Staff Reporters
Oct 27, 2009

MediaTV: IWC's luxury strategy

ASIA-PACIFIC - In the fifth part of Media's series on luxury brands' marketing strategies, Goris Verburg, general manager of the International Watch Company (IWC) Southeast Asia, says the company is keen to grow its brand in Asia's emerging markets before these markets develop luxury brands of their own.

In the interview, sponsored by The Financial Times, Verburg says IWC is looking to make a name for itself in markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia, where it has the potential to be a leader in the timepiece sector. He adds that IWC is looking to build on its identity as a retailer as customers gain the ability to spend on luxury products.

Verberg adds that, in time, Asia will develop luxury brands of its own in markets other than Japan and Hong Kong, but for the time being, IWC aims to capitalise on the current consumer sentiment that Western labels are more luxurious.

“At the moment it looks like it’s more desirable to get a brand from Europe or from the US, something that is further away that is more different and difficult to get,” he says. “At some stage I’m sure local designers and very gifted people will build their own brands and designs and develop big labels.”




The series, which focuses on luxury brands' marketing strategies, has featured interviews with Shanghai Tang executive chairman Raphael le Masne de Chermont; Fabergé's CEO Mark Dunhill; managing director of BMW Asia Johannes Seibert; and Asia-Pacific general manager of eyewear brand Alain Mikli Raymond Mok.  

To see previous MediaTV interviews, click here.

To see MediaTV interviews as soon as they come out, sign up for Media's email bulletins.



Sponsored by:
Produced by: Siren Films

Related Articles

Just Published

45 minutes ago

Agency holdcos face a new crossroads: Reunite media ...

Iain Jacob predicted five years ago that buying tech and data, rather than renting it, would help agency “dinosaurs” modernise. Now, he says, merging media and creative will be a key differentiator in the AI era.

18 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Lana Zhang, Merkle

Zhang's visionary leadership, dedication to innovation, and contributions to marketing automation have established her as a cornerstone of the industry in China and beyond.

19 hours ago

What Chrome’s potential spin-off means for browsers ...

As the Department of Justice pushes for Google to divest Chrome, the ripple effects could redefine browser competition, shake up web standards, and disrupt the advertising ecosystem as we know it.

20 hours ago

It's time we stopped treating Gen AI like our dirty ...

All this heated discourse about AI in creativity misses a simple truth: This revolution isn't waiting for universal approval. It's already here—time to trade the resistance for renaissance.