WORKWEEK

My dear millionaires, Going-to-Market like Goyard looks something like this: 

The promise of Goyard. That it’s EXCLUSIVE. For the SELECT FEW. Perhaps, it’s even a privilege to own Goyard? The real crux of the matter promise here is that your purchase will transcend time or trend (as proven by the trunk that sits in the window of the boutique STRAIGHT FROM THE ARCHIVES, with the last name Rockefeller embossed). 

SELECT BRAND-CONTROLLED BOUTIQUES. Scarce because there are only so many storefronts, run by the PRIVATE brand house, with internal controls that allow for only so many pieces to hit the market the world each year.

The promise? No mass production. No mass access. No break in tradition or quality. And, Goyard owns the experience end to end – unlike their competitors on the luxury tote market. They aren’t at the mercy of Saks’ BFCM promotions, because they aren’t carried there. Or really, anywhere (aside from a select and exclusive partnership with the department store of all department stores, Bergdorf f’ing Goodman).

Picture this. The only way to see TikTok’s beloved Artois MM Bag in person is to arrive early to a Goyard location before it opens (to avoid the line queue – the line can wrap around the corner like woah). What’s wild here is that there’s not a location in every major shopping district in the world. Heavens, no. You have to 1st be in a location that Goyard even deems worthy of a boutique. Then, you have to wait in line until its your turn to access the boutique. Upon entry, expect to see lots of signs that say NO CAMERA 📷 ⛔️. 

You’ll find limited stock on the floor, and only a few color ways and 1 signature pattern. Only a few sales associates are on prem at a time. Only a few customers gain entry at a time. Notice the phrase only a few keeps coming up. Only a few, coveted by the many is the name of the game here.

Expect a small boutique. A small boutique that feels frozen in time. That’s the point. A small boutique in a very specific location – they go to where their ideal clientele lives and shops (ex: Highland Park Village, Dallas and Mayfair, London). It’s almost a chance encounter, what could feel like the single opportunity to buy Goyard. Better strike while there’s a boutique within range. 

The proof is in the pudding profits. Go try to buy a NEW Goyard ANYTHING online right now. I rest my case. Goyard isn’t nowhere, and Goyard isn’t everywhere. Goyard is exactly where they want to be, as they have been since oh you know, 1853.

Push yourself. Go apply the same techniques that Goyard deploys to your brand, now.

Play on scarcity. Don’t be everywhere. Don’t be for everyone. But, do be exactly who your ideal customer wants you to be. And, a little exclusivity won’t hurt us. Oh, and while you’re at it, gift your hero SKUs to the influencers who your ideal customer looks up to. Because, they’ll copy them. The Goyard lines have never been longer, and TikTok’s it girls are totally toteally to blame. 👛