LSN : News : Louis Vuitton unveils Paris hotel and HQ development plans

Gaia strives to humanise the fertility sector

Gaia, UK

UK – The world’s first IVF insurance business, Gaia, has had a rebranding courtesy of London-based branding agency Ragged Edge. Its new look presents a more inclusive and accessible view of IVF – and more agency over individual fertility.

Gaia offers personalised finance based on calculations of the number of IVF rounds a person might need. Members pay an initial insurance premium; those that do not leave hospital with a child pay no more than that, while those who do pay back the cost of treatment in instalments.

The rebranding is designed to reset traditional perceptions of IVF from exclusive to inclusive, giving families of all types and varying resources agency over their own fertility.

‘I know from personal experience how alienating, painful and confusing the IVF journey can be. Gaia is here to create a radical change in society and… create a brand that could lead this new consumer category,’ says founder Nader AlSalim of the rebranding. ‘What [Ragged Edge] created is bold and unflinching, without ever compromising on empathy for the people we serve at an uncertain time in their lives.’

The fertility market is an evolving sector and Gaia joins brands such as The New Hope Fertility Center in New York in striving to humanise the fertility sector.

Strategic opportunity

As the traditional family unit is re-assessed, those brands that address evolving dynamics and diverse family needs with empathy and inclusivity will be well positioned for success.

Louis Vuitton unveils Paris hotel and HQ development plans

Paris – French luxury brand Louis Vuitton’s chairman and CEO Michael Burke has unveiled plans for further development of its Parisian headquarters, including a hotel. Speaking to WWD, Burke revealed that the brand’s corporate offices, known for their majestic view of the city, will be developed into a large complex including the world’s first Louis Vuitton hotel and its largest store worldwide. This is to complement renovations to the neighbouring LVMH-owned La Samaritaine department store, including the Cheval Blanc hotel and Cova pastry stores.

The move marks another foray for the brand into the world of hospitality after it opened a pop-up restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, in 2021 and a seasonal restaurant in St Tropez. This is in addition to a restaurant and café in its Tokyo location. ‘That’s what our clients want from us. They want a 24/7 relationship,’ Burke told WWD.

We charted the diverse paths that more luxury brands will take in our Guilded Luxury report together with the move into Gated Retail and Open-door HQs.

Louis Vuitton Maison at Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, Chengdu

Strategic opportunity

Louis Vuitton’s plans signal an opportunity for more luxury brands to move beyond product to develop experiences and cultural relationships with their customers

UK's Green Gap: two-thirds don’t want to pay for climate change

SURI, UK

UK – A new survey shows that UK consumers are worried about the changing climate but are reluctant to pay for improvements while in the depths of a cost of living crisis.

The survey was conducted by green digital bank Tandem and reveals that nearly two-thirds of UK consumers are willing to cut their carbon footprint – but that they are unwilling to spend their own money doing it. This dissonance is labelled by Tandem as the Green Gap, which it will track in a new quarterly index of the same name.

‘Our new research confirms that people are concerned about the future of our planet, but there is less understanding about what specific action is being taken – and how that is changing over time,’ said Susie Aliker, outgoing CEO of Tandem. ‘It is clear the financial pressures everyone faces every day present a real obstacle to changing behaviour for many people.’

The research reveals that 70% of those aged between 55 and 64 say they wouldn’t spend their own money for individual improvements such as solar panels or electric vehicles (EVs), compared with 57% of younger people aged 18–24. Half of all those surveyed believe they are already doing enough to reduce their environmental impact. We are helping business to navigate this Green Gap with our macrotrend, The Paralysis Paradox.

Strategic opportunity

This disparity between attitudes to the climate crisis and reality is growing, offering distinct opportunities for brands and businesses to bridge this gap and ensure environmentally focused choices are also the best value ones.