In marketing luxury real estate, you want to have always be thinking strategically. Prior to Mother’s Day, Saks Fifth Avenue came up with a new Mother’s day gift and a great marketing strategy. They joined www.charitywater.org , a non-profit organization that helps bring water, clean water, to the Third World . And, they engaged customers to participate in the program in an exciting way.

1.1 billion people on the planet do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. That is one in six of us. Charity Water can give 100% of its donations because big corporations and generous individuals underwrite their expenses. Every dollar raised goes directly to digging wells and purifying water.

Saks understands its clientele. They know that the majority of mothers who are Saks shoppers do not really need a major gift from their family members on Mother’s day. So, they came up with the concept of giving the gift of water. It is inexpensive, and it is innovative. $5.00 gives someone safe drinking water for 5 years! The gift was a black rubber band style bracelet with Charity Water printed on it. For $20.00, you could send an email, in your mother’s name and she could pick the country the water went to for 20 years. For additional dollars you could provide a well, and so on.

This was an elegant strategy. Mothers in the Third World are the ones who walk miles to get the water. Mothers in America were helping mothers on the other side of the planet. The beauty of this strategy is that it exposed people to a worthwhile cause and gave the gift of water, a gift of luxury. It also illustrates that luxury can be defined in many ways given the circumstances one lives in. I felt moved by this, and I felt inspired that someone came up with an idea of making it affordable for anyone to give the luxury of water. Thinking strategically, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, can make you feel great, help others and also generate business. When these components all align, that is as good as luxury gets!

By Alexandra Seigel, Partner – Napa Consultants, International

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