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these charges and while it is justifiable to raise questions and ponder on the
lack of social media powered by luxury brands, it is even more important to
ask what use the social web currently serves or could serve luxury brands
and, further, what purpose a blog or social forum manned by a luxury brand
would serve both the consumers and the brand itself. These are exactly the
indications that should be addressed in the luxury sector today.
As an advocate of the Internet and a believer in the evolution of the digital
media, including the social web, I am aware of the tremendous impact and
transformation that has been brought about by the social web and its poten-
tial for being responsible for behavior change in consumers, its consequences
and future evolution, which I will share later in this chapter. Also, as an even
stronger advocate of the luxury business, I am aware of the consequences
that the social web can have on the way luxury is perceived but before we
delve into the topic, let's get some definitions straight.
Web 2.0, the magic term that sends everyone linked to digital media into
a frenzy of excited discussions and reflections, has been around for over half
a decade but its powers and influence have been drawn to the forefront in the
last three years. But what does the term web 2.0 really mean and where did the
name actually come from? It seems that nobody knows (I've been asking around
for years!). When web 2.0 came about, we were already in the third phase of the
Internet evolution so we cannot even say that the name came from its evolution-
ary phase on the web. Nonetheless, what most people seem to agree on is that
this term is generally used to refer to the actions that bring people together to
connect with others online, most of them through social activities that have ele-
ments of sharing, exchanging and influencing. But wasn't this what the Internet
was supposed to be doing in the first place - to act as a platform for exchanges,
interactions and collaborations? Yes, but although the Internet was first created
as a collaborative platform through the exchange of information, the social web
goes beyond this and has become a barometer of influence in consumer behav-
ior worldwide through multiple platforms that enable them to generate conver-
sations, share interests and engage in causes that often lead to real actions.
The social web may be defined as the use of the digital and interactive
media to congregate users with common interests and goals in a collaborative
community that thrives on dialogue, participation, sharing and influencing. It
features a new way of communicating and reaching out to a sizeable audi-
ence in the digital environment. It provides an unprecedented and powerful
opportunity to be heard, seen, felt, engage, influence and be influenced. In
short, the social web gives a voice to anyone who desires one through which
to spread a message, create awareness, ignite action, vent out frustrations or
just banter about nothing. This possibility has led to an empowerment of the
individual and a power-shift in the relationship between luxury companies and
the online consumer base. It has changed the rules of the game by putting the
consumer in charge of their own online experiences for the first time. They
can now choose, interpret, accept or reject brand messages while influencing
