Top Ten Superyacht Shows To Attend In 2014
Set to offer a glimpse into the lives of the uber elite, the 2014 superyacht show lineup is sure to be exciting. Whether you want to design your own Feadship or whether you prefer to book a private charter yacht aboard MY Starfire, don't miss out on the action of the much anticipated superyacht and lifestyle events happening this year.
Here is a quick roundup of our Top 10 Superyacht Shows to Attend in 2014.
London Boat Show: 4-12 January, 2014, Excel
Europe’s first boat show - it’s 60 year old - is sure to allure those who love our ocean and its myriad watersports activities. Admire the craftsmanship of hundreds of boats; talk to superyacht owners and experts; check out auxiliary products and services; learn about new techniques and technology; and enjoy every minute of this coveted event.
Dubai International Boat Show: 4-8 March, 2014, Dubai International Marine Club
Showcasing more than 450 luxury yachts, the Superyacht Pavilion is a huge draw for both VIP and the media. Partake in the launch of new superyachts; explore state-of-the-art dive equipment; admire exclusive automobiles at the Supercar Promenade; and rub shoulders with the elite at the Dubai International Boat Show.
The Hainan Rendez-vous: 20-23 March, 2014, Sanya, China
Conceptualized by Delphine Lignieres, the Hainan Rendez-Vous offers a peek into the trends of luxury lifestyle in Asia. With a superyacht pavilion, a private jet pavilion and a luxury property pavilion, each adorned with some of the best in class assets, this luxury event showcases the ever increasing opulence among China's elite.
Singapore Yacht Show: 10-13 April, 2014, ONE°15 Marina Club, Sentosa Cove
Creating the ultimate luxury yachting experience, the Singapore Yacht Show is the ultimate display of extravagance. The show boasts some of the finest parties and chic product launches alongside myriad superyachts, lavish waterfront properties available for purchase and fine dining establishments.
China (Shanghai) International Boat Show: 10-13 April, 2014, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center
Launched 19 years ago in the hopes of stirring Chinese interest in yachting, the China (Shanghai) International Boat Show is growing in popularity every year. Along with the impressive range of luxury yachts on display, this boat show hosts several watersports, leisure activities and lifestyle goods.
Antibes Yacht Show: 24-27 April, Port Vauban, Antibes
Set to gather superyachts at the beginning of the Mediterranean yacht charter season, the Antibes Yacht Show is the ideal event to visit if you are looking to either sell, buy or charter a luxury yacht. It is also the preferred venue for superyacht crew looking for new employment.
MYBA Yacht Charter Show: 28 April-2 May, 2014, Genoa
Dedicated to superyachts in all its glory, the MYBA Yacht Charter Show is getting ready to offer a singular experience to attendees with a dynamic social program and a Gala Event. The show also offers an ideal opportunity for charter professionals to connect and network with some of the most renowned charter agencies and brokers from across the globe.
Beirut Boat Show: 14-18 May, 2014, Port of Beirut, Pier I
This year the Beirut Boat Show is changing location to accommodate its growing popularity. On display will be several luxury yachts, products and services that defines the lifestyle of those who prefer the finer things in life. Enjoy the Beirut Boat Show's chic and relaxed atmosphere.
Cannes International Yacht Show: 9-14 September, 2014, Vieux Port, Port Pierre Canto and Espace Riviera
Known worldwide as Europe’s first in-water boat show, the Cannes International Yacht Show showcases some of the finest vessels against the splendid French Riviera backdrop. Leisurely make your way along the hundreds of sailboats, speedboats and luxury yachts made available for your enjoyment.
Monaco Yacht Show: 24-27 September, 2014, Monaco
Patronized by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Monaco Yacht Show brings forward the best in class superyachts from around the world. A prestigious event for jetsetters, this superyacht event is the perfect platform to learn about nautical and technological innovations and new luxury yachting services.
With a host of superyacht events trying to capture your attention, 2014 is sure to enchant the superyacht aficionado in everyone.
Ten Tips For Reaching A Luxury Blogger
After sending dozens or even hundreds of press releases to bloggers who are online influencers in your niche, you might wonder why you have received so few replies. Could it be that your pitch went into every one of these bloggers spam folder? Or could it be that you didn’t send anything of value to the bloggers? Wouldn’t it be nice if bloggers took the time to tell you why?
