Saturday 14 July 2007
> SURVEY ON TOP 1% OF US ECONOMY BY DR. JAMES TAYLOR
this is what he found:
*Luxury is a neccesity: it is part of the purchase method and intent of virtually all consumers. The question isn't whether to possess luxurious objects and services, but how much can be possessed and what is the meaning of the objects to the possessor.
*Luxury is defined by the meaning objects hold for people and not the objects themselves. True luxury is the emotional connection and significance that an object holds for a person. This object can be a Prada purse, a pair of cowboy boots from JB Holt, a trip to a Pat Pirelli seminar, or a massage at Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe.
*The language of value in the world of object de luxe is inversely modest in proportion to the price, value and authenticity of the item. The more a flawless white diamond approaches 10 carats, the less one needs to say.
*The more the Luxury Object is associated with a compelling and binding meaning in terms of emotional connectivity, personal harmony, spiritual connection or a connection to the world of the inherently beautiful, the greater the marginal value of the object to the seller. more meaning means more profit.
*The meaning an object de luxe holds for people grows to the extent that the object offers self-reflexive connections to a person's sense of self-esteem, competence and personal value.
*Inherent scarcity, consistency, transitivity, emotional connectivity and mastery of excellence in a category are the hallmarks of value in an object de luxe.
*The value of an object de luxe is shaped by meaning content, not design; even clumsy design can be valued, collected and treasured.