LECTURES

LUXURY BRAND NOTES AND VIDEOS

These are the Top 30 non-negotiable truths about luxury products and branding in 2025-2026.

  1. Luxury is never about price — it’s about distance. The farther the customer feels from owning it, the more they want it.
  2. The new luxury customer is 25-40, earns $250K+, and buys with crypto, Apple Pay, or WhatsApp — not in-store.
  3. Scarcity > Inventory. Sell 77 pieces, not 7,700. Number every single one.
  4. The waiting list is the new storefront. Make them beg (politely).
  5. Heritage = currency. If you don’t have 100 years, invent a founder story so good people tattoo the logo.
  6. Never say “limited edition.” Say “never to be repeated.”
  7. The unboxing video must get 1M views before the product ships.
  8. Quiet luxury is dead — Obvious exclusivity is back (Birkin flex, Rolex bat signal).
  9. Sustainability in luxury = zero greenwashing. Use regenerated cashmere or lose the Gen-Z billionaire.
  10. The invite-only app beats the flagship store (LVMH’s 24S, MyTheresa’s beta, etc.).
  11. Your customer’s driver/bodyguard must love the brand too — they influence 40% of purchases.
  12. NFC chips in every bag. Tap it → provenance, resale cert, VIP event invite.
  13. Resale value > retail price. Design for TheRealReal, not the first owner.
  14. Concierge > Customer service. WhatsApp with a human 24/7, not a bot.
  15. The logo is back — but only if it’s 100 years old or costs $100K.
  16. Collabs work only when one brand is 1000x cooler than the other (Supreme × Rolex > Gucci × anyone).
  17. Experiences trump objects. Sell the Monaco GP yacht weekend, throw in the $400K watch for free.
  18. Never discount. Ever. Destroy inventory first (see Burberry’s $40M bonfire lesson).
  19. The metaverse land you bought in 2022? Turn it into a $50K digital twin bag that unlocks the real one.
  20. Storytelling > Advertising. Your ad should feel like a Netflix documentary trailer.
  21. Influencers are dead. Micro-communities of 300 ultra-rich whales are alive.
  22. Clienteling apps track: birthday of their dog, favorite hotel suite, yacht name.
  23. The private salon in Dubai/Seoul/Shanghai makes 10x more per sqm than Paris flagship.
  24. Rarity theater: hand-deliver the piece on a private jet, film it, post the reel.
  25. Gen-Z luxury buyers check resale ROI before retail price.
  26. Your CEO must be mysterious (Bernard Arnault answers zero interviews; Jacques Cavallier posts perfume formulas on Instagram — choose one).
  27. Smell is the new logo. Creed, Le Labo, Byredo = 40% of luxury gifting.
  28. The repair service must be free forever and better than new.
  29. Cultural proximity > Marketing spend. Sponsor ONLY Art Basel VIP, F1 Paddock, Met Gala table.
  30. Rule #30: Break rule #29 occasionally — the only thing richer than a billionaire is being unpredictable.

Bonus 31 (because they’re 12 and love extras):
The second you explain why it’s luxury, it no longer is.





Here’s the Top 10 luxury brands by global sales revenue as of late 2025 (based on the most recent full-year data for FY2024, ending Dec 2024 for most groups). These are individual brands, not conglomerates — the way your Marketing 12 students think about “luxury brands.”

RankBrandParent / OwnerFY2024 Revenue (est.)Key Flex
1Louis VuittonLVMH~€22–23 billionStill the undisputed king. LV alone = more sales than the entire Kering group. mind.eu.com +1
2ChanelPrivately held (Wertheimer)$19.7 billionJumped ahead of Gucci in 2024; price hikes + timeless appeal = bulletproof. modaes.com +1
3HermèsHermès family€15.2 billion (~$17.7 billion)+15% growth while everyone else slowed. Birkin waitlist = free marketing. forbes.com +1
4GucciKering~€8.7 billionDown 23% in 2024 — creative director musical chairs hurt hard. fashionbi.com
5CartierRichemont~€8–9 billion (jewelry Maisons ~€15B total)Hard luxury wins in a shaky market; Cartier carries Richemont’s jewelry crown. forbes.com
6DiorLVMH~€8.5 billionBeauty + bags still printing money, but fashion slowed. retailboss.medium.com
7RolexHans Wilsdorf Foundation~$10.3 billionPrivate, mysterious, and richer than most public groups. news.market.us
8Tiffany & Co.LVMH~$7 billionPost-LVMH acquisition glow + Blue Book high jewelry = steady growth.
9Saint LaurentKering~€3.5 billionQuietly consistent; the only Kering brand that didn’t tank in 2024.
10Van Cleef & ArpelsRichemont~€4–5 billionAlhambra necklaces everywhere on rich aunts’ necks in 2025.

