Recently, I often find myself talking of Rolls Royce, products belonging to the sphere of the extra luxury and seemingly far from the norm of SMEs or companies that live ordinary market environments, although premium.
Actually this company expression of ultimate luxury, oligarchs and reals choice from around the world, perfect to occupy the collective imagination movie with countesses in evening dress or secret agents in the service of Her Majesty, also it has a high-level managerial strategy that teaches many things extremely useful if we observe carefully.
Something that I've done and continue to do starting right from its communication and analyzing the development model, to take it on "ordinary businesses" “normali”.
The #brand values refer to an important story, a manufacturing and handcraft tradition of first order, to a concept of exclusivity taken to the extreme. The #positioning has always been tied to an almost unique objective, representing the offer for a small circle of wealthy and demanding clients, attached to those values that in the last 100 years were “the luxury” for definition.
But the company has understood that we are now in the third millennium, in the digital age, in the era of new professions and thus the new riches, when the future is not writable as it was before and where many socio-political and geo-economic balances are skipped, revolutionizing the world order, which the company targeted.
The challenge was far more challenging for Rolls Royce than for SMEs, theoretically flexible, elastic, but constrained by budget restrictions and difficulties of daily life.
The company's approach has not gone much on the product, that even innovated in technology and design as it should be with the passing years, it remained basically what it was, made of leather and precious woods, grandeur and comfort, an increasingly high price tag. th and ’ it has been dedicated – instead – to aspects of corporate #vision, the reading of the future of this brand and the market, communication needed to get the valuable messages to an unprecedented customer, very different from that of a few decades ago.
From the garage by royalty and stars of music, the fine grille with a greek temple “with th Spirit of Ecstasy on top” has gone to occupy space of managers' garage and car enthusiasts from other brands, people that never before would have thought they could drive a car like this, personally and with great taste, showy, in the past designed for liveried chauffeurs, but now also protagonist of advanced communications, special effects and futuristic proposals that outline the guidelines for an exclusive integrated mobility with the latest technologies.
Looking at the official post of the house from the double “R” on social channels (also this is a completely new plan for the company), you will soon identify with certainly a premium or luxury world, but also intriguing, very appealing, modern technology, it combines art, #beauty, #design, refined materials, exclusive and crafts #bespoke.
An organic action, coordinated and well-orchestrated of strategies designed to shift the corporate image axis so as to meet the market in deep phase change, where even the supply / demand relationship has changed and no longer rests on the traditional assumptions of 4 P.
By working with very different business cases together, I realize more and more that action is needed on the business model before than on promotional actions, regardless of the product, the industry sector, the distribution.
The business model is redefined in most cases, because the market asks for it.
And often this change is to be implemented in the contact strategy with the market, because the company's values can flow through initiatives that are based on very different channels, as Rolls Royce is doing with arts, bringing the vision of artists to collide with a positive vision of the company, developing a new sense of belonging to the brand, totally different from what it was intended first and tied to the product itself.
We observe so carefully success stories like this, because creating a successful venture – today – it can no longer be a standar equation where to manipulate traditional commercial variables. The new generation of consumers has developedcompletely different senses and sensitivity, they live technology and society so profoundly different and are about to enter into a future of wonders, in which the company must be able to express and engage his client.
The sociological impact of this new era in the market is crucial.Whether it's a pair of shoes, a perfume, a car or a wine , my approach to business development today is unprecedented because the consumer, the client, the individual that the company is targeting is an unusual figure who lives an unusual life, in real time, always looking to know what's around the corner, interested in finding positive facts messages of beauty, inspiration, technology made for the human welfare and the time that everyone can find.
And once again Rolls Royce makes a leap forward, not only under the pressure of the horses of its powerful engines, but coming from the atmosphere austere and imposing of his car and going to beauty, sensuality, afemale figure that is conquering more and more positions of power in the car world, deconstructing its product and imagining functions and design for a socially different future, but now approaching. A careful reading and in some aspects “reversed” of the market that until now has seen business owners and managers packing the offer on the basis of statistical data and qualitative and quantitative analysis of the distribution of purchases, whereas now it is time to understand which life models goes into the direction of customers and respond with the activation of a two-way communication channel in order to figure out where to position the company and what make sense of my ability to be a company that best suits his ideas.
And by doing that Rolls Royce has packed the “Cullinan“, a product in total contrast to what has been done in 100 years of history, passing by compelling limousine to an SUV capable of mud dirty and go Off-Road, thus responding to a large group of customers who have a clear idea of free time, but in this brand never could find an idea.
The mosaic of the Rolls Royce brand positioning #strategy is completed (currently) by the look forsuggestions, still a tactic that moves from the product itself and that points strongly to dialogue with customers, therefore looking for a more intimate contact in order to consolidate the relationship with the brand. And this is not only limited to communication, but finds application in the manufacture of the product, involving the client at a tactile, , sensory and physical level, in a context where to transmit the experience of the values of the brand identifies. To achieve this, the company has designed and implemented a series of 50 specimens of the Wraith Eagle VIII, whose name is inspired by that of Rolls-Royce aircraft engines - 20 liter 350 CV – mounted on the Vickers Vimy biplane, that back in 1919 made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic, which it is celebrated the historic challenge of two British aviators, John Alcock and Arthur Brown.
The dashboard in smoked eucalyptus gives, in a modern way,, a representation of what the two pilots saw finally reaching the mainland and is enriched with gold inserts, silver and copper, while thanks to thestarlight headliner the roof lining plays the starry sky and the route followed by Alcock and Brown during their historic journey.
The classic watch on the bridge is a jewel set in the dashboard with the coordinates of the route.
A look at this impressive “product” offers the opportunity to understand what is behind the special effects and beauty brought as a dowry by the cars of the Spirit of Ecstasy:
A company, small or large, needs to understand itself and to structure a comprehensive action plan. Working just for short term sales targets may not lead to success and the same commercial structure must be put in a position to have an offer client-focused and not entrepreneur-focused.
Today we climbed aboard a Rolls Royce, extraordinary example of strategy and not only luxury and comfort !
Davide Diurisi
MITO LUXURY BUSINESS – Brand Management and Development Strategies .
#mito2020 – Infos. management@mito.org.uk
