Luxury Business Insights & Consulting Tips by Marilisa Barbieri

Explore why time — and how a brand engages with its past, present, and future — can be a strategic differentiatorfor luxury brands competing in crowded markets. 

Discover why and how interior designers working on high-end residential and hospitality projects evaluate luxury brands not just by product quality, but by the overall brand experience and consultative value they provide.

In this Entrepreneur article, I discuss why aesthetic intelligence — the ability to discern, interpret, and apply refined taste and sensory excellence — is a crucial strategic asset for luxury brands seeking to win over affluent customers.

In this Entrepreneur article, I explain why luxury brands that tap into their archives and past collections can reignite relevance, strengthen heritage positioning, and drive growth in today’s competitive market. Drawing on the role of design legacy, archival elements help brands balance tradition with modern innovation — preserving identity while engaging new audiences. 

In this Entrepreneur article, I explain why investing in a corporate gifting strategy is more than just a thoughtful gesture—it’s a strategic business practice that can elevate brand reputation, deepen customer and employee relationships, and fuel long‑term business growth.

In this Forbes Business Council article, I break down the evolving dynamics between quiet luxury—understated, coded elegance—and loud luxury, which relies on visible logos and brand signaling. The piece highlights how top luxury houses choose distinct approaches to resonate with different affluent segments.

In this Forbes Business Council article, I explore how leading home decor and furniture brands are innovating at the intersection of digital and physical retail — merging online convenience with inspiring in-store experiences to drive growth, loyalty, and brand visibility. 

In this Entrepreneur article, I explain why handwritten thank-you notes remain a powerful — and often underestimated — relationship-building tool in modern business. In an era dominated by email and automation, this personal gesture can significantly differentiate premium and luxury brands through authentic human connection.

In this Forbes article, I explore why Chinese New Year is one of the most important cultural and commercial moments for luxury brands targeting affluent Chinese consumers — and how Western luxury marketers often fall short by overlooking cultural nuance. 

Luxury brands don’t win on product alone—they win on leadership: the kind that protects heritage, sharpens desirability, and still keeps growth moving in a fast, noisy market. In this article, we break down four distinct types of luxury brand leadership and what each style gets right (and where it can quietly undermine brand equity).

Before launching any new design project or collection, it’s essential to approach it with a solid business strategy. As highlighted in my new article, successful creative businesses start by choosing a scalable niche, developing a clear risk-management plan, and validating their concept through small pilot tests.

In my article for Entrepreneur, “Why a Luxury Manager Needs a Combination of Substance and Style”, I explore how luxury managers must balance deep expertise and presence with refined interpersonal skills and strategic thinking. 

As a luxury business consultant, I help brands grow by leveraging high-value niches and micro-influencer partnerships. By focusing on affluent audiences with specific tastes and investing in highly targeted creators, luxury businesses can increase visibility, strengthen brand authority and drive premium-level conversions.

In the high-stakes world of luxury clienteling, avoiding the 4 most common mistakes can mean the difference between a one-time sale and a lifelong patron. As a seasoned luxury business consultant, I guide premium brands through pitfalls like neglecting personalized follow-ups, failing to cultivate emotional connections, treating every client as the same, and over-automating human touchpoints. Learn how to expertly sidestep these traps and elevate your clienteling to the standard your clientele demands.

Thinking of launching a luxury startup? In this article, I share five powerful strategies to help you identify a profitable niche within the high-end market and build a brand that commands prestige and premium pricing. As a seasoned luxury business consultant, I’ll guide you through proven tactics to position your venture for distinction, sustainable growth, and long-term success in the competitive world of luxury.

In the “Innovation Challenge: Luxury Startups & the Secret of Intimate Retail,” I explore how elite brands are increasingly partnering with agile startups to reinvent the luxury retail experience — from hyper-personalized boutiques to immersive omni-channel touchpoints. By fostering open innovation and co-creation, luxury groups can surface breakthrough solutions in customer experience, digital storytelling, and intimate retail formats that resonate with high-net-worth consumers. 

Discover how overcoming major challenges—such as choosing premium locations, prospecting affluent clients from scratch, designing immersive retail experiences, and building a team of brand custodians—can set your brand apart. With insights from launching a flagship luxury showroom in New York, I help small businesses unlock strategies to elevate their brand, attract high net-worth clients, and create experiences that resonate with luxury consumers.

Cracking the code of the luxury consumer is the ultimate challenge for premium brands. As a luxury business consultant, I've decoded the nuanced psychology that drives high-net-worth purchasing decisions. This article reveals the critical insights on exclusivity, value, and experience you need to master to attract and retain an elite clientele. Learn how to move beyond price and build a brand that commands true allegiance.