Daniel Curtis, founder & CEO of Robb Vices talks with Scott Kerr about his luxury subscription box, which was born out of his family's company Robb Report Magazine. He talks about how an epiphany moment with a top client led him to create the idea of a luxury subscription box; Curtis shares how he and his team look at current and emerging global trends to come up with the box themes and products each month; He talks about having a "built-in word-of-mouth marketing backbone" that grows their business, and how it takes a true open mind to subscribe to unknown luxury products; Curtis also discusses how he keeps churn rates low, subscribers engaged between box deliveries, and measuring success. Finally, he offers some tips to anyone thinking about getting into the subscription box business. Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Milton Pedraza, CEO of The Luxury Institute talks with Scott Kerr about starting the organization when he saw an opportunity for research in a growing luxury economy. He discusses why luxury retailers should incorporate emotional intelligence principles to turn sales associates into relationship builders; Milton also shares how he works with incumbent luxury brands that are seeking to get an edge in the market; The two discuss highlights from the Luxury Institute's latest State of the Luxury Industry 2020, why brands need to master omni-personal relationships, and the rising tide of true personalization; Plus: What global luxury experts have identified as the top trends likely to affect the luxury industry in 2020; Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Antonia Hock, Global Head of The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center talks with Scott Kerr about why the top luxury brand for hotel guest satisfaction decided to share the 'secret sauce' for its gold standard of customer experience with the rest of the world; how technology is impacting anticipatory services; what it was like to move from the tech industry to the luxury hospitality industry; Antonia shares what she thinks luxury means today and what consumers want from luxury; The two discuss how the concept of "service" fits into consumers' expectations; The need for more "wow moments" from brands and how to operationalize those moments; Antonia also shares how The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center gets heritage brands out of their comfort zone when it comes to service, why brands need to be doing more social listening, and more; Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Thomas Serrano, President of Havas Events North America and Havas Luxe talks with Scott Kerr about what goes behind producing a memorable and meaningful event experience for luxury clients. The two discuss how the financial crisis of 2008 impacted the luxury events business and how it bounced back, what the true meaning of a special event is, and measuring its ROI. Thomas also talks about the important role of the CEO at these events, and how some luxury brands are starting to sell exclusive products right at the event. Plus: Thomas shares a story about how his company orchestrated an unforgettable L'Oreal event for over 900 C-level international executives that featured an all-star cast of Broadway singers and a surprise performance by Aretha Franklin | Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Anubh Shah, CEO and co-founder of With Clarity, talks with Scott Kerr about how his direct to consumer home try-on engagement ring company has disrupted the whole experience of shopping for an engagement ring. Recently ranked at #3 on Crain's Fast 50 and at #18 on Inc magazine's 5000 list, With Clarity has grown over 9000% in the last three years. The two discuss how the d2c economy has upended the wedding business and why With Clarity is a thorn in the side of large jewelry retailers; Anubh shares how he dropped his Wall Street career to learn how to cut and polish diamonds in south India before starting his company; how his company used 3D printing technology to get people over their FOBRO (fear of buying rings online); They also discuss the new definition of a luxury in the d2c economy. Plus: Anubh discusses important business and strategic lessons learned since launching With Clarity | Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Chinese luxury consumers are now the worldwide engine for global growth in spending on high-end goods. They make up a third of the global luxury goods sector, and projected to rise to 40% by 2025. Despite a thriving luxury market, many Western brands are reluctant to enter the Chinese market for a variety of reasons. In this episode of The Luxury Item, Iris Chan, partner and international client development director at Digital Luxury Group, talks with Scott Kerr about how luxury brands can unlock their potential in China -- what they need to know, and how to get started. Chan talks about why China's appetite for luxury isn't waning any time soon, how the BAT companies (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) control most of the digital content in China, and navigating the power of social networking and service platform WeChat. Plus: How brands should work with KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), young Chinese consumers powering the global luxury market, and Singles' Day madness | Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

This is the first special "Disruptor Spotlight" episode from The Luxury Item. These shows will feature founders of startups disrupting how we consume luxury goods and services. In this episode, Scott Kerr speaks with LookStyler Founder & CEO Mirjana Perkovic about how the four-year old global styling platform is disrupting the way international luxury travelers shop. Perkovic talks about how she started LookStyler after seeing an opportunity in the growing fashion tourism market. She also shares some of the biggest trends in luxury travel, the hottest up-and-coming global shopping destinations, and the unique demands of Millennial travelers. Plus: How she's working with local partners in China to develop Hong Kong and Shanghai as shopping meccas. Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Elizabeth Shobert, VP of Marketing + Digital Strategy at StyleSage talks with Scott Kerr about how luxury brands and fashion retailers are increasingly turning to data analytics to keep up with the latest trends and client demands. Shobert talks about how StyleSage - an innovative fashion analytics company - is using cutting edge image recognition technology to help fashion clients pinpoint emerging trends on social media; the data success stories she is seeing in the fashion marketplace; the best way for luxury marketers to start thinking about approaching data; where traditional luxury brands have an advantage over digital-first brands. Shobert also predicts what the future holds for human designers in a world being consumed by artificial intelligence and machine learning. Plus: Elizabeth reveals the surprising one luxury item she would have if he were stranded on a desert island. Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

On the first episode of The Luxury Item podcast, Chris Olshan, CEO of The Luxury Marketing Council talks with Scott Kerr about how the organization started and evolved to address today's challenges in the luxury space. They discuss the transformative impact the 2008 financial crisis had on luxury goods and luxury shoppers, and the key to decoding the Millennials mindset. Olshan also shares what he believes will be the biggest disruptor in the luxury industry in the next few years — and what heritage brands can do to stay relevant. Plus: Chris Olshan reveals the one luxury item he would have if he were stranded on a desert island. Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr, Email: [email protected]

Coming soon is The Luxury Item, a new podcast series on the business of luxury. Join marketing expert Scott Kerr for insightful discussions with decision makers, entrepreneurs, and innovators on topics that matter most for the global luxury industry. Subscribe now to enjoy our teaser trailer and hear new episodes as soon as they drop — starting in September. Follow Us: Twitter @theluxuryitem and @scott_kerr or email [email protected]