As I often write about the importance of storytelling in luxury, here is an example of a top-notch communicating the story behind the brand.
Yesterday, Brunello Cucinelli launched an AI-powered website where you can ask AI any question about "our philosophy, the life of Brunello Cucinelli, and the details of our company." The company worked on this project for three years.
Here is how Brunello Cucinelli himself describes how the idea was born:
"At the end of the year 2022 celebration, my friend Francesco showed us some wonders of contemporary technology: artificial intelligence that can arrange and manipulate complex ideas, write them down, and then translate them into any language, all controlled with a few key words. A software that can create another software; almost a robot that can build another robot.
These wonders had been announced to us by our friend Reid Hoffman when, in May 2019, he came to visit us in Solomeo during our first Symposium on Soul and Technology, together with our many friends from Silicon Valley whom I like to call 'the young Leonardos of the 21st century.'
Honestly, I was greatly amazed; and from this amazement came the giddy sense of how much good for humanity can come from technology, and of how much interest is placed upon its development."
While similar to the traditional ChatGPT interface, the Brunello Cucinelli platform is visually much more appealing. You can either ask a question about Brunello Cucinelli or click any picture in the background to read Brunello Cucinelli's stories.
Though the service won't provide updates on collections or address any controversies (I couldn't help but try), you will get exhaustive information about the fashion house, its founder, and its values.
I especially liked the mention of the first customer in one of the responses—there's a genuine touch that is often missing in scaled luxury. I also inquired about the financial successes of the house (I love numbers) and immediately received last year's profit report.
Overall, a platform is a great example of communicating with clients and adding value to the brand by telling its story in an engaging way.
Communicating The Project
Now, a spoonful of tar (you know me:-). The communication of the project at this stage is weak.
1. Project presentation. If you read the text on LinkedIn, it’s hard to understand the project's purpose. That part about "our philosophy, the life of Brunello Cucinelli, and the details of our company" in a short substantial way. Instead, there are lots of words that are hard to read and lack clear essence.
On Instagram, the announcement of the platform launch is not on the brand's page but on Brunello Cucinelli's personal page. This might be a personal page, but with a significant following of almost 500k followers, it could be used to deliver the essence as well. Instead, the text is similar to the LinkedIn version.
2. Non-Integrated Platforms. Currently, Brunello Cucinelli operates on four platforms:
online store: https://shop.brunellocucinelli.com/
company website: https://www.brunellocucinelli.com/
investor relations: http://investor.brunellocucinelli.com/
and the mentioned AI website: https://www.brunellocucinelli.ai/
I would consider the e-shop as the core platform to deliver products, while the other three cater to interested parties: clients, investors, and engaged readers.
Being not a huge fan of the multiple-platform approach considering it shattered, although, sometimes this way may be justified. Like in this particular case, it may be justified, but all four should be seamlessly connected with each other.
Is there any message on Brunello Cucinelli AI in the e-shop? No. I’ll tell you more—there is no news section to display it (no news section could be considered a significant gap, as well as very short collection descriptions).
Is there any message on the corporate website? Yes, but the message consists of the picture and the following text: Brunello Cucinelli AI. Where Human and Artificial Intelligence meet. Discover The New Website. Does it effectively conveys the call-to-action message?
Effective presentation and communication are as crucial as the project itself because they ensure the project's purpose and value are clearly conveyed to the audience, maximizing its impact and engagement.
The thing is, while we may be deeply involved in our projects and think that everyone outside will be equally interested, the truth is no one cares and they have the planet turning around themselves as well. It is the task of communication to draw attention to what we consider to be worthy.
Without strong communication, even the most innovative project can fail to reach its full potential. Just like in this particular case.
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