Louis Vuitton (Maison Founded 1854)

  • Parent Company: LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (world’s largest luxury conglomerate, headquartered in Paris). en.wikipedia.org
  • Flagship Brand Revenue: ~€22-23 billion in FY2024 (LV alone generates more than the entire Kering or Richemont groups). en.wikipedia.org
  • Core Products: Iconic monogram leather goods, handbags (Neverfull, Speedy), trunks, ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, fragrances; launched La Beauté Louis Vuitton cosmetics line in August 2025 with Pat McGrath. en.wikipedia.org
  • Key 2025 Moves: Pharrell Williams as Men’s Creative Director; new beauty line; LVMH sponsors F1 Australian GP; “The Louis” cruise-ship museum in Shanghai.
  • Distribution: ~500 directly operated stores worldwide; ultra-selective wholesale (e.g., no deep discounts ever).
  • Profit Margins: North of 40% — the cash cow that funds LVMH’s entire empire.
  • Market Position: Still the #1 most valuable luxury brand on earth; gained share even in a down market.

Hermès International (Maison Founded 1837)

  • Ownership: Family-controlled (Hermès family holds ~67% via holding companies); publicly listed but fiercely independent. pitchbook.com
  • 2024 Revenue: €15.2 billion (+15% at constant rates) — the only top-tier brand that grew double-digits while others contracted. globenewswire.com
  • 9M 2025 Revenue: €11.9 billion (+9% at constant rates); Q1 2025 €4.1 billion (+7%). globenewswire.com
  • Core Products: Leather goods & saddlery (50% of sales — Birkin, Kelly, Constance); silk scarves, ties, RTW, perfumes, watches, home.
  • Key 2025 Highlights: Opened 23rd leather workshop in Riom; three more planned (2025-2027); Grace Wales Bonner named Men’s RTW Creative Director (first collection Jan 2027). en.wikipedia.org
  • Distribution: ~300 exclusive boutiques; waiting lists are marketing gold; no e-commerce flash sales.
  • Profitability: Recurring operating margin ~40.5%; gave every employee €4,500 bonus in 2025.
  • Market Position: The ultimate “quiet luxury” winner — surpassed LVMH as Europe’s most valuable luxury company in 2025. en.wikipedia.org

Rolex (Founded 1905)

Market Position: The undisputed king of hard luxury — grew market share again in 2025 while the overall Swiss watch market shrank 2.5%.

Ownership: Privately held by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation (non-profit); zero outside shareholders, zero debt, total secrecy. legitcheck.app

2024 Revenue: CHF 10.58 billion (~$12.3 billion) — up 5% despite cutting production by 5% (1.18 million watches). revolutionwatch.com

Core Products: Oyster Perpetual, Submariner, Daytona, Datejust, GMT-Master — every single component made in-house across four Swiss sites.

Key 2025 Moves: Acquired Bucherer (world’s largest watch retailer); building new NYC flagship on Fifth Avenue; ended F1 timekeeping deal (LVMH/TAG Heuer takes over).

Distribution: Sold only through ~1,200 Official Rolex Jewelers; waiting lists for steel sports models still 2-10 years.

Market Share: 32% of entire Swiss watch industry by value — more than Cartier + Omega + AP + Patek + Richard Mille combined. blog.watchanalytics.io

Profitability: Estimated margins >30%; produces ~1.2 million watches annually yet resale premiums on Daytona can hit +100%.





ME 11/12 – LECTURES FOR Mon – Fri (OCT 27-31)

Ownership: Privately held by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation (non-profit); zero outside shareholders, zero debt, total secrecy. legitcheck.app

2024 Revenue: CHF 10.58 billion (~$12.3 billion) — up 5% despite cutting production by 5% (1.18 million watches). revolutionwatch.com

Core Products: Oyster Perpetual, Submariner, Daytona, Datejust, GMT-Master — every single component made in-house across four Swiss sites.

Key 2025 Moves: Acquired Bucherer (world’s largest watch retailer); building new NYC flagship on Fifth Avenue; ended F1 timekeeping deal (LVMH/TAG Heuer takes over).

Distribution: Sold only through ~1,200 Official Rolex Jewelers; waiting lists for steel sports models still 2-10 years.

Market Share: 32% of entire Swiss watch industry by value — more than Cartier + Omega + AP + Patek + Richard Mille combined. blog.watchanalytics.io

Profitability: Estimated margins >30%; produces ~1.2 million watches annually yet resale premiums on Daytona can hit +100%.

