Back to school with clear views, slick CEOs and even sharper lessons
What did you learn this week? I’m not talking about headlines flashing up on your screen or bits of tittle-tattle exchanged over lunch. I’m talking about a moment of vivid clarity, when the heavens open up, the light shines down and you sit back and let an idea settle and absorb. On Monday morning, while chugging along on the train from Zürich to Geneva and taking in the stunning, sunny views of Lac Léman and the Alps, I decided that this would be a back-to-school week, every meeting would be some sort of masterclass and I would try to extract some deep wisdom from every exchange.
Do you really need to renovate?
On Monday afternoon I met with a Swiss bank that is upping its brand and marketing efforts. The gentleman in charge gave us a thorough briefing on his ambitions for the group and along the way he mentioned that they would be renovating. For sure some corners of the building were a bit late 1990s and overly glossy. Or were they? The lobby certainly had personality – pleasantly cool and reserved. Kind of what you want from a Swiss private bank, no? I feel we’re in a cycle where many well-maintained interiors that were installed 30 years ago are 18-24 months away from coming back into fashion. Lesson: don’t call in the architects just yet and maybe ride things out for a while in your home, office or hotel lobby.
Go big on grand receptions
I’m visiting the HQ of a major luxury watch brand. They’re famous for a particular model that every man I know owns or wants to own. They are completing a major renovation and have, perhaps rightly, put security ahead of a warm, efficient welcome. A visit used to involve pulling up in front of reception, being announced and then whisked into a meeting room. Now it involves a gate house and a 200-metre walk outdoors to reach reception. On a sunny Tuesday it works perfectly fine but what about when the rains arrive in Geneva or you have to hobble along on a twisted ankle or you have luggage in tow because you have to head straight to the airport? Lesson: sense of arrival is everything, particularly if you’re selling a luxury product and experience.
Bet on personality
I’m at another watch company but now well beyond Geneva. I’m supposed to be meeting the marketing team with my colleague, Linard, but the CEO has decided to join and so for the next hour I am entertained, educated and positively provoked by his stories, insights and delightfully outrageous quips. There are moments when you can feel that his team is squirming from his candid comments on markets and competitors. So much “person” rarely fits in the mould of many highly profitable but dull corporations and yet he is the perfect person for the job. I leave the meeting and realise that in the span of 53 minutes I gained a total view of the luxury goods sector, where it’s heading and what markets are on the up. When you meet such a leader, you’re instantly reminded of just how dull so many company chiefs are circa 2025 and why it’s time for people with more than a mere pulse and a way with numbers at the top of a company. Lesson: slick your hair back (you too, ladies!), lean back, speak your mind, share your insights even if they sting and be generous with your time.
The future is soup and forests
On Wednesday morning I met the CEO of a business in longevity. This is a chap who knows his game and where he’s taking his brand. “It goes like this,” he says, explaining where the world of wellness and medical retreats is at the moment. “You have the people doing ‘soup and forest’, drink lots of soup and go for a walk in the forest and pay quite a bit. And then you have what we do, which is at a completely different level.” With a full hospital, a very limited number of guests and world-beating views, he’s probably right. But he’s also right about the “soup and forest” business model for wellness retreats, and it sticks with me because it’s so simple and needs to become a franchise all of its own. Lesson: develop The Monocle Soup and Forest Retreat as a new brand extension as soon as possible.
Celebrate the changing season
It’s now Saturday, the sun is still shining over Switzerland and our Herbstmarkt (Autumn Market, pictured below) is in full swing here at our HQ on Dufourstrasse. The temperature is hovering around 24C and people couldn’t be in a better mood. We have a host of new brands on hand (Réuni Paris is in residence for a full week) and many of our favourites are back with fresh tastes and cuts for our subscribers and locals. Speaking of subscribers, as holiday season is soon upon us you might want to start thinking about client and family gifts. If you fancy becoming part of the Monocle “club”, you can sign up here. If you want to negotiate a bigger deal for your company and broader customer base, drop Holly a note at han@monocle.com. Lesson: live better, read Monocle.
