Author: Marina Coelho

The Couch Sessions

The Couch Sessions – Sofia Hoffmann

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The Couch Sessions – Sofia Hoffmann

Sofia Hoffmann and I met over 24 years ago, and I always remember her back then with a guitar in her hand. Music was always a big part of her life and it’s incredible to see that after so many years of doing it for fun, she’s now doing it professionally.

Aside from being a successful international project manager, which she now continues to be part-time, Sofia Hoffmann devotes most of her time to music. She’s a singer and songwriter, influenced by her love for jazz but also by Indian sounds which have made their way into some of the songs on her first album called One Soul.

She’s also the co-founder of The Music Stylist, a company that customizes music for brands, stores, events and much more. Each soundtrack is entirely tailored to match the personality of their client and the results are breathtaking.

Throughout this Couch Session, we continued our discussion about Luxury Experience and how companies like the Music Stylist can make a difference with such a personalized service.

Thank you to Sofia who so kindly accepted to be part of these sessions, and share with us her passion for music and luxury.

Are you a brand, a journalist, a collector, or simply a watch lover?  
We’d love to feature you on one of our next sessions. So tell us your story below.

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The Couch Sessions

The Couch Sessions – Jason Saundalkar

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The Couch Sessions – Jason Saundalkar

The passion a watch enthusiast shares tends to bring us together in the most of uncomplicated and genuine ways. Jason and I met at a virtual gathering hosted by the Dead Seconds Society during which our guest Barbara Palumbo shared her insights on the industry.

Jason has been living in Dubai for over 35 years, he’s a content and event producer by day and a watch collector/ photography enthusiast by night. One of his favorite brands is Omega but his kryptonite is one of the most outrageous of independents, MB&F.

He enjoyed my IG lives, and I enjoyed his cool IG wrist shots. So of course, I had to invite him on for a first of many series dedicated to the importance of the luxury experience.

Luxury experience is one of the main pillars of every luxury brand. Each have a different perception of the concept but all acknowledge its importance and design their customer experiences around it. Whether it is online, in-store, during an event, the experience must reflect luxury and the brand’s DNA. During this session, Jason and I discussed what exactly does luxury mean and how important it really is to the eyes of a collector. We also discussed the unbelievable news regarding Baselworld 2020 and shared our top choices from the Watches & Wonders launches.

Thank you Jason for sharing your passion with us. You’re welcome back anytime!

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Are you a brand, a journalist, a collector, or simply a watch lover?  
We’d love to feature you on one of our next sessions. 

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Articles

Time for us to pause

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Time for us to pause

TO PAUSE

No watch brand was ready to face this microscopic enemy that took the world for ransom and made it stand still for an entire month. Weakening global communities and economies alike.

TO REWIND

But this tiny invader has given us time. Time to think, to assess and to reevaluate not only strategies, goals but to prepare for an uncertain future as well.

SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD

It all comes down to what has been created and done during this isolation period, that will shape the way everyone will tackle the future months ahead.

This has certainly been a learning period for many, but for most it has been a contemplative moment. We were able to appreciate what we have, our families, our friends, cherish our “normal” way of life and be thankful for the wonderful opportunities given to us.

But it was also a time to reflect on a professional level. Reflect upon the choices that led everyone here today. And then, there are the ones that will be made in the near future. These will definitely be the most important ones, that will prepare brands for what’s to come, whatever that may be.

THIS WAS A TIME TO:

  • Create. Not only to think outside the box but to go further and actually imagine there’s no box at all.
  • Look outward to inspire inward. It’s been amazing to see some of the smaller watch brands being so creative. Seven Friday, for example, who did live sessions on instagram before all others. Some of these brands have been doing an amazing job at keeping engagement high and creating relevant content for their followers, thus continuing to build their community. They have definitely inspired us in many ways. To set aside fear and dive into something new and exciting.
  • Refresh existing models. With Watches & Wonders and Baselworld cancelled, watch brands needed a brand new idea. Breitling just reinvented the way they presented their yearly novelties. With its virtual summit, Breitling invited journalists from across the world to log in on April 16th and introduced their newest models, through an online presentation.

STAYING POSITIVE

Even though the future is bleak and we still don’t know what will happen, brands have certainly surprised us. So move forward we shall, and we cannot wait to see what other positive outcomes, the COVID-19 crisis will have allowed to be concocted during this quarantine period.

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The Couch Sessions

The Couch Sessions – Carlos Torres

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The Couch Sessions – Carlos Torres

by Marina Coelho

I can’t really remember the exact moment I met Carlos. But one thing I’m sure of, it was a million lifetimes ago. Probably at a press presentation during SIHH, at a launch event or maybe it was at a casual brand dinner. What I remember was being excited to meet a fellow countryman passionate about watches.

MORE THAN A WATCH JOURNALIST

Carlos is a living, breathing encyclopedia to anything related to watches. Not only is he unbeatable when it comes to technical expertise; but he has a deep knowledge of watchmaking history and the industry itself. After being an editor and contributor for the most important Portuguese watch publications; he has built an impeccable international reputation widely recognized by independent watchmakers, brands and auction houses alike.

We had many topics to choose from for this session. From the uncertain future of trade shows, retail vs wholesale, or the impact of this outbreak on the industry.

We decided to tackle one issue that is at the very core of the matter. The evolution of consumer behavior.

It was an enlightened conversation per usual, backed with an active participation from our dear followers. Thanks for that!

Thanks to Carlos for graciously agreeing to switch roles and be interviewed, delighting us with such an insightful conversation.

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Are you a brand, a journalist, a collector, or simply a watch lover?
We’d love to feature you on one of our next sessions.
Tells a bit more about you and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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Thank you for your interest in The Couch Sessions. We’ll review your profile and get back to you as soon as possible.

“The Couch Sessions” were created from a necessity to get closer to our clients, partners and friends. Through the COVID-19 crisis, instagram lives became a trend. Sparkling PR created their own series, to put forth entertaining, educational and insightful content about the luxury industry. Hosted by our founder, Marina Coelho, she invites influential guests within the industry; to share and discuss relevant and current issues.

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The Couch Sessions

The Couch Sessions – Chic Every Weather

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The Couch Sessions – Chic Every Weather

TECHNOLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF TOP FASHION BRANDS

For this Couch Session, we sat down with Chic Every Weather, a fashion app impressing women daily with their local weather-inspired looks!

Joana Branco, a fashionista at heart and her husband João, a talented graphic designer launched Chic Every Weather. Joana wanted to create an app that would inspire its users during their morning routine. The app offers a variety of looks from top fashion brands tied to the weather, but also allows the user to buy the look straight from the brand’s website. 

Did you know that:

  • The team personally curates different looks for different occasions, inspiring their users every day
  • They’ve recently partnered up with Farfetch which gives them access to hundreds of looks from the most incredible brands
  • You can play Russian Roulette with the “Look Refresh” button and choose from endless weather-inspired looks
  • You can shop your favorite items. They’ll re-direct you straight to the brand’s website, with no added fee or hidden charges

Ever since its launch, Chic Every Weather takes part in many social responsible campaigns and now more than ever, as they help in the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak. They’ve joined joined forces with Go Parity to get the #tech4covid19 movement going worldwide. A project launched by a group of more than 300 startups and their entrepreneurs and teams, with the aim of slowing down the spread of Covid-19 and assisting in its diagnosis and treatment.

Do you have a start-up project in the luxury industry? We’d love to connect and hear more about it, and featured it in one of our next sessions.

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