Luxury brands traditionally create a personal shopping experience for
their customer. With exclusive, bespoke products it is crucial to get to
know each client and tailor their experience to their needs. Such brands
may have a smaller database compared to larger mass selling companies,
but power is in the knowledge of each individual. A database may be split
into lists to maintain a more personal relationship with clients whilst
marketing efficiently; for example, you may only want to send out
information relevant to where they live or items they have purchased in
the past.
In many ways, luxury brands, especially small businesses, have been
avoiding the use of technology to market themselves for fear of missing
out on human interaction and interfacing personally with their clients.
Many of the brands that I work with are purely online. Products such as
high-end shoes, hats and jewellery are not something people generally
like to buy without trying them on first. However, this does not mean you
cannot grow your brand significantly through its online presence.
Here are some examples of how Araminta Marketing creates sales with
online only businesses, often by harnessing traditional word-of-mouth
marketing.
Customer Images
Amy Collett Millinery creates handmade hats. Each individual hat is
bespoke in its own way. Even hats from the collections can be made in any
colour. Every collection has a professional photo shoot in a studio with
a model and make-up artist to allow the detail of the hats to be shown in
their full glory. Whilst showing each hat on the same model conveys
strong brand consistency and allows the hats to look fantastic, it is
social media that acts as a platform for customers to send in their own
photos and talk about their experience. By sharing customer images, Amy
can show that her hats suit a range of people, as well as convey how much
the client is enjoying their headpiece, and how stylish and confident
each person looks. Customers then feel confident to buy their own, or to
arrange a consultation.
“Customer images are invaluable for small brands, such as ours, that are in the early stages of brand establishment. They give a true endorsement for the brand, one which a potential client can identify with and trust.
A photograph is a very personal reference for the brand, a client has to be confident in recommending your service if they are allowing you to use it on all SM channels.
Here at ACM many pieces we produce are commissions as such client photographs often show a design not in the collection again providing an invaluable reference tool for our work.” Amy Collett, Amy Collett Millinery
TIP: Encourage customer images by posting images of yourself or your
friends with your product. If a client sends positive feedback and you
feel you have a comfortable relationship with them, let them know you
love to receive images for your social media. Create a #hashtag,
customers can feel part of a trend.
Testimonials
We recently launched a competition with Soveral based on nostalgic radio
competitions from Alexandra Soveral’s childhood, whereby followers
across all social media platforms were encouraged to say something they
like about the brand for a chance to win products. This resulted in an
influx of positive testimonials about the brand and the products,
highlighting and rewarding customer loyalty. The positive reaction
created through this digital version of word-of-mouth marketing can
capture the imagination of potential customers who have not previously
purchased from the brand.
"Testimonial gained through using social media are immediate and far more personal. End-user and provider are suddenly speaking face to face as it were, which in this world of faceless transactions is welcomed interlude. Far reaching and seemingly more private, social media has allowed these faceless interactions to have a personality, a character, and for all tense an purposes appear human! And we all like human interaction!” Jorj Aleem, Soveral
TIP: If you have interacted with a customer personally, ask for feedback
on their experience. You can always learn something by asking your market
what they want.
Lifestyle Imagery
Northampton based shoe brand Bodileys attracts a very particular
type of client. These gentlemen tend to know more about menswear then the
average shopper. That is why they repeatedly buy from a brand well known
for high quality craftsmanship. When it comes to product photography it
is important that the shoes look immaculate and show off the detail and
quality that the client is looking for. The shoe connoisseurs spending
£300+ on a Goodyear welted pair of shoes made in Northampton hail from
all over the world, but they all have one thing in common; A love of
traditional, British fashion. Lifestyle imagery allows Bodileys to
portray the philosophy behind the brand, and meet the markets
expectations. They offer context in terms of where one might wear the
shoes and what they might wear the shoes with. Over time, creating a
lifestyle image around the brand creates a positive association that puts
a brand to the forefront of people’s minds when thinking where to buy a
particular product.
“Araminta's photographs have especially given us the ability to show
off the products and tell the story behind the Bodileys brand in
pictures. Araminta Marketing has shown our customers, new and old how
versatile our shoes are and reached out to a market we knew was there but
didn’t know how to find.” Sarah Dudley, Bodileys
TIP: Use a combination of phone snaps and professional images.
Professional images are carefully curated, aspirational and create strong
content for branding. Phone snaps can look great too whilst being
relatable and more truthful of what is going on ‘behind the scenes’.
Whilst it is crucial not to forget the personal, traditional values that
go in to the crafts that make a luxury brand, digital marketing and
technology can extend on the ever important word-of-mouth
marketing. When used correctly digital marketing can allow you to get to
know your customers quickly, and effectively show you know them well.
Combining the old with the new may be the key to taking your brand to the
next level.