Luxury Brand Engagement

Mulley has blogged recently about community management and how brands should monitor their audience.

Today on NetImperative I read the ‘Luxury Brand Engagement Model’ developed for luxury brand owners on how to contextually and relevantly reach niche consumer audiences.

It's based on six key stages of consumer luxury goods purchasing behaviour. However, I'd go so far as to suggest that most of these should be a guide for all brands, brand managers, community managers, site editors, website managers or anyone in whose interest (or job spec) it is to actively connect and engage with consumers online.

1. Awareness

• Be there, to stimulate word-of-mouth and keep consumers ahead of the game
  
  
• Underline exclusivity through sympathetic targeting and exclusive content
  
  
• Reinforce brand values by pushing offline creative to the next level online

2. Admiration

• Set the gold standard for digital advertising; captivate don’t irritate
  
  
• Offer rational and emotional engagement – entertain consumers online
  
  
• Encourage sharing and talkability – provide interactive elements to pass on

3. Exploration

• Convey brand heritage, authenticity and quality to reinforce brand mythology
  
  
• Replicate in-store experience to extend excitement online

4. Consideration

• Enhance luxury experience through digital media; make the intangible, tangible
  
  
• Flatter the luxury consumer, provide expert advice and peer-to-peer consultation

5. Purchase

• Deliver a superior online purchasing experience
  
  
• Direct visitors to retail stores to complete the experience and purchase cycle

6. Ownership

• Welcome digital consumers to ‘the club’; enhance sense of belonging

I find it difficult to think of any Irish websites doing this well. Innocent Drinks stand out as leaders in the field but in terms of keeping me interested, I don't know of many at all. Anyone got any examples?