What is a Luxury Brand? Marketing Strategies for Amazon Sellers

What is a luxury brand? Consumers are quick to identify the big fashion houses like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, automobile brands like Porsche and Ferrari, accessories like Cartier, Rolex, and Tiffany & Co., or even wines from French luxury vineyards. But we’re not here to talk about iconic luxury brands; they’ve spent a huge amount of money over generations to establish their reputation in this field.

We’re here instead to reassure you that pretty much any brand can house luxury products, as long as you implement a solid brand strategy, epic customer service, and adept listing optimization. You see, that’s because the perception of luxury is different for everyone. The features of luxury brands are actually easy to implement across different types of products, especially on Amazon, where you don’t have to spend millions of dollars on curating the perfect brick and mortar luxury boutique.

What are the benefits of a luxury brand strategy?

Well, first of all, when your brand positioning communicates luxury, you differentiate your product as being of a higher value – so, you can charge higher prices and turn a greater profit. You could be selling a product that’s almost identical to a hundred other products on Amazon, but if you run your business with a luxury experience, you can charge higher, because customers will perceive you as the more affluent variation.

Secondly, by following the principles that high-end brands have used throughout the generations, you’ll find it easier to connect with customers across the globe – particularly where the luxury sector is strong, such as in France, Italy, and the UAE.

You don’t need generations of family members to be associated with luxury branding. You just need to create a luxury brand through careful marketing and operations.

Intrigued? Read on.

Speaking of pricing, check out this blog on how to price a product for sale on Amazon. Spoiler alert: consumer perception of your brand’s value has a direct relationship with the price tag you put onto your product.

What is a Luxury Brand? Defining Luxury Branding

What’s the definition of “luxury brand marketing?” We’ll quote Sotheby’s Institute of Art, who said it best:

Luxury brands are those that offer products or services associated with rarity, excellence, and high prices. They are often seen as status symbols and are popular among high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) and aspirational consumers. (source: Luxury Marketing: A Deep Dive into High-End Branding)

There are certain core elements that define a successful luxury brand: craftsmanship, exclusivity, and compelling brand stories.

Now, this definition is different from what consumers think makes a brand luxury. Some of the definitions overlap, but here’s what customers look for:

1. Exclusivity and Rarity: In other words, limited editions, bespoke items, rare materials, and items that aren’t available to the general population
2. Superior Quality and Craftsmanship: Items are built to last, and represent the pinnacle of craftsmanship. The opposite of this is fast fashion, where clothes may not last past 3 cycles in the washing machine.
3. Prestige and Status: Luxury brands often symbolize wealth, success, and social status. Owning or using luxury products is seen as a way to display one’s achievements and position in society.
4. Heritage and Legacy: Luxury brands are known as having a long-standing history, rich traditions, and a strong legacy. Now, this will be hard to achieve if you haven’t been around for hundreds of years, but if you communicate timeless elegance, and weave storytelling into your copywriting, you should be able to emulate this aspect.
5. Aesthetics and Design: Elegance sets luxury brands apart. Whether your customer believes in flashy logos and proclaiming wealth through recognizable designs, or buys into the whole Quiet Rich aesthetic, your design must be flawless.
6. Personalization and Uniqueness: When you build a strong luxury brand, it’s crucial to show the customers that they’re unique and special. The best way to do this is to tailor the buying experience to your customers’ individual preferences. Customer service and product inserts, anybody?
7. Exceptional Service: A luxury fashion brand will offer incredible customer service. Even if you’re selling ceramic dinnerware, if you can provide above-average customer care and after sales services, you’ll be perceived as giving customers a luxurious experience.
8. Emotional Connection: Luxury items often evoke strong emotional responses, whether it’s the joy of ownership, the pride of possession, or the nostalgia associated with a brand’s history. The emotional resonance enhances the perceived value of luxury. Yes, even wooden toys can achieve this emotional connection with consumers; we’ll get into that a little later.
9. Experience and Lifestyle: For some consumers, luxury is about indulging in unique, memorable experiences that go beyond the material. Many consumers define luxury as the experience they get with the luxury commodity, not so much the commodity itself. You’ll see this in car brands; the experience you get driving a Ferrari is what compels you to choose that car over, say, a Ford.

Now that you see what defines a luxury brand, the wheels in your head should be turning. In order to be considered luxury, you don’t necessarily have to have a brand that began in the halls of Versailles during the court of Louis XIV, nor do you need flashy logos and gold flecks in your alcoholic beverages. Sometimes, you just need to adapt these same luxury branding principles into your Amazon listing, to help customers perceive your product as a true luxury commodity. After all, true class never screams opulence or garishness. If you manage to adapt these principles accurately, you won’t have to tell your customers that you’re a luxury brand; they’ll make the inferences themselves.

