Hermès has been making leather goods since 1837. Apple has been making computers since 1976. Both command premium prices and fierce customer loyalty. The connection is not coincidental.
Luxury brands understand something that most technology companies do not: a brand is not a logo or a tagline. It is a gravitational field that pulls customers into its orbit and keeps them there across product cycles, economic downturns, and generational shifts.
The mechanics of brand gravity operate on three levels. First, there is **craft**—the obsessive attention to detail that signals care and competence. Hermès employs artisans who train for years before touching a customer's bag. Apple's unboxing experience is engineered with the same precision as its processors.
Second, there is **scarcity**—not artificial limitation, but genuine constraint. Hermès produces only what its artisans can make. Apple launches products when they're ready, not when the market demands them. This discipline creates desire.
Third, there is **narrative**—the story that gives meaning to the object. A Birkin bag is not just leather and hardware; it is a symbol of taste, patience, and belonging. An iPhone is not just a phone; it is a passport to a particular way of living.
For founders, the lesson is clear: brand building is not a marketing function. It is a strategic imperative that must be embedded in every decision, from product design to customer service to hiring.