Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
A look at the Dior website and we also get the impression that we're mov-
ing through the universes of different brands according to the section of the
website in which we find ourselves - and there are also too many sections
and categories, which makes it easy to get lost. Hermès, on the other hand,
seems to have chosen to change its brand image online, as there is no section
of the brand's website that corresponds with the core identity and values of
the brand to which clients can relate. If this is not the brand's intention, then
it is all the more confusing and clients just don't “get” the website. Galeries
Lafayette is not far from the ugly picture, with its flash-heavy pages that take
forever to load, unclear navigation and static merchandizing. Several luxury
brand and luxury retailer websites as well as media sites fall within the worst
practice exemplifiers in several forms, including blatantly copying one anoth-
er's styles and concepts - think Mauboussin and Paule Ka. But as I have
mentioned earlier, this is not a self-imposed death sentence but indicates that
luxury websites need to wake up to the fact that more is needed online and
that luxury clients are no longer buying into this sub-standard online offering.
As I have emphasized throughout this topic, luxury consumers have
evolved after twenty years of interacting with the Internet. It no longer makes
sense to offer them the same recipe that was used a decade ago. Just like you
do not give a twenty-year-old baby food, luxury clients should not be given
sub-standard web experiences. They will simply move on to other websites
that have something better to offer. It's as simple as that.
To end on a positive note, it is important to recognize that in the last dec-
ade there has been a progression in the level of consciousness of the impact
of the Internet on the luxury business and how this has changed both luxury
clients and the way luxury conducts its affairs. Several brands and compa-
nies have taken bold steps - and prudent risk - in demonstrating that luxury
and the virtual world can co-exist in a mutually beneficial manner. These
pace-setters, who have been mentioned throughout this topic, are the brands
that will carve a core niche and client following for themselves if they con-
tinue in the direction that they have been going. Although mistakes will still
be made and errors will still be committed - this is for sure - the key suc-
cess factor for establishing a successful online presence would be for luxury
brands to embrace digital technologies completely and maintain a forward-
looking approach towards innovating and evolving with technology. There
is no more going back to the days “before” the Internet, therefore luxury
brands have the responsibility of being online in the way that befits luxury.
As Gilles Nouaihac says, “luxury should not sacrifice its core values in a bid
to meet the demands of the 'right now' culture but should use the richness
of its world to envelope a clientele that is hungry for elevated experiences”.
There is no better way to demonstrate this than online.