Long gone are the times when luxury brands could communicate sparsely, letting the audience wait for the big commercial. Customers have been trained to wait for new content on a regular basis, and feeding them (well) is crucial.
How to think about content strategy for a luxury audience
Parvis Ghirelli
01.12.2020
5 MIN. READ
Does fashion need content strategy? If fifteen years ago someone told luxury brands they would soon need to become media powerhouses, they would have never believed it. But look at what happens today: brands like Gucci, Burberry and the rest publish so much content to their social channels every week. This is, of course, unavoidable. Staying silent is not an option anymore: content strategy has become a necessary tool to keep the audience constantly engaged.
Doing it right, though, is another thing.
Photo by Pratik Gupta on Unsplash
Content Strategy Tip: social media is your playground, not your prison
When we talk about content, we think (mostly) about social channels. This is where the game is played, of course, so all the rules of the platforms apply (for example, videos are probably the most engaging format).
The social channels, though, can be limiting for a luxury brand: while you control the content, you don’t control the platform, which means not having control on the overall user experience. As luxury is mostly about the experience, you should plan for an integrated journey where social is but one of the touchpoints.
Minisites and other immersive digital experiences where you are in control of every detail are a good complement to social content. Think about Gucci’s latest venture, called Guccifest: an online fashion show with live streaming events that will play on social channels and on the operation website.
Get our perspective on the latest trends.
Subscribe to SUMO, our monthly newsletter.
Content Strategy Tip: don’t worry about going small
If you plan on posting often on social media, you will need to accept that your content won’t always be of high value. Content professionals usually refer to the three types of content: hero, hub, hygiene, where “hero” is the big commercial, “hub” is a mid-value piece of content, “hygiene” is quick and easy.
This kind of content strategy can be hard to assimilate for luxury brands, who are used to producing few but very expensive communication materials.
Even the wealthiest brand, though, needs to come to terms with the economics of content. This, though, doesn’t need to be a limit to creativity. Just think about different forms of content: you might repurpose some existing photos from a shooting into a new material, or produce a video that is nowhere near as expensive as a commercial, such as an interview.
Content Strategy Tip: break the wall between social and the rest
A very important concept for all brands – but especially for luxury brands – is not to differentiate too much between what is “official” communication and what is meant for social. This distinction is mostly in our heads. Truth is, all content should be scripted and produced with a social mindset. Some brands are acing this approach.
Think about Moschino’s puppet catwalk with designer Jeremy Scott. Not being able to stage a real catwalk, the brand produced a 9 minutes jewel of a show, using high quality marionettes in the place of models. The format is clearly unfit for TV, but you couldn’t call it just social.
Again, think about Gucci’s “The Ritual”, a video produced for the FW2020 collection. The video is intentionally lo-fi, and has been shot by the models themselves, locked at home during the pandemic. A strange hybrid between user generated content (model generated content?) and brand communication, the video was perfect for social channels but was also a strong aesthetic statement.
Customers of luxury brands always expect a special treatment and this applies to content, too. But remember: special doesn’t necessarily mean over the top. A different idea is sometimes all you need.
AUTHOR:
Parvis Ghirelli —
Content Coordinator
Deeply aware of editorial and social dynamics, Parvis knows how to reach any audience with just the right content.
Can You Turn a Business Around With Branding?
65% of businesses fail within 10 years, proof that it’s not easy to turn a business around. Could branding be an untapped resource to traverse treacherous waters?
READ MOREHow to Nail Your Brand’s About Us Page
The humble About Us page is sometimes overlooked in favor of the flashy homepage. But this corner of the website is far from useless. Here’s how you can make it work.
READ MOREWhat the Best Branding Agencies Do Right
What do the best branding agencies have in common? Not necessarily their style or approach, of course, but a set of values that delivers outstanding work.
READ MORE6 Luxury Branding Dos and Don’ts
Luxury branding is – in a sense – a league of its own, with its own dos and don’ts. The luxury audience has very precise expectations, and you’d better not break them.
READ MORECan you expand a small business with branding?
If you are looking to expand a small business, you have several ways to do that. Maybe you haven’t been thinking about branding, though. We explain why it might actually help your efforts.
READ MOREIs brand purpose really so important?
Everybody seems to be talking about brand purpose today. But while the keyword might be fashionable, businesses need to think hard about what it really means for them.
READ MOREThe importance of brand characters as part of brand identity
Have you ever considered the idea of tying your brand identity to a fictional character? It might sound like an obsolete choice, but numbers might just change your mind.
READ MOREWhere to start to build your personal branding
Turning yourself into a brand scares most people, especially because it’s hard to figure out how to differentiate oneself. And yet the answer might be easier than you think.
READ MOREHow to set your communication strategy if you have a “boring” brand
Not all brands are Nike or Burger King. But this doesn’t mean you should just put up with being “boring”. Just the opposite: it’s always possible to be interesting, as long as you have the right communication strategy.
READ MOREWhat brands should learn from gaming culture
Once considered a niche phenomenon, gaming is today the driving force in the world of entertainment, but most of all a culture that unites billions of people. And one that brands should watch carefully.
READ MOREIs your brand truly ready for the Italian market?
If you are thinking of expanding your business to the Italian market, make sure your brand can match the expectations and mindset of the locals.
READ MOREThe brand touchpoints your strategy shouldn’t overlook
The experience a client has of a brand is the result of many concurring elements. We often focus on only some of these, missing some precious opportunities.
READ MOREBranding across cultures: how to make it work (a true story)
As we get used to global brands, we tend to overlook the challenges of bringing a brand to a different culture from its own. Here are some pitfalls and solutions.
READ MOREHow relevant is nationality for a global brand?
In a global market, the national roots of a brand can add value. As long as you can leverage them in the right way.
READ MOREHow to get a brand naming right and survive
Naming a brand might be one of the most exciting journeys, but also one of the most distressing. Some advice to avoid it going downhill.
READ MOREHow do you create a luxury brand today?
As all brands struggle to understand the evolving customer, luxury brands have the most daunting task: ushering their intangible values into a new era.
READ MOREStrategy for jewelry brands: do you know your audience?
Jewelry customers differ wildly. Knowing who is going to buy your jewels makes all the difference for structuring your brand.
READ MOREFashion websites should be digital trips
Fashion brands have a long experience in breaking rules, inspiring us and taking us to distant worlds. Why does this not happen on digital?
READ MOREDo fashion brands really need copywriting?
Fashion brands are traditionally very scrupulous about visuals in their communication. Does this leave out words?
READ MOREHow to define a brand tone of voice you will actually use
Tone of voice is essential for your brand identity, but will you ever use that nice document or will it just sit somewhere on your hard disk?
READ MOREHow we created a boutique branding agency
Sublimio’s founder Matteo Modica shares his experience in starting and developing a boutique branding agency over the years.
READ MORECan small business really avoid developing a brand strategy?
For smaller brands it might be tempting to skip strategy and just get a bloody logo. But cutting corners might backfire.
READ MOREWhat can a boutique branding agency do for you?
Does branding require a large agency? Not really. Here is what brands can expect when working with a boutique.
READ MOREDo you have a brand strategy? A checklist
Before you start spreading your brand, make sure you have set a clear brand strategy, with this practical checklist.
READ MOREWhat designers don’t tell their clients
There’s nothing more dangerous than a designer who just says yes. I say this as a designer, but I do it in the interests of my customers.
READ MOREThe basic reasons why your brand is not working
When a brand doesn’t work every communication initiative is accompanied by enormous efforts. Here are some possible causes (and solutions).
READ MOREShould luxury brands leave social networks?
A complete briefing helps the designer to work better and faster, and the company to get the logo it had in mind. Here are 11 essential points.
READ MOREWill digital flatten the world of luxury?
Unique fashion branding now loves stories
Something is happening, in the fashion world and specifically in the fashion brand communication: from image, fashion is becoming a story.
READ MOREBeware: you’re already doing personal branding (even if you don’t do anything)
Some of us believe in it, others despise it. But all of us are doing personal branding, constantly. We just don’t realize it.
READ MOREYou read what we think.
Now see what we can do.