This thought-provoking book explores new luxury paradigms for a changing world. As materialism, hedonism and indulgence are swiftly being replaced by decency, depth and substance, status, moneyed brands have a unique chance to create change, to connect with the soul and positively impact our civilization. The arguments and research Bevolo, Gofman, Marzano and Moskowitz present here shed light on how to manage this transition.
Premium by Design is a thoroughly researched, well argued and well presented study that combines a rigorous identification of important trends for the future, with new insights. As a result it is a must read for anyone in this market, or aspiring to it. While the emphasis on sustainability is commendable, the key challenge for the world today is how sustainable is the underlying process that is driving this apparent desire for more and more indulgent material possessiveness? This book might not have all the answers, but it will likely provoke and trigger a long overdue debate in the premium and image driven industries about tomorrow's values.
About the Author: Marco Bevolo is Design Director at Philips Design. He worked since 1999 on the set up and launch of Philips Design CultureScan program, a trend forecasting on going research project investigating cultures, aesthetics and design at global and regional level. He was promoted to Design Director in 2003, and since then has worked in areas of communication trends, cultural trends and media relations. He was born in 1967 in Turin, Italy and graduated in Psychology of Communication from the University of Turin and he is married with Keiko since 1999. He started his professional career at Italdesign Giugiaro in 1990. Prior to joining Philips Design, his work focused mainly on publishing and marketing communication. He was Editor in Chief for "Intervista", an Italian lifestyle editorial spin off from Flash Art. He worked as copywriter with Armando Testa for clients like P&G and Bolton, joining Euro RSCG in 1998. He moved to The Netherlands in 1999 to take up the responsibility of the cultural trend research program at Philips Design.
Dr. Alex Gofman is an accomplished hands-on technology oriented marketing research executive, scholar and author with a strong portfolio of successes researching, designing and managing market research, innovation, consumer insights and analytics for major global clients. He is well-known for the development of innovative marketing and consumer insights methodologies and Web based technologies. Widely published and recognized internationally for contributions to consumer intelligence and related Web technologies, structured experimentation with consumers, consumer insights, conjoint analysis, segmentation, online marketing, and consumer driven dynamic advertisement optimization.
Alex is Adjunct Associate Professor. of Marketing at Pace University teaching MBA courses at Lubin Business School and a co-author of award winning internationally acclaimed Selling Blue Elephants book (Wharton School Publishing, 2007) translated into fifteen foreign languages. He is a regular contributor to Daily News and Analysis, Research World, Wharton School Publishing and Financial Times Press publications.
Alex is keynote speaker at many international conferences and a guest lecturer at universities around the world including Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania), New York University (NYU), Tartu University (Estonia), University MARA / UiTM (Malaysia), Lausanne Business School (Switzerland).
Howard Moskowitz is the CEO of i-Novation Inc as well as President of Moskowitz Jacobs Inc., a firm he founded in 1981.
Dr. Moskowitz is both a well-known experimental psychologist in the field of psychophysics and an inventor of world-class market research technology. Dr. Moskowitz graduated Harvard University in 1969 with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology; prior to that he graduated Queens College (New York), Phi Beta Kappa, with degrees in mathematics and psychology. He has written/edited sixteen books, has published well over 300 articles and serves on the editorial board of major journals.
His extensive speaking engagements span both scientific and market research conferences, as well as guest lectures at leading business schools and food science schools. His latest book with co-author Alex Gofman, Selling Blue Elephants (Wharton School Publishing) demonstrates and popularizes how IdeaMap (i-Novation`s flagship product) creates new products and messages... from areas as diverse as credit cards, jewelry offers, presidential messaging during election years, stock market communications, and trans-national innovation.
Dr. Moskowitz has won numerous awards, among them the Scientific Director`s Gold Medal for outstanding research at the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, and the 2001 and 2003 awards by ESOMAR (European Society Of Market Research) for his innovation in web-enabled, self-authored conjoint measurement, and for weak signals research in new trends analysis and concept development.
Reviews: “I found this book to be a very useful and readable guide to what the luxury market is and what it will become and a very good primer on how to anticipate the luxury market of the future.”
