The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia's Love Affair With Luxury (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Paul Husband (Author)
Key Phrases: cult catalysts, luxury brand sales, luxury gourmands, Hong Kong, Louis Vuitton, South Korea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fascinating. Full of insight and vital source material for anyone interested in understanding modern Asians." -- Miles Young, Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific

"Painstakingly researched and easy to read, an amazing look inside the luxury brand trade." -- Ambar Brachmachary, President of JWT Japan

Asia has fallen madly, deeply, hopelessly in love, and the objects of its affection are Louis Vuitton bags, Ferragamo shoes and Burberry trench coats. What spurred this regionwide obsession with Western luxury brands? Radha Chadha and Paul Husband analyze the phenomenon in an in-depth study of the "luxeplosion" reverberating throughout Asia. New money is upsetting old ways, allowing people to buy their way to the top of the status ladder. Chadha and Husband identify how this luxury mania took hold, country by country. Savvy marketers can use this information in their plans to penetrate the Asian market. The prose is lively, engaging and witty, elevating this marketing manual into the fun-to read category. -- The Press-Enterprise, July 7, 2008

Excellent and timely. Chadha and Husband have got the story. It's 'hands-on', accessible, informative, professional and lively." -- Dr. Kaori O'Connor, University College London and author of The Way We Wear

Product Description

The Cult of the Luxury Brand is the first book to explore how and why an amazing phenomenon is rocking Asia, sweeping up not just the glitzy upper crust, but also secretaries clutching Burberry bags, junior executives sporting Rolex watches and university students flaunting Ferragamo shoes. Hong Kong boasts more Gucci and Hermes stores than New York or Paris. China's luxury market is growing with such momentum that it will be the world's biggest by 2014. In Tokyo, the epicenter of this "luxe-plosion," 94% of women in their 20s own a Louis Vuitton bag. Even India, the new kid on the luxury block, has three-month waiting lists for hot items.

Written by world-leading retail consultants in a highly accessible style, The Cult of the Luxury Brand draws on more than 150 interviews with industry experts, market studies in 10 countries, and the authors' vast experience across Asia. It offers a glimpse of the thriving retail scene, from glorious flagship stores in Tokyo to bustling local markets in Seoul, and compares the various consumer segments to understand the inner motives for their obsession. It demonstrates how the continent's massive economic and social transformation is dismantling centuries-old ways of defining one's place in society, and how your spot on today's social totem pole is marked by your Chanel suit and your Cartier watch.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 314 pages
• Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904838057
• ISBN-13: 978-1904838050
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #237,410 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A five-star book, January 11, 2007

By	Helena Hu (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is one-of-a-kind in the industry, studying the luxury shopping habits of Asians by analyzing their past present and futures. It's chock full of well researched luxury facts and figures essential for people working in the luxury industry. For luxury enthusiasts, the book has a wonderfully witty and wicked sense of humour that keeps one's reading fast paced and lively.

Highly recommended.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for anyone doing business in Asia, January 3, 2007

By	The Grinch (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

Chadha and Husband get right under the skin of the phenomenon that has resulted in Asia accounting for over half of the world's US$80 billion annual spend on luxury brands.
It's a very accessible read and essential for anyone who wants to understand what drives Asian consumers.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia's Love Affair With Luxury, September 11, 2007

By	R. Tom (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A very realistic view of the cult branding in Asia. I live in Tokyo and have followed the High Fashion industry in Japan, H.K. and China for over 10 years. Recently in Tokyo the trend is to have the brands, but not the very bright logos. Some are even buying high quality Japanese brands. What is unclear is the social impact this cult following is creating in Asia. Selfishness, corruption, illegal activities, greed, etc.
I have meet many girls who say "I must have it!" All day and all night all they talk about is the bag or the brand. Nothing else is important.

Another recent marketing scheme in Tokyo is called gentei- limited edition. Collaboration with a famous designer but only in limited quantities. The result is more talk, more buzz, and higher prices.

The authors talks about Asian luxury brands starting to evolve in Asia, maybe so, India, Shanghai, and Tokyo, Osaka host many fashion shows revealing some of the local talents. Quality, fabric, and style are very good.

Branding is what is perceived by the consumer. Or what we are lead to believe.