We're All Glamorous!

So is genuine, old-school glamour a dead end as a marketing strategy? Has it been replaced by its chintzy cousin, glitz? While it's true that glamour is no longer reserved for the lucky few, the original definition survives more or less intact. Consumers respond to celebrity, individual style, mystery and scarcity. Snob-appeal companies like Harry Winston, Tiffany & Co. and Neiman Marcus certainly have an easier time, since they own the upper end, yet — in Tiffany's case — can still sell $50 trinkets.

If Whirlpool can pull off a glamorous product introduction, any brand can apply a little gloss. The mystery therefore extends to getting it right. The plethora of bad glamour out there makes good stuff look even better. Given the clutter that chokes our every day, real glamour may even be the last marketing strategy with any dignity.

Ellen Ratchye-Foster analyzes emerging consumer trends for luxury brands