Luxury can be a lifestyle, an experience, an item. Defining luxury? That is the elusive, ever-evolving and challenging mission of the editors at Robb Report magazine, part of the CurtCo Media company that also owns Sarasota. “Our readers are intelligent and curious people,” explains Larry Bean, editor in chief of the illustrious niche publication whose average reader’s net worth is at least $5 million. To satisfy curiosity of that ilk, Bean oversees a stable of editors who have cultivated expertise and authority in their respective fields—everything from classic cars to couture clothing.

THE LUXURY EXPERTS

The quest for information on the part of this rarefied audience is so extraordinary that Robb Report magazine has spawned a powerful network of brand extensions, among them Robb Report Collection, Robb Report Luxury Home and Robb Report Motorcycling, to name a few. These vertical magazines inform and advise the ultra-affluent who are considering specific purchases (a yacht, a second home), or so passionate about a subject (audio equipment) that they hunger for the in-depth coverage the luxury industry’s preeminent voices can provide.

What’s more, CurtCo retained luxury industry expert Carol Brodie of Harry Winston and DeBeers fame two years ago, anointing her with the unique title of Chief Luxury Officer. By creating A-list events that bring affluent consumers and the world’s most luxurious brands together, Brodie has a chieved a coup in the publishing business: In effect, CurtCo and Robb Report have themselves become luxury brands. “We provide a 360-degree luxury brand experience,” Brodie says. “The events are elegant, creative, bespoke experiences in which the reader becomes a strategic partner with CEOs of the world’s most coveted luxury brands,” she explains. “Our advertisers get insights directly from the high-net-worth consumer they want to reach, and readers get insights directly from CEOs of what’s three years down the road.”

The 360-degree experience centers on Robb Report, which in turn focuses on connoisseurship: the pedigree and craftsmanship of luxury goods. “We cover a little bit of everything when it comes to luxury because the lifestyle encompasses so many different areas,” Bean says. The thread that holds everything together and defines the character of Robb Report, he explains, is this: “We are looking for items or experiences that aren’t everywhere—things that are prized because they are unique and the highest quality available.”

Rather than focusing on price, articles probe why a featured product or service costs as much as it does. “We explain what it is about an item that makes it interesting and valuable; why it’s worth as much as it is, the fine details of how it’s made, why there are so few around,” Bean says. The objective is to cull the best of everything, from vacation ideas and private travel destinations to ideal places to live, for an audience with an average annual income over $1.2 million.

In order to win and maintain readers’ trust, cars are test-driven, motorcycles raced and, in the case of the Robb Report’s annual Luxury Resorts issue, all 100 featured have been visited by a writer or editor of the magazine. “That’s a challenge,” admits Bean, but the first-hand accounts distinguish Robb Report Luxury Resorts from typical top-travel destination lists. “Our readers don’t always stay at five-star resorts, but when they do there are levels of expectations only well-traveled writers understand.”

One thing its audience doesn’t expect from Robb Report is celebrity-stalking. “Our readers don’t get to the position they are in personally or professionally by copying. They aren’t interested in what Brad Pitt is wearing; it’s the other way around,” Bean concludes.

CARS FOR COLLECTORS

As automotive editor of Robb Report and senior editor of sister publication Robb Report Collection, much of Gregory Anderson’s work involves piloting fine automobiles. Among his highest-profile responsibilities: selecting with staff members and a panel of judges the Robb Report Car of the Year. 

“There are 140 luxury cars out there, and we start by narrowing the fleet: Only one car from each manufacturer can be represented,” Anderson explains. “We come up with a baker’s dozen with one wild card that isn’t necessarily in the same price range as the others—last time it was the Ford Shelby GT500, which would hardly be a blip on the radar at $40,000.” Still, he says the car had significant appeal—enough to warrant 10th place in the 2007’s top 13.

Anderson, Robert Ross and Paul Dean are the writing professionals judging the cars. Another 40 car experts and enthusiasts complete the panel of judges, some of them having earned their place at charity auctions. “They’ll pay as much as $170,000 at fund-raising auctions to participate in the two-and-a-half-day event,” says Anderson, noting that in the past two years, $3 million has been donated directly to a number of charities as a result of the Car of the Year program.