Aesthetic Intelligence: How to Boost It and Use It in Business and Beyond

Longtime leader in the luxury goods sector and former Chairman of LVMH Mo t Hennessy Louis Vuitton North America reinvents the art and science of brand-building under the rubric of Aesthetic Intelligence.

In a world in which people have cheap and easy access to most goods and services, yet crave richer and more meaningful experiences, aesthetics has become a key differentiator for most companies and a critical factor of their success and even their survival. In this groundbreaking book, Pauline Brown, a former leader of the world's top luxury goods company and a pioneer in identifying the role of aesthetics in business, shows executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals how to harness the power of the senses to create products, services, and experiences that stand out, resonate with their customers, and create long-term value for their businesses. The power is rooted in Aesthetic Intelligence--or "the other AI," as Brown refers to it.

Aesthetic Intelligence can be learned. Indeed, people are born with far more capacity than they use, but even those that are naturally gifted must continue to refine their skills, lest their aesthetic advantage atrophy. Through a combination of storytelling and practical advice, the author shows how aesthetic intelligence creates business value and how executives, entrepreneurs and others can boost their own AI and successfully apply it to business. Brown offers research, strategies and practical exercises focused on four essential AI skills.

Aesthetic Intelligence provides a crucial roadmap to help business leaders build their businesses in their own authentic and distinctive way. Aesthetic Intelligence is about creating delight, lifting the human spirit, and rousing the imagination through sensorial experiences.

ISBN-13: 9780062883308

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication Date: 11-26-2019

Pages: 288

Product Dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

For more than 25 years, Pauline Brown has acquired, built, and led global luxury brands. In January of 2016, she joined the faculty of the Harvard Business School, where she introduced a new course for graduate students, called “The Business of Aesthetics.” Since 2016, she also has been hosting a weekly talk show on SiriusXM, called “Tastemakers,” on which she interviews business leaders, innovators, and influencers in creative sectors. Prior to her career as a writer, speaker, and lecturer, Pauline was the Chairman of North America for the world’s leading luxury goods company, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, where she provided regional leadership for 70 brands in 5 sectors, including fashion & leather goods, watches & jewelry, perfumes & cosmetics, wines & spirits, and selective retailing. While at LVMH, Pauline also served on the Board of Directors of L Capital, a private equity fund backed by LVMH, as well as the Boards of several LVMH subsidiaries, including Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, and Fresh Cosmetics.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Aesthetics Matter ix

Part I Mastering the Other AI

Chapter 1 The Aesthetic Advantage 3

Chapter 2 Coming to Our Senses 23

Chapter 3 Cracking the Code 49

Chapter 4 Designed to Last 71

Part II Boost Your AQ

Chapter 5 Tuning In to Taste 101

Chapter 6 Interpreting (and Reinterpreting) Personal Style 121

Chapter 7 The Art of Curation: Restoring Harmony and Balance 147

Chapter 8 Articulating Artistry 173

Part III The Aesthetic Future

Chapter 9 The Future of Aesthetics 203

Conclusion 217

Acknowledgments 221

Notes 225

Index 251