Correspondence: Glyn Atwal, ESC Rennes School of Business, 2, rue Robert d'Arbrissel, 35065 Rennes, France. E-mail: glyn.atwal@esc-rennes.fr

¹worked for Saatchi & Saatchi, Young & Rubicam and Publicis, and is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Rennes School of Business, France.

²is Professor of Marketing at Johnson & Wales University, USA, and has published widely in the field of leisure and hospitality.

Received 3 September 2008; Revised 3 September 2008; Published online 13 February 2009.

Abstract

Although the definition of a 'luxury' brand is open for debate, the natural evolution of luxury, with luxury brands first being adopted by the affluent and wealthy before inevitably being translated and reinterpreted down to mass markets, raises new challenges for marketing strategists. Luxury brands need to stay in front of luxury consumers, through the discovery of new and different ways to give expression to their desires. This paper discusses the fundamental difference between communication and connection, and identifies a means of assuring the greatest long-term success for luxury marketers by connecting with the luxury consumer using brand-related experiences.