Louis Vuitton is one of the world’s leading international fashion houses. The company’s success is attributed to its authentic Louis Vuitton bags, which are handstitched by experienced craftsmen. The company takes pride in producing impeccable products from only the finest and highest quality materials. The brand is synonymous with luxury, exclusivity and high quality, creating a high demand for its products. This paper discusses the level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs into which the Tambour Horizon best fits and then makes a case for how it could fit into the other categories in Maslow’s Hierarchy. Similarly, it explains the success that the Louis Vuitton Smartwatch has experienced concerning self-concept, self-esteem, and self-consciousness. Beyond that, it describes the brand personality of the Louis Vuitton Smartwatch and compares it to the brand personality of the Apple watch.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: the Case of Tambour Horizon
The primary goal of marketing is to interact with people, which requires a fundamental grasp of human nature, including wants, responses, and top priorities. Since a skilled marketer knows that knowing a company’s target demographic is essential before designing a marketing plan, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may play a significant role. By using psychology, businesses may understand more about prospective clients, including their likes and dislikes, how language impacts them, and other aspects (Solomon, 2011). For this reason, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a well-known psychological theory, might be crucial to deciphering consumer purchasing patterns (Asamoah et al., 2011). Physiological, safety, belongingness, ego requirements, and self-actualization are the basic five-tier levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a psychological, motivational theory.
Tambour Horizon by Louis Vuitton is an Android-powered smartwatch incorporating the usual features, including email notifications, text messages, and a pedometer. The Tambour Horizon also has other typical capabilities, such as geolocation, which may notify users of local tourist sites and other hotspots like eateries in their surrounding neighbourhoods. However, not everyone can afford the roughly $3,000.00 required to purchase a Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon (Cano et al., 2018). Wearing a watch with such a high price tag signifies a desire for luxury, status, distinction, and social and economic superiority. Individuals that buy this product have a heightened sense of self-worth, confidence, and financial security.
Consequently, the Tambour Horizon is most appropriately classified under ego needs. Prestige, social standing, and material success satisfy ego demands attributed to Tambour Horizon. As with most high-priced goods, the commodities’ exclusive, prestigious, and one-of-a-kind qualities pull in customers. The primary reason to purchase a Tambour Horizon is not to use its features but to utilize its impeccable brand (Castelluccio, 2017). Its users want to feel valued and be associated with the luxurious brand Louis Vuitton. In contrast to competing smartwatches from companies like Apple, the Tambour Horizon is simple, exceptional, and highly adaptable to meet the needs of individual consumers.
More importantly, Tambour Horizon conforms to the four categories in different aspects. For instance, its capacity to offer modern security measures is luring an increasing number of adventure and tourism enthusiasts. Since it incorporates cutting-edge technology, it provides them with a high level of protection. As a tech-rich product, safety and security are beneficial to them. Its geolocation features enable its clients to stay secure when travelling (Asamoah et al., 2011). Customers who possess this watch feel safer since they may easily ask for assistance if they find themselves uncomfortable. In this situation, safety is more important than reputation.
The Tambour Horizon also satisfies physiological demands, or those fundamental requirements necessary for optimal health, such as rest, nourishment, and hydration. Smartwatches provide health tracking and monitoring services so that users may maintain persistent good health. It may also fall under the spectrum of needs for belonging and affection. With its features, including texting and emailing capabilities, Tambour Horizon facilitates interpersonal communication and lets users stay in touch with those they care about while sharing meaningful moments (Castelluccio, 2017). Finally, the product may be categorized under self-actualization needs since it facilitates individuals’ development into their full potential and results in a feeling of accomplishment. Consumers in this market segment have a propensity for travel and learning tools. To meet the aspirational goals of its users, Tambour Horizon integrates several kinds of travel-related applications. There are a reasonable number of travel-related applications built within Tambour Horizon to meet the aspirational demands of its user base.
