Luxury Institute Launches World-Class Consulting Program to Serve Luxury Brands During Severe Economic Crisis


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 9, 2008) - The Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com) announced today that it has launched its world-class Preferred Partner Consulting Program. Several major projects are already underway.

The Luxury Institute's Preferred Partner Consulting Program delivers an independent and objective Preferred Partner network. The Institute's extensive partner vetting process ensures that only skilled and experienced professional luxury consultants, who have successful operational or consulting experience with world-class luxury brands, come highly recommended by their clients and peers, and who share the Institute's philosophy and ethical business principles, are admitted into the program.

All Preferred Partners and Consulting Clients have the benefit of the Luxury Institute's extensive multi-year research surveys database, which contains consumer ratings of hundreds of luxury brands in dozens of categories, to optimize project results. Every project involves senior staff professionals who are responsible for, and intimately involved with, designing, conducting, presenting, and if called for, implementing the recommendations.

"There is a new luxury paradigm," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "Our impartial and independent 'voice of the high net-worth consumer' research has accurately documented far in advance the commoditization of luxury brands, the migration of wealthy consumers to the Internet and Web 2.0, the sub-optimal state of customer service in the luxury industry, the rapidly rising importance of corporate social responsibility, and has shattered many myths about global luxury and wealth. We have done so at great value to our clients via our shared-cost membership and syndicated model. In these extremely challenging times, we have received dozens of requests to assist luxury senior Management Teams and Boards of Directors in separating myth from reality and recommend solutions rapidly and effectively. Our new Preferred Partners Consulting Program is designed to deliver world-class, unbiased consulting at prices that are in line with the current economics of luxury."

These new services, delivered by the Luxury Institute, in combination with the world's foremost independent luxury experts, our Preferred Partners, are designed to complement our fact-based "voice of the high net-worth consumer" research, and provide luxury brands end-to-end solutions.

New luxury consulting services include:

--  Customer experience measurement
--  Customer experience enhancement and training
--  Qualitative research
--  CRM audit and consultation
--  Brand positioning
--  Business and marketing consulting
--  Creative strategy workshops
--  Innovation ideation
--  Design and graphics
    

About the Luxury Institute

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings, reviews and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the Luxury Board (www.LuxuryBoard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. To reach the Luxury Institute, please call 646-792-2669 or go to www.LuxuryInstitute.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Martin Swanson Vice President Business Development The Luxury Institute (office) 914-909-6350 (cell) 914-715-3357 www.LuxuryInstitute.com