Today’s leading luxury brands are
moving toward brand extensions that
don’t look down, but sideways. Rather
than reaching a more mass audience,
brands are expanding beyond their core
business into other luxury segments,
not only to diversify, but also to solidify
themselves as a fully realized lifestyle
brand, strengthening brand loyalty
among these new business ventures as
well as the foundational brand.
In short, brands want their consumers
to “live a life.”
LIVE THE SUITE LIFE
And what is the fastest, most
immersive way to create a completely
branded lifestyle? The hospitality
space. Major luxury brands across the
consumer landscape have concluded
that a branded hotel experience is
an opportunity to bring their brand
to life across countless touchpoints.
Not surprisingly, brands like Baccarat,
Equinox, Bulgari, LVMH, and
Restoration Hardware have done just
that.
An early Baccarat Hotel & Residences
press release plainly notes, “The
opening of Baccarat New York will re-
introduce the venerable company in the
minds of consumers as an inspirational
lifestyle brand.” From the twelve
Baccarat chandeliers throughout the
New York property to the fully RH-
furnished Restoration Hardware Hotel,
these brands are bringing their products
out of the showroom and into daily life.
As luxury goods are continuing to
break into and establish themselves
in the hospitality world, luxury hotel
companies are doing the reverse. The
goal of luxury hotel brands is the same
as their hard-product siblings – create
new and engaging ways to interact
with the brand outside of the brand’s
traditional wheelhouse. To do this, hotel
companies have evolved to be more
creative. From jets to yachts to homes,
luxury hotel brands are creating ways
to ensure their service, culture, and
experience reach guests long after their
stays and far beyond their hotel walls.
LIVE LUXURIOUSLY FROM SKY
TO SEA
Four Seasons was the first to break
outside of the traditional hotel mold
beginning in 2015 when the brand
launched their Four Seasons Private
Jet. The media coverage and industry
attention were immense. The Four
Seasons Private Jet had a dual purpose,
translating the company’s famous
service experience to the skies and
creating an opportunity for the brand
to showcase its expertise and insider
connections to curate a once-in-a-
lifetime itinerary – even in destinations
where there was not a Four Seasons.
From the moment that guest steps foot
on the plane, until they return home,
they are completely encapsulated in
a Four Seasons world, and people are
willing to pay a premium for it.
Ritz-Carlton followed suit, taking
their brand extension to the seas with
the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection,
launching late next year. Ritz-Carlton
is directly competing with the existing
luxury cruise market, pricing their trips
in-line with the industry standard. The
key differentiator? The promise of
floating on a Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Lisa Holladay, Global Brand Leader
for The Ritz-Carlton highlighted the
extension in the release saying, “…
we are thrilled to offer guests a new
way to create memories with The
Ritz-Carlton.” She continued, framing
the ships as nautical Ritz properties
noting, “every aspect of the voyage has
been carefully created to embody the
signature service and casual luxury of a
Ritz-Carlton resort.”
ELEVATED LIVING
Perhaps the most straightforward
approach to lifestyle branding is
residential. It has virtually become
an industry standard for major
luxury hotel companies to now offer
residences within many of their hotels
and, at times, freestanding residential
structures. The opportunity to have
hotel services and amenities are
certainly a draw, but the intangible
offer to live a life enveloped by a
brand’s culture and ethos should not be
underestimated.
These brand extensions will continue to
grow in both directions across the luxury
space as brands look to capitalize on
the luxury consumer across categories.
While the brands mentioned here
have launched extensions globally, this
strategy is scalable and can be activated
at the property level, particularly for
independent properties. A fifteen-
room countryside Relais & Châteaux
property may consider a freestanding
boutique in the local downtown, offering
property products as well as regional
artisanal items. Regardless of the
channel through which brands choose
to extend, any off-property touchpoints
curated through the lens of the brand’s
expertise will strengthen the bond
between the guest and the brand.
About the author
Matthew Levison is a Vice President with
HL Group’s consumer lifestyle practice,
specializing in global brand initiatives,
content creation, and creative
programming ideation for a roster of
travel, hospitality, spirits, and consumer
products clients.
With more than 10 years of experience,
he has lead global campaigns for brands
including Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts,
Puntacana Resort & Club, Lindblad
Expeditions, Waldorf Astoria Hotels &
Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Grand
Marnier, and Baccarat Hotels & Resorts.
Prior to joining HL Group in 2015,
Matt spent six years at Nancy J.
Friedman Public Relations, where he
led campaigns for global brands and
destinations including Sheraton Hotels
& Resorts and Jackson Hole, Wyoming,
as well as independent hotel launches
for numerous properties across the
United States. He graduated cum laude
from Boston University with a degree in
public relations, with a specialization in
English and hospitality administration.
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