OMNI-CHANNEL MARKETING IN THE LUXURY WORLD

Marketing in the luxury world: Are you getting it right?

The path to purchase for luxury goods has changed dramatically…

It has been a couple of years since the Luxury@Google event and if anything, the insights and discussions from that day are even more prominent today.

In a follow-up report, Eileen Naughton (Managing Director of Google UK and Ireland and recently the Head Judge for the DMA awards 2015) states that in recent years, the path to purchase for luxury goods has changed dramatically.

It’s not as simple as it once was. There is no longer just a few core channels to take advantage of. The options have multiplied and will continue to do so.

Customers looking to buy luxury products have certain expectations and behaviour around mobility that brands must understand to create a smooth omni-channel path to purchase.

Consumers today use their phones constantly. Throughout the path to purchase, their phones are with them, helping them to make decisions and to act on those decisions by locating stores or buying online.

For this reason, many brands are now taking digital marketing tools and using them to enhance the experience in-store.

Tools such as iBeacon solutions, for example. You can do some pretty cool things with these! For one, you can take advantage of that constant mobile use by delivering interesting and engaging content.

That content can be anything. From repurposed brand messaging from other channels that reaffirms consumers decisions to content that acts like a personal shopping assistant, providing inspiration and making recommendations.

In fact, there’s so much potential in this, so many possibilities and effective uses, that we created Live Beacon, the only end-to-end iBeacon solution readily available in the marketplace.

But when it comes to the world or luxury, prestige, premium shoppers, where so much time is allocated and money is spent on beautiful branding across other channels, it’s important that digital activations integrate and compliment.

iBeacon solutions fit snugly into wider campaigns. Most other advertising and marketing is designed for the beginning and middle of the customer’s purchase journey, informing them of your brand and new lines.

iBeacons can add to this by sitting at the end of that journey, gently reminding customers, giving them extra and helping them justify purchases.

Customers can’t always act straight away with traditional media channels. Even if they love your TV advert or Billboard or Newspaper Ad, they’re probably in the middle of watching something or he really pre-occupied and won’t be able to run out to your store. But iBeacons can reach them when they are able to act straight away, reminding them of that great advertising, complimenting it and boosting effectiveness.

With luxury goods, it’s no longer enough to just advertise through a few traditional channels. Customer’s needs and desires have evolved. Every step, including the mobile and in-store experience, needs to come together to help the customer along in their journey.

Note : Most iBeacon solutions only offer the beacon itself which can mean a lengthy and expensive software development process.

If you’re looking for an end-to-end solution, check out Live Beacon.