TOP 10 LUXURY BRAND MOBILE MARKETERS OF Q1, 2015

In the first quarter of 2015, marketers used mobile touchpoints to enhance simple interactions such as a catalog browsing as well as to strengthen the physical experience at a branded retrospective.

Mobile is far reaching and becoming increasingly intelligent as the premier way to capture consumer attention, when and where they would like to interact. As with all luxury touchpoints, the quality of service is the primary objective of many houses, and mobile is proving that this ideology extends to interactions away from desktop and bricks-and-mortar boutiques.

Here are the top 10 mobile marketers from the first quarter of 2015, in alphabetical order:

1ST DIBS’ FIRST APP

Online marketplace 1stdibs is recreating the gallery and antique store experience through a mobile application that allows users to browse and shop its network of global dealers.

1stdibs’ app aggregates more than 2,000 of the world’s dealers specializing in design, fine art and collectibles at the fingertips of the user anywhere, anytime. Accessibility is key for mobile usage, and 1stdibs’ app enables “serendipitous discovery, ” often reserved for the flea market, through a connective platform.

Thought of as a companion for 1stdibs Web site, the app streamlines users with available inventory and partner dealers on a connective platform (see story).

BURBERRY’S USE OF LINE IN JAPAN

British fashion house Burberry live-streamed its Prorsum women’s wear autumn/winter 2015 show thanks to a partnership with Japanese social application, Line.

The two companies teamed up to allow Line users who follow Burberry’s official account to watch the runway show live from London on Feb. 23. The project used the live mobile cast functionality of the app to stream the show in real time on viewers’ mobile devices.

Burberry has a significant history with Japan, where it currently has 16 stores and millions of fans. The app will give these consumers a chance to connect with one another and perhaps bond over a mutual love of Burberry.

Line is a popular instant messaging app developed in Japan in 2011 that now has more than 560 million users worldwide. Line has expanded to include social networking features that give users the opportunity to share personal information and links with friends (see story).

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN’S SECRET SOCIAL MEDIA GAME

Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen directed traffic to its mobile site with a hidden game that encouraged consumers to compete against friends and family through social media.

On the brand’s Facebook page consumers were told the secret behind IWC’s hidden game with instructions as to how to access the game through the brand’s mobile Web site. With a few swipes, consumers were brought to the matching game and encouraged to compete for the best scores, offering IWC a fun, interactive and unique way to bring enthusiasts to its mobile site (see story).

JAEGER-LECOULTRE’S JLC MOONPHASE APP

Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is helping owners set their watches’ moonphase complications without a trip to the boutique through a mobile application.

Available for Apple devices, the “JLC Moonphase” provides owners of Jaeger-LeCoultre watches with tutorials to correctly set the moonphase complications on their timepiece. Producing an app that helps the consumer with maintenance may be a more welcomed download compared to one that simply pushes ecommerce or heavily showcases timekeeping technology.

When downloaded for either iPad or iPhone, the opening screen shows a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar timepiece displaying the correct time of day. Below the watch, the app user can select “Moonphase Indicator,” “Set my Moonphase” or “Full Moon Calendar” (see story).

JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL INTERACTIVE BOTTLES

Diageo, the distributor of Scotch whisky-maker Johnnie Walker, has unveiled an interactive smart bottle concept that when scanned by a smartphone will provide marketing materials.

The spirits brand officially showed its concept, which may soon grace the sides of Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona after announcing the project in late February. The concept was developed by Diageo Technology Ventures and printed technology maker Thin Film Electronics ASA and may have potential in other sectors such as apparel and beauty.

The connect bottle label, which functions as a more advanced QR code, will work to enhance the consumer experience through the use of printed sensor tags developed by Thinfilm (see story).

LANVIN RETROSPECTIVE APP

French fashion house Lanvin is creating a comprehensive experience for viewers who attend its Jeanne Lanvin retrospective in Paris by providing a mobile application to complement the exhibit.

The app allows users to learn more about the history of the brand and its founder, while also providing a map of the exhibit and audio guides to supplement each of the different galleries. This both enhances the viewer’s experience and encourages an ongoing interaction with the brand that will keep it fresh in the consumer’s mind.

Lanvin’s retrospective will be held in Paris at the Palais Galliera from March 8 until Aug. 23 and include many of Ms. Lanvin’s personal creations. The app has been created to help viewers best take advantage of the exhibit (see story).

NEIMAN MARCUS’ MOBILE WALLET

Fashion retailer Neiman Marcus Group is giving consumers a new way to pay with the launch of a brand-specific mobile wallet.

Neiman Marcus worked with Capital One to create a mobile payment solution that enables consumers to store credit card information within its application for iPhone, allowing them to use their phone’s screen as a form of payment when in-store. This claims to be the first mobile wallet released that was created specially for a retail card partner.

The NM Mobile Wallet is designed to house credit card information for both Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman accounts, as well as general purpose cards (see story).

NORDSTROM CATALOG APP

Department store chain Nordstrom is letting consumers interact with its print catalog through a new scanning feature for its iOS application.

Scan & Shop is a new feature on Nordstrom’s The Catalogs app, allowing consumers to bring up the products they like on the physical page and make a purchase from their tablet or smartphone. Creating this digital link between catalog and commerce will help the retailer drive sales, since consumers will be able to more easily find the items that interest them as they peruse the book.

Within the retailer’s The Catalogs app, consumers can now tap a “scan” button on the home screen. This brings them to a page where they are asked to connect the app to the camera on their device.

Once the scan button is pressed, the consumer just needs to align the page within the screen, and the page will automatically scan. The corresponding catalog page will then appear on their mobile device, along with product listings (see story).

SNAPCHAT IN FASHION

Fashion brands embraced Snapchat this season to give their consumers secret insider content, providing more access to the inner workings of putting on a runway show.

Michael Kors and Valentino were among the brands that took advantage of the application’s ability to share fleeting glimpses of personal moments, inviting them into a form of community. Snapchat users tend to skew younger, opening up labels to a new generation of consumers.

According to a report by comScore, Snapchat has the third highest penetration among social media platforms among millennials, aged 18 to 34. The app is used by 32.9 percent of the generation, coming in behind Facebook and Instagram, which has 43.1 percent penetration.

Therefore, Snapchat can help brands reach both an aspirational and established audience (see story).

VERTU OFFERS COMPLIMENTARY WIFI

British smartphone maker Vertu is helping its consumers stay digitally connected on select devices with a complimentary WiFi subscription.

Vertu users can now automatically access a secure Internet connection through iPass’ 15 million hotspots around the world. For Vertu’s globe trotting consumers, having the ability to use their phones as they travel will likely be appreciated.

IPass is the largest commercial WiFi network. Ninety-five of the world’s top 100 airports, as well as 78,000 hotels and convention centers include hotspots. The service also offers premium Internet connectivity on 2,200 planes and 800 equipped trains (see story).

By: Jen King
Source: Luxury Daily