Art as strategic branding tool for luxury fashion brands

Journal of Product & Brand Management
Art as strategic branding tool for luxury brands

Julia-Sophie Jelinek,
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Art as strategic branding tool for luxury fashion brands
Abstract
Purpose- The study aims to understand the lasting relationship between luxury fashion and art. The
purpose of the paper is to explore whether the application of art, the cooperation with artists, the im-
plementation of experiential strategies focusing on retail spaces and shows embedded in the strategic
concept of a luxury brand leads to a competitive advantage, and to a sustained value creation for luxu-
ry brands.
Design/methodology/approach- Based on the literature, the strategic role of art and the importance
of experiential marketing for the value creation of European luxury fashion brands was explored
through empirical data collection, consisting of 26 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The gained
data have been analysed through a thematic analysis approach and triangulated to avoid bias.
Findings- The exploratory study revealed that when art is applied as a strategic tool, it is of relevance
to achieve an authentic fit to the brand. When integrating art consistently and authentically within the
whole value chain system, it leads to a higher brand equity.
Practical implications- The paper provides a guide for both academics and marketers as theoretical
frameworks are examined, analysed and future recommendations given, which are suited to be ap-
plied within the brand management principles.
Originality/value- The outcome contributes to a wider delineation regarding the future of luxury
brands. The study reveals novel viewpoints concerning the integration of arts in luxury brand market-
ing and adds to existing literature.
Keywords Luxury Branding, Art, Fashion Marketing, Culture, Experiential Branding, Marketing Strate-
gy, Brand Management
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
The proximity between art and luxury, developing side by side and constantly feeding each other, has
been an ongoing discussion for many decades (Kapferer, 2015; Steele, 2012). Kapferer states that
luxury likes to be associated with art, because both aim to be perceived as imperial and timeless and
share a love for creativity, craftsmanship, rare materials and exclusivity. Luxury tries to position prod-
ucts as contemporary authentic art items made by the hand of a designer, emphasising craftsmanship,
expertise and effort. Which can be seen as an object of art, communicating sophistication and an in-
trinsic value (Kapferer, 2015b). Fashion-historian Valerie Steele distinguishes between art and fashion
as follows: fashion is an industry with a creative element, a commodity with a commercial nature. In
contrast art is a field of high cultural production, including sculptures, paintings, music associated with
a greater aesthetic realm (Steele, 2012; 2012b). The implementation of art and design has been visi-
ble in various ways in luxury. There are designers with whom art plays a dominant role in their own
creative process. These designers set themselves into an art context and often see themselves as
artists, recognisable throughout their whole brand identity (Kubler and Smith, 2013). Often resulting in
collections with posit social and political statements, while simultaneously breaking the boundaries
between architecture, design and art (Twist, 2005). Designers like Raf Simons, Helmut Lang, Martin
Margiela, Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo and Viktor&Rolf are examples.
Conversely, other luxury brands (LB) such as Louis Vuitton (LV) and Prada deploy art as a clear mar-
keting strategy, to set a context and a hype, to remain relevant, and upgrade the brand image to cre-
ate a competitive advantage and a different positioning (Kapferer, 2015b). They often have a purely
commercial interest in art, manifested by special collaborations with artists, art foundations and more
commonly, exhibitions (Kubler and Smith, 2013). Their limited series and exclusive showrooms simu-
late the experience of ‘buying art’ which is co-produced by the luxury brand (Kapferer, 2015b). It has
been argued that the ‘new’ luxury has increasingly become a source of enjoyment rather than the im-
portance of being accessible and is frequently seen for people as self-reward (Doran, 2013).
In order to create a strong USP, the involvement of ‘emotional communications’ often including experi-
ential marketing (ExM)/ experiential branding (ExB) is essential for luxury fashion brands (LFB) (Binet
and Field, 2007). Through the last three decades, design, ambience and layouts were used to produce
entertaining and sensory experiences which create an emotional connection to LB (Jackson and
Shaw, 2009; Hultén, 2011). Innovation merged with creativity have been key drivers for ExB (Jackson
and Shaw, 2009). Some brands use the opportunity to surprise the audience by offering a multi-
sensory performance, often including an artistic performance character, which exceed expectations
deploying a way to combine art, culture, provocation and fashion (Kubler and Smith, 2013).
The purpose of the paper is to explore the role of art as a concept to create value and as a strategic
tool for positioning European luxury (fashion) brands. And subsequently to illustrate how LB can be
perceived when art is embedded authentically. Research regarding the applicability and implementa-
tion of art in luxury in conjunction with branding, concentrating on LFB, has not been fully explored yet
(Teunissen, 2009; Kubler and Smith, 2013; Baumgarth et al., 2014; Sjöholm and Pasquinelli, 2014)
1
and includes few academic studies (e.g.: Kastner, 2014; Joy et al., 2014). The contribution of the pa-
per is in two major areas. From a marketing perspective, it is of interest to examine if the application of
art for LFB can create an added value. The aim is to explore the role of art as a concept to create val-
ue and as positioning strategy tool for LFB. The strategic angle, if the integration of art and experien-
tial strategies can be used as a valuable positioning tool for LB, contributes and adds to the existing
relevant literature while deriving theoretical and managerial implications.
Theoretical foundation
As it is beyond the scope of this paper to present an entire overview of the related literature the aim
was to compile the most relevant theoretical background, through defining luxury, contextualising the
drivers between the intimate liaison of luxury, art and ExB and investigating the concept of competitive
advantage and value creation. Exploring the relationships between luxury and these strategies aims to
build a typology, a connection and an understanding for the empirical part.
Luxury
A dispute exists as to whether one can define the meaning of luxury and luxury brands as in perma-
nent flux, a simple definition is impossible (Kapferer, 2015; 2015b; Chevalier and Mazzalovo, 2012;
Okonkwo, 2007; McNeil and Riello, 2016). Kapferer describes luxury as follows – luxury relates to
hedonic, rare products and experiences beyond the necessary requirements of life (Kapferer, 2015)
and unimportant to human survival (McNeil and Riello, 2016). Coco Chanel asserted that “Luxury is a
necessity that begins where necessity ends”, and that “Luxury is the opposite of vulgarity”. Okonkwo
(2007) argues that luxury purely exists for contributing to people’s own appreciation and lives. Cheva-
lier and Mazzalovo (2012) contend that the most important aspect of luxury is, that it should be in op-
position to a norm shared and fulfilled by most people.
The luxury syndicate Altgamma distinguishes three categories of luxury: accessible, aspirational and
absolute luxury, as the pinnacle of luxury (D’Arpizio, 2015). In 2015 speakers at the FT Business of
Luxury Summit agreed that luxury is becoming more and more about doing and being, and less about
having. One speaker referred that true luxury is about creating a compelling, authentic and unique
experience, provoking emotions which remain in our memories, hard to replicate (Saunter, 2015).
Wiedmann and Hennings (2013) categorise luxury into four distinct but linked approaches: The com-
modity-, the customer perception-, the marketing-management- and the functional approach. This
work focuses on the marketing-management approach on luxury and when alluding to luxury brands, it
refers to the brands representing the peak of craftsmanship and quality – ‘the epitome of prestige’ -,
based on great customer loyalty. The substantial characteristics of luxury products correspond largely
with those of luxury brands, leading to the definition: a luxury brand is seen in the consumer’s mind as
an image which comprises associations about aesthetics, symbolism, quality, price, extraordinariness,
rarity and a great degree of non-functionality (Heine, 2012). Okonkwo (2007) defines differentiation,
innovation, exclusivity, brand strengths and value, precision and craftsmanship, high pricing and ex-
traordinary quality as main characteristics. Additional important values to emphasise for LB are: the
2
heritage and history (Jackson and Shaw, 2009), extraordinary materials, rarity, tradition and the im-
portance of mystery, events, flagship stores, community management (Kapferer, 2015) as well as
functional, symbolic and experiential elements resonating with consumers (Berthon et al., 2009). Last-
ing value, innovation and timelessness are essential to differentiate LB from others (Saunter, 2015),
cultural values, store presentation and superior service are not minor relevant (Warc, 2016; Bruce and
Kratz, 2007). Figure 1 displays a summary of LB characteristics.
Figure 1 Constitutive characteristics of luxury brands

