Extending the LV's

WWD reports that Louis Vuitton is offering a 'soundwalk' of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing by three local celebrities, for a reasonable Louis Vuitton price of $17. The audio tour guide is available June 16 here and comes out in conjunction with the approaching Beijing Olympics.

Wow - and not to the price - but to their marketing and business skills! I would love to be a fly on the wall at their meetings and get to hear them talk about expanding in the Middle East and creating special products for traditional Indian women.

I recently read The Cult of the Luxury Brand, and remember that Louis Vuitton was a constant example of a luxury goods company succeeding internationally. They are such a crazy, ahead of the game brand. They seem to always be jumping on things when they're not even on the radar. And, that talent and ability to swoop in and capture new markets is what makes them one of the top brands in the world - in sales and recognition. I think that doing this audio guide for China, especially with local celebrities and not 'Western' celebrities, will reach out to the local customers well because it brings them closer to the celebrity, their hometown, and most importantly, to the brand. For tourists, this is a nice treat to get a Louis Vuitton produced product with some history and culture attached. Genius.

While Louis Vuitton has never really been an aspirational brand for me, I definitely admire their business skills!