S05 E06: Alex Assouline, Chief of Operations, Brand & Strategy at Assouline Publishing

01/11/22 • 48 min

Scott Kerr sits down with Alex Assouline, chief of operations, brand & strategy at luxury book publisher Assouline. Founded in the mid-90s by his parents Prosper and Martine Assouline, Alex discusses why the brand positions itself as "the first luxury brand devoted to culture and lifestyle" and how he considers traditional luxury goods as competitors to Assouline's fine handcrafted coffee table books. Alex reveals what goes behind creating its "Ultimate Collection" of oversized masterpiece anthologies on subjects like Chanel, Rolex, wine, cigars, and Formula 1. He also discusses the surge in popularity of its Travel Series books during the pandemic, launching a successful custom high-end library division, collaborating with Zara Man on a summer capsule collection, and the role of coffee-table books in the digital-first age. Plus: Getting Gen Z to care about coffee table books Featuring: Alex Assouline, Chief of Operations, Brand & Strategy at Assouline Publishing (assouline.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: [email protected] Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

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S05 E05: Ulrik Garde Due, President and CEO at Mark Cross

Scott Kerr is joined by Ulrik Garde Due, president and CEO at luxury leather goods brand Mark Cross. Having taken the helm of America's oldest luxury brand a few years ago, Ulrik discusses his approach for reviving the 176-year-old 'sleeping beauty' brand whose little black rectangular-shaped bag famously appeared with Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window." He also talks about the critical role of physical stores and new pop-up concepts, a re-imagined digital strategy and customer service, building cultural credibility with younger audiences, launching a vintage Mark Cross website and leaning into resale, its artists-in-residence program, and investing in digital passports. Plus: Why Mark Cross joined Amazon Luxury Stores Featuring: Ulrik Garde Due, President and CEO at Mark Cross (markcross.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: [email protected] Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Linktree: linktr.ee/scottkerr Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

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S05 E07: Shannon Knapp, President and CEO at The Leading Hotels of the World

Scott Kerr is joined by Shannon Knapp, president & CEO at The Leading Hotels of the World, a prestigious hotel group with a worldwide collection of more than 400 independently owned and operated luxury hotels. Shannon discusses Leading Hotel's business model, its unique selling proposition to potential member hotels and the brand standards these independent hotels must meet to join the collection. She also talks about how it's handling the acceleration of competitive soft branded hotels and Airbnb luxury rentals, the leadership lessons learned from the pandemic, key luxury hospitality trends and insights from its inaugural Luxe Report, and speaking to young wealthy travelers. Plus: Is the metaverse part of Leading Hotel's future? Featuring: Shannon Knapp, President and Chief Executive Officer at The Leading Hotels of the World (lhw.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: [email protected] Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!