Quiet Luxury and Brand Building in Classical Music Institutions

Abstract

This study examines the marketing strategies of classical music institutions through the conceptual lens of quiet luxury. Quiet luxury refers to a paradigm in which status signaling is constructed not through overt ostentation, but through cultural capital, aesthetic sensibility, and intellectual distinction. Drawing upon the cases of the Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIFO), the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra, the research employs a qualitative content analysis to evaluate how these institutions construct brand identities and implement digital marketing strategies. The findings reveal how classical music institutions reconfigure quiet luxury consumption in digital environments by redefining cultural exclusivity. Although music and festival marketing have become increasingly visible research domains in the international literature, studies addressing the Turkish context remain limited. This study aims to contribute to filling this gap by offering an interdisciplinary perspective to both music and marketing scholarship and positioning itself as a foundational step for further research.