This week’s business news has been awash with news of weak retail earnings, and their effect on the markets. The sluggish sales reports have been fairly universal, with one analyst putting it, “The more discretionary you are, the more you’re probably hurting.” And yet one eminently discretionary product — indeed, the epitome of discretionary purchases — has done remarkably well.

Tiffany and Company posted a 13% growth in worldwide sales for the 1st quarter of 2014. And while luxury goods did pretty well overall, Tiffany’s sales were astounding. How have they managed to grow so strongly in the midst of consumer gloom? Price Associate’s own Justin Foster laid out the blueprint for Tiffany’s success back in October of 2011: Clarity.

“Why are we here?” I refer to this as the “spiritual” side of a brand. This is the core element that creates the aroma of the “bacon-ness” of a brand that attracts audiences – both internally and externally. Brands that have answered this question always have a starting point for making decisions, selecting the right people, etc. Without this answer, companies tend to drift…

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Since the famous Tiffany blue box was introduced in 1837, it has remained the symbol of the company’s brand and its reputation for the highest standards in luxury jewelry. In understanding and promoting that vision, Tiffany and Company maintain clarity in their strategy, their brand, and their market.

On the other side of the coin is Coach, the luxury handbags brand. They fell victim to what Foster calls Lack of market clarity: “Lack of Market Clarity is usually obvious to everyone. This is manifested in the question ‘What are we selling and who are we selling to?’ This is the world of reactive marketing, poorly executed marketing efforts, and squishy messaging…”

In Coach’s case, their decision to sell product in discount venues, such as outlet stores, destroyed the brand’s appeal. In the first quarter of 2014, Coach posted a decrease in sales of 7% over the previous year.

The upside for organizations is clear: be committed and say “I do” to brand clarity.