bond and Bottega Veneta would never slap a logo on its bags.
2. Quality-Focused Products and Services
Another important luxury brand attribute is that it never compromises on quality and craftsmanship.
The definition of luxury is that each one of their products must be made with the finest materials and high-end brand features, and it is completely unflinching that they’re built to last. This commitment to quality is reflected in the way perfume houses discard an entire production just because their jasmine harvest doesn’t meet the aromatic profile, or watchmakers dismantle a timepiece if the timekeeping is off even by one second.
“Luxury is not about price. It’s about the attention to detail, the heritage, and the emotional connection that a product creates.” — Jean-Noël Kapferer
When people think of luxury brands, they consider quality materials, high standards, and sometimes hand-crafting as a threshold of true luxury. The stronger the brand, the wider its artistry, quality, and durability will be recognised among the luxury connoisseurs.
Luxury brands also ensure that their excellence is never variable or fleeting, which is why they work with the best artisans and craftsmen and are fiercely protective of where, when, and how their luxury products are being sold in the market and to whom. Luxury brands take a great deal of pride in their limited availability because rarity adds to the desirability of their products.
3. Timelessness And a Rich Heritage
Successful luxury brands are timeless and have a past worth praising.
According to McKinsey & Company, over 65% of luxury consumers say a brand’s heritage and craftsmanship are decisive in purchase decisions.
Built on history and heritage, the most luxurious brands in the world have plenty of stories to tell, and those stories are an important part of what makes them so special.
Many luxury brand stories start with their founders. Loro Piana, for example, was an Italian family-run wool merchant in the 1800s whose humble beginning has now made the brand so luxurious that some of their fabrics are rarer than gold by weight. Patek Philippe’s legacy began with the founders Antoine Norbert de Patek and Adrien Philippe, who made a name for this brand that later served exquisite pieces for Queen Victoria herself.
Luxury brands usually leave a lasting, indelible impression with the brand values and heritage that they have accrued along the way. This is why you will often find luxury brands reinforcing their founding dates, how they started from scratch, their history, and what has happened during the lifetime of their founders.
Rolex’s “Submariner,” for example, was first released in the 1950s and has been a status symbol ever since. Trench Coats by Burberry also date back to World War I, when they were designed by Thomas Burberry for British soldiers. Tiffany & Co.’s Robin’s egg blue box was introduced in 1837 and has remained a part of the brand to date.
But what about the new luxury brands? Or luxury startups that have no history to speak of? They must rely on powerful mottos and captivating brand stories or draw their allure from iconic products.
By creating their own stories and heritage, they can be at the forefront of the luxury culture. That being said, a luxury digital agency – such as Global Bay – can help you craft a memorable story for your new luxury brand. Take a moment to browse our case studies and see the results of the websites, stories, and brand positioning we have created for countless other luxury brands.
4. Pull Customers in With a Superior Service
One of the most desirable traits of a luxury brand is that it provides an exceptional level of service.
Part of what makes a brand luxurious is how it makes every client feel like a VIP. They will pay close attention to every client’s query and offer a personal touch to their purchases. These brands would go above and beyond to retain their customers with a superior luxury experience, such as providing complimentary services, offering free shipping and returns, or providing concierge services, like ticket booking or restaurant reservations.
In any form whatsoever, superior service is one of the most important luxury brand characteristics.
“In luxury, the customer experience is the product. Everything else is the souvenir.” — Milton Pedraza
Luxury brands function almost like a temple for their customers, especially for the UHNWIs.
For example, a woman from the elite class would entrust a single designer house for her entire wardrobe, from the silk robes that she wears at home to couture gowns that she wears at luxury events.
Luxury brands are extremely responsive to these kinds of customers. They’re quick to address their concerns or issues and are always available to assist. These luxury brand attributes result in loyalty from the customer that isn’t born out of habit but out of trust.
The whole concept of luxury is that not everyone can afford it. This is why many high-end brands limit the accessibility of their products and create a need for a long-term and intimate bond with their brand in order to be offered the opportunity to buy one of their exclusive products.
However, to the discerning customers, this behaviour is not off-putting. Rather, it creates a sense of belonging that they are one of the few who truly belong in this exclusive club and can share the brand values.
5. The Use of Public Figures, Influencers and Partnerships
In a 1952 feature story by Life magazine, Marilyn Monroe was asked what she wore to bed, to which she replied, “only N°5 perfume”. This was the moment that sealed the Coco Chanel perfume as an icon of glamour and luxury.
One of the key luxury brand attributes is the use of celebrities to make their products relevant and desirable.
The most valuable public figures for luxury brands these days include Rihanna, Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, David Beckham, Emma Watson, and Timothee Chalamet, among many others. These celebrities do not just represent glamour but transfer their personality and qualities onto the brand to drive credibility and attention.
