Q&A
May 24, 2012
By Mickey Alam Khan
The aspirational/symbolic buyers that most luxury marketers are chasing have all but disappeared in this economy, according to one of the leading luminaries in the luxury marketing world.
{"ct":"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","iv":"af4e7444f81fb8003053d93b48e732d2","s":"03b23ca9daa153e6"}
Share your thoughts. Click here