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 “Understanding what things   mean is the new literacy for   the 21st century.” 

MARTINA OLBERT

Latest Thinking

Articles, op-eds, profile pieces, media features, commentaries, interviews and reports on the role of meaning in business, branding, marketing, and luxury. They all explore meaning from different perspectives: value creation and growth, brand strategy, storytelling, design, innovation, the shifts in the world's socio-cultural context, and the need to explore how brands and technology shape our society, humanize business and accelerate change.

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 CREATING BUSINESS   WITH MEANING 

Podcast: "To Create More Meaning, We Need To Switch From Consumers To Humans."

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 SUSTAINABILITY   PREDICTIONS 2023 

From Environmental Efficiency To New Ecosystems Of Creativity
 

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 DIVERSITY IN   BUSINESS 

The Real Value Of Diversity:
It's Not Representation, It's
Value Creation

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 FUTURE OF BRANDS 

A NEW EXCLUSIVE STUDY: Reimagining Consumerism
As A Force For Good

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 BRAND SPOTLIGHT:   GUCCI 

100 Years of Gucci: What Stands Behind This Luxury Brand's Success Story?

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 "FUTURE-PROOFING"   BRANDS 

Market Analysis: How To
‘Future-Proof’ Your Brand In China

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 THE SYSTEMIC   INHUMANITY 

Putting Humanity At The Core Of Business Creates Meaning

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 THE LUXURY 
 IDENTITY CRISIS 

How Can Luxury Brands
Regain Their Lost Meaning?

 

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 PT 2: BACK TO 
 ESSENCE IN LUXURY 

The Future of Luxury in Times

of a Global Pandemic: Entering The New Luxury Paradigm

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 TRANSCENDENT   LUXURY 

It's Not Post-Aspirational Luxury. It's Transcendental.
 

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 RESTORING LUXURY 

PODCAST INTERVIEW: Restoring The Meaning Of Luxury – Diving In Deep

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 THE NEW MEANING   OF LUXURY

INTERVIEW: The New Meaning Of Luxury. What does a ‘life of luxury’ really mean? 

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 LUXURY AMIDST A 
 GLOBAL PANDEMIC 

Global Health Crisis Will Speed Up Transition To 'New Luxury'

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 BRAVE NEW WORLD 
 POST COVID CRISIS?

Globalization Versus
Access To The Global Mind

 

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 LEAD BRANDS     WITH MEANING 

How To Bridge The Gap Between Brands And People

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 VOICE AMERICA: WE   ARE WHAT WE BUY 

RADIO SHOW | New Luxury Consumers Want Authenticity

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 WHAT THE $16.2BN   DEAL MEANS FOR   LUXURY 

Opinion: A Deal Between

LVMH and Tiffany Represents

A Win-Win For Both Parties

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 RETAIL: MORE   MEANING CREATES   MORE VALUE 

10 Experts Offer More Than

A Dozen Ways To Fix Fashion Shoppers' Fatigue

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 THE FUTURE OF   VALUE IN LUXURY 

Streetwear: Effectiveness x Efficiency Of Value In Luxury
 

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FACEBOOK IDENTITY:
FACELIFT OR MASK? 

How Brands Use Codes And Narratives To Deceive Us

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 PREVENTING FUTURE
 BRAND DISASTERS 

How Brands Can Avoid Culturally Flammable Ideas 

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 HOW BRANDS   INSPIRE SOCIAL   CHANGE 

No Matter What Anyone Says, Brands Can Change The World

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 CULTURAL   RELEVANCE 
 FOR BRANDS 

Don't Cannibalise, Capitalise

On Culture Instead | Interview

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 RITUALS AND MYTHS

 IN COMMERCE 

Mythologies And Ritualized Behaviour In Business

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 THE MEANING OF   DOVE BODY DIVERSE   BOTTLES 

6 Reasons Why The Dove Campaign Went Wrong

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 MEANING POWERS A   NEW ERA OF   STRATEGY 

If Symbol Is The New Product, Meaning Is The New Strategy

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 WHERE IS KERING IN   BALENCIAGA'S CASE? 

Brand Analysis: "Luxury Houses Must Be Managed As Connected Ecosystems Of Cultural Value"

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 PURPOSE VERSUS   MEANING IN BRANDS 

The Difference Between Meaning and Purpose For Brands
 

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 THE GREAT   RESIGNATION 

What Does It Mean For The Future Of Business And Work?

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 HUMANISTIC BRANDS

Patagonia Rejects Old Ways: A New Humanistic Brand Concept
 

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 THE FUTURE OF   ELECTRIC TRAVEL 

Who Will Buy Flying Cars? Startups and Industry Experts Divulge the Secret Formula

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 THE MEANING 
 OF RELEVANCE 

It's Not About You, It's About
The Value You Create

 

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 INNOVATION IS   HUMAN, NOT TECH 

Innovation Isn't Technology: It's In Saturating Our Humanity

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 TIFFANY YELLOW   REFRESH MEANING 

Color Refresh Might Be A Good Campaign, But Not A Strategy
 

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 PT 1: THE NEW 
 MEANING OF LUXURY

The Future of Luxury in Times

of a Global Pandemic: How did COVID-19 redefine luxury?

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 POST-ASPIRATIONAL   CONSUMPTION  

We Don't Post-Aspire To Anything, We Just Want Different Things Now

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 THE NEW RULES OF 

 ETHICAL JEWELRY 

What Is Ethical Jewelry? 

