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In Q2 2018 it was announced that luxury brand Bulgari will donate over EUR 800,000 to fund the restoration of the Largo di Argentina, an ancient archaeological site in Rome. With a rough launch date of January 2020, the project will take an estimated ten months to complete. This follows Bulgari's sponsorship of the EUR 1.5 million restoration of Rome’s Spanish Steps in 2016. Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884.

We live in a world in which physical products cross borders at an unprecedented rate. Meanwhile information and culture are distributed worldwide in real time. But examples such as this one provide a timely reminder: amid all that, the importance of physical place in the lives of consumers is as strong as ever. Whether it’s a city borough, a nation state, or a favorite vacation spot, specific locations provide anchors that help consumers define who they are.

There are a raft of ways that brands can tap into this LOCAL LOVE. For example, you can show an intimate understanding of the nuances of a local culture. See Nike’s Cannes-slaying campaign Nothing Beats a Londoner – if you somehow missed it!

But Bulgari’s initiative is concrete (and plaster) proof of the brand’s commitment to its home city of Rome. That’s a powerful play. And, of course, it only serves to strengthen the perceived connection between Bulgari and the city’s unique heritage. Bulgari’s Creative Director, Lucia Silvestri, has stated that the city’s classical architecture inspires her designs.

Not every brand is from a city as storied as Rome. But there’s something special about your home, too. You (and your customer) feel it in your bones! Celebrate that connection, and you put yourself at the center of a matrix of powerful forces to do with identity, status and belonging. So what’s your LOCAL LOVE play?


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