2018 saw many luxury brands go the extra mile when it comes to customer experience, to set themselves apart from their competitors. Times are tough, even in the luxury retail industry and I was keen to understand what have these brands have done to supersede their competitors and share what the High Street can adopt from it…
In the summer of 2018, Dolce and Gabbana opened its very own ‘Cultural Hub’ in Soho, New York. Known as ‘The Club House’, it was a space specifically aimed towards the younger generation and ‘millennials’ — where it would host anything from live music performances to ‘drink and draw evenings’. Neon lights, Graffiti and somewhat of a hipster feel to it created the ultimate Instagram spot for the youths of NYC. Even though they were of course enhancing their brand covering and engagement with the younger audience, not a single garment or item was on sale at ‘The Club House’. The space was purely designed to be enjoyed by a variety of people, whether you were a loyal customer to D&G or simply wanted to have a few drinks in a unique setting… not trying to get you through the door to show off a new collection. A rep for Dolce and Gabbana’s stated:
“In New York and LA, a few thousand customers across all events reached over 21 million on social and Facebook Live”.
COACH hosted a similar a pop-up in NYC called ‘Life Coach’. A place where people could get lost in immersive and photogenic rooms, from a typical NYC subway theme to a mystical forest with tarot readings. They had something for everyone, where the main purpose was to lead people on a journey of self-discovery. Coach’s Chief Marketing Officer said:
“Every single person that walked through it had a very unique experience and walked out of there with a sense of what Coach was about.”
Matches Fashion have a community space in London where they hold book signings, panel discussions, podcasts and luxury brand installations. By holding a vast variety of events, they gain a much wider following of people who will want to be associated with the brand. MF Chief Brand Officer said:
“Our first thought was: How does this space make you feel? If it makes you feel a certain way, you’re going to want to capture it; you’re going to want to share it.”
None of these brands were actively selling their products, but all of them were seen across thousands of Instagram and all the other socials. These events were there to draw people in, offer their customers a new experience that you would want to share with the world on social media and create a memory, experience… a talking point.
But how can fashion brands adopt concepts like this to help their sales on the struggling high street?
Lululemon is probably a perfect example — They are offering something different to their customers that some of the high street brands simply are not — complimentary yoga classes across their UK stores. Both beneficial and social media worthy, the brand is not only promoting itself without having to sell products, they’re gaining customer loyalty and retention.
Dr Marten’s is another brand that offer something slightly different (although I might be a bit biased on this one, having over 8 pairs of the boots/beauts!)…DM Camden have their own ‘boot room’ where new upcoming artists and bands will play. It’s kept separate to its famous Camden store but still promoting the Dr Marten’s brand through brand association. People associating themselves with the brand across social media is enough to gain new loyal followers and custom.
So what can the High Street learn from these brands?
I think it’s clear that customers now want an experience when they go shopping, or a connection with the brand they are buying (look at how long the Apple queue is when the new IPEN-IPAD-IPHONE-IBRAIN-IANYTHING is released…) — If they’re just looking for a bargain they’ll probably click through the website, rather than picking garments up off of the floor that fell off the sale rail… put on an event which promotes thought, is just a bit different, creates memories, gives your customer something to ‘share’ about or just helps them relate to your business and doesn’t make them feel like they’re being sold to.
If you’ve attended any events this year similar to above that, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
Comments