Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
products within a store. This technology will also increasingly lead the way
for the interconnectivity with objects of daily life such as electronics and home
ware. Imagine being able to use your mobile to activate your alarm clock, start
your coffee machine, check the weather forecast on a digital screen and update
yourself on the traffic condition. In this world, the mobile will become even
more personal and will drive an unprecedented level of expectations from lux-
ury clients. This is the future and luxury brands should be prepared.
Technology and innovation for luxury
The unique and long-standing relationship between luxury and avant-gardism
means that luxury brands are expected by the public to be leaders in innova-
tion in all its facets. The consumer population - comprising both those that
purchase luxury and those that don't - look up to the luxury sector to pave
the way for others in bringing products and services inspired and supported
by technology to the market. This doesn't mean that luxury designers should
become the next Steve Jobs or that brands should turn into the next Apple,
but it does mean that luxury brands are expected to respond to a changing
world in which the way products are made and marketed has been trans-
formed by the arrival of digital technology. For a sector that inspires many,
it means embracing technological functions and applying them across every
aspect of design and creation as well as in business and retail operations.
This includes material sourcing and functions; product and process design;
operations and logistics; retail, merchandizing and client management;
as well as other multiple aspects of the value chain including communica-
tions, public relations, marketing, brand management and business strategy.
Successfully pulling off the integration of technology support to these busi-
ness dimensions means adopting a forward-thinking orientation as well as a
proactive approach towards applying new technologies as they evolve.
Until now, the question of using digital technology to support a luxury
brand's activities has been raised mainly in the areas of website design,
digital media production, e-retail and client management. In some cases,
applied technology has been adopted for client data management and in sup-
porting POS systems. On rare occasions, designers have used digital aids to
stimulate product design and visualization but, apart from these areas, the
use of technology in both the creative and business aspects of luxury have
been limited. Technology, however, has much to offer luxury beyond these
areas, evident from recent innovations in areas ranging from design to new
product development, store merchandizing and sourcing materials for a wide
range of products including clothing and accessories. Some of these inno-
vations, which have been identified as having the potential to exert a high
level of influence on the way the luxury business functions, are presented
and assessed in the following sections.
