To get noticed on the global landscape these days, businesses have to be more creative.
Once upon a time, newspaper and magazines advertisements were enough as were inspiring shopfront windows, but that is no longer enough.
Websites are becoming more creative and an important marketing tool as are applications (think iPhone apps), which are taking shape nicely and no doubt profitable.
Luxury Daily have released their top ten digital luxury marketers for the first half of 2012.
Hermès, Salvatore Ferragamo and Michael Kors have been the standouts of the interactive and time-sensitive digital medium.
Social media has been taken to the next level.. Consumers have become more intertwined with brand history and new technologies were used to increase transactions and brand loyalty.
Featuring in the top 10 (alphabetical order) –
Barneys New York – The retailer has redesigned its ecommerce site during the second quarter to include a personalised shopping experience and engaging social channel that could give the retailer an edge over fellow U.S. competitors such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.
Christian Dior – In the first quarter, French fashion label Christian Dior announced the launch of DiorMag, an online magazine that positions the brand as an innovative storyteller, entertainer and purveyor of the height of luxury products. DiorMag is available as a section on the Dior Web site and includes articles, images, current news and product galleries. One of the first articles on-site was “A few minutes with Mila,” where Dior interviewed brand ambassador Mila Kunis about Fashion Week and the brand.
Dolce & Gabbana - Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana’s newly retooled YouTube page not only attracts attention to social videos centered on its latest lines and collections, but includes an ecommerce option that drives traffic right back to its online store. During the second quarter, the label relaunched its YouTube page to pick up on the look and feel of the brand world using a sleek aesthetic and clear editorial lines, per Dolce & Gabbana. The page is divided into featured videos, collections, campaigns, beauty, friends and events, insights and accessories.
Ermenegildo Zegna - Italian designer Ermenegildo Zegna changed the way that consumers see its Facebook page – literally – by incorporating an augmented reality feature that gives users secret mobile videos to future campaigns. In the first quarter, Zegna used the Aurasma mobile application that scans the Zegna profile picture and shows consumers a video of the upcoming contemporary art installation at MAXXI – National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome. This is the first time that a marketer has used Aurasma technology on Facebook, claims the vendor.
Harrods – London-based retailer Harrods marketed products in a breadth of digital shopping guides throughout the second quarter, which it spread via its Web site, social media and email. In May, the retailer pushed summer fashion and beauty in a digital shopping guide and e-boutique presented by occasions that affluent consumers would likely celebrate. Harrods offered summer-appropriate items in an e-boutique called The Season that is also a guide to dressing for festivals, balls, races and parties and is sharing the content via email and social media.
Hermès – French fashion empire Hermès created a microsite called Hearts and Crafts that showcases the detailed craftsmanship and quality of its products through inside glimpses into the making of its branded products. The Hermès Hearts and Crafts site features videos and interviews with the designers and employees behind the brand, from leather-cutters to silk-drawers. Hermès’ Hearts and Crafts microsite also contains a tab dedicated to 10 of the behind-the-scenes employees of the brand. The workers include a leather cutter, a saddler, a jeweller, two leather craftsmen, a polisher, two glass-makers, a drawer on silk objects and a colourist. The MO Down were fortunate enough to view the Hearts and Crafts documentary and we are only too familiar with the love that Hermès’ employees have towards the brand.
Lexus – As the exclusive automotive partner of the U.S. Open, Lexus’ online campaign for the tournament that included digital advertisements and a virtual golf game was expected to see more than 100 million impressions and 100 million social media ad impressions, according to the game organizers.
Michael Kors – Fashion label Michael Kors enacted a few significant digital campaigns during the second quarter of this year. First, the label tapped its fans during one of the biggest marketing occasions of the second quarter – Mother’s Day. Michael Kors held a contest that let consumers enter to win one item per day until Mother’s Day via a Facebook app that, for the first time for the brand, was mobile-compatible. Next, Michael Kors invited consumers to its new location on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue via email and a social video starring blogger Man Repeller. Another digital campaign from Michael Kor began in June and pushes the wearability of its collections.
Oscar de la Renta – U.S. label Oscar de la Renta upped its Web savvy during the first quarter through the launch of The Board, an interactive Web site where consumers could upload images to inspire Mr. de la Renta and the team as they worked on the Resort collection slated to show in May. Consumers can upload anything they like onto the Board including vintage photographs, fabrics and colour schemes. The Board allows Oscar de la Renta to interact with consumers and have them communicate with one another through social media functionality using Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Salvatore Ferragamo – Italian handbag and footwear designer Salvatore Ferragamo aimed for younger consumers during the first quarter through a digital campaign called Girls About Town that included a dedicated Tumblr and contest. The brand looked to draw attention to its newly-launched Signorina fragrance with a Girls About Town Tumblr that follows five girls’ exclusive looks into their lives that embody the Signorina woman: timelessly modern and creative with a hint of audacity.
We wonder who will feature in the second half of 2012?
By Cassandra Murnieks
Image credit: luxuryhub.com
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