Analysis of the Success that the Louis Vuitton Smartwatch Regarding self-concept, Self-esteem, and Self-consciousness
The psychological effect of Louis Vuitton smartwatches on people’s sense of identity, worth, and awareness of their self-consciousness is crucial to the product’s commercial success. On the aspect of self-concept, people’s self-conceptualization is their personal opinions regarding their individuality, and having a high-end luxury item may boost one’s confidence and pride (Solomon, 2011). People who value personal branding will like Louis Vuitton’s smartwatch. The Louis Vuitton smartwatch is perfect for fashion-forward people who value their identity. The smartwatch’s style and design are consistent with the company’s reputation as a high-end fashion label (Park & Yim, 2018). The smartwatch is designed to reflect the brand’s position as a high-end fashion label and does so stylistically. Someone who wears a Louis Vuitton smartwatch will likely be a style connoisseur who places a premium on refined and luxurious accessories.
Concerning self-esteem, people with a healthy sense of pride will strive to portray themselves as competent and refined. Because of its high cost and rarity, the smartwatch has a high perceived worth, boosting the wearer’s confidence. Possessing a high-end accessory that serves as a visual representation of the wearer’s affluence and social standing is a source of great personal pride (Park & Yim, 2018). Possession of a high-end label like Louis Vuitton, which is synonymous with quality and status, may boost an individual’s sense of pride and accomplishment.
Finally, self-consciousness is the knowledge of one’s identity and its presentation to the world. Possessing a Louis Vuitton smartwatch might make one more self-conscious since the wearer will be more aware of their outward look and the impression they are creating on others. The smartwatch enables the owner to express their sense of style via various aesthetic customizations and user-friendly designs, including interchangeable watch faces and bands (Dahm, 2018). The ability to personalize one’s apparel boosts a person’s sense of individuality and pride in their appearance. Therefore, the smartwatch’s ability to keep its user constantly connected and updated boosts the wearer’s sense of self-efficacy and competence in all areas of life.
Brand Personality: The Case of the Louis Vuitton Smartwatch and Apple Watch
A brand personality is a collection of human traits that gives a brand its individuality and sets it apart from other brands. Consumers’ purchase behaviour is influenced by a brand’s personality, which makes them emotionally connected to the product (Bairrada et al., 2019). A brand’s personality is a combination of several elements, including its marketing strategies, product design, packaging, level of customer service, and core principles.
Regarding the Louis Vuitton Smartwatch, its brand is associated with luxury, sophistication, and elegance. In essence, its brand identity is that of a fashionable and confident individual seeking a high-end and unique experience. This company’s brand is associated with luxury goods and a sophisticated way of life, and its wares are often held up as symbols of success and prosperity (Mainolfi, 2020). The target audience for the Louis Vuitton smartwatch consists of those who are ready to spend more for a higher quality and more aesthetically pleasing product. The watch is crafted with quality materials and has a sleek, contemporary appearance designed to express a feeling of grandeur and exclusivity.
Conversely, the Apple Watch is synonymous with innovation, convenience, and dependability. Its target demographic is the tech-savvy, future-focused consumer who places a premium on efficiency, practicality, and originality. Due to its intuitive design, state-of-the-art technology, and numerous valuable functions, the watch has become an indispensable accessory for many people. Apple’s brand rests on its ability to consistently provide innovative technological goods that are simple to use, dependable, and stylish (Wu & Li, 2019). Marketing for the Apple Watch emphasizes its usefulness in maintaining communication, monitoring progress toward fitness objectives, and coordinating daily activities. The company’s identity emphasizes usefulness and efficiency over ostentation and prestige.
Conclusion
Consequently, the main goal of marketers is to interact with their clients, which calls for a fundamental grasp of human nature, including wants, responses, and top priorities. Since a good marketer understands that a company’s target demographic is essential before designing a marketing plan, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may play a significant role. Undoubtedly, Louis Vuitton is one of the world’s leading international fashion houses. Part of their success is attributed to the psychological effect of Louis Vuitton smartwatches on people’s sense of identity, worth, and awareness of their self-consciousness. A critical aspect of self-concept, people’s self-conceptualization, is their personal opinions regarding their individuality, and having a high-end luxury item may boost one’s confidence and pride. Brand personalities might form a collection of human traits that gives a brand its individuality and set it apart from other brands. It is also important to note that consumers’ purchase behaviour is influenced by a brand’s personality, which makes them emotionally connected to the product.
References
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