Cartier tops international luxury brand ranking

French watchmaker and jeweler Cartier has been named the number one luxury brand in the world according to the annual Kadence Luxury Index 2018. In its report, Kadence, a leading insight agency founded in the UK, uncovers what drives the perceptions of luxury and how luxury differs around the world.

Studying 98 brands across 7 luxury categories in 13 markets, including the UK, Germany, France, UAE, USA, China and India, Kadence looked at perceptions including product quality, extrinsic luxury, enduring excellence and experiential aspects to determine where brands fall onto the index.

Interestingly, awareness is not the only driver of luxury. While for some brands, like luxury cars, global awareness is tied to being in a premium position, for elite brands, like luxury hotels and watches, low awareness means greater exclusivity amongst its users.

Heritage and history is linked to a stronger luxury index score

Brands with a stronger perception of history score higher points in comparison to brands with a weaker perception of history, which see a more muted luxury index score.

Quality remains the luxury driver

Quality and heritage are the biggest factors that influence a brand’s luxury index score. Brands known for only using the highest quality materials and craftsmanship or for delivering a service beyond expectation have a high luxury score.

Consistent quality is also key. Brands that have a track record of quality or an established brand story also have a stronger luxury score. In contrast, the high price point or the rarity of the brand has less of an impact on the luxury position of the rand across all the categories in the Kadence study.

On the global index fashion scores five on the luxury scale, which sees cars, jewellery and watches round out the top three. Perceptions of luxury differ per region, however, and fashion takes the number three slot in France, compared to four and six in China and Hong Kong respectively.

Cartier tops the luxury 2018 luxury index, followed by cars Mercedes-Benz, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Lamborghini in the top five. American Jewellery Tiffany comes in at number six, Rolex at eight and Bulgari at ten.

Cartier’s status is cemented due to its timeless nature. The French luxury house has a long history of classic products, service and exclusivity. This timeless luxury also creates a feel-good factor for consumers.

For more information or to download the report go to www.kadence.com.

Photo 1: Facebook/Cartier, Photo 2: Cartier campaign, article source: Kadence Luxury Index 2018