The value of local cultural heritage and its role in localized luxury branding in China

In the globalized world system, the rising emerging markets no longer passively follow the rules and trends set by the West but prefer to respond to the brands with their own cultural personality. The deep integration of luxury brands with traditional culture has become a major trend in the fashion industry. The integration of luxury brands with local culture, on the one hand, closes the distance between the disappearing cultural traditions and the public; on the other hand, it brings new design interpretation and expression for international luxury goods. Luxury, by no means a fashionable medal in name only, in addition to expensive price tags and identity labels, its meaning includes four aspects: craftsmanship, dedication, history, and rarity (Petrucci, 2019). Luxury brands originating in Europe usually master a variety of rare crafts and specialize in innovative approaches to make them last, which coincides with the concept of cultural heritage. International luxury brands collaborate with local cultures, presenting their brand genes in the form of retelling cultural heritage and triggering consumer empathy through heritage stories. This cross-cultural integration strategy expresses a deeper understanding of and respect for the target market and inadvertently embodies the brand’s mission of “cultural sustainability”. However, in this process, some brands win both profit and word-of-mouth, while others fail to achieve the expected results or even backfire due to cultural differences, superficial knowledge, market changes and other factors. The thesis applies Banerjee’s Brand-Culture Fit Framework to analyze success and missteps of four luxury fashion brands in Chinese market. Findings reveal that luxury brands must move beyond transactional cultural borrowing to meaningful, reciprocal engagement. Success hinges on depth of cultural insight, emotional alignment, modern relevance, and active heritage stewardship that transform localization from a marketing tactic into a cornerstone of brand identity. Ultimately, the study offers strategic recommendations for luxury brands seeking to harmonize global prestige with local relevance in China’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape.

In un contesto globalizzato, i mercati emergenti non si limitano più ad adottare passivamente modelli occidentali, ma rispondono ai brand attraverso le proprie identità culturali. L’integrazione dei marchi di lusso con le culture locali è divenuta una tendenza chiave: riduce la distanza con tradizioni in via di scomparsa e genera nuove interpretazioni per il lusso contemporaneo. Questa tesi applica il Brand-Culture Fit Framework di Banerjee per analizzare i casi di quattro marchi di moda di lusso in Cina, mettendo in luce successi ed errori. I risultati indicano che il vero impatto si ottiene solo passando da un semplice “prestito culturale” a un impegno reciproco autentico, fondato su conoscenza profonda, allineamento emotivo e gestione attiva del patrimonio. Vengono proposte raccomandazioni strategiche per conciliare prestigio globale e rilevanza locale nel mercato cinese in rapida trasformazione.