The document provides an overview of digital strategies and trends in the luxury sector. It includes the following sections:
1. Digital news - Summaries of recent digital initiatives from luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Skype/Victoria Beckham, Guerlain, and Glamour magazine.
2. Jewelry and watchmaking radar - Updates on digital activities from brands in this sector like Piaget, Tiffany & Co., and Cartier.
3. Case study - An analysis of Marc Jacobs' pop-up "Daisy Tweet Shop" that used hashtags as currency.
4. Focus on instant messaging - A look at opportunities for luxury brands on platforms like WeChat
2. PREMIUM INSIGHT
PREMIUM INSIGHT
SAME SAME but different
Premium Insight is an overview of the digital activity of premium brands
and luxurious “Maisons” focusing on the most innovative strategies in
terms of display, e-commerce, social media, mobile and O2O...
Founded in 2009, SAME SAME but different is the strategic and creative
digital agency of luxury and major brands: Digital operations and website
design / e-influence campaigns / Mobile solutions / Digital In store /
Consulting & training for leaders.
This issue is composed of:
SAME SAME but different works world-widely with offices in Paris,
Shanghai, Hong Kong and New York.
• A review of the main digital news
• A closer look to the jewelry and watchmaking sector
• A study of a case
• A focus on a trend
• An analysis of a Chinese topic
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
3. AGENDA
I. DIGITAL NEWS
II. JEWELRY AND WATCHMAKING RADAR
III. CASE: THE DAISY TWEET SHOP
III. FOCUS: INSTANT MESSAGING
BEYOND THE GREAT WALL: THE DIGITAL HONGBAO
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
5. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
LOUIS VUITTON
The Trunk Mystery
An old Louis Vuitton trunk was found in New York City on the 1st of
January. The Maison invited its fans to participate in the investigation
and find the identity of the owner. The enquiry took place in a very
special restricted area…Twitter! Each day, until the 9th of January,
clues were posted leading to the key to the mystery.
The operation ended with the announcement of a special
documentary narrating the story of the mysterious trunk on the 16th
of January on the TV channel, France 5.
Our opinion: An interesting way of promoting a documentary. Louis
Vuitton is definitely a good storyteller. However, knowing that Twitter
had recently introduced its “custom timelines”, the Maison could
have exploited this new storytelling functionality. It would have
increased the visibility of the operation by linking the
@LaMalleSecrete account to Louis Vuitton’s official page.
> Twitter
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
6. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
SKYPE x VICTORIA BECKHAM
A Spicy museum
The Skype Collaboration Project was initiated in March 2013. Its
goal was to celebrate creativity and technology by offering students,
fashion fans and creatives, exclusive content regarding the fashion
industry. The pretext of such a collaboration? Skype is used daily
by fashion icons in their professional lives. Among them, Victoria
Beckham…
Starting in January, throughout the New York Fashion Week 2014,
the Spice Girl has been narrating her story on the dedicated website,
a museum-like platform, hub of different types of content (Video,
tweets, interviews, text, audio commentary…). Visitors were invited
to discover how Victoria and her team were preparing the show by
asking questions directly via Skype video message and Twitter.
Our opinion: We like how this platform celebrates entrepreneurship,
creativity and technology. However, the website is overloaded with
content which makes the navigation random.
> The editorial
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
> The website
February 2014
FOCUS
7. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
GUERLAIN
A scent of creation
On the 14th of January, Guerlain announced the creation of the
Maison’s Tumblr, a space dedicated to beauty, inspiration and poetry.
What can be found in it? Beautiful pictures and gifs that illustrate
Guerlain’s know-how, history and creativity. The content is organized
in categories, giving a magazine-type look to the Tumblr.
Among other topics, find out more about the 160th anniversary of the
Bee Bottle or the Shalimar perfume…
Our opinion: The platform is very aesthetic and well laid out. The
choice of Tumblr was also strategic since the Maison is interested
in targeting a younger and more connected clientele. Challenge
completed!
> The Tumblr
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
8. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
GLAMOUR
Ready, Set, Hunt!
Earlier in January, the magazine launched the Glamour Fashion
Scanner, a smart operation based on an insight: “In my day to day
life I see people wearing clothes that I like but I have no clue where
to find them”.
Ladies, your prayers have been answered on Google + and Pinterest!
Glamour offers you the possibility to post a picture of your very much
desired object using #glamourfashionscanner. A community of the
magazine experts will go on a digital fashion hunt for you.
Our opinion: An operation that sets the bar higher in terms of
custom-made and instant services.
> Pinterest
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
> Google +
February 2014
FOCUS
9. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
GIVENCHY
Mobile men
Givenchy released an iOS mobile application on February 4th,
featuring the entire menswear line of the Maison.
Givenchy is the first luxury brand that decided to launch e-commerce
via an app before a website.
The platform is minimalist and ergonomic simplifying users’
navigation.
