2. We at The Lilian Raji Agency
are quite inspired by what is
occurring on the world
stage. Opportunity is ripe
for authentic prestige
brands – those of quality,
refinement, innovation and
legacy – to emerge
triumphantly after an era
run amok with excess and
vulgarity. The journey for
luxury to reclaim its luster able of Content
has begun.
We are here to help you
navigate the course.
Manifesto
Vive la révolution! Who We Are
What We Do
Experience
Contact
3. e once hailed the vast amount of wealth the US has seen over the past few
anifesto years and the countless opportunities luxury brands had to fill their coffers.
Times have changed, and the US is facing the worst economic crisis since
the Great Depression. We've been asked our thoughts on this crisis and
how luxury companies can survive. Our counsel has not changed build
relationships with your customers.
The challenges premium brands are currently facing were created by the
very opportunities that originally fueled their growth. From the influx of
overnight millionaires with demands for more, luxury companies increased
their production and created brand extensions to meet every scale of
luxury buyer – whether the $200 handbag luxury customers or customers
defining luxury as a $75,000 wristwatch. The gilded age is over, and new
values created by hard learned economic lessons are now redefining what
In these troubled times, many motivates a person to buy luxury.
experts will herald the death of
luxury. If you are a true luxury This coming era produces a challenge for prestige goods companies
previously captivated by the demand for more. Projections based on earlier
purveyor, you will not flinch. You will sales are now unrealistic and portfolios are beleaguered by brand
do what true luxury purveyors have extensions that no longer move as quickly as before.
done for hundreds of years in up, and
down, cycles: execute the We believe prestige companies can weather the times if they embrace
fundamentals as inspired and strategies to solidify relationships with existing customers while educating
prospective customers on the history, authenticity, quality and value of a
defined by your customers‘ needs
premium purchase. The tide will change, and purse strings will loosen once
and desires, consistently and more. Yet only the companies who remained relevant to their customers’
extraordinarily well. Men and emotional needs now will remain strong.
women who achieve the best will
always seek the best of everything. We are here to help those companies who wish to persevere in this time of
That is why luxury has brands that uncertainty.
span centuries, while most other
industries don't. Lilian M Raji
Founder & President
Milton Pedraza The Lilian Raji Agency
Luxury Institute
5. e at The Lilian Raji Agency pride ourselves on an obsessive attention to ROI while
initiating creative, innovative and cost effective strategies to persuade
prospective customers to give your company due diligence.
Choosing The Lilian Raji Agency is a smart business decision that aligns your
objectives with an agency fastidious about delivering results.
With our understanding of luxury purchase motivators, we develop
learly the marketing challenge strategies to ensure customers ask for you by name. We remain current
on spending habits of luxury consumers by communicating regularly
today isn’t just finding an agency with our friends in luxury sales and our “brain trust” of high net worth
that can effectively communicate individuals who willingly share insight into what they and their friends
are buying and why.
the value of a premium purchase,
but also finding an agency that We’re obsessively compulsive about delivering a return on
investment – so much so that you’ll hear from us regularly. You’ll
can unapologetically deliver a receive frequent updates on what we’re doing and suggestions on how
measurable return on to best maximize our services. We come to you with ideas, treating
investment. your business as if it were our own.
Because we are a boutique agency, we won’t break your budget.
Our Atlanta base allows for minimal overhead while our relationships
and monthly travel to New York City assures the same advantages of a
Manhattan address at a fraction of the cost.
There are six of us. While your communication will almost
exclusively be with the agency founder, Lilian Raji, rest assured there’s a
team working behind the scenes to ensure your satisfaction is earned.
ho We Are
6. he Lilian Raji Agency was inspired by firsthand witness of the emotions
accompanying luxury goods purchases ~ make no mistake about it – the pursuit of
luxury is a passionate endeavor. The founder’s experience as a sales associate of
Tourneau Watches Inc offered tremendous insight into the impetus behind
spending tens of thousands of dollars on an instrument whose primary purpose is
to tell time.
Premium goods companies know the luxury buyer isn’t like everyone else – but it
goes a little deeper than this. During her time at Tourneau, Lilian observed how a
person religious about cutting coupons before grocery shopping transforms into
another persona in the presence of prestige items, especially when the history
surrounding the product was compellingly told. After a sale, customers would
e extend to you strategic return with their friends just to have Lilian tell their friends the legacy behind the
counsel, marketing and public watch.
relations services based on Lilian saw the impact of well written articles in delivering passionate customers
personal experiences selling through the door, and how casually name dropping an influential figure who
happened to own a similar watch helped customers feel good about buying. What
premium goods to your often closed a sale, however, was giving the customer an opportunity to experience
customers. ownership – whether through invitations to special events given by the watch
company or by gentle suggestions to preen and pose with the watch before a
mirror. Ultimately, regular application of these insights helped make Lilian one of
the leading and youngest sales associate at Tourneau.
In creating The Lilian Raji Agency, Lilian recognized the contribution of each
scenario in persuading customers to buy. The services offered by The Lilian Raji
Agency are based on this fundamental understanding that emotions – whether
created through a compelling story, a personal experience, or validation of one’s
decisions reflected by a similar decision from a highly respected leader – are the
secret to selling premium goods.
ho We Are
7. innovative
We hired Lilian Raji when one aspect of our sponsorship of UNICEF’s
Designs of Hope was falling short of projection – our raffle ticket
sales. With only six weeks before deadline, Lilian executed an
aggressive, strategic marketing plan that catapulted raffle ticket
sales from just under $1,000 to over $12,000. Her creativity and
innate understanding of marketing challenges helped us succeed in
an area we’re we had almost given up hope.
Autumn Murray
InterContinental Hotels Group
Senior Community Affairs Director
quality
I met Lilian Raji at a conference where she was being honored as
International Emerging Leader of the Year, and subsequently hired
her to manage media relations and launch for our new store opening
in Atlanta. From beginning to end, Lilian and her team ensured
everything was done correctly – from coming in under budget for the
launch coordination, to ensuring premium media presence, to
voluntarily preparing an ROI statement that validated our decision
to hire her company.
Trenesa Danuser
VP of Global Communications and Strategic Alliances
The Estee Lauder Companies, Origins and Ojon
ho We Are
8. service
I have known Lilian for over three years now. She is a very effective,
creative and high integrity PR professional. She has a unique
combination of contemporary and proven traditional techniques for
getting it done for her clients. Through Lilian's company, my venture
was able achieve results beyond what I expected in a very short
time.
Steve Aninye, President
Ascend Systems
cost
We came to The Lilian Raji Agency with a limited budget and a
young brand that needed to be introduced to the American market.
Lilian treated us like a global brand with a much larger budget, and
delivered results as such without exceeding our financial plan.
Franck Albert Brafine
VP of Operations, North America
Philippe Tournaire
value
The Lilian Raji Agency coordinated our most highly regarded
customer appreciation party, while spending the least amount
possible to ensure satisfaction all around. Our vendor relationships
were strengthened by Lilian bringing in editors and reporters that
not only interviewed us, but also interviewed our vendors to discuss
their newest watches. Our customer relationships were
strengthened by the gift bags Lilian’s team put together, valued at
over $500 and filled with products from Hermes, Belisimi, Maurice
Lacroix, Breitling, Tag Heuer and other companies, all secured at no
cost to us. We were very impressed with Lilian’s work and highly
recommend her services.
Ken Grazi, Partner
KENJO – the Store to Watch
ho We Are
9. hat We Do
Lilian is one of the most passionate and dynamic
professionals I’ve ever worked with. Her dedication
and level of service to her clients is truly amazing
and is well matched by her intelligence and
warmth. While her skills, experience and
knowledge of the luxury market got us working
together initially, her personality, enthusiasm and
problem solving abilities will keep us collaborating
for many years to come.
Cindy Wood
Brand Stylist
10. e begin every new client partnership with a Passion Point
Management Audit, an in depth study of your company’s founding
vision.
Your Passion Point Management Audit encompasses a strategic
session with the most informed members of your
team. Depending on your needs, the session can be a succinct
overview of your established goals, current positioning and
determination of next steps, or it can be a comprehensive analysis
of your company fundamentals, competitive landscape, industry
influencers, customer profile and other foundation elements.
