FOCUS ON Formia365 Future luxury
Formia's trend-spotting event at WTCE in Hamburg turned the spotlight onto luxury as speaker Mike Crump, of Honour Branding focused on the style trends you need to watch. Julie Baxter reports
what is affordable and what is luxury, according to branding guru Mike Crump. The profile of the luxury consumer is changing, he explained. They are increasingly tech savvy and look for personalised, authentic experiences. Brands need to tap into this, optimise their interactions with these consumers and diversify their offering. Aligning with other like-minded brands can also help. The pressure will be to increasingly create
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products around the individual, says, Crump. Forget traditional menu cards, for example, increasingly the onboard chef will simply ask: ‘What would you like me to cook you today?’ Etihad is already doing it and even low-cost carriers, like Air Baltic, are offering passengers the chance to pre- order personal choices. Move over IFE too. Soon so many passengers will have their own devices onboard, free wifi will have to be standard. They'll want their own playlists, as a right. Where hotels have led, airlines will follow
so watch out for pillow menus and digital wallpaper. The first is already onboard Delta; while the latter is emerging fast to allow clients to personalise their space. Customer service is changing too. The
tech savvy generation will expect you to know their likes and needs through iris recognition and intelligent ticketing. Crump stressed the need for businesses
to create a ‘brand universe’ and keep people in that universe as much as possible,
Top right: The luxury traveller's needs are changing. Mike Crump highlights how airlines need to adapt to keep on trend
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cutting right across their lives. Armani, for example, has done this by moving from fashion clothing, into accessories, and then into restaurants, hotels and spas. Airlines can do it by enriching their lounges and connecting beyond the flight. They will need to focus on the provenance and authenticity of the products they use and promote the stories behind them. Onboard products can play a role here
if airlines choose products that reflect and enhance their brand perhaps by focusing on an ethical or social story, as Etihad has done by using traditional weavers in
uxury, it seems, is no longer quite what it was. The democratisation of luxury is blurring the lines between
their amenity bags; or by reasserting the company’s heritage through the products. Aligning the business with fashion brands has worked well in the past as with the Anya Hindmarch bags previously used by British Airways and the Rimowa bags used by Singapore Airlines. Says Crump: “If your passengers are leaving the amenity bags behind on their seats, an opportunity has been missed. Amenity kits need to be practical for use onboard but if they also have a use beyond the flight they will help maintain the passenger’s memory of the trip and keep them connected longer to your brand.”
Profile
Honour Branding is a strategic brand experience consultancy, with specialist expertise in the hospitality and aviation industry. Director and partner, Mike Crump, was previously head of design management at British Airways and has spent 20 years working in the aviation industry.
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