At LuxeInACity, our digital showroom, we have received thousands of press releases by luxury and luxury travel brands that hope to get exposure on our blog and social media channels. Yet we have worked with only a handful. Why? Because we felt that these PR pitches were simply not addressed to us.
To help you reach us and other bloggers like us, stand out from the mass by applying the recommendations below.
1. Don’t spam
This is probably the most important thing to remember: Never ever send a message or press release to a mass distribution list. Why? Because no one likes spam. There is absolutely no difference between receiving an unwanted press release from an agency and receiving a sales pitch by a random email marketer trying to sell you fake goods. We treat them the same. Unless you are LVMH and have major news to tell, your mass message will most likely be ignored by all. It’s just too easy to overlook. And if you keep sending weekly emails without ever actually trying to connect with us, you might just make us mad. If we have talked over the phone and you still send me emails via your distribution list, you just lost some hard-earned privileges. Simply don’t spam.
2. Engage 2-3 months in advance
Yes, you read it right. Don’t expect to build a relationship with a blogger in two days or worse in two hours. They need time to get to know you. Bloggers receive hundreds of emails a week and barely have time to reply to the most important ones. Take us for example, we are a boutique luxury agency with real life clients who want us to build their brand’s image, to create engaging content for marketing, social media and SEO and who expect us to work on tight deadlines. If you send us a press release but we don’t know who you are, what do you think we will do? That’s right; we will most likely simply skip over the request and continue working on our paying gigs. But if you are our friend, we will most likely make a last minute exception and work with you.
3. Introduce yourself or your PR/SEO agency.
Before you start talking about how great a brand, product or event is, start by telling us who you are. Makes sense doesn’t it? How can we establish your credentials if we have never heard of you? Don’t be shy to tell us about your agency and share your personal profiles on LinkedIn and Twitter. You don’t need to write a full paragraph about yourself but do give a little insight, something other than what’s in your signature.
4. Pitch to a real-life person not a robot
I never thought I would say this, but consider talking and getting to know us a little before you reach out to us. Use our name in the email instead of “dear blogger” and remember to spell the name correctly. My partner/sister’s name is Maxine yet we get so many emails written for Maxime. If you start with dear blogger or a simple hello, you tell the blogger that you don’t care about them enough to find out their name. We have even posted our names and linked our LinkedIn profile on our homepage yet few refer to us by our names or take the time to connect. No name equals no replies.
5. Pitch to a blogger not a journalist
Remember, bloggers write about what they want to, not what they have to. They don’t have to cover the news or tell your story. They do as they please and write because they are passionate about their niche. Here at LuxeInACity, we love luxury and especially luxury travel, we have writers who roam the globe, so invite us for a drink or a snack and get to know us a little. If there is no possibility for a rendezvous, show us how your brand would appeal to our audience instead of simply summarizing the content in a press release. If you are a hotel and have a new killer summer menu, invite one of our fans for a complimentary meal. Remember, we are in a new media era and our fans want us to interact with them, so we need to be able to interact with you.
6. Don’t copy/paste
Please, never do this again. You can attach the press release and all related images, .pdf and videos in a Dropbox folder but don’t include everything in the email. If you are like me, you have a smartphone linked to your emails. You get a ping and you instantly check the message. If I see that it’s a copy/paste of a press release, I simply click delete. If I see that it is a personal message with an outline of the pitch, I will keep it for a further review. Also, if you get my personal email from a reply, don’t take it as an “I want to subscribe to your mailing list for all ongoing press release distribution” sign. Unless I personally sign up to your mailing list, don’t sign me up.
7. Make it easy
Time is money and a blogger has little time to run around trying to get images to promote your brand. So make it easy for them and provide everything in a convenient Dropbox folder. Also, make yourself accessible to the blogger for questions or additional resources as needed. Bloggers have editorial calendars and if they tell you they hope to publish your article on a specific date, don’t make them chase after you! Remember that they are working for you and you want them to be on your side.
8. Don’t ask for stats
Again, do your research. If you find a blogger and have taken the time to reach out to them, it’s probably because you believe their audience is a good fit for your brand. So why do they have to prove to you that they are online influencers? If the blog ranks under 500 000 on Alexa, has thousands of social media fans, you should know they have all the influence you need.
