Luxury Brand Strategy: Is Privacy the New Luxury Expenditure? Part 3

MEERKAT SURVEILLANCE TEAM

Personal privacy on the Internet is one of the most important topics in current events today.   Is privacy truly the new luxury expenditure?  Would you pay for a subscription to Google or the social media platforms if your privacy was guaranteed, and all ads were on an opt-in basis? Or would you hire a pair of meerkats?

The Snowden affair is an indication of the state of privacy on the Internet.  “Snowden was an employee and technical contractor for the United States National Security Agency, and a former employee of the Central Intelligence who leaked details of several top-secret United States and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.” (Wikipedia)  This surveillance included information obtained from Google, Verizon, Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon, and Microsoft.

His disclosures have fueled a variety of debates branding him a hero/whistleblower or a traitor.  His stand is “to inform the public as to that which is done in their name (the war on terror) and that which is done against them”(the 4^th amendment).

Here is the excerpt from the Bill of Rights, and is known as the 4^th amendment.

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

In an article in the Guardian, a British newspaper, John Naughton (a newspaper columnist) writes in an editorial piece, that the media is telling the wrong story: “the story here is where the proper balance between freedom and security lies”.   The most important outcome of this he feels is that the days of the Internet as a truly open global network are numbered if governments can demand wholesale information on its citizens activities.  And, how do you divide the Internet and which country is watching what and whom?

In conclusion, Mr. Naughton quotes Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European commission, "If businesses or governments think they might be spied on," she said, "they will have less reason to trust the cloud, and it will be cloud providers who ultimately miss out. Why would you pay someone else to hold your commercial or other secrets, if you suspect or know they are being shared against your wishes? Front or back door – it doesn't matter – any smart person doesn't want the information shared at all. Customers will act rationally and providers will miss out on a great opportunity."

What do you think?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Brand Strategy: Is Privacy the New Luxury Expenditure?

This question was posed at the e-luxe conference in Paris.  What many of us don’t realize is that every time we interact in a digital environment such as: TV, mobile phone, the World Wide Web, and social media, we create a digital footprint (some have dubbed it a digital tattoo). Wikipedia defines it as “the size of a person’s ‘online presence’ measured by the number of individuals with whom they interact.”

When social media came on the scene, many rushed to make and interact with as many friends as possible without discriminating as to whom they were associating with.  The theory was: it is free, and perhaps something will come of it, the more, the merrier!  Fast forward to 2013, we are all realizing, that we may have given too much information in return for “free”.

In an article written by Jeffrey Lambert, titled, How to Erase Your Digital Footprint,

Mr. Lambert says, “Like stepping in wet concrete, these trails we unwittingly leave behind can be tough to erase. With the rise of identity theft, corporate tracking, and the ability of “Big Brother” to access our private data, it is more important than ever for Internet users to be aware of how past and future data can be erased and controlled more effectively.”

One of the recommendations he gives to understanding your digital footprints are several tools, when added to your computer will monitor what Google gathers in terms of data to allow them to search and target advertising. 

“Download the free software offering Google Alarm, created by F.A.T. Labs, which is available for both Firefox and Chrome browsers. This add-on will notify you each time you are sending data to Google. Just make sure you disable the sound option for this. I jumped out of my chair the first time the (very loud) alarm went off, and kept going off almost every time I visited a new site.  Unless you have a serious love for air horns or are trying to induce a heart attack don’t forget to do this!”

Go ahead and read this article for additional suggestions for monitoring your privacy.  In the end the most expedient and time saving procedure may be paying someone to switching your concrete prints for some cloud light slippers.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

  

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Personal Branding: Feather Your Clients' Nest with Bespoke (Personalized) Service

One of the most important words in the Language of Luxury to include in your vocabulary is “bespoke”. It means tailored, made to order, personalized or custom-made. As a luxury real estate marketing professional adopting a “bespoke mindset” and offering a customized service can go a long way to differentiate you from your competition. Feather your client's nest with bespoke service. This will add another feather in your cap and give your clients a compelling reason to refer you to others.

Nothing defines your personal brand better than your own brand of clothing or your own custom-made perfume. In one of the finest men’s haberdasheries in London, Turnbull & Asser, you can find an entire department of bespoke merchandise. While it is world renowned for its bespoke shirts, a tradition for over 120 years, Turnbull and Asser now sells bespoke belts, boxer shorts, gloves, knitwear, sleep wear, socks, ties, and umbrellas.

Bespoke perfumery is an art but it is also a science. The best perfumers are usually graduates of the prominent International Superior Institute of Perfume, Cosmetics and food Aromas (ISIPCA). Perfumers who are masters of their craft can identify hundreds of smells by nose. They often spend up to one year creating a single personalized bespoke fragrance.

Some bespoke perfume artisans take on just one or two clients per year. Depending on the rarity and availability of the chosen oils and ingredients, the cost can be up to $70,000. It may take up to three or four private consultations to concoct your own signature scent. There is an artisan perfumer in California who can create a bespoke perfume for you by mail for $900.

Bespoke goods benefit not only the customers, who can freely express their individuality, but also the artisan, as they are not constrained by the commercial limitations of mass production. Delivering a customized service in marketing luxury real estate can make you stand out and also offer you a way to express your own creativity.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Luxury of Giving Yourself Time

Sandyland Beach, Carpinteria

In defining what luxury means, the majority respond with one word: time. Despite the plethora of time saving devices that we all accumulate, we are still time starved. We feel that it is important at least once a day to turn off all those devices, and get away from it all. Our favorite is to take a walk to the beach, our conference room. The walk invigorates us, clears our heads, inspires us, and feeds our souls. What will you do to get away?

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