About the Online Webinar

Consumers are increasingly interested in understanding the ‘who’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind the brands, they are buying and they judge brands by what they believe in, stand for, and do in the world. Companies are responding to those changing consumer expectations by turning their attention to their brand purpose.

Professor Klaus Heine concentrates on his speech on the creation of brand meaning: What is it that high-end brands should stand for? Today, this is not just about product expertise, an aspiring country-of-origin, or brand lifestyle. Almost everyone is talking about Corporate Social Responsibility. By standing up for environmental and social issues, luxury brands are moving “From Brand Purpose to Brand Activism.”

To make clear what Brand Activism is, he will present two recent case studies, one from the mass-market and another one from the high-end segment. With the help of fresh examples from the front line of Brand Activism, Prof. Heine demonstrates that there is a huge potential for luxury brands to tap into the trend of Brand Activism: A study by Haas School of Business at Berkeley, California, shows that more than 90% of millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause. However, the huge potential comes with a big risk of damaging a brand. Prof. Heine demonstrates that Brand Activism only works by taking certain restrictions and requirements under consideration. Based on the case studies, he will derive ten major lessons learned for luxury brands on how (not) to engage in Brand Activism.

About the Guest Speaker

Dr. Klaus Heine

Associate Professor of Luxury Marketing,

emlyon business school

Dr. Heine is currently an Associate Professor of Luxury Marketing at emlyon business school. He is the Director of the High End Brand Management program at Asia Europe Business School, an institute jointly established by emlyon and East China Normal University (ECNU). Before joining emlyon business school, he worked as a researcher at TU Berlin, where he introduced the first luxury marketing course offered at a German university and conducted the first millionaire survey in Germany.

Dr. Heine’s primary research interest focuses on luxury brand management, especially luxury brand identity, and luxury consumer behavior. His work has been published in many academic journals such as the Journal of Brand Management, Luxury Research Journal, Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, Journal of Research and Management, Australasian Marketing Journal, Asia Marketing Journal, etc. His research led also to broad press coverage in, for instance, Die Zeit, Handelsblatt, Focus, Manager Magazin, and Süddeutsche Zeitung. He combines applied-oriented research with lecturing about luxury brand-building and practical projects with various brands from high-end start-ups to the leading luxury houses. He cooperated, among others, with the Luxury Institute New York, the Meisterkreis, and a wide range of luxury brands including Chaumet, Dior, Gaggenau, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Loewe, LVMH, Kering, Mercedes-Benz/Daimler, Montblanc, Panerai, and Richemont.

About MSc in High-End Brand Management 

The MSc in High-End Brand Management at emlyon business school is an English-taught, 24-month program including a 4 to 6-month internship. 50% of the programme taught in Shanghai while the rest is spent in Paris. 

The MSc in High-End Brand Management (HEBM) is intended for potential top-level managers capable of assuming leading positions in international high-end companies.

It is designed to grow a new generation of leading marketing and branding specialists, who are sensible to the special requirements of the high-end industry and who acquired the strategic and analytical skills to successfully guide companies’ in the high-end cultural & creative industries, especially European/Western high-end brands with operations in China as well as Chinese high-end brands.

Learn more about the MSc in High-End Brand Management here.

About emlyon business school

emlyon business school is a French leading business school. It was founded in Lyon, France in 1872 by the local business community, and is affiliated to the Lyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It has triple accreditation: EQUIS by the EFMD, AMBA, and the AACSB. emlyon business school has 6 campuses currently: Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Paris, Shanghai, Casablanca and Bhubaneswar.

The new Shanghai campus opens in 2016, in partnership with East China Normal University. With its 5,000 m2 building, the campus is situated in the Minhang District education park, in the very centre of Shanghai and close to the technology park which hosts the R&D centres of large, international firms.

Learn more about emlyon business school here.

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