The seamless journey from one luxury market to another

By Anastasia Kozhukhova

Luxury is not just in the stitching. It is also a state of being.

Every word, image and memory associated with your luxury brand should deliver a specific feeling.

But when your brand goes abroad, how many of those elements are lost in translation?

Design a local experience
If you meet someone whose clothes are too big and do not fit her properly, you will notice immediately. It is the same when taking your brand abroad.

From their very first interaction with your brand, your new clients will sense whether you have made the effort to create a personalized experience for them, starting with the copy and ending with a localized meet-and-greet campaign.

Ill-fitting experiences cry much louder than the sigh of satisfied customers.

If the delivery is misshapen and fails to fit your new market, this will tarnish the rapport and intimacy of the experience.

Execute your approach with a singular, artistic vision
Every agency has a style and approach of their own.

When entrusting an agency with your brand, make sure they fully understand your artistic vision and have a highly focused approach that will render the same tone and authenticity across local territories.

My recommendation? Choose one agency to deliver a harmonious message.

Value your clientele across borders
Couture will always require a beautiful visual representation, but you must not underestimate your new audience’s interest in learning about the brand behind the piece.

In many cases – and especially if you are a newcomer within their market – your new clients will want to make a considered choice.

If you would like to be seen as a symbol of decadence and authentic expression, this will entail an approach and representation that goes far beyond branded imagery and translated content.

Be wise about how you approach this, and with whom.

When caring for your Bugatti abroad, would you enlist a Renault dealer to ensure its upkeep?

Build your bridge with the right materials
When starting afresh in a new market, every facet of the process must be carefully adapted.

Think of it like building a new bridge: you will require the correct materials, experienced architects, precise blueprint and exceptional execution.

When one piece is laid incorrectly, the overall result is compromised.

Considerations such as local search engines, stylistic preferences and your audience’s communication style are all crucial as you start to build a bridge into your new market.

Every nut and bolt matters.

Evolve alongside your clients
At home and abroad, client expectations are changing.

Your journey from one country to the next is a good time to evaluate where you currently stand.

Is your brand delivering sumptuous experiences that bring a gasp of delight to your clients?

Are you constantly looking for new ways to surprise and astonish those who already know and love you?

As you step into a new market, evolving your standards to reach new heights can make the difference between creating a two-dimensional experience and an intimate world that is constantly evolving, and creating unforgettable moments.

There is no better way to create a lasting legacy than to grow and nourish it, day by day.

After emerging, you must take flight
Many brands forget that after creating a presence abroad, the onus is on them to continue to build a relationship with their new clientele.

After they step into your store and make their first purchase, the real relationship begins.

Building a close enough bond with your clients that they feel a pinch of delight when they hear from you will contribute greatly your international traction.

Your clients must also feel that in investing in a relationship with you, they are buying into a reliable, trustworthy figure that they can depend on.

To ensure the consistency of clients’ experience, always remember to develop and continuously update a style guide, to remain aligned with your clients’ preferred style of expression.

This will help you build a solid communication style for each territory without losing the unique fiber of your brand personality.

Which of these have you considered in your approach to globalization?

Anastasia Kozhukhova is owner of AK Translating, Sochi, Russia.