Luxury brands play a completely different marketing game. In this episode of Canned the Marketing Podcast, Ben van Rooy from Human Digital and Steph Quantrill from Cue Marketing unpack the world of luxury marketing and why brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Gucci operate by rules that most marketers would never dare follow. From the origins of European craftsmanship to modern scarcity strategies and billion-dollar brand empires, they explore why luxury continues to command eye-watering prices and intense loyalty. If you’ve ever wondered why people wait years for a Birkin bag or why some brands refuse to discount, this episode breaks down the psychology, power and contradictions of luxury marketing.What You’ll Learn in This Episode • Why luxury brands were built on craftsmanship and heritage How centuries-old European craft traditions shaped the foundations of luxury marketing. • Why scarcity is one of the most powerful marketing levers How luxury brands manufacture demand by limiting access rather than increasing availability. • Why people buy identity, not just products How aspiration, belonging and status drive luxury purchasing behaviour. • Why luxury brands rarely discount How pricing discipline reinforces brand perception and long-term desirability. • Why even iconic luxury brands lose their shine How heritage brands navigate creative reinvention while protecting their legacy.Bonus Nuggets • The Birkin effect Why Hermès deliberately withholds supply to increase demand. • Modern luxury brands built on scarcity How brands like The Row create exclusivity through limited availability. • Luxury resale and pre-loved markets Why older luxury products can sometimes become more valuable than new ones.Call to Action If you enjoy unpacking the strategy behind iconic brands, subscribe to Canned the Marketing Podcast and join the conversation with marketers across New Zealand and Australia.Connect with the us: • Ben van Rooy — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvanrooy/ • Stephanie Quantrill — https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-quantrill/Explore more from Canned: • Canned the Marketing Podcast — www.cannedmarketing.com • Cue Marketing — www.cuemarketing.co.nz • Human Digital — www.humandigital.comTimestamps 00:00 Introduction to luxury marketing and why it fascinates marketers 00:17 Why products like Birkin bags and luxury coats command extreme prices 02:12 The historical roots of luxury brands in European craftsmanship 07:40 Why Louis Vuitton and Hermès built their brands on craft mastery 12:45 Scarcity as a deliberate luxury marketing strategy 16:00 The psychology of aspiration, identity and belonging 20:30 Modern luxury brands and the rise of The Row 24:00 Premium vs luxury and the example of R.M. Williams 28:30 The growing opportunity in luxury resale and pre-loved markets 32:00 When heritage brands like Gucci lose direction 35:30 The future of luxury brands and how they maintain relevancewww.cannedmarketing.com Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin