Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Epilog
Q & A with Uché
1. Why did you write this topic? Did it come about as an accident?
I have nurtured the idea of writing this topic for about five years. It came
out of several gaps that I discovered through my work as a business con-
sultant for luxury brands. Irrespective of the country or product category,
I noticed that luxury brands were struggling with the same issues and chal-
lenges. Some of the most resounding of these were linked to how to create
a luxurious experience in the virtual world and how to reproduce the DNA
codes of a luxury brand online. Many brands were also struggling to under-
stand which products to sell online and how to do so without sacrificing their
innate qualities and identities. I knew that I would write this topic one day as
I carried it around in my head for five years, so it wasn't an accident.
2. Why write the topic at this precise moment, in 2009?
There are two main reasons. The first is that the arrival of the social web,
or what some people prefer to call Web 2.0 or Web 3.0, has led to an explo-
sive transformation of the mind-set of luxury clients, both online and offline.
Attitudes, interests and general behavior have changed dramatically in the
last few years. This has led to a real revolution that is challenging the way
luxury presents itself and also what clients expect from luxury brands. This
movement has also been reinforced by the global economic recession and
its impact will further be felt in the next few years. I felt that these issues
required urgent attention. The second reason is that the World Wide Web is
celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year and there couldn't be a better
time to make a contribution to this wonderful invention that has transformed
the entire world and humankind.
3. Which luxury brands have the best websites?
I am often asked this question and my response is usually the same. There
is none. This is not because luxury brands are not smart enough to have
the best websites but simply because there is no pre-set magic formula for
creating “the best” website. Representing luxury online involves several
