B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • AFL
  • Federal Election
  • Pinterest
  • AI
  • NRL
  • News Corp
  • Cairns Hatchlings
  • Married At First Sight
  • Channel 10
  • oOh!Media
  • Anthony Albanese
  • WPP
  • Thinkerbell
  • ARN
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Inside Louis Vuitton’s Enduring Success
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Marketing > Inside Louis Vuitton’s Enduring Success
Marketing

Inside Louis Vuitton’s Enduring Success

Staff Writers
Published on: 18th October 2018 at 10:07 AM
Staff Writers
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

Last week, Snap Inc hosted the latest iteration of the B&T Breakfast Club. Here we unveil the speech delivered by Louis Vuitton Australia’s non-executive director Philip Corne, who’s also the non-executive chairman of Cure Cancer Australia.

Since joining Louis Vuitton Australia in 1988 as head of finance, Corne has held a number of senior leadership positions within the LVMH Group, leading all aspects of business, including strategic planning, property, marketing and client engagement, supply chain and logistics, information technology and people. The below is an edited transcript of his speech ‘Retail marketing, how it’s changing and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve’.

Given my background, I will obviously be addressing this topic from a luxury market perspective, but I think this is one that applies equally to many products and sectors.

I am often asked “post GFC – which seems a long time ago but in my view the consequences of which is still very much with us – what has the impact of the GFC been on the luxury goods market – the assumption being that the implications will have been quite negative.

The opposite has in fact been the case – for the 2008 Financial Year LVMH reported sales of 17.1 Billion Euro and profit of 2.3 Billion Euro compared to 2017 results of 42.6 Billion Euro in sales and Profit 5.1 Billion Euro and YTD June revenue is up 10% and net profit plus 40%

At LVMH and in particular Louis Vuitton – you have a chairman, major shareholder, and company that is never satisfied – if 3 words are spoken – innovation and creativity are 2 of them – the drive for growth is relentless.

At the same time you are entrusted with the management of brands with the challenging and competing objective of at all times maintaining and building on the position and image of the brand and delivering growth and profitability via the mantra or constant innovation and creativity.

What we have seen since 2008 is a polarisation of the market – with the same consumer looking to the value end of the market for the basics of life and moving to the premium/luxury sector for important purchases – the underlying sentiment being to “have fewer items but better that last longer”.

The risk therefore is – to be a brand that is in the middle with no real point of difference – and it is here that we are currently seeing a lot of pain.

The consumer today – unlike the past – has the power of information at their finger-tips.

The world can be shopped from anywhere any time.

In my mind however – what has always been true remains the true

It starts with your product – is it genuine – does it have a clear point of difference – does it have a market – can it be priced effectively into that market – are margins sufficient to produce an appropriate return – is the business scalable – the need to embrace relentless attention to detail and who is your competition both existing and potential?

An added complexity is that having the best product is not enough.

Assuming all the boxes above can be ticked then the questions remain:

  • What is the brand story and how to tell it?
  • Is it genuine?
  • Can it stand the test of time?
  • How to communicate to your current and potential client?
  • When has this ever been different?

The mode of delivery may have changed but the objective and message remain the same.

I hear much about luxury – an easily used word – apparently now you can purchase luxury toilet paper – computers etc.

I hear that personalisation is luxury, surprise and delight is luxury, client experience is luxury, scarcity is luxury – maybe.

In my view the currency of luxury today is trust – trust in product, providence, sustainability, retail environment and trust in the fact that relationship takes precedence over transaction – understanding that if the relationship is established the transaction will follow and trust must be consistently maintained over time.

In terms of marketing therefore regardless of the method of delivery the brands that in my view will win are those that understand these basics and have at the centre of all they do an obsession with having the client as the reason for their existence.

Above all the obsession with client needs to be a company wide culture and not rest with any particular individual or department.

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: Louis Vuitton
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

Bunnings stock photo
PHD Melbourne Nails Bunnings’ Media Account
23/05/2025
OMD’s DJ Sometimes Wholesome Wins Inaugural Club Unltd. Final
23/05/2025
TV Ratings (22/05/2025): Top Of The Table Dogs Toppled By The Dolphins In Treacherous Conditions
23/05/2025
Toothpaste Brand White Glo Admonished Over ‘Make The White Choice’ Ad
23/05/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?