(Source: Jelinek adapted from Kapferer, 2015; Heine, 2012; Bruce and Kratz, 2007; Jackson and Shaw, 2009; Okonkwo, 2007)
The luxury marketing strategy might be distinguished by characteristics, like superfluity, long-lasting
value and great impressiveness. However, for luxury marketers the question is, if the target group
perceives the highest end of quality through the implemented strategy.
The embedding of experiential branding to create unique experiences is a prerequisite for the success
of LB (Bruce and Kratz, 2007; Kapferer, 2015; Saunter, 2015). This strategy has been used by brands
like Chanel, Hermès, Prada and Dior. Advices regarding strategy and marketing for luxury brands are
listed in the anti-laws of marketing by Kapferer. One suggestion that should not be underestimated is
to build friendships with artists and keep contact with the art world (Kapferer, 2015b).
3
Art
As with the term luxury the question of what is art (defining art into one coherent definition) has been
discussed without agreement (Carroll, 2000; Kapferer, 2015; Miller, 2007). Art philosopher, George
Dickie postulates 1992 “a work of art is an object of which someone has said I christen this object as
art“ (Dickie: 93: cited in Carroll, 2000). He defines art in the classificatory sense as “(1) an artefact, (2)
a set of the aspects of which has been conferred upon it the status of candidate for appreciation by
some person or persons acting on behalf of a certain institution” (Dickie: 1992:438: cited in Miller
2007: 28). For philosopher Carroll art concludes expression, representation, formal qualities and aes-
thetics (Miller, 2007). Dictionaries contextualise art through several meanings: (1) the application of
creative imagination and skills, frequently through the visualisation of paintings and sculptures, (2)
literature, music, drawing and dance as types of creative activity, (3) Subjects of study related to hu-
man culture instead of technical or scientific subjects (visual-arts-cork.com; Cambridge dictionary;
Webster dictionary). Nowadays art can be classified into traditional and contemporary art with the
activities (extract): theatre, dance, opera, music, installation, architecture, painting, illustration, draw-
ing, sculpture, photography, video, film printmaking, and ceramics. These are generally referred as
‘the arts’ and can be sorted into categories, which are: fine, applied, visual, decorative, plastic and
performing arts (Encyclopaedia of art, n.d.). Fine art, applied art, design, music and performance were
chosen as the essential types for this research.
Art: relationship to luxury
Fashion before the 19th century was shown on canvas in oil or visible on the streets (Benjamin, 1963).
th
The invention of photography during the 19 century made fashion for the first time reproducible and
visible and gained greater importance to the economy. Since that moment, a correlation between fash-
ion and art has been noted (Simon, 1995). Fashion and art are systems which occupy different modali-
ties of reception, presentation and subject to different responses within the economy. The two worlds
are of great social, linguistic and economic difference (Geczy and Karaminas, 2012).
Haute Couture seems to be correlated and often regarded as art, however it is produced within the
fashion system and not within the art world (Steele, 2012b). The question, if fashion is art has been
discussed for over 70 years, reaching its peak between the 1980’s-1990’s. Through the displaying of
fashion in museums, clothes were able to gain the ‘aura’ of the art world too (Kim, 1989; Steele, 2012).
In 1996 the Biennale di Firenze: ‘Looking at fashion’ drew additional attention to the complicated inter-
section (Steele, 2012b). The event was a major milestone for fashion, joining the art world, involving
collaborations from the world of art, fashion, design and music. Aiming to showcase the reciprocal
influences and creative relationship of talents where borders vanish, exploring the affinity and contigui-
ty between art and fashion (Celant et al., 1996).
Regardless if fashion can be seen as an art form, various synergies and the complexity between the
two universes can be highlighted: the identification of a luxury brand with art as a source of culture,
limited collections in cooperation with artists, placing luxury creations in museums, sponsorships of
artistic activities and that works of art inspired dressmakers over the past centuries (Girón, 2010;
Maynard, 2012; Kapferer, 2015; Judah, 2013, Chailan and Valek, 2014), high-priced creations and a
4
similar target group, aiming to be perceived as immortal and both are unrelated to functionality (Kap-
ferer, 2015).
The advantage of using art in luxury as an aesthetic and moral endorsement, uncommercial connota-
tions and a paradoxical legitimation of its extraordinary prices has been postulated (Kapferer, 2014).
Historically, there have been two established perspectives within the fashion industry, starting in the
th th
late 19 and early 20 century. Some designers position themselves as artists and see fashion as a
form of performance, theatre and art. Others postulate that fashion is not art and fashion designers are
clearly not artists. Those see fashion ‘only’ as an industry with a practical purpose (Kubler and Smith,
2013). However, the connection between the two worlds through performance art, fashion installa-
tions, exhibitions and employing the body as a canvas can be noted as a form of art. A strategic tool
for gaining attention, promoting a brand and selling the clothes (Kubler and Smith, 2013).
The ‘luxury is art’ model (Okonkwo, 2007) or art strategy (Kapferer, 2014) is gradually incorporated by
certain LB. Following this theory, the result is that through the globalization of luxury, art is universal
too (Kapferer, 2014). Joy et al. (2014) refer to this market involving art inside the brands very identity
as ‘M(Art) World’ including seven essential features (Luxetecture, Luxemosphere, (De)Luxe, Luxede-
signers, authentic experiences Luxescape, LuxeArt foundations). Brands closely linked to (local) cul-
tural elites, support the aim of being perceived as an active element of culture. Kapferer states the
usage of art - ‘artification’ - as a key strategy for LB, used by brands like LV, Chanel, Hermès, Gucci,
Cartier among others, and speaks about the conscious artification as a strategy, integrating art in eve-
ry act of the value chain.
The concept of ‘artification’ is:
[P] a process of transformation of non-art into art, to circumvent the volume problem. [P] It requires the ac-
tive collaboration of art authorities and renowned artists. The goal is to change the status of the brand, of its
founder and products, and in so doing, to reinforce the idea of a better-than ordinary brand whose price and
symbolic power are undisputed” (Kapferer, 2014, p.371).
The gradual processing into the luxury system at all levels takes time but is important, such as spon-
soring artists’ exhibitions, in-house collaborations and commercial creations with artists, developing
brand exhibitions, establishing art prices and art foundations, funding of art programmes and artistic
patronage (Kapferer, 2015; Chailan and Valek, 2014). At the apex of collaboration, artists advise the
brand on everything referring to value creation. It is of further importance to translate the artification
into cultural events and artistic online content, particularly on Social Media (Kapferer, 2015).
Here it seems appropriate to illustrate that not only LFB are interested in this art-luxury-brand relation.
LB such as BMW and their long-lasting Art Car project and beauty brand La Prairie has shown cultural
responsibility by partnering with artists from different disciplines giving them a carte blanche to be
exhibited in its pavilion at several art fairs, like Art Basel, in 2017 (Moore, 2017). Rolls-Royce supports
artists through its Art Programme and BMW and Volkswagen have been a supportive of the arts, by
funding various museums and art fairs. Showing their “social responsibility” to culture and art through
sponsorship (Falkenstein, 2017).
5
The ‘museum shows’, catwalk shows and retail stores have been stated as the ‘heaps of money for
fashion (Menkes 2000: cited in Steele, 2008). In all three disciplines, the influence of art and artful
concept have been noticeable. Shows are a form of entertainment with the power to communicate
commercial, artistic and political underlying messages (Kamitsis, 2009), and are opportunities for re-
affirming a brand’s DNA (Chapman: cited in Conlon, 2016) often used as a medium to send a mes-
sage, illustrated by several artists.
Shows of performance character, are visual spectacles, offering an ‘experience aspect’, where clothes
might play a subordinate role (Teunissen, 2009). The 1960’s can be seen as the cornerstone for expe-
riential fashion shows of the 20th century. Incrementally catwalk shows transformed into theatrical per-
formances, blurring the boundaries, using dancers, actors and musicians. The concept of creating
conceptual artistic performances ‘happenings’ as part of shows reached a peak in the 1990’s with
designers like Martin Margiela, Walter Van Beirendonck and Dries Van Noten.
The increasing importance of fashion exhibitions is obvious (Kubler and Smith, 2013), but for many
decades fashion has been ‘unworthy’, even though a form of applied arts, to be displayed in muse-
ums.
Curators like Diana Vreeland, Richard Martin, Herold Koda, Andrew Bolton, Valerie Steele and Cecil
Beaton helped to create an understanding of fashion as an art form (Clark et al., 2014; Steele, 2008)
Furthermore, LB use their own spaces, in store or their foundations, to display art and support artists.
However, historically fashion exhibitions have often been criticised for being ‘paid advertisements’, a
‘fancy showroom’ ‘promoting products’ providing entertainment without fulfilling the historical educa-
tional role of museum exhibitions (Steele, 2008).
From a critical perspective, it can be said that progressively LB have declared themselves as art by
displaying their own work in museums, thereby communicating that the luxury maison’s products can
be interpreted as artworks (Chailan and Valek, 2014). As fashion exhibitions are often part sponsored
by LFB and retailers, they sometimes result in issues regarding different perspectives about the show-
cased content of the exhibition (Steele, 2008). Setting a brand critically in the contemporary art world
through an exhibition encourages the brand credibility on heritage and showcasing it in a non-
commercial context (Kapferer, 2015). At the same time luxury brands style their stores to resemble
galleries by displaying art (Kubler and Smith, 2013). Redefining themselves as hybrid institutions cre-
ating a ‘M(Art) World’ (Joy et al., 2014).
Experiential branding: in luxury
The luxury industry entered a new phase, called ‘new luxury’, shifting from conspicuous consumption
towards meaningful luxury experiences and lifestyle branding (Passport, 2016) offering cognitive, sen-
sory, rational and emotional values for consumers (Atwal and Williams, 2009). Speakers at the FT
Business of Luxury Summit 2015 advocated a similar perspective by postulating that the classical
concept of luxury is outdated and the ‘new’ approach is selling experiences (Saunter, 2015) and prom-
ising pleasure (Roosevelt, 2015). Already Pine and Gilmore (1998) had forecasted experiences as
essential key value for brands as they remain long afterwards in the minds. Since the end of the last
6
century experiential marketing, was incrementally embedded into the marketing mix (Smith and Hano-
