Translating Luxury: Q+A with Anthony Schaub, The Consultancy Group
In this month’s Q&A we asked marketing and communications expert Anthony Schaub, Founder of The Consultancy Group, to share his #ultimateinsights on managing and creating global content for luxury brands.
Can you start by telling us about The Consultancy Group and what your company specialises in, please?
The Consultancy Group is a boutique agency with international experience and a strong professional network. We offer a bespoke service to each of our clients. From marketing and communication plan development to defining strategic guidelines, or simply to enhance an already existing approach.
While we have clients across a large array of industries, we are specialised in the sports and luxury industries.
Since you work with a lot of luxury brands, in your experience, what are the most important things that they look for in high-quality content?
Today, content is key for all brands and it is even more critical for luxury brands. In former days, luxury brands would invest very large budgets in advertising. Glamourous and glossy campaigns that would spread in magazine and TV advertisement spaces. That was before! Nowadays brands need to build various types of content, adapted to each of the channels they communicate through. Even though some luxury brands aren’t quite there yet, content will make the difference moving forward. We are exposed to so many advertising messages on a daily basis, that their impact on people has considerably reduced; to standout, content must be first developed and then adapted for a particular audience from the moment it is seen, catering to various audiences. Last but not least, new generations of consumers are not willing to buy into brands if they aren’t in line with their values.
What factors do you think impact a luxury brand’s reputation?
A lot actually. For sure, quality and consistency in all marketing tools is essential. That said, if the communication isn’t aligned with the actual actions of a brand, customers will eventually know, thanks to a wide access of information, and could then severely impact the brand’s reputation.
Get the most relevant and qualitative content, in all the languages you require to speak with your customers.
Do you find that these things can be difficult to translate/communicate in other languages?
Absolutely, more than translation itself, I would say you need to have editors that are native speakers of the language and live in the country you are targeting, to ensure that they adapt the content to local norms, not just translate it. A direct translation is not what people are looking for, it sounds cheap, which you certainly do not want for a luxury brand. This is why we like to partner with Ultimate Languages in many projects, in order to provide culturally-relevant content in the appropriate languages.
What challenges do you think luxury brands face when entering a new international market?
I like the saying “Think global, act local” and it is true now more than ever. People are travelling more easily than before. The consistency and DNA of a brand need to be recognisable everywhere in the world. However, fine details with a local touch will make the difference, even more for luxury brands. Many luxury brands try to use the same content worldwide, simply translated. In doing so, they miss opportunities to localise their message and make it more impactful and relevant. This doesn’t mean that the message in various countries should vary from the brand’s DNA, but rather show that while keeping all its values and mission, the brand adapts to its audiences.
Can you share with us three top tips to help luxury brands looking to make their mark on a global level?
- Think global, act local
- Surround yourself with the best partners, the ones which understand your philosophy and needs
- Leverage the experience you provide, and content matters a lot
Bio
Anthony Schaub is the Founder at the Consultancy Groups. He is an International Marketing, PR, Communications and Sponsorship professional with 15+ years of experience in the Luxury Brands Industry, specifically in the watch sector. During his 7+ years as Senior International Sponsorship Manager at the leading Swiss watch company, Anthony Schaub acquired leadership and management skills, as well as expertise in contract negotiation, strategic thinking, relationship management and business intelligence. Earlier in his career he worked for the Foundation organizing the most exclusive and well known watch fair in the world.
We would like to thank Anthony for taking part in this Q&A. We think you will agree that his experience working for and with luxury brands is incredibly valuable. If you have any questions for Anthony, you can reach him via LinkedIn or by contacting The Consultancy Group.
If you are a luxury brand that needs help and support with your global marketing strategy, here are some more #ultimateinsights to help you along your way:
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