Discover, on the App store, the Spring 2014 collection dismantled in
four categories; clothing, shoes, bags and accessories.
Our opinion: This operation seems to be fan-oriented more than
e-commerce-driven. The application targets Givenchy’s aficionados,
making it somewhat exclusive. Might as well put a price on it…
> The app
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
11. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
PIAGET
Piaget owners
On January 8th, Piaget created an album on Facebook dedicated to user generated
content. The Maison discovered pictures spread out on diverse social media and
invited Piaget owners to publish their photographs with #piagetowners.
Visit of the workshops by James Bort
On January 8th also, the Maison released the pictures taken by the photographer
and blogger, James Bort, giving a behind the scenes visit of Piaget’s workshops.
> #piagetowners album
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
> James Bort visit
12. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
TIFFANY & CO.
Love, Tiffany tab
To celebrate the 14th of February, the Maison offered its fans the possibility to
send out a Tiffany Valentine via a Facebook connect. 9 steps: Choose your scene,
your gift, your characters, your skin tones, your hairstyles and color, your styles,
your cityscape and share the love.
Valentine shopping coach
Starting on January 20th, Tiffany & Co. invited its Twitter fans to share their
questions via #TiffanyValentine. The Maison’s personal shoppers will give out
advice and answer to the most-asked Valentine’s Day queries.
Tiffany weddings
On February 7th, Tiffany & Co. introduced “Tiffany weddings”, a brand new section
of “What makes love true” on the Maison’s website dedicated to inspiration and
real-life stories of romance.
> Tiffany Valentine
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
> Tiffany Weddings
13. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
CARTIER
The Secrets of Cartier
On January 25th, Cartier published a teaser of « The Secrets of Cartier », an
exclusive digital visit of the Maison’s exhibition, « Le Style et l’Histoire » at the
Grand Palais.
The secrets of Cartier’s history were revealed by Élise Chassaing on January 28th
at 4pm on www.cartier.fr.
Following the reveal, Cartier released 6 videos, an introduction and 5 chapters,
narrating the secrets of the Maison’s story. This reminds us in some way, of
“Inside Chanel” that the Maison published on its Youtube channel.
> The teaser
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
> The Youtube channel
14. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
HARRY WINSTON
Publications of still shots of pieces.
Publications of celebrities wearing Harry Winston at the 2013 Golden Globe
Awards.
> Facebook
CHOPARD
Messenger of Happy Love
For Valentine’s Day, Chopard created a dedicated section on its website,
Messenger of Happy Love, that offers a selection of gifts for him and for her.
The website section is linked to a Pinterest board specially created for the
occasion.
> The website
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
> The Pinterest board
15. RADAR
NEWS
CASE
FOCUS
BOUCHERON
JAEGER LECOULTRE
BVLGARI
On February 5th, Boucheron released a video
wishing its fans a dazzling Year of the Horse. The
video stars one of the Maison’s pieces, a beautiful
ring in the shape of 2014’s iconic animal with, as
always, the Place Vendôme in the background.
The Maison created the #180 skills quiz, a Facebook
application. Answer to Jaeger Lecoultre’s knowhow questions!
The Maison celebrates Rome throughout a photo
shoot of the Monete collection by Thomas Brown
and Guido Taroni.
> The video
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
> Facebook app
February 2014
> Facebook
17. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
THE DAISY TWEET SHOP
The Daisy Day
On the 28th of January the brand created the Daisy Day to promote
the launch of the new Daisy perfume. For the occasion, Marc Jacobs
made its first global street stunt. The brand “brought flowers, cute
boys, and sunshine to chilly NYC, London & Berlin”, says a Facebook
post.
Marc Jacobs invited pedestrians that received the daisy to take a
photo and post it on Instagram with #MJDAISYCHAIN. The best
picture was rewarded with a handbag.
> The video
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
18. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
THE DAISY TWEET SHOP
Hasthags, the new social currency
In continuity with the Daisy Day, Marc Jacobs opened a very special
pop up store in New York on the 7th of February.
The brand introduced the first tweet shop ever, where bills and coins
were replaced by hashtags.
The concept? Take a picture of the item you want in the Daisy Tweet
Shop, post it with #MJDaisyChain either on Instagram, Twitter or
Facebook and you’ll come out of the store with it. The products range
from perfumes to accessories.
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
19. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
THE DAISY TWEET SHOP
An instore experience
The Maison offered a true experience with:
• A manicure stand
• A selfie photo-booth
• A screen projection of the fans’ posts – updated every 30 seconds
• A live music show with D.J. Jilly Hendrix.
• The new line of Daisy products
• A comfortable lounge
• Food and drinks
• Daisy-themed artwork by Langley Fox Hemingway
• And, of course, Wifi!
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
20. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
OUR OPINION
One fine example of offline to online operation!
Where Marc Jacobs could have opted for the typical marketing strategy (sampling, magazines, point-of-sale
promotion), the brand managed to express generosity in a very innovative way. Instead of being classic, massive and
giving to a load of random people, it decided to reward its core target.