ver, 2016). As the terms, experiential marketing (ExM) and experiential branding (ExB) are often used
interchangeable the paper will continue to do so. For Pine and Gilmore (2011) experiences involve
individual, emotional, physical, intellectual, personal, and spiritual engagement of consumers, which
remain in mind. Emotions, aesthetics and symbolic aspects are essential for ExM (Schmitt, 1999;
Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982). Hultén’s findings (2011) exploring multi-sensory brand experiences,
reveal the significance of the use of sensorial strategies for differentiation, embedded in the long-term
strategy for distinguishing brands and positioning them in the consumer mind. More recently, Smith
and Hanover (2016) have introduced the eleven experiential pillars of creation: experiences must be
remarkable, shareable, memorable, measurable, relatable, targetable, connectable, personal, flexible,
engageable, believable. Luxury car brand Lexus has used a personal ExM strategy by offering the
Lexus pop-up concert series and exclusive secrete pop-up fine-dining experiences (Smith and Hano-
ver, 2016).
Benefits of ExM are: differentiation of brand or product, creating a (stronger) identity and image, op-
portunity to influence decisions during the post-purchase period, promoting innovations, possibility to
push declining brands, to increase purchases and loyalty and simply engage and emotionally connect
with customers (Schmitt, 1999; Smilansky, 2009; Smith and Hanover, 2016).
The relevance of visually, interesting, creative physical retail spaces is evident, especially due to its
opportunity to engage emotionally with customers through offering multi-sensory experiences and
representing ‘prestige’ (Moore and Doherty, 2007; Manlow and Nobbs, 2013; Arrigo, 2015; Saunter,
2014). This physical ‘manifestation’ of a brand serves as a means of communicating the ‘intangible’
brand characteristics, such as values, image and identity, generating and maintaining customer loyalty
and building relationships. It contributes to the brands’ positioning and involves excessive investments,
often given ‘indirect’ returns and minor revenue (Moore and Doherty, 2007; Nobbs et al., 2012;
Manlow and Nobbs, 2013). Following the mantra ‘need to impress’ through artistic design of retail
spaces outside and inside and the used materials (Moore and Doherty, 2007). Through the union with
famous architects, LB have the chance to set strong statements, beyond ‘regular’ retail resulting in a
level of ultra-luxury (Simonet and Virgile, 2013; Lipovetsky and Manlow, 2009; Moore and Doherty,
2007). These architectural, extraordinary, location specific masterpieces are more recognisable and
convey the feeling of products in an artistic environment, almost like an individual art installation, set-
ting a cultural impulse (Schaefer, 2015), creating a multisensory experience (Manlow and Nobbs,
2013). Some flagship stores have been postulated as ‘art institutions in their own right’ (Joy et al.,
2014) using museological techniques (Dion and Arnould, 2011). It can be critically argued that the aim
by LB to have a standardized approach to construct one clear brand identity globally has been re-
placed by the hunger to create different flagship- and satellite store environments to offer diverse ex-
periences in each key store (Nobbs et al., 2012). The influence of art and culture as footfall and traffic
drivers for the time-pressured consumer is obvious (Saunter, 2014). Joy et al. (2014) state technology,
designer mystique, excellent service, interior decoration, architecture and the relationship to avant-
garde art as experiential luxury store elements. Some LB have transformed spaces into a combination
7
of consumption and art while simultaneously becoming tourist attractions. LV stores are often provid-
ing museum like experiences in a commercial setting, becoming stores-as-museums (Joy et al., 2014).
Prada’s Epicenters are designed by different well-known artists and its store design changes depend-
ing on the location and vary from other Prada stores. Furthermore, certain floors are used as spaces
for art, events, performances and laboratory. The Tokyo Epicenter, designed by Herzog & de Meuron,
known for its façade is named in the lonely planet as an architectural must-see (Lipovetsky and
Manlow, 2009; Milner, 2015; Moore et al., 2010). Aesop manifests a very artistic strategic approach.
The LB has put emphasise in establishing its signature artistic retail spaces, creating stunning avant-
garde experiences through collaborating with the arts. Renowned architects like Jeremy Barbour built
unique interior stores. Aesop stores frequently transform into cultural hubs, a social environment
where work from artists like authors and designers replace the commercial aspect of the store. The
brand explores and supports the arts as a way to find inspiration and communication
(www.aesop.com).
rd
Studies revealed the implementation of 3 spaces, as a strategy to increase time spent in stores often
observed as dedicated exhibition spaces, café/ restaurant/ bar and art installations (Nobbs et al.,
2012). As examples serve concept stores like Dover Street Market (e.g. London), Colette (Paris), 10
Corso Como (Milan), and L’Eclaireur (Paris). Stores like these show that the separation between art
and commerce is synergistically floating. In some shops space for art galleries, organised exhibitions
with artists, cultural events and multifunctional installations exist. Lexus developed its unique ‘Intersect
by Lexus’ concept stores where not only cars as products are presented but furthermore the store is
transformed into an event- and an exhibition space, and integrates a café and a bistro. Architecture
and smart design are essential (Walker, 2013).
The commercial aspect is clearly tied to culture and art. Luxury venues in the hypermodern era try to
be artistic and culturally attractive, providing spaces of better living and ethical considerations and not
just a point of sale. The more luxury brands want to be in a marketing mindset, the more they acquire
astonishing architecture, and a strong interaction between art and fashion (Lipovetsky and Manlow,
2009). The benefits for LB when collaborating with the art world for retail spaces are: it creates a buzz
around a product and the store, renews a brand’s relevance, highlights cultural differential, makes a
brand strategy harder to copy, attracts new consumers, raises aesthetic awareness, gains attention
from passing people and is more likely communicated to peers and might allow a brand to create a
unique competitive advantage (Saunter, 2014; Chailan and Valek, 2014). Tokyo’s Maison Hermès
Ginza is the best example of merging art with fashion, designed by Renzo Piano and contributing the
whole 8th floor as a gallery (Lipovetsky and Manlow, 2009).
Competitive advantage and value creation
Fundamental sources for gaining a competitive advantage for LFB are innovation, involving the whole
value system, constant improvement, long-term investments, domestic and global approach, original
product design, economies of scale, brand identity, speed to market, experiential retailing, a designer’s
name and heritage (Jackson and Shaw, 2009; Baker, 2007). Different theories have been developed
to explain sources of competitive advantage, among others Michael Porter’s– five competitive forces
8
(1985), three generic competitive strategies (1985) and the generic value chain concept (2004)– alt-
hough often criticised - were significant for the development of future explanations (Baker, 2007). Ulti-
mately the goal of competitive advantage is to create (consumer) value, often achieved through add-
ing irrelevant attributes to a product, justifying higher prices, leading to increasing demand and com-
petitiveness (Schmitt, 1999). The Blue Ocean Strategy (Kim and Mauborgne, 2015) defines the value
innovation as the most important. If the brand creates an added value for customers, competition is
outdated, new markets are opened and new models for the demand created. A further point of the
strategy is to differentiate and lower costs at the same time. Hence, Zenger argues that the backbone
of the strategy, the positioning concept, has to go far beyond growth expectations. He is – like Kim and
Mauborgne - convinced, that competitive advantage, referring to Porters definition, does not go far
enough and that a company has to create repeatedly new sources of value. Surprising the investors,
who are fond of unexpected value. It’s the creation of sustainable value that counts. Zenger’s three
pillars of theory regarding sustained value creation are: foresight, insight and cross-sight. (1) Foresight
relates to how an industry will evolve offering guidance on which assets and resources to emphasise
in the future. (2) Insight identifies valuable, unique internal resources, assuming a company’s under-
standing of valuable existing assets or activities. (3) Cross-sight concerns complimentary assets and
resources among the unique existing capabilities a firm owns (Zenger, 2016).
Summarising the findings in literature it can be said that despite the different arguments and perspec-
tives shown above a strong conjunction between art and luxury exists for many decades. Nowadays
art, fashion, technology, design and culture are the key drivers and are used as a means to create
unique unforgettable experiences (Saunter, 2014). François-Henri Pinault referred to the topic at the
New York Times International Luxury Conference in 2014 as follows:
“Luxury, art and technology have always converged, often producing a rich and productive relationship –
provided each discipline remained true to itself” (www.kering.com/en/magazine/luxury-art-and-technology).
Several points seem appropriate to critically question. How do consumer experience the ‘artification’ of
luxury brands? Do they value this close luxury-art relationship? And is this a valuable strategy for
achieving a sustainable impact or even a competitive advantage for LB?
Methodology and research design
With regard to the research aim and the research question, an exploratory qualitative analysis with an
inductive approach was adopted. The empirical part was suited to a qualitative method approach. The
research design chosen is of explorative nature in the form of 26 semi-structured, in-depth interviews,
conducting sixteen with people working in a luxury fashion environment (experts) and ten with luxury
consumers consisting of men and women. The research approach included a traditional type of ac-
cess involving face-to-face, Skype, e-mail or telephone interactions over a two-month period in July
and August 2016. The use of pre-formulated questions was important with the opportunity of adding
questions during the interview, led to thought-provoking impulses and made findings more interesting
(Myers, 2013). It was of interest to gain insights into the research topic and the underlying reasons for
particular developments within the luxury industry from people working directly for LB, as well as art-
9
ists relating to luxury. Experts recruited from different cities (New York, Milan, London, Vienna, Paris)
working in different professions, of various ages and genders with the criteria of working within the
fashion luxury or art environment were found as most suitable and chosen through a purposive sam-
pling, selected subjectively. (See table 1 for details.) To have a high credibility experts were re-
searched in detail and the majority were approached through an invitation via e-mail or during direct
conversations. Furthermore, existing contacts were utilised and experts referred me via snowball
technique to additional experts.
Table 1 Sample expert information (N=16)

