Cannes is affirming its status as the first Luxury Tech Riviera

 

Université Côte d’Azur, Launchmetrics, TikTok & the City of Cannes Partner to Launch the First Luxury Tech Riviera.

How to use influence marketing in the luxury niche as mankind moves into the future to anticipate the norm in a post-covid world.

The south of France to become home to the new academic and research program focused on Luxury Tech Entrepreneurship & Affluencer Management.

Université Côte d’Azur announced a partnership with Launchmetrics — the leading Brand Performance Cloud for
Fashion, Luxury and Beauty — TikTok and the City of Cannes to create an academic and research collaboration
focused on Luxury Tech with an emphasis on Luxury Tech Entrepreneurship & Affluencer Management.

The interdisciplinary and international approach will combine data, economical behaviour and marketing to
understand how to use influence marketing in the luxury niche as mankind moves into the future to anticipate the
norm in a post-covid world.

This new global research and innovation program targets the analysis of affluencers — affluent consumers who also
influence others’ shopping and buying behaviors — through a scientific approach that combines: artificial
intelligence, deep learning, predictive analysis, nowcasting, semantic web, customer analysis, behavioral
economics and emotions. Given the city’s long standing connection to the glamourized lifestyle, it’s fitting for a
program as such to be launched in Cannes, affirming its status as the first Luxury Tech Riviera.

The collaboration will launch with a Master of Science program in Luxury Tech Entrepreneurship & Affluencer
Management at the Université Côte d’Azur commencing this October. The partnership will draw on the University’s
knowledge in academia, the City of Cannes’ resources, Launchmetrics’ industry expertise and TikTok’s experience
in working with the modern consumer of today and tomorrow, to bring together professionals from all over the world to organize field projects and research collaborations with top companies like TikTok, LVMH, Clarins as well as guest workshops from partners like Jing Daily and market experts including Pascal Morand – Executive President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Xavier Romatet – General Manager at the French Fashion
Institute (Institut Français de la Mode, IFM), Reesa Lake – Partner & EVP at Digital Brand Architects, Belinda
Bowring – VP Communications at Endeavor, Jessica Michault – Editor-at-large of ODDA Magazine and BoF 500
member, Melilim Fu – Chinese beauty KOL and makeup artist and more.

“There is no doubt that the luxury landscape has changed over the past year — and luxury marketing has changed with it, requiring new methods and new approaches to reach the modern consumer,” states Michael Jais, CEO of Launchmetrics.“

“The luxury industry, emblematic of French know-how and of our territory, poses exciting challenges in research and innovation that are now being renewed by the growing importance of digital approaches, particularly artificial intelligence,” says Jeanick Brisswalter President of Université Côte d’Azur. “These new approaches imply the need for new training programs that combine artificial intelligence, economics, and consumer behavior. We are bringing to this partnership all of our research potential not only in these fields, but also in training, with the creation of the Master of Science Luxury Tech Entrepreneurship & Affluencers Management, which will provide a unique combination of skills to future graduates in the field. This master’s degree, co-developed with Launchmetrics, offers a highly professional program with renowned speakers from the luxury industry and researchers from Université Côte d’Azur.”

“Cannes is becoming the epicenter for avant-garde innovation, research and higher education,” declares David Lisnard, Mayor of the City of Cannes. “Thanks to our collaboration, we will enrich the academic and research programs offered in the region, with innovative fields of study based on how new purchasing behaviors are linked to the use of social networks. This project reinforces the positioning of Cannes as a city of creative industries, a source of new attractiveness, prosperity and jobs for our youth. The event-driven, globally recognized vitality of the city, its new University Campus and its recognized expertise in the luxury sector contribute to the strength of the Luxury Tech project and we are delighted to help it flourish by offering one of the world’s most unique experimentation sites to students, researchers and entrepreneurs.”

“TikTok is pleased to support such an ambitious and pioneering research and academic program dedicated to affluencers, these new consumers that are shaping the trends of the luxury sector and largely present on our platform, launched by the Université Côte d’Azur, the city of Cannes and Launchmetrics”, announces Eric Garandeau, Director of Public Policy & Government Relationships for TikTok France. “As a home of creativity and self-expression, TikTok has also naturally become a new catwalk for luxury brands, accompanying their digital transformation and allowing them to reach and connect with a highly engaged and diverse community. Inclusion and diversity being among our core values, TikTok will also sponsor access to the Master’s program.”