Respect For The Customer, Longevity & Timelessness

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 BBC CULTURE: FULL   INTERVIEW 

The Future Of Luxury In The Post-COVID World with
Dr. Martina Olbert

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 NEW STRATEGY IN 
 PANDEMIC TIMES 

Brands Now Need To Add Meaning To People's Lives

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 ECONOMY OR FEAR,

 OR MEANING? 

What Kind Of Economy
Do We Want To Live In?

 

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 POWER OF RITUALS   IN CULTURE 

PODCAST | Creating Conscious And Meaningful Brand Rituals

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 AUTHENTICITY IS 

 THE NEW LUXURY   

Leaders, Thinkers & Creators: Interview with Eat Love Savor

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 LVMH X TIFFANY:   STORY OF FUTURE   RELEVANCE 

American Luxury Jewelry Icon

Meets Cultural Diversification

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 AHEAD OF 2020,   LUXURY IS GETTING   PERSONAL 

The New Luxury Identity:

It's No Longer About What

You Own, But Who You Are

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 LUXURY BRANDS   FACE THE CRISIS   OF MEANING 

'Luxury' Has Lost Its Meaning – Here's How To Get It Back

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GLOBAL BRANDS & THE GAP OF MEANING 

Why Do Global Brands Fall Into The Gap of Meaning?

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 BOOSTING BRAND 
 VALUE BY SEMIOTICS

How Semiotics Helps Brands Encapsulate Value

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 3 WAYS TO   MEANINGFUL BRAND STORYTELLING 

How To Ensure Your Brand Storytelling Is Meaningful

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 THE POWER OF   STORY IN BUSINESS 

How Embracing Stories Helps Leaders Humanise Business

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 THE BUSINESS OF 
 HUMAN   TECHNOLOGY 

How Technology Rewires Our Minds And Shapes Meaning

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 BRANDS AND   CULTURAL CODES 

How To Align Brands With THe Codes Of Culture

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 THE MEANING   MANIFESTO 

What Is The Role Of Meaning In Business? 

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 BALENCIAGA: 
  A STEP TOO FAR 

Cultural Commentary: How Far Is Too Far For A Luxury Brand?
 

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 MOVING BEYOND   PURPOSE 

Corporate Purpose Or Human Meaning: Which Way Into The Future?

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 IS THIS THE END OF   AMBITION? 

Why Is The Great Resignation A Great Human Awakening?

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 BRANDS AND GOOD 

Building Brands On Joy And Happiness
 

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 FUTURE OF LUXURY   CONSUMPTION 

The New Change Agent Gen Z: How Is The Consumer Motivation Changing?

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 THE HUMAN VALUE   ECONOMY 

What Are We Progressing Towards If It's Killing Us?

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 FAILED POTENTIAL   OF DIGITAL MEDIA 

Digital Media Were To Expand Human Consciousness: They Amplified Irrelevance Instead

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 PT 3: NEW LUXURY   ESSENTIALISM 

Future Of Luxury: How Can A Return To Functionality Help Luxury Regain Its Lost Value?

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 LUXURY CONSUMER:   WHAT'S NEXT? 

Luxury Turns From Conspicuous To Conscientious: Challenges And Opportunities

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 "A WAKE-UP CALL 

 FOR LUXURY" 

The Future Of Fashion: COVID Offers A Unique Chance To Transition Towards New Luxury

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 THE LOUIS VUITTON 

 FACE SHIELD  

In-Your-Face Status Symbol Or New Essential Luxury Fashion Accessory?

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 THE IMPACT OF   COVID SHIFTS WEST 

The Luxury Industry Faces A Bleak 2020 As Manufacturing Closures Increase In EU & US

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 FINDING DIRECTION   IN DISORIENTATION 

PODCAST: Beyond Back To Normal: Business in the Time
of Coronavirus

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 BRAND PURPOSE VS   MEANING 

PODCAST | Fireside Chat on Brands, Meaning And Culture

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 LUXURY REDEFINED 

THE LUXURY REPORT: Redefining The Future Meaning Of Luxury Brands

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 US VS EU LUXURY   MANAGEMENT 

What LVMH Knows About Luxury That Americans Don't
 

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 IF CONTENT IS KING, 
 CONTEXT IS KINGDOM

INTERVIEW | A Rare Breed,
Meet The Queen Of Meaning

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 LUXURY HOUSES   FOCUS ON THE   NEXT-GEN 

LVMH Invests In Mission-Driven Madhappy To Cater To New And Younger Audiences

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 AMAZON VS LUXURY

 BRANDS PARADOX  

5 Lessons: What Amazon Means For Future Of Luxury

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 THE CRISIS 
OF MASCULINITY 

Close The Gap Of Meaning: Gillette Deconstructed

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 MEANING IS THE   SOUL OF YOUR   COMPANY 

Meaning Unites Fragmented Brands & Siloed Organizations

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 5 WAYS TO SURELY   KILL BRAND   MEANING 

Brand Heritage: Don't Kill What Makes Your Brand Valuable

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 GENDER AND   IDENTITY 
 IN BUSINESS 

Reinstating The Equilibrium Of Gender & Identity In Business

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 H&M AND THE   COOLEST MONKEY   EPIC FAIL 

Lessons From Semiotics: How To Align Brands With Culture

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 BRAND   AUTHENTICITY:   WHAT IS IT? 

Brand Authenticity In The Age Of Post-Truth

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