Review of Bling

[Cristina Chifane]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bling" by Aldo Agostinelli Silvio Meazza.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Aldo Agostinelli and Silvio Meazza have joined hands in writing Bling: The luxury of the future speaks Instagram, wears sneakers, and uses AI. As it is associated with expensive, ostentatious clothing and jewelry, the bling lifestyle is everybody’s dream and closer than ever due to the digital age. In only 181 pages, the two Italian authors make a remarkable presentation of contemporary society, dominated by social media and trends spreading at the click of a button.

Framed by an introduction and conclusions belonging to both authors, the book is very well organized. It has five chapters, each with three to five subsections emphasizing one aspect of the main topic in that chapter. Bling excels in thought-provoking ideas and illustrative examples supporting the authors’ arguments. The extensive references at the end of the book confirm that it was thoroughly researched too.

Aldo Agostinelli speaks of how the digital age has completely changed the world by eliminating geographical gaps and creating intra-generational connections. As a result, youngsters from Milano or Shanghai will look very much the same. The passage from “brick & mortar” to “brick & click” highly influences the global marketplaces and turns Millenials and GenZ into “the main purchasers of the upcoming future.” (loc. 23) Whereas Agostinelli considers the blending of “sneakerization” with “gamification,” Silvio Meazza ponders on the so-called “age of look” where “there is no escape from the power of Bling.” (loc. 61)

I loved everything about this book. The writing style kept me tuned in from start to finish. The more I learned, the more I wanted to find out. The first chapter describes the new vanguards of luxury and the gatekeepers of the luxury market. For the authors, luxury knows no crisis and calls for more luxury. Recent times have seen the rise of the HENRYs (“High Earners, Not Rich Yet”). Although they are not super-rich or ultra-rich, luxury brands and big tech companies target them because they are constant buyers. It was a bit chilling to read the case study of Mr. Lin, one of the HENRYs who could not resist online offers. The reason is simple. Online platforms like the Chinese Alipay know everything about their users: their address, health status, and income.

Even if I have never been a technology addict, I am well aware none of us can stop the digital age from following its course. The second chapter relies on the features of digital luxury, whereas the third chapter deals with the digital audience. Nowadays, buying habits have changed so dramatically that an asset can be in or out of the market at an unprecedented speed. I particularly enjoyed the real-life examples the authors provided. For instance, I remember reading about American-style preachers acting like influencers, the Dolce & Gabbana incident in China, or WeChat, the most popular Chinese messaging app functioning as a true ecosystem and giving you access to multitasking.

Being written when the Coronavirus pandemic broke out, the book also touches on how the pandemic has changed our buying and selling habits. Luxury brands quickly adapted and connected to people via donations, podcasts, and live streaming. Realizing that the influencers of the near future will be community organizers, the Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni was among the first to call people to action. The last chapter was the climax this book needed. It was practically a projection of a future where virtual and augmented reality and AI would be the norm.

I wholeheartedly recommend Bling to people interested in e-commerce, social media marketing, and data analysis. However, the book is not written in technical jargon. Anyone who wants to know more about digital success and the future of luxury will find this book an incredible read. I have no hesitation in rating it 4 out of 4 stars. I only noticed three minor errors, so the editing is almost perfect. It made me more self-aware of my daily buying choices and the unstoppable evolution of the digital world.

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Bling
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[Umesh Bhatt]

I fully agree that digital age has already engulfed us and now our activities will be as per the online envelopes and cover it has provided to our lives. I would further say that we will be trapped in this situation and victim of the high order marketing techniques in this new emerging world.
Thanks for the excellent review and giving a gist of the book. I would definitely consider it for reading at a later time.

[Raymonda onwuka]

Digitalization is the order of the day. It shapes both the present and the future. The authors did a great job by highlighting on topics such as data analysis, e-commerce, marketing, and social media. Thanks for the great review.

[Hussein Abdallah 1]

I'm a technology addict..so this Bing story make me appreciate the way technology it does as Aldo Agostinelli speaks of how the digital age has completely changed the world by eliminating geographical gaps and creating intra-generational connections..so much thanks for the wonderful review..

[Hyacinth Bella]

I think this book is highly relevant nowadays, and readers should read it to understand more about the digital age and how it affects our bodily systems and society. Thank you so much for the informative review!

[Adelle v]

This is definitely a book for this age. It is scary to think all our info is out there. But the reality is, we humans are moving forward faster than the speed of light and the future is AI. Thank you for a great review.

[Janelydia Mwangi]

An awesome review that brings out how the book fits in this contemporary world of digital age.

[Adelle v]

Online is definitively something we wont get away from. The digital age is here to stay. Thanks for a great review.