If you are a luxurious brand, should your website and your interaction with customers be the same as a non-luxury brand? Why is an experience with Amazon often better than one with a Madison Avenue retailer?
When I go to my car dealership I am treated differently than if I went to the local Firestone mechanic. And though I like my Firestone mechanic quite a bit, the thought of sitting in the tire-filled, rubber-smelling and not so clean waiting room is not appealing one bit. Yet my experience on my car dealer’s website is nearly identical to the Firestone website.
What if the luxury site actually asked me what my interests are?
What if their site was a bit more educational teaching me about trends or how to discern quality?
What if an expert spokesman or academic did online guest appearances on topics of my interest and I was invited to attend as one of a few?
I’d be appreciative if a personal shopper sent me recommendations based on the season or my past purchases too.
If I shop for luxury, doesn’t that mean I might want to be invited to certain local events or even national events? With my permission they should partner with event planners that put on these upscale events and include me on the invitation list.
This week saw the launch of the new TV show Fashion Star and I was impressed by the strategy online and off. Fashion designers meet big retail buyers meets internet purchasing which all added up to relevance as well as great story telling. Even the New York Times commented on how well thought-out this show is.
Yesterday I visited the retailers selling the Fashion Star creations and the online sales were impressive – most are already sold out. That would certainly demonstrate what kind of opportunities there are for all buyers when the sellers think of us as multi-dimensional.
Knowing your customer and being true to your brand are eternally powerful strategies – this kind of strategy could make any company a “star”.
Bennett About Marketing 