Loïs Sikking

Luxury is a world on its own and is so different compared to traditional marketing theories I have learned in my past studies and education. 

Upon completing my Bachelor’s in Business Administration, and thereafter my Master’s in Marketing with Summa Cum Laude distinction at the age of 20, I started working at an up-and-coming international luxury brand renowned for its exclusive high-quality baby carriers. As a young professional in charge of the marketing strategy of this luxury company, I decided to join the Luxury Management summer program at HEC Paris to delve deeper into the world of luxury and its principles, and to learn from the best in the business. Paris, being the capital of luxury, is one of the few locations in the world where you can study Luxury on a university level and it has been a great experience.

This Summer Program is a perfect introduction to acquire knowledge within the luxury management field. It offers a great 360-experience, touching upon both the theoretical side of luxury with highly interactive lectures from different professors and experts in the field as well as the practical side with group projects, case studies and many in-class luxury brands examples. Hearing about the many successful luxury brand studies and cases, diving deeper into their strategies, distinctive elements and success factors truly inspired me as a manager for a luxury brand. 

Experts in more specific luxury fields are invited for the guest lectures which is a great opportunity to meet and ask questions to people which have a very specific role and field in the industry. 

Next to the in-class lectures, online content needs to be studied which is graded by online assignments. The group project zooms into a specific luxury challenge, which requires you to dive into a luxury business and to present a new business proposal. Field research in luxury stores in Paris was also included in the program – a great way to bridge theory with practice. It was very challenging to present a strong business proposal and a video within the short duration of the 2-week program. It required the right teamworking skills and a high dedication, but as the teams exist of students with many different backgrounds, we were able to inspire, learn and complement each other. It was beautiful to see how in the end, everyone delivered a great group result. 

I would recommend this program to students and young professionals that have an interest in luxury and would like to expand their skills in this area further. It is a great way to explore the type of brand you would like to work for in the future, or in which area of luxury you would like to specialize in. Last but not least, the summer program is the perfect opportunity to meet like-minded people and to expand your professional network. I have made new friends from all over the world and will meet with them again in the coming months. 

For more information about the Summer Program Luxury Management