Expert Job description
EX1 Fashion curator

EX2 Deputy of department: visual arts, architecture, design, fashion, photography

EX3 Head of the Academy of Fine Arts
EX4 Global PR communication for LFB
EX5 Designer RTW for LFB
EX6 Lecturer – research in: design, object fabrication, crossing fine art, fashion, performance
EX7 Marketing department for LFB
EX8 Luxury lecturer/ luxury consultant
EX9 Fashion/business/technology journalist and digital innovation strategist
EX10 Communication director for LFB
EX11 Freelance set designer| artist| art director
EX12 Contemporary artist
EX13 Designer and artist
EX14 Designer RTW for LFB
EX15 Director and chief curator- Fashion museum
EX16 Retail merchandising manager/ visual merchandising for LFB
Conducting in-depth interviews with luxury consumers, with different demographics, various careers,
but similar psychographics and lifestyles, such as interests in luxury (brands) and signs of a luxury
lifestyle, providing a knowledge basis, the experience of at least one visit in a luxury store/flagship and
a purchase behaviour regarding luxury items as a regular routine were additionally necessary to get
another perspective on the theme in order to gain a broad viewpoint on the research topic. The inter-
views were realised to get an impression of how people within and outside the industry see the corre-
lation between art and luxury now and in the future. Tendencies and bias need to be taken in consid-
eration when evaluating the result.
The questionnaire was designed from the main frameworks investigated in the literature and changed
slightly between experts and consumers as consumers might not have the same expertise.
An interview guideline containing 22 questions, including several sub-questions, for both the experts
and the consumers, was designed in English and German. (See figure 2 for structure.) The average
duration of expert interviews was 50 minutes, with a maximum of 91 min and a minimum of 32 min.
The consumer interviews had an approximate length of 30 minutes. Each interview followed a similar
structure was audio-recorded, transcribed, interpreted and analysed following a qualitative thematic
analysis (Silverman, 2014) using the six phases: (1) familiarising with data, (2) generating initial codes,
(3) searching for themes (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining and naming themes and subthemes (6)
10
producing the report, advised by Braun and Clarke (2006). The goal of the coding process was to find
repeated patterns of meanings and to systematically organise the gathered data into classifications,
’themes’, without looking at the framework of the questionnaires, which were extracted from the litera-
ture review. The qualitative data was triangulated and analysed through the help of the computer aid-
ed qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA12 providing accurate and comprehensive findings.
Figure 2 Guideline structure

Warm-up | demographic questions
demographics, job description, nature & goal of company
General Questions – luxury | art in luxury

defining luxury, association art, examples of art in luxury context
Specific Questions – competitive advantage

knowledge of artification, impact on differentiation and positioning, etc.
Specific Questions – experience economy

knowledge, importance, opinion, usage luxury context, future of experience economy
Specific Questions – future of luxury brands

role of art, experiences, technology, retail spaces , etc.
This study follows the logic of an interpretive method and due to the complexity of the research topic
and the chosen methodology, the outcome might change when choosing different participants and
evaluated by a different person. Consequently, statistical generalisation is impossible. Despite the
principle of objectivity during any research, it was not possible for the researcher to have a value-free
perspective. Therefore, the results might be unconsciously influenced by subjective evaluation and
minor reliability.
Findings
As it is irrelevant to allocate perspectives, comments and quotes to specific names of experts and
luxury consumers, experts are abbreviated as EX one-to-sixteen and luxury consumers as LC one-to-
ten to provide anonymity and a better readability. The findings with supporting quotes are illustrated
below.
The question, if fashion can be considered as art was answered in two different ways. An important
thought by one expert helps to give a better understanding of the complex relationship. “Potentially
anything could be art, but that doesn’t mean that everything is art” (EX15). However, one should not
forget that even if fashion is seen as art, it still serves the purpose to be worn by people (LC5).
“Fashion is art and art is fashion, it is linked and works together always” (EX16).
11
“Yes, because luxury fashion in an upper sophisticated segment is art for me, applied art! [..] However at the
end of the day it’s also about the wearability of clothes” (LC5).
“Art is also a way to generate ‘events’ for brands” (EX8).

“Art for me is past, present and future all together” (EX7).
From the conducted thematic analysis of the interviews, three relevant key themes, regarding the rela-
tionship between arts and branding emerged.
Theme 1: Associations relationship art and luxury fashion
The strong friendship

