As we continue to combat COVID-19, we have adapted our teaching to offer our students the best online learning experience and thought-leadership amid the lockdown. Our Master in Global Luxury Goods & Services Management (MGLuxM) students (February 2020 and August 2019 Intakes) got the opportunity to interact and learn from industry leaders through a series of online Power Talks organised in April 2020. They gained valuable insights and a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of some exclusive luxury sectors and brands worldwide. Here are the highlights:

The “Why” of a Brand with Shyam Sunder

April 1, 2020

Shyam Sunder, Strategic Marketing Consultant, UAE, spoke about the need for brands to connect with consumers as one of the most important aspects of brand-building. Through videos and multimedia content, he helped students grasp the intricacies of how powerful brands are built and managed.

“He brought in a world of knowledge with his 25 years of rich experience! He helped us understand that the root cause of the marketing problem that most brands face is that they don't start with the "why". His session was engaging, and we got to learn from real-life industry challenges and his personal experiences.” – Shivansh Lodha (MGLuxM February 2020 Intake)

Learning about Private Air Travel & more with Suhas Kataria

April 2 & April 3, 2020

Suhas Kataria, founder of LuxuryAbode.com and Realspace Assets LLP, offered valuable insights and information on private aviation travel and gave our students a behind-the-scenes look at the booming business of private jet travel. He also discussed whether the current scenario is a quantum leap moment for luxury businesses online. He spoke about how brands need to reinvent their strategies to keep up with the paradigm shift in the luxury market.

“The masterclass offered us in-depth insights into private aviation, both in India and abroad. It made us understand the trends in the private charter industry and its future.” – Harsha Lodha (MGLuxM February 2020 Intake)

Social Media for Business – A Power Talk with Dubai’s Top Influencer

April 6 & April 9, 2020

Dragana Radosavljevic, Founder – Dubai Magnificent and globally-recognised social media influencer, was invited to talk to our students about the increasing importance of social media and how brands could harness its power to promote their business interests. She shared practical examples, hacks as well as tips that brands could implement to create engaging social media content and ‘grab attention’ to their business.

“She shared practical tips and cheats which we could also apply to our personal Instagram accounts, a great practice before we start handling business accounts and social media marketing activities.” – Sakshi Chandwaney (MGLuxM February 2020 Intake)

The Evolution of Leadership with Tarek Azmi

April 9, 2020

Can you talk about communication without talking about leadership? To answer this important and timely question, we invited Tarek Azmi, a Certified Executive Coach at Marshall Goldsmith and Co-Founder and Managing Director of Grey Matter KSA, who gave our students an inside look at the science of good leadership and how good leaders go beyond their technical competency by using strong interpersonal and social skills to engage employees, service clients, handle crisis and close sales.

“He helped us understand the role of leadership in organisations. He highlighted how important it is to know your client and interact with them. His take on crisis management gave us insights on how to adapt to the current COVID-19 pandemic.” – Pooja Kamble (MGLuxM February 2020 Intake)

Decoding the Customer Experience with Kelly Entwistle

April 24, 2020

Over a Power Talk with our students, Kelly Entwistle of Prada, Dubai, spoke about the importance of having a strong digital strategy and how more luxury brands are jumping on the online bandwagon. She emphasised on the significance of retaining a luxury brand’s ‘elitist’, ‘distinctive’ and ‘exclusive’ aura while going online. She also spoke at length about how brands differ in their creative content approaches, and which creative content strategies generate higher engagement.

Students gained insights into how digital is transforming high-end retail and shaping new consumer shopping experiences. She shared many real-life examples to help students learn why high-end e-commerce is an important growth engine for both luxury digital-native brands and traditional luxury brands – from Cartier to Louis Vuitton.

“She shared examples of CRM of some luxury powerhouses and its importance in the industry while supplementing it with her own experiences, which proved to be quite helpful.” – Mayura Keskar (MGLuxM August 2019 Intake)

Exploring the World of Fragrances with Lionel Chemburkar

April 27, 2020

The month of April ended on a high thanks to Lionel Chemburkar from Salvatore Ferragamo who took our students on an exclusive journey to the world of perfumes. Over stories of the evolution of perfumes and how brands successfully develop their ‘signature’ smells and pricing strategies, he showcased his extensive behind-the-scenes knowledge of the world of perfumes and introduced students to some very exclusive perfume brands.

“Mr Chemburkar helped us understand the intricacies by sharing insights like what makes a perfume expensive and what’s the difference between a premium and a luxury perfume.” – Shaurjyadeep Mukherjee (MGLuxM August 2019 Intake)