News and Events...

Luxury goods equate with quality and uniqueness, in not just the brand, but the customer experience too. As such, tapping into the luxury goods market requires great marketing and consumer insight to counter stiff competition. And, luxury goods are becoming more affordable than ever before as we see an increase in disposable income within Europe; for example, in France, there has been a steady upward trend in disposable income in the past 10 years. Research by Deloitte has found that the market for luxury goods is buoyant but competitive. In emerging markets such as China and Russia, they found that 70% of luxury good consumers expect to continue to spend more on those specific goods.

To be successful in the international luxury industry you need to have an interesting mix of qualities. As a worker within the industry, you need to have a deep understanding of your audience and what they want. This is part of a wider insight into building and maintaining brand heritage. People who succeed in this interesting and challenging industry are often all-rounders, with skills such as business acumen, an eye for design, and great communication.

In this article, we will take a look at six of the most amazing jobs in the international luxury industry.

Six of the best jobs in the luxury goods industry

Luxury brand manager - to stand out in the highly competitive luxury brands industry you need to have exceptional brand management. This is one of the most sought-after roles in the industry because it allows you to combine your love of design with travel and communication. As a luxury brand manager, you will look after every aspect of your brand’s products – you will act as both a consumer psychologist and a brand strategist. This includes market research onto the product audience, management of advertising campaigns, overseeing budgets and handling vendors, and communicating with the luxury brand designers and representatives.

Luxury goods manager – product managers ‘own’ the product throughout the lifecycle from planning to development. A luxury goods manager is an exciting and glamourous job that requires a combination of creativity and management. It has many facets to it and you can specialize in any one or more. Your job as a luxury goods manager will bring you into engagement with marketing, PR, design, and operational management.

Fashion retail buyer – this is one of the most glamorous and competitive jobs in the luxury goods industry focusing on fashion. Fashion retail buyers and their team are on the front line of deciding what your company sells. For someone who loves fashion, this is the ideal job. To do this job well, you need more than just an eye for trends and fashion. You need to know how to source and develop product ranges. You also need the knowledge to use tools to analyze and predict fashion trends and monitor performance indicators.

Fashion PR specialist – this industry role is key to brand promotion and recognition. As a PR specialist, you will develop and manage media contacts and ensure they represent your brand correctly. As a PR specialist in the fashion industry, you will liaise with the editors in renowned top fashion magazines.

Luxury communication manager – This is another PR role that has a major influence in brand recognition. As the luxury brand industry moves into a more digital era, the communication manager needs great digital communication skills as well as more traditional ones. Communication managers have to be able to build relationships with the media and communicate their brand’s passion and uniqueness to those contacts.

Digital project manager – Digital communications are vital as more luxury marketing campaigns are driven by online media. A digital project manager is central to the management and success of such campaigns. They need a strong understanding of digital marketing and techniques such as SEO and content management.

The international luxury industry offers exciting job opportunities that let you work with the world’s most beautiful, unique, and interesting products. But, to be successful in any of the six roles we talked about here, you need to have the right combination of marketing and business skills. emlyon business school’s MSc in Luxury Management & Marketing develops those skills that are needed to become an ideal candidate in the highly competitive world of luxury brands.