Digital innovation in the luxury industry is evolving at a rapid pace, and what luxury brands do next is a hot topic. So, we thought there was no better time than now to speak with our own digital luxury industry experts and ask them the questions we all want to know about the future of digital for the luxury industry. You can view the full collection of interviews here.
Thaïs Montjean is the Strategy Director of Born agency, and has 13 years’ experience in business strategy, marketing, branding and content strategy, eCommerce, and Omni-channel strategy. She has an impressive portfolio of client experience, including prestigious brands such as Cartier, Hennessy, L'Oréal, Coty, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Jo Malone, or Ralph Lauren.
What do you think luxury brand customers expect from the digital experience provided?
The world of luxury is very linked to the notion of anticipation. The high level of anticipation and excitement which a brand manages to create; but also the anticipation of a client's needs.
True luxury brands know their clients so closely that they are capable of presenting them with perfectly tailored solutions, often before they even have to express any of these needs. In this regard, luxury buyers are simultaneously looking for both aspects: on one hand, a brand which will offer the dream, the excitement, through digital experiences that will create a deep connection with their audience. On the other hand, a brand capable of offering the highest level of excellence when it comes to the execution and delivery. In the online world, luxury is the promise of a truly frictionless, and exceptional, customer experience.
I would highlight four main trends, which I feel are key when it comes to business but also brand building:
- Omnichannel re-orchestration: Omnichannel commerce is not a trend per se, but rather a fundamental pillar which brands will always be focusing on. However, after the pandemic and the huge shift and digital acceleration that came in its wake, many brands will need to re-adjust. Customers are more and more comfortable with this omnipresent digitalisation of services and luxury brands in particular will need to both increase their agility and adaptability and make sure they can deliver digital products fast enough. Increased focus on strategic planning and trend monitoring will be key to help them to stay ahead of the curve.
- Clienteling & hyper personalisation: as mentioned earlier, luxury is about frictionless delivery and experience. As a consequence, it is essential for luxury brands to ensure they continuously offer the latest and most efficient services. Hyper personalisation will be central, as well as other sophisticated services such as on-site live chat functionalities, generalised virtual appointments, VR or voice activated virtual shopping, etc.
- Sustainability & Recommerce: Traditionally, luxury brands have always carved a space for sustainability-centred contents on their websites, offering information on materials, sourcing, environmental impact etc. As customers are increasingly favouring brands with a commitment to environmental sustainability, brands will need to give more visibility to these contents, especially the ones showcasing their actual actions and impact. From a business perspective, this can also represent a market opportunity as brands increasingly reclaim Recommerce (commerce of previously owned, new or used products), Gucci Vault being a great example of this trend.
- Diversity, inclusion & response to social issues: it might be indelicate to add such important topics under the "trend"category. However, it is undeniable that Luxury brands, generally very quiet on any political or societal topics, had to face new situations where their customers didn’t allow them to remain fully silent. In the midst of the pandemic, we have observed how tone deaf attitudes could have very negative repercussions on luxury brands. More and more customers are expecting actions and commitment, which are not strictly driven by commercial or business targets.
Are there any luxury brands that you think are doing really well in digital channels?
From a personalisation perspective, Cartier had been a real pioneer in the world of High Jewellery, launching their "Set for You" service ten years ago. With its new UX and designs, the jeweller now offers a refreshed and even more elevated experience where users can pick their favourite diamond and design to create a unique engagement ring, composed specifically for them.
From a website perspective, Tiffany and Gucci are probably some of the brands that deliver the most interesting online experiences.
Tiffany’s site offers the perfect balance between content and commerce, with content truly bringing collections to life and online tools specifically designed to drive conversion. They also offer a multitude of services, peppered through the site to accompany their customers along their journey: drop a hint, reversed wish-list, virtual appointment booking offered directly on mobile product pages etc.
Gucci is also an interesting one. Their site isn’t necessarily the most spectacular or offering the most disruptive solutions, but it is definitely a best practice when it comes to brand building. Every topic, every platform, is systematically transformed into a strong expression of the Gucci brand. Their Sustainability section for instance, borrowing the bold codes of organisations like Extinction Rebellion, is far from the look and feel of traditional CSE pages, usually quite formal and dry. This tactic is a fantastic way to shed a different light on important topics, while asserting what they stand for as a brand.
I’ll also add a special mention for these fashion houses which have real talent to craft highly Instagrammable offline events, destined to create dramatic fashion moments in the online sphere: from Valentino's hot pink catwalk, to the emotional snow landscapes of Balenciaga or the theatrical set up of the likes of Jacquemus or Schiaparelli.
If you were to give one piece of advice to someone working with digital experience at a luxury brand, what would it be?
Make sure to regularly catch up with your customer service teams. They are the eyes and ear of the company and the first ones to be alerted about the issues your clients are facing. They are a goldmine of information, often immediately applicable to optimise the existing experience or create new and more functional tools.
When it comes to innovation, zero search results reports are also a nice feature to keep an eye on. They can tell reveal hidden gems, for instance products or services which your clients are looking for but that you’re not offering yet. A great way to anticipate your clients’ needs and build truly disruptive solutions.
In summary
Digital experience for luxury brands no longer needs to mean a lack of service, personalisation, and exclusivity. Nor should digital experience be restricted to eCommerce. The overarching message from our experts is that for luxury brands to succeed in digital, they must find a way to create a unique experience, laced with the heritage and beauty that their brand is renowned for. The correct partnership between physical and digital will strengthen customer relationships for a lifetime. Once the digital experience has been identified, then it becomes a matter of how you integrate the data for a true omnichannel sales journey.