The finished product of this Audit becomes your Passion Point
Management Agenda, a tactical plan of how we will help you:
Forge meaningful connections with luxury buyers by
creating customized, personal experiences
Be more innovative and relevant to their desires
Compete more strategically against the multitudes of
other companies going after the their wallet
Your PPMA include a combination of public relations services
(marketing communications, traditional and social media relations,
experiential event design and delivery, and opinion leader
outreach) and possible recommendations for strategic
partnerships. It also includes a list of deliverables and specific
metrics in which we will measure ROI throughout our relationship.
hat We Do
11. marketing communications
We craft your story, or “Passion Proposition”, through insight gained
by your Passion Point Management Audit. Your Passion Proposition
becomes the story we tell to engage the interest of both media and
your target customers. Every point of contact with your company
reiterates this story. We help you ensure consistency as we review
your existing materials and develop your press kits and supporting
materials. Our capabilities include:
Award Entries Newsletters
Backgrounders Op ed Pieces
Biographies PSAs
Brochures Press Releases
B Rolls Press Kits
By lined Articles Presentations
Corporate Profiles Speeches
Fact Sheets Trade Show Support
Feature Stories VNRs
Message Points Website Design
experience
Eros World Tapas Bar had a vision to create a restaurant for lovers of
culinary variety, infused with a Bacchanalian atmosphere where
guests could surrender their cares to great food, music and great
company. We helped translate this vision into the Eros website,
working with rich earth tones, sensual music and a regularly updated
photo album of restaurant guests. We then integrated this message
into their press materials, ultimately securing live television coverage
Website design for Eros World Tapas Bar on Fox 5’s Good Day Atlanta, CBS’s Better Mornings, NBC’s Atlanta &
Company as well as articles in Atlanta’s most read magazines and
newspapers.
hat We Do
12. traditional and social media relations
As we’re developing your Passion Proposition, we are also
researching journalists who would be most receptive to your
message. We’re creating your own personal database of journalists
and bloggers in A, B, and C categories, defined by the their reach or
website hits, past coverage of your industry, and opportunity to make
them an ally. Your A listers will be the ones we share your
achievements with regularly and can count on to give you coverage
when you need it most.
Our relationships extend from Architectural Digest to Women's Wear
Daily, and we continue adding more in between by scheduling
monthly meetings with editors at top publications. We travel to New
York City regularly to meet with these editors and personally
introduce them to your latest products and services.
experience
We believe in building relationships long before they're needed so
that when you have a story to tell, they will give you an audience to
hear it. This philosophy helped us considerably in planning a media
lunch for the cosmetic company Origins new store opening in Atlanta.
Our relationships helped convince several top Atlanta reporters and
journalists, including a producer for NBC affiliate WXIA, to travel 20+
miles to attend the store launch, and helped secure editorial
placements in several of Atlanta’s most circulated publications,
including Jezebel Magazine, Points North Magazine, and the Atlanta
Journal Constitution.
hat We Do
13. experiential events
From new product launches and in store promotions to anniversary
events and publicity stunts, we design events that create a positive,
memorable experience for your customers.
We do as much, or as little as you need from designing and
managing the event from top to bottom, to working with your team
in coordinating the guest list, managing RSVPs, putting together
extraordinary gift bags and securing a media partner to add an extra
dose of prestige to the event.
experience
For New York based luxury watch store Kenjo, we produced a
spectacular holiday party to rejuvenate their customers' love of the
store. We secured Robb Report as our media partner, brought in
watch aficionado Alex Kanakaris to tape live from the party for his
new online program dedicated exclusively to Swiss watches, and sent
guests home with gift bags filled with Hermes scarves, Belisi ties,
Wolf watch rotators, Maurice Lacroix pens, Breitling jackets, and
several other valuable gifts, all secured by us at no additional cost to
Kenjo.
hat We Do
14. influencer outreach
We offer two types of Influencer Outreach services. The first focuses
on opinion leaders within your industry. These are the people who
are often quoted in media, and have a loyal following of people who
trust their advice. We make contact with these opinion leaders on
your behalf, and encourage them to discover more about your
company.
The second is based on establishing relationships with
celebrities. While it is true that there are those not easily influenced
by celebrity endorsements, in some cases, (such as the perfect
relationship between Nicole Kidman and Chanel, who saw a 16%
increase in sales during Ms. Kidman’s tenure as the face of No. 5),
celebrity presence can add influence. We will help you determine if
celebrity endorsement would be useful to you, and if so, which
celebrity best embodies your Passion Proposition. Through our
Hollywood relationships, we will work with you in crafting an ideal
partnership.
experience
Struggling start up Bakana Brazilian Jewelry & Accessories quickly
needed recognition for their jewelry collection. We tapped our
relationship with the wardrobe stylist at Desperate Housewives, and
Terry Hatcher's character soon wore a Bakana necklace during the
show, bringing Bakana Jewelry more orders than they could possibly
imagine. Further, enchanted by the Latin American company, Eva
Longoria requested special pieces for herself and friends, giving
Bakana additional A list endorsement.
