Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
when they return to the website? Is it important for a luxury brand to integrate
the opportunity for clients to create personal avatars in the e-boutique in order
to enable them to try on products just as they would at home? I would answer
a yes to all of these but again, all these elements have to be integrated in such
a way that they enhance the luxemosphere and remain true to the brand's core
essence. If utilized appropriately, e-customization tools could become a driver
of sales and could lead to customer loyalty and brand affiliation.
Customization, however, has ethical dimensions that ought to be considered
in order to ensure the right effect. This includes respecting client privacy and
avoiding the misuse of personal information in a bid to target offers at web-
site visitors. The client should be allowed to “permit” the website to apply
the customization tools to them. These may be done through the options of
enabling and disabling cookies, opting-in and opting-out of web pages' con-
tents and e-newsletters and so on. Several websites oblige Internet users to
enable cookies before visiting their website while others simply apply cook-
ies without informing clients.
Several mass consumer goods retailers, such as Britain's Tesco, track
online visits of their customers through their click habits and most frequent
purchases. This information is used to customize their home pages to feature
the products that they would most likely purchase the next time they visit the
website. Others like French supermarket Carrefour have integrated customized
pre-packaged shopping baskets with the items that clients frequently purchase
and provide this readily during the next visit for a one-click-to-purchase effect.
This should give some indication to luxury brands as to the dimensions of the
collective experiences of online consumers, which they transfer across sectors.
In addition to the customization of web pages and contents, Internet and
digital technologies also provide opportunities for products either to be
entirely customized or to be dotted with touches of personalization. General
consensus indicates that online product personalization, customization and
co-creation is inapplicable to luxury because luxury brands are supposed to
create a “dream”, which means imagining what consumers desire before they
even know it, and bringing this dream to life. I agree with the “dream” part
but I disagree that luxury products may not be personalized or customized
online. Why should a client who is willing to pay an additional amount of
money to engrave their loved one's name on a diamond ring be prevented
from doing so? And why should a personal touch such as one's initials not
be carved into a gold-rimmed fountain pen? The reality is that these person-
alization and customization services already exist offline, but it seems that
the thought of integrating them online somehow sends shivers down the
spines of luxury Internet managers, even though it is actually more cost-
effective to provide online and could potentially strengthen the relationship
between the brand and its clients. A few luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton
(Figure 4.22) have taken the bold step of providing product personaliza-
tion online even if it remains restrictive in choice parameters. Others like
