The profile of the affluent customer continues to evolve. Just last September an Ispos Mendelsohn report alerted the world to the complete disappearance of the affluent "middle class," meaning the 100-200k segment. Now a new report from Unity Marketing says they're back. Meet HENRY.» 2 Comments
Each month, our survey takes the pulse of American Affluents, tracking their attitudes, aspirations and anxieties. Our latest results find some stability in economic perspectives: optimists about the economy continue to narrowly outnumber pessimists, and most feel the recession is still a reality for themselves, their families, and the U. S as a whole.» 0 Comments
Advertisers are starting to question the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, debating the overall effectiveness of social media marketing. The latest example is GM's decision to cancel its $10 million Facebook advertising budget due to unsatisfactory returns and an overall ineffectiveness of their ads on the social networking site.» 1 Comments
Luxury brands seem immune to the caution that has characterized the retail sector in recent months - some finding it difficult to keep up with demand. For example, Louis Vuitton witnessed sales growth of 20% in 2011 and Gucci breached the EUR3 billion mark in sales for the first time last year.» 0 Comments
There's a new customer segment to target: Slackers. In early May, the results of the Second Annual American Express Platinum Luxury Survey were announced. The biggest surprise that emerged was that, for the first time ever, Generation X is spending substantially more on luxury purchases than their Baby Boomer counterparts. That's right: Members of the MTV-era "slacker" generation are outspending Boomers by roughly 18% in multiple luxury categories, in excess of $4,000 for households included in the survey. Now that Gen X is reaching the peak of their professional lives - they're between 35 and 46 today - many are ...» 3 Comments
The charity auction season is in full swing. Over the next few months, there will thousands of galas and fundraising parties all over the country. With those events comes a demand on affluent Americans to make financial contributions to a growing number of worthy causes. If you are planning a charity event, the best way to raise the most money possible is to be sure you have items on the auction block that are proven to be winners with your affluent audience.» 0 Comments
Many ethnic groups, such as African-Americans and Hispanics, tend to be under-represented among the Affluent (who I'll define as adults living in households with at least $100,000 in annual household income). For example, the Census Bureau's 2011 Current Population Survey shows that Hispanics are 14% of the general population, but just 9% of the Affluent population. Similarly, those describing themselves as Black or African-American are 12% of the general population, but just 7% of the Affluent population.» 0 Comments
According to "Women's Wear Daily," Herms lost its appeal to the China Trademark Appeal Board in February. According to state media, Herms failed in its attempt to register the Chinese version of its name, Ai Ma Shi in pinyin, because a Chinese company, the Dafeng Garment Co. of Guangdong, had already done so. Apparently, Chinese speakers refer to Herms by that name and Herms argued that therefore they should be allowed to register it, but the trademark board disagreed. These two cases are bringing to light the growing intricacies of branding in the Chinese market.» 2 Comments
Recently, Luxury Travel Magazine published a list of the top destinations for 2012. You'd expect Paris, Monte Carlo, and Dubai to top the list, but you'd be wrong. Instead, exotic destinations like Tasmania, Jordan and the Congo dominated. With so much competition from the likes of Vegas and other more obvious destinations, how did these spots become top-of-mind for affluent travelers?» 1 Comments