The idea is to be perceived as a luxury brand, not necessarily to be one.

What is a Luxury Brand in Amazon? Understand Luxury Brand Marketing for the Simplest Products

Let’s put this another way. Is it time to increase prices to accommodate the rising cost of goods, shipping, FBA fees, and so forth? If your listing is optimized in a way that follows the format of leading luxury brands, you’ll be justified to set high price points. You don’t have to sell luxury products in order to achieve the same sort of brand recognition.

We’ll explore what makes any type of product a luxury product, and how Amazon Sellers can achieve a strong brand identity through luxury digital marketing.

Here’s how to increase sales and brand recognition through the principles of luxury marketing:

• High-Quality Imagery and Descriptions:
  • Optimize your listing correctly. This means using high-resolution images and rich, detailed descriptions that showcase your product’s craftsmanship an quality. That means investing in beautiful photography, using video and imagery to tell a story, and investing in classy packaging.
  • Highlight unique product features that emphasize luxury, like materials, durability, or innovation. Is your product hand made? That’s an aspect of luxury. Is your product durable? Luxury brands are built to last past a season. Remember, you’re not selling fast fashion, here; the point about luxury goods is that they’ll be passed down from generation to generation, which you can’t do if your product breaks or goes out of style quickly.
• Exclusivity:
  • Create a sense of scarcity or limited availability to enhance your product’s desirability (e.g., limited stock messaging or seasonal offerings). Christmas is coming up; many luxury brands will release a seasonal product offering that can’t be bought any other time of the year. There’s a level of exclusivity that you can achieve when you offer once-a-year products. You’ll see this exemplified in the holiday collections of Hermès, Chanel, Mont Blanc, and more. Ask yourself, how can you create a “limited edition” product that will boast a high price tag, has exceptional craftsmanship, and incredible design?
  • Use premium pricing strategies to convey higher value and appeal to discerning customers. Premium pricing will generate revenue, but will also communicate a brand’s value, positioning products as desirable status symbols and reinforcing exclusivity. By telling a story of quality, exclusivity, and lifestyle through a high price point, your brand can enhance its reputation.
• Brand Storytelling:
  • Luxury brands have a story to tell. This is when it becomes crucial to hire an adept copywriter. A good writer will communicate luxuriousness in your bullets, A+, and product description, by weaving a story around what you do. What differentiates your brand from the fast fashion out there? Is it sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly materials, giving back to communities, innovative design, or expert craftsmanship? Tell the story. Your brand narratives play a huge role in customer perception.
  • Emphasize heritage, even if newly created, to resonate with consumers who value timeless brands. Products from the luxury industry are passed down from grandfather to father to son; the impact of luxury goods is a long-term one. When pursuing product development, keep this in mind. If you’re marketing your product as a luxury brand, make sure your product’s quality fulfills the promises your listing communicates.

Check out this interesting infographic:

To explain this graph, luxury customers perceive luxury products in 4 different ways, and you can use this perception to market your product the way luxury houses market their products.

1. What is the social value of your product? Will your consumers be admired by others if they show themselves using your product?
2. What is the individual value of your product? Does using your product make them feel better about themselves, like they’ve achieved something?
3. What’s the functional value of your product? Will your product last for the long haul? Is it unique, or can it be found in any store across the city? Is it durable?
4. What’s the financial value of your product? Do the price points communicate true luxury, or is your product always on discount?

If you’re a private label seller on Amazon, you’ll notice that a lot of what goes into a good, long-lasting product on Amazon is pretty much the same as what goes into developing luxury products. What makes luxury brands stand out is the feeling they give customers; if you can give that same feeling, you’ll notice that the perception of your product will improve, and you’ll be better justified to raise price points.

We really must emphasize this fact: on Amazon, your luxury brand identity has a lot to do with careful optimization, so don’t scrimp on that. Ever.

What is a Luxury Brand on Amazon? Practical Tips to Make Your Amazon Listing Feel More Luxurious

Let’s get into that luxury optimization, then. When you implement a luxury brand’s marketing strategies, you’ll find that your performance on Amazon will improve, even if you’re not necessarily selling a luxury product per se.