9. Make it Win-Win
Not every blogger hopes to make money from their blog but do respect bloggers who write for a living. When you ask a blogger to write about your brand, you ask them to do the work for you. If you are a PR agency, your clients pay you to try to generate some media exposure for them. So, why is it so hard for PR reps to understand that bloggers with huge followings should get compensated for their hard work? Try getting thousands of fans to read your blog and follow your social media channels and you will see why bloggers should be compensated. It’s not easy and it is very time consuming. Think of a blog as a business because that is in fact what it is. If a brand has money to pay a PR firm to find bloggers, then they should also put money aside to pay the bloggers to actually promote them to their desired clientele. Would you work for free? I don’t think so, so explain to your clients that bloggers shouldn’t have to either.
10. Say Thank you.
So many PR reps forget to send out a simple thank you email. Everyone appreciates recognition for work well done. If you forget to thank a blogger, don’t even think of reaching out to them in the future with another pitch. If you have joined the social wave, keep in touch and join them in any interesting discussion. A little love will go a long way for your next pitch. Trust us on this.
After reading this post, try sending us your pitch at LuxeInACity and hope for a quick reply. If you get one, it means you have mastered the art of pitching to bloggers.
After reading this post, try sending us your pitch at LuxeInACity and hope for a quick reply. If you get one, it means you have mastered the art of pitching to bloggers.
Please Luxury, Forget The Prominent Logos
I recently read this great article by Tara Loader Wilkinson, the editor-in-chief at Wealth-X, a definitive source of intelligence on the ultra wealthy with the world’s largest collection of curated research on UHNW individuals. In her article titled "No Logos, We're Chinese", Tara explains that taste has evolved amongst the wealthy Chinese community such as they no longer want to purchase items plastered by a brand’s corporate identity.
Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice president of Asia-Pacific at JP Morgan, and one of Asia’s most esteemed bankers states that he “even sees people removing the label from the inside of their jacket as a way of making it more anonymous.” After years of flaunting their wealth, the Chinese have finally started to shun logos. Luxury brands face yet another challenge: they must adapt to this new reality in order to secure their position as leaders in the world’s second most prominent market for expensive goods.
While reading this article, I started thinking… When have I ever purchased an item with a prominent logo for one of my clients while I worked as a personal assistant to the UHNW community? The answer is simple: Never.
When did I see a charter guests flaunt a new logo covered Louis Vuitton bag when I worked aboard superyachts? Once again: Never.
What I learned from my years working for billionaires, celebrities and UHNWI is that they normally prefer to be discreet with their personal clothing style even if they love their superyachts, private jets and sports cars.
I had a charter guest once, married to an American baseball team owner who told me: “I simply love shopping at JC Penney and Target.” I was shocked, but then quickly realized that they probably wouldn’t have become billionaires if they had spent their money carelessly. She also mentioned that she never used to spend thousands of dollars on a purse simply to show off a logo when she lived more modestly, so why should she start now. She still wore the clothing that expressed her individual chic, being thankful that she was now able to simply afford the best.
For the most part, the average UHNWI loves luxury goods. Goods that reflect their own personal style, not the style of the community. They understand the value of premium goods and are willing to pay first-class prices. From my personal experience, most prefer to buy from boutique brands, the brand that is still a “secret” to others. I used to spend my days trying to find hidden gems for my employers and still do for LuxeInACity, our digital showroom.
In the past, boutique brands were hard to find, having to wonder the streets in a quest to find master artisans. Nowadays, the internet has made it increasingly easier to find exemplary small businesses around the world. Boutique brands are popping up all over the internet making personalized luxury more accessible. One thing is for certain, boutique luxury brands always seemed to bring about smiles.
According to Nicola Ko, senior luxury analyst at London-based Ledbury research, the eastern culture, which is well-known for showcasing logo as a social status, seemed to be intrigued and are starting to adopt this trend: “The Chinese have skipped over the stage where they want to fit into society by having what everyone else has, to wanting to express their own individual style. They are increasingly buying from smaller, niche brands, and we see luxury giants moving towards a brand elevation strategy for long-term growth – less logos, less canvas, more leather and precious skins,”
Will major luxury brands change their ways and cater to the new style of luxury? Will they stop plastering their handbags and accessories with prominent logos? I sincerely hope so. I love both LuxeInACity and AgenceLuxury, but honestly, I would never want someone to pay for a bag with our logo on it. We believe in discretion, high-quality and customer satisfaction.
