A Wren Says

If you have been on the luxury side of TikTok and YouTube, you are probably aware of the mangomoniica drama regarding Van Cleef and Arpels. As a quick review: she bought a bracelet, was unhappy with the quality, went to the store, and was unhappy with the service she received. That launched what feels like a series on her channel and a number of other creators detailing their own experiences. People have been saying that this will hurt the brand. Van Cleef and Arpels never responded to any of this. Possibly because this doesn’t really concern them. Let me explain.

For quite some time, people have been referring the Alhambra bracelet, the style Monica bought, as part of the influencer starter pack. It has started to be associated with being trendy, aspirational set. And for that reason, the style has been highly duped. Perhaps losing the appeal with a particular market might be helpful for their overall brand image.

If they had responded as many viewers believed they should have, they might have been seen as catering to influencers. Yes, you want money from everyone. But perhaps, the changing brand image, as an influencer brand, is hurting their image in the eyes of their higher-end customers. If they are seen as a trendy, influencer brand, there may be high-end clientele that doesn’t want that association.  Choosing not to respond means Van Cleef and Arpels are focused on their core target market. Or perhaps that they just don’t have a social media team.

To be fair, poor customer service is often repeated as the experience that people have with luxury brands. That is so ingrained in the expectation that perhaps people wanting to spend their money may not care so much. They just want the product.

But what do you think? How do you think this story affects the brand?