How to become a Luxury Brand Manager?
The Luxury Brand Manager is the link between creative thinking and the market. Discover what their job is about and the steps to pursue this career path.
What do Hermès, the French house whose iconic and exclusive bags are desired all over the world, and Tiffany, the US brand of high-end jewelry have in common? Both are brands that are firmly positioned in the luxury segment. This is precisely the type of brand that the luxury brand manager works with.
The luxury brand manager is the link between creative thinking and the market: coordinating creative talents with business objectives. Therefore, this person must have an excellent aptitude for relationships: the ability to communicate adequately with heterogeneous professionals – in terms of training, culture and language – is essential for operating in a truly global market, such as the luxury one. It is vital to be able to grasp the predictive signals of future evolutions. This is why the luxury brand manager must always keep an eye open to what is happening around them. However, the overall vision is never separated from the attention to detail, as Luxury is made up of details.
The training course of the luxury brand manager includes a degree either in business or psycho-social sciences. The first allows you to acquire the technical skills, whereas the second enables the ability to grasp the dynamics – social and psychological – which are at the basis of consumer attitudes and behaviours. Bachelor studies are often followed by a specialised master’s degree, focused on building a background aimed at the development and management of managerial strategies for luxury goods.
This role is the professional specialised in the management of luxury brands. Their job is to follow the brand so that it maintains – or, even better, reinforces – the high-profile positioning that characterises it. To do so, they use all available levers: from the product, which must be luxury from every point of view (design, materials, manufacturing, etc.), to communication (traditional and digital), from distribution to collaboration with other market players. Monitoring the trend of the brand, not only in economic terms but also in terms of image, is a key task. It is important that sales results never go to the detriment of positioning, which must remain in the highest segment of the market.
The luxury brand manager occasionally produces reports that they share with colleagues and collaborators. Furthermore, they are often asked to make presentations dedicated to internal and/or external audiences. For this type of activity they use various types of software, including Excel and Power Point.
A career in luxury brand management can be highly rewarding due to the prestige and unique challenges associated with working in the luxury sector. It offers the opportunity to work with iconic brands, develop high-end marketing strategies and manage large budgets. The skills gained in understanding luxury consumer behavior, brand storytelling and exclusive products positioning are highly specialized and valuable. In addition, the potential for career growth and networking in the industry is substantial, making it a rewarding pursuit for those passionate about luxury goods and services.
The career of the luxury brand manager develops within a company. Specifically, it can be an independent company, focused on a single brand (e.g. Chanel or Rolex), or a large group (e.g. Lvmh, Kering, Richemont), operating with a broad and varied portfolio of brands. In the second case, it is likely that they will move from one brand to another, as they gain more expertise and grow in level – dealing with increasingly well-known and relevant players.
The luxury brand manager can develop their skills within the Master in Luxury Brand Management at Domus Academy that is addressed to candidates who have a first-level degree and/or professional experience in design and the arts. It is also open to candidates with a background in economics, management, or the humanities, if they are motivated by a strong interest in the field of luxury goods, services, and experiences.
There are two types of Master in Luxury Brand Management from Domus Academy. The Academic Master (60 ECTS credits) is developed over 5 modules, a curricular internship and a final project workshop and it allows to gain an Academic Master’s Degree accredited by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), a qualification recognised in Europe and worldwide, as well as a Domus Academy Master Diploma. With the Double Award Master (90 ECTS credits), students have the opportunity to integrate the course of study consisting of 5 modules, a curricular internship and final project workshop, with additional lessons and a more in-depth individual project thesis. With the Double Award Master, students can obtain an Academic Master recognized by the MUR and, in addition, a Master of Arts officially recognized by the British system (Privy Council) and issued by Regent’s University London.
The Domus Academy’s Master in Luxury Brand Management covers the theoretical courses in Strategic Branding, Integrated Communication Strategy, Advanced Business for Design, as well as the Professional Accelerator Activities and the workshops in Strategic Brand Management and Digital Communication. Moreover, students have to attend an elective workshop to be chosen among Fashion Buying, Entrepreneurship through Design, Retail & Visual Merchandising, Product Strategy, Identity Design and Fashion Styling.
Domus Academy’s Master in Luxury Brand Management offers focused training that prepares students to manage the delicate balance between creativity and business for luxury brands. Tomorrow’s luxury brand executives will learn to identify individual customer behaviours and social patterns and discover powerful tools that will allow them to develop unique perspectives, meaningful values and strong emotional ties through engaging and unforgettable experiences.
With Domus Academy’s Master in Luxury Brand Management, students can pursue careers as brand managers, product managers, marketing managers, communication/PR managers, branding and marketing consultants in the luxury industry.