Which “style” of luxury do you prefer: the sophisticated, discreet, savvy boutique luxury brand or the logo dominated world of “luxury brands”? From my perspective, I have to say: Please Luxury, Forget the Prominent Logos!
8 Content Marketing Ideas To Become A Thought Leader
Nowadays, it is not only important to be great at what you do but it is also important to share the knowledge with fellow industry leaders and peers. Becoming a thought leader takes time, hard-work but among all it takes commitment and dedication to provide great content for your industry.
To help you get started, here is a list of 8 Content Marketing Ideas to Become a Thought Leader and help you showcase your knowledge and skills to your community.
1. Have an Engaging Blog
Whatever your industry or whatever the size of your company, you MUST have a blog. Why? How else will customers engage with your website? Gone are the days of beautiful Flash-based websites that have little or no editorial value. Nowadays, customers want to get to know you before they buy from you. There is no better way to share your expertise and knowledge then by maintaining an engaging blog.
2. Create a White Paper
If you want to become a thought-leader in your industry, you might want to consider putting together an in-depth report or guide that helps your readers understand an issue, solve a problem or make a better-informed decision. Sounds too serious? What about creating a guide on travel trends to your country or city; a study on the best SUV to travel with pets; or a paper on how to source local produce for your kitchen? Remember, the goal is to engage your audience; therefore, you should create a white paper that has impact, preventing it from simply being downloaded, browsed over, then forgotten.
3. Design an EBook
Meant to be read digitally on a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, an eBook should be born digitally and not be a mere reformatting of a print edition. An eBook can become a great visual representation of your brand or of your products and services. They can be enhanced with great images and include links to relevant websites. Check out a few eBooks we created for MY Starfire, a charter superyacht whose captain is Carl Sputh.
4. Publish Original Research
If you have recently surveyed your customers or peers on a particular subject, why not create a report for your industry? Find a niche that hasn’t been covered by your peers and create an interesting survey. Sharing the acquired knowledge will greatly enhance your expertise while giving valuable information to your audience. And remember, the content can then be re-purposed to design infographics, blog posts, white papers, eBooks and more.
5. Compile Data
Every industry needs someone to collect and organize data and statistics, so consider doing some of the legwork yourself. Create an eBook or white paper filled with statistics and data relating to your industry, and then share it with others. If you plan to do your own research, create your survey questions by keeping this content strategy in mind.
6. Resource Round-Up
You are most-likely already doing the research for yourself, so why not put it through a basic design process to turn it into a great content offer. Round-up the best industry publications, blogs, websites, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages or Pinterest boards and present them in a visually compelling eBook, slide share or whitepaper.
7. Glossaries
Like any industry, yours probably has dozens of buzzwords, jargon and lingo that can leave your prospects feeling out of the loop. Help them become familiar with your industry’s vocabulary by creating an easy to understand glossary of terms. Keep it short and simple and consider regrouping terms by subjects or products.
8. Case Studies
Demonstrate how your products and services solved actual problems for specific clients by highlighting your accomplishments. Explain the initial problem, demonstrate the methods and tactics used and then share your results. Case studies are a great way to generate new leads for your company.
If you want to become a thought leader but need help with the curation and creation of appealing content, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation. With over 1000 blog posts, dozens of eBooks and infographics under our belt, our team has become a leader in luxury and luxury travel content creation.
What content marketing strategy will you take to generate new leads in 2014?
Content Marketing Fuels Social Media
It won’t come as a surprise if we tell you that long gone are the days of newspapers and TV dominance where the start of a day meant drinking coffee over a daily newspaper and the end of a night meant watching TV over popcorn. Now it’s all about checking emails, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and reading our daily newsfeed of blog posts. Let’s face it, we should have the internet hooked up to our blood stream so we don’t miss a beat.
So, if the internet and its myriad of social networks and bloggers have become the star of our daily life and the prime means of all our communications, why do brands still concentrate a large portion of their effort into traditional PR and marketing tactics? Is it because they don’t understand that social media linked to great content marketing is the new and best way to reach their desired clientele? Most likely. As a matter of fact, most agencies have yet to embrace content marketing and social media in their own efforts to acquire new clients; so, how can they transfer this knowledge to their current clients.
What you need to know is simple. Your digital agency must first identify then connect with key influencers in your niche industry. Getting your brand on a world-class news site might actually be far less successful then getting it in front of the very attentive fans following ten influential industry bloggers. Why? Because these major news outlets have a very broad and mixed audience while the blogger’s audience is extremely targeted to your needs.