For example, Donatella Versace has a strong personality. However, every now and then, she carefully plays on the whole concept of modern luxury vs traditional luxury and associates herself with public figures to emotionally connect with her audience.
Donatella Versace and Dua Lipa presented their co-designed women’s collection at Versace’s fashion show on the French Riviera in 2023. The ‘La Vacanza’ runway came just in time when the whole world was obsessed with the new Barbie movie. The dresses gave off major summer pool party vibes with butterfly motifs, shimmering skirts, Y2K fits, and metallic sheath dresses.
Similarly, Rihanna has become an icon of inclusion and diversity for fashion and beauty brands, and Emma Watson brings her aura of social and environmental responsibility to brands like Burberry and Lancome, thus boosting their image in the luxury market.
6. Exclusivity and Scarcity
One of the defining characteristics of luxury is that it is not available to everyone. This exclusivity in luxury branding helps brands connect with customers and make them feel special.
Exclusivity is one of the best qualities of a luxury brand – it is not easy for everyone to get their hands on a product. This exclusivity, often created through limited availability, excludes certain people from enjoying the brand and makes others feel like they are members of an exclusive community linked by a small number of products released each season.
Hermès only produces around 12,000 Birkin bags every year. Even the richest customers sometimes fail to score one for themselves.
Another way to affirm the qualities of a luxury brand is by creating an aura of “who wouldn’t want to belong to that group?” through high price points.
Yes, the very definition of a luxury brand is that it is expensive. However, the high cost serves another purpose besides profits for the company. It acts as a barrier to entry, dissuading all but the most discerning and wealthy customers from purchasing their products.
And it is like a domino effect. Luxury brands raise the costs of their products, which in turn become a status symbol for elitism. As a result, only the upper echelons of society are deemed fit for using these products. In this way, luxury brands cultivate the idea that their products are only meant for an exclusive group of people.
The same rules apply to luxury websites. If your luxury brand has a website built on a cookie-cutter theme and doesn’t offer a good user experience, then it will hardly get noticed by luxury consumers.
7. Symbolic Value and Rituals
“Luxury brands succeed not because they sell products, but because they sell a myth, a story, a ritual that makes customers feel part of something exclusive.” — Benedetto Conversano
High-end brands do not limit the concept of luxury to the product. They carry symbolic values and ideas and a certain lifestyle to create a consumption “ritual” that exceeds their customer expectations.
For example, the perfume brand Le Labo creates a personal and exclusive perfume for all of its customers. Each perfume is prepared in front of the customer, hand-blended and then labelled with the customer’s name and the date of its preparation. The customers then take their perfume home and let it marinate for a week in the fridge before using it. In this way, Le Labo translates the concept that the “quality of perfume deteriorates over time” into the luxury experience and adds a symbolic value to their products.
That being said, most luxury consumers don’t buy products just because they like them but because they want to be associated with the symbolic values and rituals that the brands represent. And this is why they are willing to spend big on luxury purchases.
So, What Defines A Luxury Brand Today?
To create a luxury brand, it’s essential to create unique values that represent your brand and then communicate them through every touchpoint, from brand identity and marketing strategies to logos and product advertising.
The concept of luxury is evolving, especially in today’s market, where every luxury brand provides an emotional reason to buy its products. Standing out in such a competitive niche commands respect, attention, and dedication to completely immerse yourself in the lives of luxury customers.
With the help of Global Bay, you can develop a strong identity for your luxury brand with a website that resonates with your target audience. We provide a framework of websites and luxury brand positioning strategies that have all the characteristics of a luxury brand, and we have the experience to back it up – visit our portfolio to find out more. We would love to help your luxury brand become more noticeable and stand out from the rest.
About The Author
Jon Basker is the creative mind behind Global Bay, and has helped luxury brands that wanted to skyrocket their online presence for more than 12 years. He does this with his exceptional brand strategy and digital consulting skills. His portfolio includes collaborations with high-end brands spanning the fashion, jewelry, and automotive luxury sectors, such as Flamingo Jewelley, Sofa Magic, Valsanzibio, etc.
Global Bay: A Superlative Luxury Digital Agency
The team of Global Bay consists of strategic web designers, developers, marketers, and strategists who have helped plenty of high-end brands across fashion houses, elite automotive brands, fine jewelry companies, lifestyle services, and other luxury market sectors. We are committed to helping your brand reach new heights, just like we have done before across Europe, the Middle East, and North America. We believe in a bespoke collaboration and approach, which means that we understand your stuff as well as you do, and combine strategic positioning with cutting-edge digital designs and brand-defining experiences that strike a chord with the UHNWIs. Our portfolio includes iconic collaborations in the luxury sector, which you can browse at GlobalBay.design.