The psychology of marketing has been a fascinating area of study for over a century. One crucial aspect of marketing psychology (particularly when looking at luxury brands) is the use of language. Detecting the unique vocabulary choices and tone of a luxury advertising campaign or sales pitch can be meticulous if you’re unfamiliar with these techniques. However, once you’ve been exposed, it’s fairly obvious that nearly every word, phrase, and delivery method is carefully chosen to evoke personal emotions, foster a sense of exclusivity, and reinforce brand identity.
What is Considered a Luxury Brand?
In economics, products are often sectioned into two main categories – essential and luxury goods. Essential goods cover items a person needs to survive or function in society, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Luxury goods, on the other hand, describe items that aren’t necessarily needed but are often desired for their high quality, exclusiveness, and association with social class and wealth. Examples of luxury goods include designer clothing, high-end jewelry, and fine dining. Some well-known luxury brands are Rolls-Royce, Chanel, and Rolex.
How do Luxury Brands use Language in Sales and Marketing?
In many ways, luxury products and services advertise themselves; when consumers consider their options and budget, most will gravitate towards a higher-quality and exclusive item or experience if they can afford it. But which brands should they consider when there are many options for the same type of product? The deciding factor often comes down to which brand can communicate prestige and stature over another by using specific vocabulary and phrasing. Here are a few of the more common points that luxury brands may attempt to demonstrate:
Exclusivity
If we were to narrow down the appeal of luxury goods to a single word, it would be exclusivity. When luxury brands pitch or market their products, they stress how their items are “limited edition,” “one of a kind,” or “by appointment only” to create a sense of scarcity and privilege. The idea here is to appeal to consumers who want to stand out and belong to a selective group of individuals who are successful and wealthy enough to buy their products.
Security
When a person buys a luxury item, one of the motivations is the idea that they’re making a financial investment rather than a standard purchase. For example, let’s say a person is looking to buy a guitar. They could buy a cheaply made, second-hand guitar online or invest in a luxury brand guitar such as Les Paul, which manufactures limited edition models made with quality materials. The cheaply made brand is more likely to deteriorate faster, while the Les Paul is known for durability and retaining at least 30% of its retail value.
Going with the luxury option fosters a sense of security because it will be more likely to last longer, and owning it is akin to a financial investment if the buyer resells it later. To reinforce this idea, luxury brands may use terms like “handcrafted,” “timeless,” or “artisan-made” when engaging their prospective consumers.
Status
Another aspect that ties in with the exclusive allure of a luxury product is the status that the purchase represents. One of the primary goals of luxury sales and marketing teams is to position their products as a status symbol. To do this, they may include terms like “prestigious,” “elite,” or “iconic” in their ad campaigns. One example of this tactic is Mercedes-Benz’s “Best or Nothing” campaign, which posits the product as the pinnacle option for car owners everywhere. Essentially, this campaign says, “If you’re not going to buy a Mercedes, you might as well buy a bus pass.”
Identity
Lastly, an overlooked aspect of luxury brand advertising is using specific language to reflect consumers’ identities, values, and lifestyles. For example, a Louis Vuitton handbag may be described as “elegant,” or a Davidoff cigar may be described as “complex” or “refined.” As consumers, we are naturally drawn to these adjectives, especially when we believe that they may also be used to describe us (if I own this “sophisticated” watch, then maybe people will think that I’m sophisticated too). When done successfully, these terms may also extend to the brand itself, where the name (Armani, Macallan, Lamborghini) is the primary symbol of wealth, not the product.
As we’ve seen, the effectiveness of luxury marketing is not only compounded by the strategic use of language–it relies on it. For anyone striving for a successful career in sales or marketing, understanding how to appeal to emotions and address reservations through selective language is a vital skill.
But it’s also important for consumers themselves to understand the impact that luxury-speak has on their choices. As we’ve addressed, making a luxury purchase can be a viable investment. Or it can be an impulsive and inessential decision influenced solely by professionally crafted language. The difference hinges on how well you understand your personal motivations behind a purchase before you see an ad or talk to a salesperson, and more importantly, how quickly you’re able to adapt to and recognize the language of luxury marketing in everyday life.
