Tips for success from Mr. Biver, CEO of Hublot

I like Q&As that coax “lessons learned” or how-to advice from accomplished CEOs. Of course, it’s never that easy, but it’s nice to hear things boiled down to the essence vs. having to sift through a long book (for example).

In this vein, here’s a good snippet from Jean-Claude Biver (the man behind successful watch brands Blancpain and Hublot) on his criteria for success building a global, luxury brand:

“The most important are message of the brand, product, distribution, public relations, quality and finally pricing and charisma of the people representing the brand. All these factors need to be coherent in respect of the message of the brand. Everything starts with the message first and then all the other elements must be put into place with coherence to the message.”

Further on he touches on the need to “keep the market short”, in other words, to let demand stay ahead of supply (Hublot is a luxury watch co. with $250mm in sales), an important strategy for aspirational brands.

I hear Mr. Biver on getting the messaging right - crystal clear - before beginning with tactical execution. Many companies charge to market with fuzzy messaging, leading to inefficient execution & mediocre results.

I also agree with his comment on the “charisma of the people representing the brand.” No matter how great a little company’s product offering and vision, things won’t go far without the right people on the bus.

Here’s the full article via WWD (subscription required).