• Enhancing Product Packaging:
  • The box your product comes in has a dual purpose. First of all, it protects the item during transit, increasing the likelihood that it will arrive undamaged (and we all know how customers feel about damaged products – hello negative reviews). Secondly, it adds to the overall experience of your product. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer. If you receive a product that’s wrapped in shrink wrap with little thought to presentation, that’s one thing, but if you receive the same product wrapped in tissue paper with a pretty box, complete with company logo and some pretty graphic design, it makes a difference. By working on your product packaging, you’re telling the customer that their experience really matters to you. Remember our point above about personalized experiences, and how these add to the luxury vibe?
  • Read more about product packaging here.
• Customer Experience:
  • Part of what makes luxury so enjoyable is the experience of it all. Customers feel seen, acknowledged, respected, and honored, as if the purchase they made – no matter how small – is incredibly important to the brand. Luxury brands create relationships with  their customer base through seamless customer service. They offer impeccable after-sales service, including hassle-free returns, and honest concern for the customer’s issues. This level of customer service isn’t hard to do on Amazon, at all. In fact, think about putting up a Chatbot to answer FAQs in real time, and translating this to all the cultures you sell in. That way, customers get immediate answers to their concerns, without you having to rely on virtual assistants across different time zones. Then, more targeted questions can be addressed through email by human beings.
  • Furthermore, consider adding product inserts in your packaging. A classy thank you note, special discounts, or offers to join exclusive social media groups will enhance the luxury experience.
• Elevating Your Product Descriptions:
  • Luxury brands must employ professional copywriters to express their brand positioning. It’s so important to speak to your consumers in language they understand – in fact, if you’re speaking to an aspirational target market, it would even make sense to elevate your language a tiny bit so they feel you’re incredibly elegant and eloquent – it’ll raise your esteem in their eyes. Professional copywriters can communicate your brand messages in a way that resonates with the target market, engages them, and develops a relationship with them. Make sure the bullets, product description, A+, and storefront effectively communicate all the things we discussed earlier in this blog: craftsmanship, design, heritage, and so forth.
  • Don’t forget, luxury brands weave stories around what they do. So, it’s important that your product pages feature stories about your product and your brand. Surely, there’s a reason why you started your business…are you a family-owned institution? Or perhaps a rags to riches sort of tale? Luxury marketers use these little stories and amp them up to tug at the heartstrings of customers. They say that every successful brand has 2 brands: a corporate brand, with a logo and a brand identity, and a personal brand, with stories and heart. When you’re building a luxury brand – especially if your products aren’t long-standing luxury products with centuries of experience – stories matter.

Localization and Expansion: Characteristics of Luxury Brands in Countries Like France, UAE, and Italy

Now, let’s say you’re planning to expand your Amazon selling business globally. Do these principles still apply?

They most definitely do, especially when you’re eyeing countries known for their luxury goods and customers, like France, Italy, and the UAE.

What’s the impact of luxury brands in these countries, and why does it matter to the average Amazon Seller?

Think about it. In the courts of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” himself, there was massive emphasis in the arts and fashion. The king’s appearance, and that of his courtiers and mistresses, set trends in both France and abroad. In fact, it was during his reign that the Palais de Versailles was created, an unmatched display of elegance and grandeur even today. The furniture was made exclusively by royal artisans. Is it any surprise that France is a mecca for all things luxurious?

For information on expanding to France, read up on the Best Practices in English to French Translations: Expanding to Amazon.fr

Italy’s another country with a strong luxury market. The market is projected to reach a revenue of US$15.91bn in 2024, with an annual growth rate of 2.38%. In fact, fashion and luxury are the country’s 3rd-largest industry, with an economic value of almost 100 billion Euros in 2022. Around 1 million Italians work in the Italian fashion industry. According to data from Deloitte’s Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2022, Italy is the leading manufacturer of luxury goods in terms of number of companies. The Italians definitely know a thing or two about what luxury means.

Ever thought about expanding to Italy? Read up on How to Translate English to Italian: Best Practices in Expanding to Amazon Italy.

Another growing player in the luxury goods market is the UAE – the luxury market size reached US$4.0 Billion in 2023, and is expected to reach US$6.7 Billion by 2032. The UAE, particularly Dubai, boasts a thriving market where global and domestic luxury brands thrive. With a rich cultural heritage and a vibrant arts scene, the UAE has shaped global luxury trends, attracting top talent and high-profile figures from around the world. The nation’s luxury market, which accounted for over 1% of global spending in 2021 despite its small population, is rapidly growing, driven by the demand for high-end real estate and exclusive products. Dubai’s transformation into a 21st-century global city, with its blend of opulent living, cutting-edge architecture, and tax advantages, makes it a prime destination for luxury shopping, real estate investment, and tourism.

It’s time to seriously consider expanding to the UAE. Read our Ultimate Guide on Selling in the UAE This 2024.

Of course, there are many more countries out there that boast healthy luxury markets – Monaco and the USA being part of that list. It might be intimidating to expand to these countries, given the proliferation of established luxury brands, but the point we’re making here is that any brand can be perceived as a luxury brand, as long as you adapt the same principles.