hat We Do
15. strategic partnerships
In evaluating strategic partnerships, we take your Passion Proposition
and look for other non competing companies who have your same
values. We then bring you together. Sometimes, the relationship is
for a one time project, and sometimes it’s for the long haul. We’ll
help you determine what works best for you. Some ideas include
Co branding Opportunities
Marketing Alliances and Partnerships
Joint Loyalty Programs
Entertainment Marketing
Sponsorship Procurement
The old adage “two heads work better than one” is very valuable
wisdom. Let’s find you your second head.
experience
Ascend Systems Inc created a device to help monitor and track
Alzheimer and Dementia patients in the event of wandering. Realizing
the device offered many potential brand extensions, Ascend Systems
came to us to recommend other market opportunities for the device
within the luxury market. Our team helped them identify and meet
with potential strategic partnerships for brand extensions in areas
including leather goods and watch manufacturing.
hat We Do
16. xperience
I’ve worked with Lilian on several projects and her
company has proven to be both highly creative and
very professional. Her team goes the extra mile to
ensure the clients’ needs are met and are never
satisfied until they can show clients a ROI equal to
three times their retainer. Lilian is truly a
relationship specialist, openly sharing her contacts
to help others advance their own needs. She is a
generous and dedicated business leader for whom I
have the greatest respect.
Jennifer Peterson, Marketing Director
Galaxy Bright
17. beauty
The Estee Lauder Companies for Origins
Proctor & Gamble for Olay*
fashion & accessories
Ascend Systems
Bakana Brazilian Jewelry, Purses & Accessories
Mark Edge Jewelry
IMPnow.com
S.T. Dupont
hospitality
Eros World Tapas Bar
InterContinental Hotels Group
Fishmonger Restaurant
Milan Restaurant
The Palm Restaurant*
Raffles International Hotels & Resorts*
Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills*
RafflesAmrita Day Spa*
Teela Taqueria
jewelry & watches
Aquanautic
Clerc
Dubey & Schaldenbrand
French Trade Commission – Jewelry Division
KENJO – The Store to Watch
Mathon Paris
Philippe Tournaire
PK Time Group
Solomon Brothers Fine Jewelers
Volna
ortfolio
*services performed on behalf of another agency
18. luxury services
Intelligent Homes & Buildings
Meilin Ehlke
Munson International
RMR Real Estate Marketing Results
The Ultimate Life TV
Wes Moss
nonprofit
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
Captain Planet Foundation
Emory Ataxia Center at Emory University School of Medicine
The Goethe Institute
Hope worldwide Georgia
Italian Trade Commission
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Southern Center for International Studies
ortfolio
19. Raffles International Hotels & Resorts introduced their first
North American Raffles spa concept, RafflesAmrita, in their ultra
luxury Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills. They wanted the launch
to be BIG, and their PR Team turned to us for results.
We immediately got on the phones with our contacts at top
luxury magazines, scheduling desk side appointments with
editors to personally introduce them to RafflesAmrita. W
Magazine took the introductions a step further, giving
L’Ermitage a coveted feature on the highly anticipated Annual
Spa Review; and SpaFinder Magazine chose L’Ermitage for a
feature story. We negotiated an ultra exclusive spot on Live
with Regis and Kelly, where 6.7 million viewers learned first
hand why the L’Ermitage was the choice destination for luxury
spa services in Beverly Hills. And the piece'd' ristance? We
opened communication lines between L’Ermitage and the Style
Network to shoot regular programs at the hotel. All of this
coverage kept the Spa booked for months.
ase One
20. Solomon Brothers Fine Jewelry asked us to create a fabulous in
store promotions. The problem? A $300 budget, reserved
solely for invitations. A successful event requires at least food,
alcohol, and a photographer. With no budget for any of this,
the event still took in over $90,000. Here’s how we did it:
We convinced Pernod Ricard to be the wine sponsor for this
“Wine & Diamonds Affair”; we tapped our relationship with
president of Glorious Events Catering to be our food sponsor;
photography was taken care of by our magazine sponsor, Travel
Girl; and we secured donations of $400 handbags from
accessories companies Bakana, Curlie Girl, Neym NY, and Yen
Linh Creations, given to all purchases over $5,000. Just to make
it interesting, we brought in exclusive collections from celebrity
jewelers Scott Kay, Damiani, Daniel K, Martin Flyer, Christopher
Designs and Chad Allison Couture. The event was a smashing
success.
ase Two