"They’re different from you and me,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald of the hyper-rich. “They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, cynical where we are trustful.” And research now shows that the difference between rich and poor is more than monetary.

Inequality is rising amongst global concerns. The World Economic Forum placed Severe Income Disparity at number four on its list of global risks for 2014. President Obama has named social inequality as the "defining challenge of our time.” So what are brands doing to help?

HNWIs can take their pick of the finest luxury brands, defined by having a net worth of at least $2 million. There are 13.7 million of these consumers globally, but with so much to spend, how do they choose where to splash the cash first? And as their ranks grow, how will luxury shopping change?

Storytelling has become a guiding principle for great marketing, letting companies neatly fit into consumers’ lives. But with one well-timed ad capable of changing someone’s shopping habits for years, how can brands address our milestone moments without seeming opportunistic?