Netherlands / Italy

Image Copyright: Keiko Goto, The Netherlands

Design researcher and corporate maverick Marco Bevolo states in his book Premium by Design: How to Develop and Market High End Products, that in times of economic downturn luxury will become, more than ever, synonymous with focus on people and the experience of essentials

 

Marco Bevolo

Please describe what you do:
With Philips Design: company speaker, company author, media relations, future studies.
As extra-curricular (independent): author, advisory board member on cultural foundations.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Meeting people, getting to know people, pushing the envelope.

What is your inspiration?
My Italian roots, my teen ager dreams, my wife Keiko.

How would you define luxury today? (or) What is, to you, the essence of luxury today?
Luxury is the ability to experience / own the best in life. It used to be about products. It is now about experience. It will be about time, space, well being. It requires not only the income to purchase, but also the education and the finesse to appreciate.

Eco-awareness is growing as is social consciousness and the need to be responsible towards our world and its people. What part do you play in this global mission?
As a Philips Design director, I am committed to evangelize and to perform according to our sustainable design principles, that earned Philips a top spot in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. As a Wharton School Publishing author, I researched and formalized in the context of my forthcoming book the notion that luxury will increasingly include the dimensions of sustainability and simplicity as part of its DNA. As extra-curricular advisory board member, I operate on cultural foundations aimed at supporting underprivileged talent in Latin America (Brazil), with the purpose to hopefully provide them with a more fair access to the international creative industry.

Image Copyright: Keiko Goto, The Netherlands

Luxury will increasingly include the dimensions of sustainability and simplicity as part of its DNA

When and how did your project originate?
Howard Moskowitz, Parlin Prize for market research in 2005, Alex Gofman, his co-author, and myself discussed for quite some time on writing a book together based on personal chemistry. We proposed the idea of investigating the world of High End to Stefano Marzano, my CEO, who liked it and joint us as co-author as well. This is how “Premium by Design: How to Develop and Market High End Products” was born.

What continues to be your vision for this project?
In times of economic downturn, I do believe that the challenge of generating people-focused premium value will be even more pressing than before. This book captures 20 years of experience of Philips Design in High End projects within the context of a worldwide ad hoc research, both qualitative (75 thought leaders interviewed) and quantitative (1.800 internet panel sessions in US, UK, Italy and China). The book provides the “rules” to make it happen, and the stories to inspire those who want to achieve higher margins by anticipating on people’s dreams and aspirations.

How are your creativity and passion an important part of this project?
This project was born our of personal passion and could happen only to total commitment. As a true “corporate maverick”, I made my own life and passion into my job, for the best benefit of my company too.

If you were to choose a colour and an adjective to describe it, what would they be?
Color: Ametista purple.
Adjective: diamond-sharp.

What is the message you wish to pass on?
“Design is an act of love” (Stefano Marzano).

Name a person or place that has inspired you with their progressive vision.
If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.
(Ernest Hemingway, A moveable feast, 1964, post.)

www.futurehighend.com

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