Armani, aspiration, and the decline of luxury

If we’re reductive about it, we might say there are really only two strategic levers a business can pull from a consumer perspective: Utilitarian Brand led When it comes to delivering value, these are basically the paths to do it.  Utilitarian companies offer a genuinely useful and unique “function” – for instance, the supermarket Lidl, […]

Go big or go home – why the mass market still matters

Apologies in advance to foreign readers for the very British cultural references that follow – no doubt you’ll be able to sub in your own equivalents and still get the gist. ___ When I was growing up, I vividly remember our family’s Saturday night viewing routine: Blind Date, Gladiators, and Birds of a Feather. An unbeatable triple combo of […]