Indiaa in Luxury

Delivering a luxury brand experience by Lulu Raghavan December 2012

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Delivering a luxury brand experience

India’s growing tribe of luxury consumers is more traveled, more discerning, and more demanding than ever before. Gone are the days when multinational companies could get away with introducing outdated models or offering limited product selection to the Indian market. And it’s no longer enough to ride on the halo of global brand image when selling to Indian consumers. In the Indian context, the delivery and experience of a luxury brand are much more critical than the product alone and the badge value of owning it. Indian consumers might notice the Louis Vuitton logo and be enticed by an impressive lifestyle ad in a glossy magazine, but it’s the Louis Vuitton experience across all interactions that will shape their perceptions of the brand. Positive perception is key to driving purchase and loyalty, and therefore long-term business success.

the product itself can be purchased more cheaply in Hong Kong, Singapore, or Dubai. To increase their chances of success in India, luxury brands need to think of the brand experience as the customer journey—the interaction between customer and brand throughout the relationship, from awareness and consideration to purchase and loyalty. Taking such a holistic view allows a deeper, more nuanced understanding of luxury customers’ needs and enables brands to create a differentiated and relevant brand experience. Market challenges

Lulu Raghavan is country director of the Mumbai office of Landor Associates, which she helped establish in 2007. This article was...