Luxury Brands Increasing Emphasis on Mobile

Source:

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009366

A recent article on eMarketer, “Consumers' Expectations High for Luxury Brands on Mobile,” talked about how luxury brands have lagged other companies in the mobile space.  I have worked very closely with luxury retailers and brands in my current job and have seen firsthand how they are translating their brand image and products to the mobile and digital landscape.  Traditionally, luxury brands have been more focused on driving consumers to brick-and-mortar stores where the brand could have total control of the consumer’s shopping experience – from clothing displays to special events to showcase new collections to sales associates accessible to answer any questions.  Creating personal relationships with shoppers and customizing shopping experiences based on the consumer’s preferences, past shopping behavior, etc. have been focus areas of luxury brands.  However, as more and more shoppers are searching, browsing and shopping via mobile or tablet devices, high-end retailers are seeing how necessary it is for them to be where their consumers are.  The article states “The changes come as affluent consumers have been enthusiastically using their mobile devices to research products, make purchases and connect with brands. And the introduction of tablets—the iPad chief among them—has boosted rich-media display capabilities, giving luxury marketers a more compelling platform for showcasing products and inviting interaction.”  Because of the convenience and portability of mobile and tablet devices, consumers can now access their favorite brands without having to make a trip to the storefront, which is changing the face of retail.  Many retailers are now referring to this as an “omni-channel” approach or strategy – portraying their brand’s image, products and “look and feel” in a consistent manner regardless of channel (online, in-store, mobile, tablet, etc.)  

The article also referenced the results of a recent poll of affluent US smartphone owners where consumers said which features they’d expect to see from a luxury brand mobile app – 46% of respondents cited “loyalty programs” and 45% cited “early access to sales”.  While some retailers are already engaging in these features, it will be interesting to monitor the evolution of different brands throughout various online/digital/mobile channels and which brands will “crack the code” on how to successfully connect with their customers across several different platforms yet convey the same brand message.