Secondly, your digital agency must curate and create valuable content such as infographics, white papers, eBooks and imageries to reach out to these bloggers in the hope of getting some coverage. In our time as luxury bloggers at LuxeInACity, we have never ever received anything else then a press release from an agency. Imagine our surprise if a luxury hotel sent us a cool infographic on the Top 10 sightseeing activities in their city or if a boutique fashion brand sent an eBook on the must-have fashion items for the next season. We would not hesitate for a second. It would be published, posted on Facebook, tweeted several times, shared on LinkedIn, etc. My team would have a field day with such great content. We would probably pass it along to our fellow bloggers (yes, we are all friends and send each other random tips) in hopes of getting it to go viral.
Lastly, your digital agency should participate socially and share the efforts put forward by these generous bloggers. This is a step that is often forgotten by agencies. We publish an article for them and they forget about us. Bloggers write for different reasons, some for money, some for fame and some for passion, but they all want the same attention. Why else would they pour out their souls on the web? So, make sure your digital agency gives plenty of love before, during and after a blogger has promoted your brand. Remember that you will most likely want to work with them again in the future regardless of the digital agency you choose, so give a favorable lasting impression. And why not send them a personal thank you note and establish contact with them directly. A little love always goes a long way, especially in the blogging world.
So, if you feel like giving us some love, tweet to us at @luxeinacity or connect with us on Facebook.
Overpowered By Selection? Welcome To The Era Of Curation
AgenceLuxury becomes the new curator for IGet.it, a private shopping club that caters to affluent men and women across North America.
In today's world of mass-consumption and mass-production, finding great products that deserve our attention can seem like a daunting task. And since brands create hundreds of new products every minute, the role of the curator starts by ingesting, analyzing and bringing together a great selection of products we love. The curation process requires patience, resourcefulness and a keen eye for the finer things in life. A luxury curator's work is never done.
Having spend the last ten years working in the luxury industry, whether aboard a superyacht, as a personal assistant to the wealthy or as the co-founder of both AgenceLuxury and LuxeInACity, Roxanne has acquired the skills to quickly identity great brands and great products amongst the mass.
"New luxury is not about price, excess or pedigree, but about personalization, customization and above all an intimate and unforgettable experience. The face of luxury is becoming more subtle or “in-the-know” and less ostentatious with its once coveted logos", says Roxanne Génier. "The IGet.it team understands new luxury and I am excited to start curating brands for their audience."
Over the last few years, IGet.it's team of luxury curators have identified and brought forward hundreds of first-class brands such as BMW, Viking, Fauchon and All-Clad in front of their affluent community. Whether the products come from small boutique brands or large corporations, IGet.it curates products that are both desirable and well-crafted.
For her first campaign, Agence;Luxury has curated both Alfons & Isadore, a premium brand that creates luxury towels made without compromise in the foothills of the Swiss Alps, and Vinotemp, a leader in the wine storage industry that has been building premium wine cabinets for over 25 years.
Luxury aficionados are invited to experience the IGet.it curation process and its acclaimed collection of luxury products by visiting http://bit.ly/1dokJaf. All curated products are brought-forward in a short-term 7-day pre-sale campaign. New members will receive $100 in credits, that's $10 for every $100 spent.
Who Is The Affluencer?
Not all fans are created equal. Some have the resources to support your luxury brand while others can simply admire from a distance. Some will brag about your products and services to everyone that will listens while others simply consume and stay silent. Obviously the more powerful and valuable consumer for a luxury brand is the one that is both affluent and influential. Global digital marketing agency iProspect recently released a study that reveals a new type of market influencer: the Affluent Influencer or “Affluencer”.
So who is the Affluencer? They are affluent with an annual income (HI) of $100K or more with the financial means to consume a luxury brand’s products. They are also influential in their social circle and are recognised by their “star quality”. Often sought-after by friends and family for purchasing advice, these influencers are often called “experts”, “trendsetters” and “cool”.
Therefore they have great impact on the purchasing decisions of others. The affluencers should be targeted by the very marketing effort put forward by your brand.
In its study, iProspect took great care to separate the affluencers within the Millenial, baby Boomer and Gen X generations by uncovering the characteristics of each segment. Check out this great infographic that clearly identifies who your luxury brand should target.