Countries with strong luxury markets are used to luxury marketing. Customers have certain expectations of how a brand is marketed and communicated. If a marketing tactic is important for luxury brands, then it makes sense to implement the same tactics and strategies into your brand promises to align yourself with what these cultures want to see.

So, when you ask yourself, what is a luxury brand, don’t limit yourself to the big names. Your little product can also become a luxury brand, if you optimize your listing the correct way, through the strategies we discussed above.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to use localization to adapt your listing to local languages and preferences to enhance that luxury appeal.

What is a Luxury Brand, and Will Expansion Be Easier?

If you implement these principles in your Amazon selling, it’ll be easier to engage with customers no matter where you are. But it’ll definitely be easier to expand globally – especially to countries where customers expect a certain level of attention and luxury.

• Global Reach on Amazon:
  • Amazon ships to more than 100 countries globally. That means that there are over 100 cultures that are potential lovers of your product selection. You can leverage this network to reach different markets across the globe – particularly markets that have a strong demand for luxury products. By optimizing your listing with localized content, premium pricing, and targeted advertising, it’ll be easier to position your brand within these luxury markets. Make sure you use FBA to ensure fast and reliable shipping, and absolute must for a luxury brand. Evaluate the possibility of participating in Amazon’s events and promotions, such as Prime Day and Cyber Monday, to increase your brand’s visibility in these regions.
• Building Brand Loyalty:
  • Make sure you consider the category-specific wants and needs of your customer base, as well. Take a look at your competitors. How can you offer a product that’s higher in quality? How can you meet the expectations of your target audience, in a way that your competitors are unable to? Luxury brands are synonymous with delivering on your brand promise – consistently, effectively, and without fail. That’s how to build brand loyalty, no matter where you may be in the world – whether you’re in Rio de Janeiro, Brussels, Dubai, Singapore, or Paris.
• Customer Reviews and Social Proof:
  • A luxury brand’s identity often grows in the hearts and souls of its customers. You can go ahead and optimize to the best of your ability, but if customers don’t look at your brand experience as a luxurious one, you’ll be barking up the wrong tree. To really implement luxury marketing principles in your selling journey, pay close attention to customer reviews. We’ve been through customer service already in this blog; customer reviews provide the social proof for other customers that your brand provides that luxury experience, even if you’re not necessarily selling the Mont Blanc Le Petit Prince fountain pen.
  • Consider taking your marketing off Amazon through omnichannel marketing. The more touch points your customers have with you, the more you can implement those luxury marketing principles. The more they see you, the more they can interact with you, and the higher the probability that social proof will come rushing in. Publish positive feedback on your website and social accounts to encourage other customers to take a chance on your product. Just be careful – it’s absolutely crucial to implement a consistent brand identity across all your marketing, from your packaging to your off-Amazon efforts to your product listing.

Final Tips for Amazon Sellers: Luxury Marketing Strategies

Now that you’ve got a better idea of what to do to elevate your brand in the eyes of your customers through luxury marketing principles, let’s go into a few last words to really push the luxury principles as you expand globally.

• Localization:
  • Listen, if you’ve expanded to a new culture, and you’re just translating your listing and infographics from English to a new language, you’re leaving money on the table. The luxury experience is incredibly contingent on your target market understanding your product, and it’ll be painfully obvious if your assets aren’t translated properly. That’s why it’s so important to localize, not just translate, so you adapt the specific wants and desires of your new target market. Product descriptions, graphics, keywords, and customer service all have to add up to a luxury service – again, even if you’re not selling a luxury product. Just adapt these principles and you’ll find that the perception of your product will improve, and the attention to customer experience will show.
• The Importance of Consistency:
  • It’s also crucial to provide a consistent experience across all touch points – and that also means that your brand messaging in one country has to be the same as the brand messaging in the other countries you sell in. This way, you provide a unified experience across every single interaction with your brand – regardless of where in the world your customer may be.

Conclusion: Anything Can Be a Symbol of Luxury

So, what is a luxury brand? Luxury branding is built on 4 principles: craftsmanship, exclusivity, storytelling, and exceptional customer experience. These elements aren’t limited to luxury goods with centuries of history; they can be applied to any Amazon listing to elevate your brand’s perception.

By emphasizing the quality and uniqueness of your products, crafting a compelling brand narrative, and delivering an outstanding customer experience, you can position your brand as a luxury option within your category, in any country you sell in. You’ll start attracting discerning customers who value these things.

How to do this? Integrate the luxury branding principles in your listings through well-crafted product descriptions, enhancing your imagery, and offering timely and communicative customer service. And make sure to localize effectively; all those beautiful images and well-crafted copy will land flat if they aren’t communicated in a way that resonates with the culture you’re selling to.