Regarding the relationship between art and fashion, a consensus towards a positive opinion linking
luxury fashion with art, was identified among the interviewees. Many experts see art and fashion going
hand-in-hand as a ‘natural synergy’ having been bound to each other for a long time resulting in mutu-
al enrichment for both.
“Usually there is a strong connection between fashion and art. It is an open conversation” (EX16).
“A lot of brands seek this, let's say ‘closeness and relationship“(EX10).
It was mentioned that especially for the luxury brands this conjunction is very positive. As it brings an
opportunity to contextualise luxury from its commercial aspect. One of the experts stated that “art is a
word that makes everything easier to sell” (EX8).
“Brands are striving to be associated in fashion with a wider cultural occurrence and what art brings is just a
way to contextualise and actually bring the audience away from the commodity aspect” (EX6).
“Also, big stores from like Louis Vuitton can do that and are becoming definitely more an expression of a state-
of-the-art in terms of not only fashion, but their global message of culture” (EX10).
However, three experts considered negative aspects as well. First, a negative aftertaste for the art
world to be associated with fashion and its commercial framework, because the art world does not
prioritise a commercial context. If fashion ennobles from the art, but thinks only in a commercial way
and returns nothing of the creativity, it is an uneven relationship (EX2). Furthermore, there has been a
st
shift regarding the relation to art in the 21 century claiming that it was very positive for fashion to be
associated with art. But starting with the economic crisis in 2007 it got a negative connotation to it
(EX5) and was also stated as a “label attached to the brand” (EX13). Another statement was that peo-
ple from the art world might be annoyed that fashion has been trying to piggyback their world (EX11).
Benefits of the two-way relationship
However, an advantage for the arts is the funding of artists through the fashion houses. Giving artists
a carte blanche enhances the artist’s publicity and scale, and the work most likely will be seen by a
wider audience. So, it can be argued that overall it is a two-way relationship, benefiting each world.
Several reasons for the use of art for luxury brands from a marketing business perspective were men-
tioned and are summarised.
12
• LFB associating themselves with art and stepping into the art world to attract a new consumer
segment (EX9, EX3), anticipating younger potential segments through the inspiration from pho-
tography or street art (EX3).
• The link to art and the artification itself helps to develop luxury commodities further and to create
a certain, precise and more specific brand image, identity and personality (EX12) which can lead
to a greater buzz to promote a brand (EX7).
• Fashion tends to repeat itself and art/artists can help to make a brand and its products seem
fresh, innovative, modern and new. Collaborations with artists can create a new direction, an in-
spiration and might involve a greater emotional affinity of the consumer (EX5, EX16). By involving
art/artists in luxury brand’s marketing and communication concepts, brands have the chance to
create and keep relationships with people and stay relevant in modern life (EX10).
• The approach of art as a kind of co-existing for luxury brands (EX9).
• The inspiration for garments and possibility to embed the products in a cultural context which in-
forms about the heritage and identity of brands (EX14).
• Having the ‘art’ visible integrated in store (e.g. artistic installations, artistic window displays), can
increase the footfall and traffic and furthermore might raise the ‘dwell-time’ spent in store (EX11).
• It can provide a form of abstract expression which may support a brand’s image and the artifica-
tion can become one part of the branding strategy (EX14, EX10). Mixing art and fashion can lead
to interesting projects when correct embedded into a brand’s communication strategy.
Some experts also asserted that the collaboration with artists is an attempt of luxury brands to be as-
sociated with a wider cultural occurrence and a way to contextualise fashion going beyond its com-
mercial context. One expert highlighted the fact that the engagement of luxury brands with art can be
seen critically, because it is still a phenomenon that the objects have the commodity label of the com-
pany attached to it. It became evident that certain LFB and designers were repeatedly named in corre-
lation to art: Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, Prada, LV, Marc Jacobs, Raf Simmons,
Hermès, Helmut Lang, Viktor&Rolf, Martin Margiela, Vetements, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, Cha-
nel (Karl Lagerfeld). In a historic sense Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel and
Charles James were mentioned.
However, it is evident that experts distinguish between brands which integrate art, and artists as an
expression of modernity in the communication (e.g. branding) and marketing concepts, such as LV.
Others like Chalayan, Westwood, Lang or McQueen have a strong relationship through their personali-
ty. Consequently, the whole brand is art related because of the designer’s personal connection to art,
resulting in a visible way of a very authentic brand image and identity (EX1, EX3, EX10, EX5). The
luxury consumers furthermore revealed that just three out of the ten bought luxury items because of its
connection to art.
Theme 2 Competitive advantage and differentiation through art
13
The interviewees were asked whether the ‘artification’ of luxury brands can create a benefit leading
subsequently to an added value and creating a competitive differentiation. The findings are summa-
rised below.
Why artificate products?
Mentioned benefits are: “cultural leadership, aura of luxury, quality, profile/ awareness raising and
sharpening, showing the relevance and niche and that people will buy more”. A method to retain dis-
tance from the non-luxury world while keeping a certain luxury brand image.
“Art creates a certain cultural leadership, that means you connect your product, if it's a (fashion) product, to
the world of art collectors, art admirers and to the world of cultural leadership” (EX10).
“It would definitely seem to add to the aura of luxury objects if they could be considered to be art and more
widely also the idea that a luxury company by having a major art collection or an art museum would create a
certain aura around the brand name, so that even if you weren't thinking that these objects produced by the
brand were art, there will be a kind of arch like quality associated with the brand” (EX14).
“It raises the profile of brands and puts them in a different bracket to mainstream fashion brands” (EX11).
“It's a very precise profile if you do this artification either you keep it niche and very high profile or brands like
LV or Chanel which already have a big brand awareness use artification as a moment to be more relevant and
niche, so they are more interesting and more edgy” (EX10).
“Artification is naturally a kind of policy, but in fact I anticipate in this case through the clothes which I wear,
that I artificate myself. In other words, I am a part of the art world myself” (EX3).
“Luxury itself is for a limited target group, so art in luxury is even further limited. But for those it creates a cer-
tain benefit and they buy more than others” (LC1).
Three experts mentioned that it depends on the brand’s goals and who they want to target, and that
art is not immediately an advantage as it (1) depends on the authentic fit to a brand, (2) the desired
market segment, (3) might lead to rivalry among those brands doing artification and therefore this
small market segment might be harder to reach as many heavyweight houses will “artify” as much as
they can, following together the same path and increasing their competitiveness.
But is ‘playing the art card’ for a luxury brand enough to be successful? Can the creation of artified
institutions ultimately prosper? How is this ‘artified’ world of luxury brands being perceived? Can it lead
to a long-term impact on the brand?
All experts and most consumers are convinced that the artification of a luxury brand can lead to a dif-
ferentiation and consequently creates a competitive advantage in the market. The artification can re-
sult in attracting a very precise customer segment and can be interpreted as a specific element of
luxury brands among others.
“Yes, it helps to be seen different than mass-produced goods and creates some kind of USP” (LC10)
Luxury brands artifying: results on positioning, perception and value creation
Although all experts are persuaded that positioning is of major importance for luxury brands, not all
think that art or the collaboration with artists alone is an appropriate tool to improve the positioning of a
brand.
14
One expert believes that customers might not even perceive the art connection as such, but rather buy
a product because they like it and the ‘artification’ may just help the product being perceived more
exciting. Another one stated that if the brands’ positioning is already bad anyway, not even the ‘best
connection’ with art will change that.
Experts think that the artification of luxury brands or products only helps referring to the positioning if
the artification becomes part of the brands’ policy and then the credibility will be awarded. They are
convinced that only if the artification is embedded as a long-term strategy and therefore repeatedly
adapted to social developments, it will be successful and might improve the positioning in the long-
term run. A majority believes that the authentic adaption, which works with the brands’ values and
concept of the use of art is key to a successful positioning.
“If we're thinking about creativity, then it can help to enhance the positioning of a brand and to set it apart”
(EX9)
“Only an authentic artification can survive in the long-run” (EX12).
“Yes, it depends on the collaborations or on the type of artification it can really bring the brand to a new level,
but on the contrary, if the artification is not successful it can damage the image of the brand” (EX7).
“It can enhance the positioning only if a brand chooses a coherent set of artistic references” (EX8).
The experts independently stated that artification creates a sustained added value if the collaboration
is long lasting, fitting to the brand, credible and authentic otherwise the brand could lose credibility.
“Yes, it's definitely on a long-term perspective we have to keep these collaborations to get a competitive ad-
vantage or bringing an added value to our brand” (EX7).
“Yes, I think it is a long-term strategy if it's done in a way that is incredibly authentic” (EX9).
“Definitely yes. I think it creates a long-term value for the brand and will work in the long-term only. It is not a
short-term investment” (EX10).
“I think it does. [P] It can make pieces timeless and memorable” (EX11).
“If a luxury brand succeeds to keep its product appealing on various levels, it will benefit from that connection
on the long-run. Goods benefit from an avant-garde brand image in sales. That’s how luxury brands make
money mostly” (EX14).
Artification as strategic tool
When asking experts about their opinion as to whether artification or the usage of art is used as a
strategic marketing tool, the majority answered yes. Some of them even state that it is not just a stra-
tegic tool, but furthermore an artistic tool as well. The embedment of artistic elements can help to cre-
ate a story and to raise the brand image, especially if it is already a well-known luxury brand, like LV
as the collaboration with Yayoi Kusama showed. The use of art can attract a new consumer segment,
that has a special affinity for art and culture but not necessarily to fashion.
“It is not always a tool, it's often also a general interest in collaboration, [P] so, it is partly a tool but also inter-
est in collaboration” (EX6).
“If you think about Prada, Jil Sander or Raf Simmons these new intellectual brands for sure they create and
bring the core clients with their collaboration with art” (EX4)
“Yes, especially if the customer is interested in the artists exposed, if not it is important that the artists are
‘close’ to the brand. Then, if someone likes the brand, he/she might like the artists exposed” (EX8).
“It is both, it is definitely helping the brands, but in a good way so it's a win-win situation" (EX10).
“I mean I think the fact is they are primarily strategic marketing tools” (EX15).
15
“I am thinking about Louis Vuitton who really likes to put the quality of art into their marketing and their image
and inviting very known artists. There is already a very clear strategy and positioning behind that” (EX13).
It should be acknowledged that for big luxury brands, art used as strategic marketing tool is just a part
of the whole marketing concept.
Theme 3 experiences in retail stores in correlation with art
The experts and the consumers both revealed that the presentation of artworks and exhibitions in
luxury fashion stores can be nice, but are not of major interest or necessary, more like a ‘hidden’ add-
ed value. The findings indicate that the relevance of having art in stores depends on the location and
environment of the store, as each store might have different loyal clients going there. There appeared