WED – ILU DAY
THUR – Videos – Tesla then WORK BLOCK
FRIDAY – Videos – Apple, START HANDING IN WORK, WORK MODE




MONDAY – TUESDAY
watch Rory Sutherland video – marketing genius
watch videos on biggest deal in shark tank history – brief discussion

Roderick Henry “Rory” Sutherland (born November 12, 1965) is a British advertising executive, author, and pioneering thinker in behavioral economics, renowned for applying psychological insights to marketing and decision-making. He joined the legendary ad agency Ogilvy & Mather as a graduate trainee in 1988, rising through the ranks as a copywriter and creative director over more than two decades. In 2012, he founded Ogilvy Change, the agency’s behavioral science practice, which explores “unseen opportunities” in consumer behavior to drive innovative campaigns. Today, Sutherland serves as Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, where his attractively vague title allows him to blend creativity, data, and human quirks in equal measure.


Poppi Deal: PepsiCo Acquisition

  • Announcement: March 2025; PepsiCo buys Poppi for $1.95B in cash, largest Shark Tank exit to date.
  • Brand Overview: Founded 2018 by Allison Ellsworth; prebiotic sodas (5g sugar/can, apple cider vinegar + prebiotics); in 36K+ stores (Target, Whole Foods, Costco); $100M+ annual sales.
  • Strategic Fit: Bolsters PepsiCo’s “better-for-you” portfolio amid low-sugar/gut-health trend; cashes out investors like Russell Westbrook, 24KGoldn.
  • Challenges: 2023 lawsuit over gut-health claims (low inulin); resolved without derailing growth.

Shark Tank Appearance (Season 10, Dec 2018)

Legacy: Turned $400K investment into billions; exemplifies Shark Tank’s role in validating/accelerating quirky wellness brands.

Pitch: As Mother Beverage; sought $400K for 10% equity ($4M valuation); $500K pre-sales; flavors like ginger lime, raspberry rose.

Shark Reactions: Frankel/O’Leary out on manufacturing; Cuban on scaling; Greiner liked taste but passed.

Deal: Rohan Oza (Bai/Vitaminwater investor) countered $400K for 25%; accepted on-air.

Post-Show Impact:

Immediate sell-outs; 2020 rebrand to Poppi (trademark fix, nods to “pop” + Greek heritage).

Oza’s CAVU firm: $13M (2021), $25M Series B (2022); influencer/TikTok virality.

Growth: 15 flavors, celeb backers (Drake, Katy Perry); direct-store delivery; “Shark Tank Effect” key to retail doors.

Thursday October 22

Watch the following video on Marketing Tricks then work mode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OPipbygtdQ


Tuesday October 21

Work Block Today – PREPARE SLIDE SHOW

Checklist
SLIDESHOW
#1 Name the festival – LOCATION
#2 Lineup of bands – time slots
#3 Festival Logo
#4 Poster
#5 Online Ad
#6 Swag – 5 items
#7 Ticket Prices – Bundles

Website – PAGES
#1 lineups
#2 photo gallery – action shots of some of the bands
# 3 videos – live videos of bands
#4 food & beverage
#5 parking
#6 camping
#7 store – concert merchandise








Monday October 20
Today is a designated ILU day.
Independent Learning Unit is a chance to study, research, work on, explore business concepts. You can watch videos(shark tank, upflip) and learn about real business. You can create your own business. You can build a website for your business. It is up to you. You will have designated blocks to explore things on your own related to business.

YOU WILL BE SUBMITTING A SHORT PRESENTATION AT THE END OF THE COURSE ON HOW YOU USED YOUR TIME

NOVEMBER 5th – hand in day –
Last Name in Subject line
Link to website – might look like this
https://connorchislett4.wixsite.com/lensinthewild

Attach file of presentation with all your marketing.

DO NOT SEND ANY URL’S WITH THE WORD EDITOR IN IT – CAN’T ACCESS THOSE
HOVER OVER PUBLISH AND VIEW SITE













ME 11/12 – LECTURES FOR TUESDAY – FRIDAY (OCT 14-17)

Watch over 2 days – Wed/Thur

Possible Discussion questions:

Better mousetrap or innovation?
What problem is being solved?
What are the sales to date?
Company valuations.

STUDENTS ARE GOING TO CREATE A WORD FILE AND ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FROM LECTURES

TUESDAY – CUSTOMER SERVICE
WATCH BOTH VIDEOS (AROUND 20 YEARS OLD BUT STILL RELEVANT)

TAXI TERRY
HERTZ – CUSTOMER LOYALTY

Discussion Questions
Being Friendly: Why does being kind and friendly matter when helping a customer?

Listening Well: How can listening carefully to a customer make their experience better?

Fixing Problems: What can a business do to quickly solve a customer’s issue, like a wrong order?

Making Customers Happy: How does great customer service make people want to shop at a business again?

Helping Everyone: Why should a business treat every customer’s needs differently?