The Future of Brand Activations feat. Paola Pugliese, Frette

Future Commerce Podcast: eCommerce, DTC and Retail Strategy

“Customer obsession” is an overused phrase. But for Frette, it just might be true. Phillip and Brian sit down with Paola Pugliese of Frette to discuss heritage luxury, DTC-specific category extensions, and the future of brand activations at cultural events. Recorded live at eTail West.

“Quiet Luxury is Not a Trend”

Key takeaways:

- The power of consumer demand has grown, with brands needing to be true to their values and work closely with customers for relevance and delight.

- Frette focuses on partnerships with select partners, such as hospitality properties and designers, to ensure their products land in the right environments.

- Quiet luxury is inherent to Frette's DNA, focusing on quality, heritage, and timeless design rather than logo branding.

- Brand partnerships expand brand reach and offer opportunities for exclusive experiences and collaborations that go beyond just selling products.

• {00:08:12} - “You have to be true to your value and really work with your customers firsthand and understand what is the best way, as I said, to serve them, to also delight them, surprise them, and keep being, in a way, present in their daily lives.” - Paola
• {00:11:23} - “For a luxury brand, especially, services are fundamental. And there's no better way to design your next relevant service or product than actually asking the people that are going to use it.” - Paola
• {00:14:56} - “When you really have the same vision about the importance of the experience of the customers and the way you want them to enjoy the product, then you can also create interesting partnerships that go beyond just selling the product.” - Paola
• {00:25:38} - “Quiet luxury in itself is not a trend, buzzword. We were there before. We are gonna be there after. What is gonna speak for us is forever the quality, the heritage, what we stand for. And that is always going to be the best value for us.” - Paola
• {00:29:19} - “I love what you're saying about brands being the new muses, which is also building on the fact that brands need to have an opinion and share the values, and executives need to put their face after what the brand stand for. So we start with what might be interesting and relevant for the customers.” - Paola

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