to be a greater agreement regarding experiences regardless if art or artistic installations are involved.
It can be one strategy to bring people in the stores. Sometimes it might not be the brand’s target audi-
ence, people who would usually not visit this specific space. There was no clear outcome of the inter-
views whether brands having ‘free spaces’ for art in stores can increase their actual sales. However, it
was often seen as an auxiliary tool to enhance a brand’s image. It was furthermore mentioned that the
quality and the way of showcasing the exhibited works are essential and might also add a personal
connection and show a brand’s expression of its dedication to art. If a brand manages to create a spe-
cial, unique, exclusive moment, which impresses customers in a space, then it will remain in people’s
minds, might lead to an increasing foot-traffic and a return to stores. It became evident that most ex-
perts and luxury consumers like the idea of art foundations of big luxury houses to support art, apart
from their own spaces. This ‘patronage’ was highlighted as a big ‘plus’, an interesting value of a luxury
company, to present art in a different context and to show the dedication and investment in art.
Art and luxury – outlook into the future
In the future art and luxury will continue to walk hand-in-hand together. “On the basis of the evidence
from recent decades, it doesn’t seem to have lost its power to confer value” confirmed one expert
(EX15).
“It will for sure play an important role as it seems that fashion and art inform each other. And it’s not only a
one-way street” (EX14).
“I think art will be forever! Fashion and art there will always be collaborations and some good, some bad, but I
think they always happen and I think that will continue” (EX1).
“I think the relationship will continue to play a role. It will be mixed, there will be brands that have art complete-
ly embedded in what they do, who they are, how they exist and what their positioning is and then there will be
the ones that continue with collaborations and campaigns. So, I think they will continue to sit alongside each
other and integrate at times when it's authentic and relevant to the brand to do so” (EX9).
It was furthermore agreed that digital technology will play a role for luxury with the task to find the right
approach that works in relation to the brand’s own heritage and values and those of its customers. The
importance of integrating technology for luxury brands was seen by most consumers as important with
the requirement that it fits and is not too aggressively used.
“There will be lots of things which you can do with technology. [..] It needs to be very personal and not only for
a certain target group but let’s say for a target group of hundred. Each customer is different and you want to
target each one. To gain them as loyal customers you can use technology, art or other things.” (LC5).
16
Experiential strategies will be led by personalisation, exclusivity and high standards, and they will need
to be increasingly more differentiated and adapted to special targeted segments. Additionally, ad-
dressing sustainability, ethically and environmentally, was seen as prerequisite for the future of LB. As
e-commerce grows, physical shops might become more spectacular and connected environments on
an experiential basis (EX1), presenting one touch-point of a brand. One expert spoke about the goal of
its company to have different store visualisations worldwide, as even in the same city different images
of the stores according to the customer sensitivities are important to create unforgettable moments.
Discussion
All experts see ExB as essential tool and predict that ExB will be of increasing importance in the fu-
ture. With the essence of being personalised, exclusive, authentic and bringing an element of steady
surprise, but still being consistent with the brand’s values.
However, it should be noted that brands need to pay attention that ExM will not be used in an overex-
posed way and that the implementation needs to fit with the brand in every respect. Regarding the
recurrent relationship between art and luxury, various findings were ascertained which were consistent
with the literature.
Mentioned benefits of using artification for LB as a moral and aesthetical endorsement, uncommercial
connotation and reinforcing element renewing brands- images and relevance close to culture, to justify
high prices. Aiming to create a competitive advantage leading ultimately to a sustained added value in
the long-term (Kapferer, 2015) were mostly confirmed in the research results.
Regarding the prerequisite in literature that art is a key factor for the future success of luxury brands
(Kapfer, 2015; Girón, 2010; Chailan and Valek, 2014) experts pointed to the importance of making a
distinction regarding the brands. To gain differentiation and subsequently create a competitive ad-
vantage, the application of ‘artification’ will only be helpful if it fits to the brand, as a result it is a mar-
keting tool that is not applicable to every brand.
The collaborating artists have to be tailored to the brand values and image to be beneficial. The find-
ings of the literature research (Jackson and Shaw, 2009; Baker, 2007; Kapferer, 2015) stated that,
involving art can only be successful if it is embedded as an authentic, long-term strategy; integrated
into the entire value system; is in line with the interviewees.
It can be added that ‘art’ and its usage, does not lead automatically to an advantage as it depends on
the targeted market segment and the number of competitors ‘artifying’ as well.
Whether the application of art alone for LB can be seen as highly-appreciated attribute by consumers,
resulting in a clear USP and reaching a competitive success, cannot be clearly answered from the
research outcome. It did not become evident that customers really perceive the artification as such an
important attribute or value, it was stated that the item might be bought because the customer likes it
rather than because of its relation to art. LC confirmed that barely any of them remembered purchas-
ing a product purely for its link to art. Therefore ‘playing the art card’ in the short-term will not be
enough for successful LB in the current century.
17
Brands using art as one segment of its branding, targeting a very specialised market segment, such as
LV and Prada, who use art more as a strategic tool to create a constant renewing modern brand im-
age, seeking the interesting closeness and relationship to the art world to present itself in a non-
commercial, cultural context.
Literature also states that the peak of artification is when artists get the opportunity to advise luxury
brands universally to increase the value creation (Kapferer, 2015) and collaborations bring the possi-
bility of organisational alterations e.g. improvement of artistic thinking (Baumgarth et al., 2014). How-
ever, when speaking to experts some of them disagree with this suggestion as in general artists are
not necessarily familiar with marketing strategies per se. One expert emphasises the importance of
collaborations with artists to get fresh ideas and new views, but the ultimate decision regarding imple-
menting art in LB has to be taken by the management and not the artist. The value innovation (Kim
and Mauborgne, 2015) is most important for creating an added value, here again if integrating art/artist
collaborations today alone creates an added value is questionable. The results of the project revealed
that only if all elements below are consistent with the LB’s strategy a competitive advantage and sub-
sequently a sustaining added value will succeed due to ‘artification’.
• Authenticity: the quality of the art, the reputation and values of the artist must go in line with the
communicated brand’s image and values, more than a superficial relationship.
• An appropriate integration in a brand’s long-term strategy: collaborations with artist alone will not
be enough in the long-term to create a sustained added value.
• The artification needs to support the brand as well the artist itself: creating a win-win situation; as
the chosen artists need to fit in scale and reputation to the brand; there is the danger that (young)
artists collaborating with brands get a disadvantage for their subsequent carrier, if there is too
much emphasis on the brand.
• Limited and exclusive availability to a very precise market segment: brands need to know exactly
who they want to target through the artification, and if the artist | the art will be appreciated by the
target audience.
• A constant transformation and adoption to the customer tastes and desires: it is important that
the changes in society are taken into consideration at all times. Only if a brand goes in line with
the permanent altering values of people it will survive within changing times. The right artist at the
right time plays a significant role for the successful value creation.
• Constantly withstand competition: as more and more luxury brands will artify increasing the com-
petitiveness in this very limited market segment.
Luxury brand foundations were seen as more beneficial than exhibitions, through showing their dedi-
cation to the art world. The two concepts, authenticity and personalisation, were also mentioned as
key recommendations for successful luxury brands.
Conclusion
After the intense examination with the primary and secondary investigation, the research question
whether “the combination of experiential marketing with the influence of art can create a unique added
value for LFB” can be answered as follows: ExM and the ‘artification’ of LFB and their products can
generate a unique added value, however several elements need to be considered to create a true
18
competitive advantage. It was explored that collaborating with the arts is a frequently used tactical and
strategic brand management approach of luxury brands. Research demonstrates the increasing
closeness between art and luxury brands around the world. However, as Joy et al. (2014) suggest it
must be clear that the art-brand association needs to be balanced with the brands values, heritage,
history and ideology.
It can be summarised that the implementation of art (‘artification’) is most likely just one tool that LB
will use to differentiate themselves and to be simultaneously individual and artistic if it fits with the
brand. Using ‘only’ art to create an ultimate sustained added value will be achievable for only a few
brands. But not only LFB are positioning themselves through art-related activities. Among others Ru-
inart, the champagne brand, is known for its consistent long-standing relationship with art, patronising
contemporary art and design, perfectly matching the brands image (www.ruinart.com) Veuve Clicquot
introduced its Veuve Clicquot Widow Series, as contribution to the arts world partnering with the crea-
tive and arts communities (Theodosi, 2016) and Dom Pérignon has its annual art projects launching its
limited edition champagnes in collaboration with artists like David Lynch, Jeff Koons, Iris van Herpen
and most recently Michael Riedel (Berlin Art Link, 2016) creating display boxes, packaging, labelling,
as well as artistic events together.
In the 21st century luxury brands are seeking innovative ways to engage with consumers. Implement-
ing brand-art associations can be an authentic way to acquire potential new audiences, to create dif-
ferent touchpoints and strengthens a brands contemporary cultural relevance. Collaborating with art-
ists is a different way to express the brands vision, building stories, and can set a brand into a cultural
relevant context.
Theoretical contribution
Because there is minor research on the topic discovering the long-term relationship between art and
fashion through theoretical and empirical research has contributed a great value to future theoretical
academics. The outcome leads to several recommendations to support the value creation of LB, pre-
senting implications for marketing strategies and subsequently gives further insights into the future of
luxury. The fresh research project advances the literature in luxury branding and will be of great value
for academics and marketers as theoretical frameworks were illuminated, analysed and questioned
and practical implementations and future recommendations given.
The findings support and enrich literature by introducing interesting insights in relation to art-fashion-
luxury-experiential retail. And furthermore, foster the understanding of this complicated long-term rela-
tionship, offering empirical confirmation that art-brand associations, under certain circumstances, have
a positive impact on LB.
Managerial implications
The nature of the art-brand identity needs to be understood by LB marketers. On the basis of the re-
sults the points below aggregate the conclusion and shall support LB and their marketing departments
19
to identify how art can be integrated in their future strategies. The bullet characters recommend ac-
tions which can be applied separately or in conjunction depending on the brand’s aims and strategies.
If tailored to the brand and implemented effectively these suggestions can contribute to a lasting value
creation and favourable brand differentiation.
Table 2 Implications for luxury brands
ART EXPERIENTIAL STRATEGIES
• Choose art | artist appropriate to the • See ExM as future requirement for
brand values LB
• Use art in an authentic way! • Create an added value through
implementing ExM
• Differentiate and create a possible com-

