Sherry Wilcox reports from the Community Manager Appreciation Day panel on Managing Luxury Communities.
We all agreed that a luxury community caters to exclusivity. There is an aspirational aspect for consumers who want to attain the product, while those people who own the product enjoy the status it represents. A luxury community gathers together people who want to share – even flaunt – that lifestyle and people who aspire to that lifestyle, but who can’t attain it just yet.
In contrast to consumer brands, luxury brands are more focused on telling their story on social media rather than straight-up consumer engagement. It’s about status – which means that acquiring an item gives a sense of privilege to the owner.
The velvet rope philosophy – showing people what they’re missing, while keeping them outside – sometimes applies with these brands. Occasionally they cross the line to become elitist.
