Imagine Disneyland, without the queues. Think beaming staff on hand to shower you with beverages and ice cream. For a few sweet hours, you'll get a sense of what life is like behind the velvet rope.
Until the introduction of 'Disney After Hours' a couple of months ago, patrons at the world's most famous fun park all got much the same treatment. Now, for $US150 ($210) a head, you can turn up after hours and enjoy the Magic Kingdom without rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi.
Living large
Granted, the well-heeled have always had access to premium goods and fawning service. However, they're increasingly enjoying a lifestyle completely removed from the everyday. It's not simply that they're flying first class rather than economy; they're chartering private jets then bypassing the customs queue after touching down.
Mansour Soltani is the Australian founder and director of digital concierge service Lime&Tonic;, making it his job to alert average Australians to 'behind the velvet rope' experiences they might wish to splurge on for a special occasion.
"The general population isn't aware of what the upper echelons have access to. That's what makes exclusive experiences exclusive," he says.
The general population isn't aware of what the upper echelons have access to.
Mansour Soltani
"Yes, people might know about American Express black cards, or have caught glimpses of the pointy end of planes. However, they're not aware you can tour the Hunter Valley's wineries in a helicopter rather than a bus. Or, for somewhere between $5000 to $25,000, you can have your favourite celebrity chef come to your home and provide a tutorial."
Segmentation of a nation
Gen Y marketing wunderkind Sharon Latour, owner of Marketing Bee, also believes the masses have yet to realise what's going on behind closed doors. "Take Apple product launches," she says. "Everyone associates them with media coverage of everyday people queuing to be the 'first' to get, say, the latest iPhone. What is not publicised is that Apple will have already put on catered events at its flagship stores outside of business hours to introduce that product to a select few. The people who get invited to those events have money or influence, or both."
While luxury retailers have long prioritised making their best customers feel like special snowflakes, it's an approach that's now crossing into the mainstream.
"The business term for it is segmentation. That means offering different things to those located at different points on the income spectrum," Latour says. "It's not exclusive to the top end of the market, which is why a premium brand such as Qantas will launch a budget airline [Jetstar]. But there's no doubt it can be hugely lucrative to differentiate the goods or services you offer to the top 1 to 5 per cent of your customers."
The price of luxury
As well as urging her clients to segment, Latour does it herself. "Marketing Bee's biggest clients get Uber LUX car service to and from our offices. There's champagne and gourmet food on arrival, plus the use of our most luxurious meeting rooms. They are can make inquiries or requests 24/7, which are acted on as a matter of priority by my staff."
Latour argues segmentation is going to be huge trend over the next five years. "It's going to show up in the transport, hospitality, banking industries, you name it. Look at the lives we lead, the amount of hours people spend at work," she says.
"The most precious resource those located at the tip of the pyramid have is time. They are prepared to pay a lot to avoid wasting it. If they're made to feel important as well, then that's an added bonus.
"The impact of social media can't be underestimated in that respect. People now use smartphones to take photos of themselves at elite events. Then they share them with their Facebook friends and Instagram followers."
Masters of the universe
Karl Schwantes is the managing director of Xennox Diamonds. He partners with stockbroking, accounting and legal firms to put on 'Diamond Masterclasses' in his Brisbane showroom. "A small group of high-net-worth individuals get hors d'oeuvres, Moet and Chandon and a presentation about diamond grading," he explains.
"In an era of internet shopping, bricks-and-mortar businesses have to provide a phenomenal experience to customers. The masterclasses we put on allow us to educate people about what we have to offer. They also allow lawyers, accountants and stockbrokers to have a friendly conversation with people in a relaxed environment. It's a more innovative approach than just inviting them to sit in a corporate box at the football."
Schwantes says his events are not so much about saving time as allowing those at the top of their game an opportunity to mix with their own kind. "Successful people are usually experts in their field. They appreciate the opportunity to learn from experts in another field, in this case jewellery," he says.
Gatecrashing the party
By this point, you may be wondering if the 1 per cent – or at least those seeking to make a dollar off them – are playing with fire. Especially in a putatively egalitarian nation like Australia, won't consumers who aren't plied with champagne and luxury experiences come to resent being placed on the wrong side of the velvet rope?
Not at all, according to the experts. Lime&Tonic; recently introduced an exclusive membership category. It's aimed at those who require more than an eye-wateringly expensive cooking lesson to feel exceptional. "It was a soft launch, but we still had 1000 applications within the first week," notes Soltani. "People are generally not happy with their current situation, whatever it may be. They crave status."
Says Latour: "The starting point has to be that all customers get good service. But I don't get the sense Australians have an issue with those who pay more, getting more. In fact, if they are aware of the premium offering at all, the most common reaction is aspiring to have it themselves rather than feeling aggrieved others are enjoying it."
So, short of winning the lottery, how can mere mortals vault over the velvet rope? "People who are passionate about jewellery and are considering buying a beautiful piece are always welcome to express an interest in coming to one of our masterclasses," says Schwantes.
Adds Soltani: "Through industry relationships and bulk buying, concierge services such as Lime&Tonic; can offer luxury experiences cheaper than would otherwise be the case. That makes them a little more accessible."
Latour's advice? "Network madly and make friends with the type of people who sit at the front of the plane."