petitive advantage through artifying • Personalise experiences
general • Attract new market segments by apply- • Create authentic experiences
requirements ing innovative art (e.g. niche segment) • Use ExM authentically – adjust it to
• You can justify higher prices brand values
• Use art as a selling-strategy • Use ExM to create a buzz/ in-
• Contextualise your brand crease brand awareness
• Integrate art in the whole value chain • Attract new audience
system in the long-term
• Increase footfall | traffic | dwell-time • Increase footfall | traffic | dwell-
using art and presentation time through art
retail store • Attract new market segments through • Adjust experience to your brand
art in store (exhibitions, artistic events) and customer
• Do clever visual merchandising
• Use touchpoint to create unique
online • Be authentic when using art experiences
• Generate events through art • Offer an educational and fun factor
LB exhibitions | • Set yourself in a new non-commercial • Use technology to create
exhibit artists context experiences
• Create a buzz and an authentic dialogue
• Use art as a means to create spectacles • Balance dramaturgy
shows | • Follow the principle of showmanship • Surprise audience
presentations
• Create emotions
Limitations and future research
The work presents thorough insights but certain limitations have to be considered. From a general
luxury brand perspective, it is uncertain if the research results focusing on LFB are directly transfera-
ble to other luxury sectors. The outcome is neither representative of the whole luxury fashion industry
nor can it be generalised. For this to happen, more European luxury brands of various sizes and sec-
tors would have to be included in this study. The study’s research design limits the reliability as reliabil-
ity is often no realistic attribute of qualitative interviews. The effect of translation bias might be given,
as three interviews were conducted in German and later translated and paraphrased into English.
The evidence from the study suggests that the conjunction between art and fashion will continue to
exist in the future and therefore additional studies exploring their correlation will be beneficial. The
relationship between art-technology-fashion is still rarely researched. There is great potential of explor-
ing this topic, focusing on brand management in terms of branding and communication (re-positioning,
20
CSR), retail spaces, shows and brand exhibitions in the future. The primary research results highlight
the increasing importance of technology as a tool to support art in the store, like brands such as Audi,
Tesla, BMW, Lexus, Chanel, Dior, LV, Prada have demonstrated. Therefore, future research should
explore the link between technology-art-luxury and ExB.
Further investigations regarding the integration of art or collaborations with artists of various luxury
brands on a different scale are encouraged. It will be interesting to compare and explore, from an in-
ternal company perspective, the effect of applying and implementing art and ExM on brand figures of
various luxury brands, differing in scale and brand awareness. Another interesting direction in this
context is to further examine how lasting the ‘effect of artification’ is. Comparing brands who embed art
only in one single action and those who are consistently following an art-brand strategy and analysing
sales figures as well. Further studies might enhance the examination of the correlation of this merging
topic.
Finally, it has to be said that the complexity of luxury fashion as part of the art world, due to its capital-
ist nature, still remains open to interpretation.
21
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Art as strategic branding tool for luxury fashion brands

