Exclusivity in High End Luxury Markets: Ferrari’s One-to-One Personalization Program
[Originally posted by Spike on Brains on Fire]
So before you plunk down a quarter of a million for a new 200mph toy, you’d want to make sure that you are the only one on your block, your city or even your region of the country that has that particular piece of Italian craftsmanship, right? After all, what bragging rights are you gonna have if yours looks like everyone else’s?
Well, the minds at Ferrari agree. Via coolhuner.net:
Book a trip to the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy where you will meet with a consultant in a specially dedicated atelier area. Rivaling a personal fitting by Valentino for the Oscars, your consultant will welcome you to the new One-To-One Personalization Program where you will design your own Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, accessory by accessory, detail by detail.
Exclusivity isn’t just for high-end markets. But it is a key to building and engaging with any loyal following.
And for a lesson on exclusivity, let’s turn to Gym Jones, the guys who did the physical training and conditioning of the actors for the movie 300. (Their site reads like a manifesto and is inspiring no matter what your industry. Many thanks to The Brand Builder for pointing us there.)
Gym Jones is exclusive. We exclude. It is not a question of elitism vs. egalitarianism because there can be no question; the black belt is elite, the white belt is not. The black belt is earned through long, difficult work, rigorous education, commitment, and persistence. Not everyone gets a black belt. It’s not T-Ball. We invite elite performers to train here because they foster the environment we prefer. It is the rare athlete who improves despite training exclusively with less capable practitioners and such exceptions may not be used to prove a rule. Talented athletes surround themselves with others of a similar or higher caliber – both mental and physical – and improve by doing so.
People want what they can’t have. If you add a barrier of entry to your movement, your company, your club, then those that get in have that much more to talk about and those that aren’t in want in. Make sense? It’s not about going to a website and signing up. It’s about wanting to be a part of something bigger than yourself and willing to do a little work to get there. That’s where exclusive comes into play.
And everybody wants exclusive.