– Arnold Brown, Chairman, Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc., New York
“Marco Bevolo, Alex Gofman and Howard Moskowitz show us the way to tomorrow’s High End by talking to experts from around the world to learn from them, listen to consumers to practically evaluate what it means and deliver the insights to all of us to get started today. Known as industry experts and innovators around the world, the authors accelerate our learning and practically invite us to a better world for all, by design…Enjoy!” – Laurent Flores, CEO, CRMMetrix, Paris, France
“How to get customers? How to lose customers? How to create a new brand from one hundreds of years old or a new idea? This and much more makes Premium by Design a literal playbook for senior management and marketing personnel for companies large and small. The real life examples bring the lessons to life, anybody who reads this book will come away with numerous ideas they can use in their businesses.” – Doug Gollan, President and Editor in Chief, Elite Traveler, New York
“Premium by Design is an excellent source of insights and learning about the increasingly important but little understood mass luxury market. It’s that rare sort of book that combines rigorous research with thought provoking views on the future while wrapping it all together in a thoroughly engaging writing style. The authors also deserve credit for including China in their analysis as it will likely be – if it’s not already – the primary battleground for tomorrow’s high end spending.” – Jim Sailor, Managing Director, TNS Greater China, Shanghai
“Premium by Design is a thoroughly researched, well argued and well presented study that combines a rigorous identification of important trends for the future, with new insights. As a result it is a must read for anyone in this market, or aspiring to it. " – Bruce Lloyd, Professor Strategic Management, South Bank University, London
“The book integrates not only the insights of 70 experts, but also cleverly refocuses our attention on the end-users -- the people that are attracted to the High End -- by means of their stories, aspirations and preferences, thereby allowing the authors to articulate a new, experience-based vision for the future of the industry. A must-read for anyone conceiving, developing and marketing higher-end consumer products and services!” – Michele Visciola (President), Mark Vanderbeeken and Jan-Christoph Zoels, Experientia, Turin
“A valuable book offering a unique insight, exploring case histories and various expert view points with actionable tools to achieve Future High End success, making this an easy read appealing to a wide audience. Highly recommended!” – Pascale Emalan, fr. Marketing and Market Research Director, Takasago, Paris
“Inspiring like delicious tapas from the molecular kitchen - this book contains a bouquet of visionary ideas which contributes to a holistic design experience. It gives us a vivid taste of creativity for more High End substance in our lives.” – Wolfgang Mueller-Pietralla, Head of Future Research, Volkswagen Group, D
“The definition of luxury lies in the eyes of the beholder – not only in the depth of his or her pockets. Hence pinpointing the meaning of luxury is a matter of mastering sociological, cultural, psychological and aesthetical insights on a global level. Which is exactly what this book does, through a coherent, structured and easy-to-read series of interviews and analysis. A pleasurable read hence turns into a very useful tool for fostering new business creations and for using design and style in a strategic and innovative way.” – Laura Traldi, interior design freelance journalist
(Interni, Mondadori Publishers), Milan
“Where there is a group of humans, there is a story that binds them together.” Premium by Design tells the story of luxury – authenticity, consistency, exclusivity, innovation and tradition. Luxury brands that ignore the roadmap in this book do so at their own peril. It should sit on the desk of every brand manager and brand marketing manager, and they should refer to it daily.” – T. B. (Mac) McClelland, Jr., President & CEO, The Luxury Marketing Council (Middle East), Dubai
“In all my years associated with ‘luxury’ I have never read a book that articulates so well the business opportunities that are emerging through a systematic approach to developing ‘high end’ propositions. It’s abundantly clear that customers want high end. I believe this book will be of real practical help to people who are seeking to make their businesses, brands & products lead in this profitable market segment, rather than follow or get beaten.” – Peter Lavers, fr. Managing Director, Customer Futures (an Ogilvy company).
“Premium by Design is a “must-read” for experts looking to update their notion of what luxury means today. From thorough evaluation of premium brands to insightful interviews with luxury brand architects, this unique survey demonstrates the intricacies of the high end market and its transformative nature as it adapts to the fast-paced changes of the 21st century.” – Angel Chang, fashion designer, NYC, Winner of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award.