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Paper type Research paper

Figure 1 Constitutive characteristics of luxury brands

Art: relationship to luxury

Experiential branding: in luxury

Competitive advantage and value creation

Methodology and research design

Table 1 Sample expert information (N=16)

EX1 Fashion curator

EX2 Deputy of department: visual arts, architecture, design, fashion, photography

Figure 2 Guideline structure

General Questions – luxury | art in luxury

defining luxury, association art, examples of art in luxury context

Specific Questions – competitive advantage

Specific Questions – experience economy

Specific Questions – future of luxury brands

“Art is also a way to generate ‘events’ for brands” (EX8).

Theme 1: Associations relationship art and luxury fashion

The strong friendship

“A lot of brands seek this, let's say ‘closeness and relationship“(EX10).

Benefits of the two-way relationship

• The approach of art as a kind of co-existing for luxury brands (EX9).

Theme 2 Competitive advantage and differentiation through art

Why artificate products?

Luxury brands artifying: results on positioning, perception and value creation

“Only an authentic artification can survive in the long-run” (EX12).

Artification as strategic tool

Theme 3 experiences in retail stores in correlation with art

Art and luxury – outlook into the future

Table 2 Implications for luxury brands

ART EXPERIENTIAL STRATEGIES

• Differentiate and create a possible com-

Limitations and future research

Cambridge Dictionary (2016) “Art”, available at: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/art,

http://www.altagamma.it/en/studi-e-ricerche/ (accessed: 20.01.2016).

Encyclopaedia of art (no date) Art Glossary, available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/art-

Geczy, A. and Karaminas, V. (2012) Fashion and Art. Berg, London.

Heine, K. (2012) The Definition of Luxury Brands, available at:

Kim, S. B (1998) Is Fashion Art?, Fashion Theory, 2:1, pp.51-71.

Passport (2016) Global Luxury Goods Trends Report, available at:

Roosevelt, M. (2015) New models of luxury marketing, Admap,WARC.

Saunter, L. (2014) Eight ways retail is capitalising on culture, available at:

to your company and brands, The Free Press, New York.

Smilansky, S. (2009) Experiential Marketing – a practical guide to interactive brand experiences.

Steele, V. (2012b) Is Fashion Art? @ mumok, available at: YouTube: https://youtu.be/weB-SQ-XP-c

Webster Dictionary (n.d.) “Art”, available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/art (ac-

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