“Luxury is the notion that a hotel experience, for example, has been carefully chosen and defined for the consumers, in a way that makes a guest feel “truly special, unique and rewarded”.
So how do we translate this notion of luxury on a platform that is accessible by the masses, while speaking to the actual consumers and evoking desire from the aspirational consumers?
From the “Luxury Society” Intelligence, Article by contributors.
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The world of branded content vs. the notion of brand exclusivity has affected the messages that a luxury company can present to their audiences. With digital channels essentially universal, the creation of exclusivity is no longer achieved by “removing” access to things that were only available to the very few. Instead, the luxury brand must develop unique branded initiatives, campaigns, promotions or digital art forms, e.g. story campaigns that create that illusion of a ‘scarce and unique experience’. How can this be achieved when the “democratic” digital channels threaten the hallowed ground on which every luxury brand stands? The answer may well be to continue the show, the creation and the exploration of the brand and its attributes through a variety of media that connects with a customer in different ways. “It’s all in the mix” refers to how the relationships of the various channels connect, engage and reflect the customer who uses it and the branded story that is being told.
High end messages are being served up by the brands themselves; but the idea that the client, audience member or user can also participate in this branded “show” is also an interesting conversation that has been buzzing for a while in marketing circles. The luxury company has always been “king” of its branded content with full control over the message. Not so, now.
“Vive La User”: The user or “FACEBOOK” friend is not only engaging directly with the brand itself but they are helping to write the story and narrative of how the brand will move forward, giving it relevance by creating a new narrative. Most of the time, this goes well. Sometimes, there’s a surprise in store for a brand that has yet to hear directly from its customer. But at the end of the day there’s an engagement and that’s the critical element that has brought the luxury industry to a new level of understanding about branded content, digital channels and social media. For our part, we love a good show: The “advertainment” has just begun to get interesting.
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(P.S. The spoiler…)
“The answer is to redefine what exclusive means. Rather than exclusivity (*representing what) clientele the brand attracts, it should instead be the experience the brand conveys.”
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Our Thanks to the Luxury Society in Paris for the quoted “pearls” of insight.
ARTIFICE Atelier 