Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
likely have had this experience. If you haven't, you'll most likely do so in the
near future, that is if things remain as they are. The general luxury landscape in
cyberspace is one that is flavored with a high level of similarity that borders on
sameness of website design and communications. This general lack of original-
ity has led several brands to adopt a similar colour scheme that is quite different
from their brands' signature colours (think black) and a communications concept
that is incoherent with everything else that the brand stands for. The luxury web-
site is a communications tool and an important point of departure for the brand's
relations with clients. It should therefore embody all the elements that make the
brand distinctive, different and original. There is no point having a black back-
ground on your website if your brand hasn't adopted black as a core signature
colour reflected across its visual codes and triggers such as packaging and store
concept. It also doesn't serve the brand any purpose to copy other brands' news-
letter formats and send it to a database that includes clients who subscribe to sev-
eral brands' newsletters, including the one that was copied.
Communicating through a luxury brand's website goes beyond the newslet-
ter and “News and Events” section of the website. Luxury website communi-
cations follows two forms: tangible and intangible, or if you prefer, conscious
and subconscious. The tangible or conscious communication includes using
a combination of text, sound, movement and visual elements like images,
colors, shapes, lines, layouts and videos to send a message to the online
client. This message could range from brand image reinforcement, infor-
mation about new products, stores, channels of distribution, collaborations
and social responsibility and other initiatives that the brand is involved in.
These should be presented in an interactive and engaging manner that allows
the client to participate in the experience of receiving the messages. A simple
provision to zoom on images or to download and print them injects a higher
level of interactivity than static images. The website provides an opportu-
nity to project a strong visual identity using the brand's well-defined visual
codes. This has nothing to do with advertisements but should be designed and
projected to complement the brand's advertisements. It should also be presented
in such a way that if we were to remove the brand's name or logo, it would still
be apparent which brand the visuals represent. Some luxury brands like Bottega
Veneta and Van Cleef & Arpels have developed strong visual codes that com-
bine several elements to project a strong message through their websites. The
content should also include updated and relevant information designed to cap-
ture the attention of clients and engage them through enlivening the website. In
February 2009, luxury lingerie brand Agent Provocateur created a spicy video
featuring a couple and themed around its lingerie and Valentine's day, which
was uploaded on its website. This video not only attracted substantial traffic to
the brand's website but also made the rounds in the entire cyberspace and may
now be found on websites like DailyMotion and YouTube. Viktor & Rolf also
successfully executed a communications coup by hosting the first online-only
runway show for its 2009 spring-summer collection, which was shown on its
