Illusions, Magic and Purses

             On a recent trip to Vegas, my mother took me to the Louis Vuitton store in Caesar’s Palace. Needless to say, I loved it. The lighting made everything look so beautiful and exclusive. The bags sat on their own piece of personal wooden shelf, which made all of them look more like art pieces than purses. The sales associate made me feel like no one else existed. It took me a while, but I finally made my decision. I chose the Sistina PM with Damier Ebene Canvas.  It was the perfect size and it had a gold buckle that was to die for. Leaving the store with my new bag, I felt confident in my purchase (I had invested so much time into it!). That is, until I saw a women walk by wearing my exact purse. It was as if a thick wall of buyer’s remorse mixed with reality came slamming into my face. I have no idea why it hadn’t occurred to me that this bag wasn’t the only one that existed on the face of the planet. I could not believe that I had spent so much money on a purse only to see another one like it fifteen feet from the store. This might sound silly, but I felt cheated. It was like seeing your boyfriend walk by with another woman just seconds after hearing you were the love of his life. I didn’t return the bag that day, but it certainly didn’t mean as much to me after that miserable experience. 

             It was this experience that I’ve just shared with you that made me interested in luxury goods. Not just luxury goods in general, but the human aspect to it. I am simply fascinated by the emotions that these goods create for us, and how companies create the illusion of scarcity. I’m intrigued by the impact of displays and how effective lighting can draw us like a mosquito to a bug zapper. How do these companies create a sense of personal fulfillment for their customers through their products? Which of the four marketing P’s has the biggest impact on the purchase? How long does the emotional high last? What types of feelings do they try to create? How do they remedy situations like the one I described experiencing above?

             I would have to say that the real reason this topic interests me is because I have fallen victim to the allure of these goods several times (OK! I confess! A ridiculous amount of times.). Nobody likes to feel manipulated or tricked and, at times, I have felt that way after the purchase. I want to understand how effective their methods are to, hopefully, better understand my own purchasing trends. I would like to gain a greater understanding of the messages being sent to me subliminally. Ultimately, I want to know whether my purchases are made because I truly want the item, or if someone else is telling me I want the item. 

             At this point, I view luxury goods as the epitome of designing valuable customer experiences. How else could they manage to get you to spend such a ridiculous amount of money on an item that: 1.) you hardly use? 2.) you already own? 3.) you know is not quite worth what you paid? I feel like they have an amazing understanding of the experience they are trying to create.  They are so effective that you can’t help but get caught up in the moment, and then you’re hooked. 

             While researching luxury goods, I came across an interesting article about how companies find a balance between seeking higher market share and product exclusivity. It is called The Great Pretenders: the magic of luxury goods. It gave me some great incite into the business aspect of luxury goods and it alludes to some emotions involved in the process, but not quite as much of an emotional aspect as I would have liked. It was a great start though.