The Daisy Tweet shop is a truly creative, complete, coherent and impacting operation that increased:
• The visibility of the brand on social media
• The creative and innovative perception of Marc Jacobs
• The bond between the brand and its fans
But let’s not go overboard, Marc Jacobs did not fall in the trap of opulence. We can tell how the brand regulated the
operation, in quantity – it’s a 2 day pop-up store opened in limited hours, and in value - we are talking perfumes, not
thousand-dollar shoes…
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
22. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
INSTANT MESSAGING
The new Eldorado
In 2014, instant messaging applications will go global and massive, much like Facebook and Twitter.
Reasons why?
• Mobile is king
• No charge
• Need for privacy
• Seek of innovation
It is a great opportunity for brands. In terms of reach, because as we will further see, the numbers of users are
considerable and because the apps’ functionalities increase the quality of a direct, customized and instantaneous
service. However some of these IMS remain closed to brands.
Our study highlights three main types of apps:
The home sweet homes – where brands can create dedicated spaces – WeChat, Line, KakaoTalk
The lands of infiltration – where brands are tolerated as users – Instagram Direct, Snapchat
The deserted islands – where brands are forbidden – WhatsApp, Tango, Viber
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
23. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
HOME SWEET HOME - WECHAT
What is it?
• A mobile text and voice messaging communication service
• 600 million registered users
• 272 million active users
• Has doubled its user base in the last 3 months
• Available in 200 countries
• 100 million registered users outside of China
How can it be used by brands?
Official and service accounts
Gaming apps
Sticker shop
Localisation
Brand practice – Louis Vuitton:
Live and personal customer care, available from 10am to 7:30pm to answer
questions.
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
24. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
HOME SWEET HOME - LINE
What is it?
• An instant messaging application
• 300 million registered users
• 7 billion messages sent each day
• 1 billion stickers sent each day
• 80% of subscribers are based outside of Japan
• Available in 193 countries
How can it be used by brands?
Official accounts (messages to subscribers)
Gaming apps
Branded stickers
Artists/celebrities can communicate directly with Line users with the ON AIR
function
Brand practice – FC Barcelona:
The brand sends direct messages, every day or so, to its followers, informing of
the club’s news.
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
25. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
HOME SWEET HOME - KAKAOTALK
What is it?
• A free mobile messenger application
• Free texts and calls (groups)
• Stickers and themes shop
• 130 million registered users
How can it be used by brands?
“Plus Friend” is a feature in KakaoTalk messenger, which welcomes “artists”. It
allows them to reach their fans by sending them contents and updates.
Brand practice – Uniqlo:
Uniqlo used the Plus Friend section to share coupons.
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
26. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
LAND OF INFILTRATION INSTAGRAM DIRECT
What is it?
-> Instagram:
• 100 million users
• 5 million pictures posted every day
-> Instagram direct:
• A direct messaging functionality
• Private conversations via the comments section
• To 15 people at a time
• The sender has the possibility to delete the delivered message
Brand practice – Michael Kors:
“An early gift from @Instagram! The first 50 people to post a pic and tag it
#MKDirect will get a special message from Michael Kors tomorrow.”
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
27. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
LAND OF INFILTRATION SNAPCHAT
What is it?
• A photo messaging application
• Auto-destruct (1 to 10 seconds) videos, photos and drawings to share with your
Snapchat selected list of contacts
• 100 million registered users
• 400 million snaps shared per day
How can it be used by brands?
Brands can create accounts and ask their audience to follow them to receive
Snapchats.
Brand practice – Acura:
Exclusive content. For the release of its new NSX car, the luxury vehicle division of
Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company, offered a 6 second video of the car
driving around a race track to the first 100 users to add its Snapchat account
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
28. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
FOCUS
DESERTED ISLAND - WHATSAPP
What is it?
• A simple, personal and real time messaging service
• 590 million registered users
• 350 million monthly active users
• More than 10 billion messages sent per day
• Available in 100 countries
• Largest messaging app in Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia
Functionalities:
• Text and voice chat
• Photo and video sending
• Location
• Group chat
How can it be used by brands?
After Facebook’s unsuccessful 3 billion-dollar-bid last year, Mark Zuckerberg’s
social network has now acquired WhatsApp for 19 billion dollars. This just might
be an opening for brands...!
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
29. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
DESERTED ISLAND - VIBER
What is it?
• Free calls, text and picture sharing with anyone, anywhere
• 200 million registered users
• 350 million monthly active users
• More than 10 billion messages sent per day
• Available in 100 countries
• Largest messaging app in Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia
Functionalities:
• Text and voice chat
• Photo and video sending
• Voice call
• Sketch and location sending
• Sticker shop
• Group messaging with up to 100 friends
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
30. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
DESERTED ISLAND - TANGO
What is it?
• Where messaging meets entertainment
• 150 million registered users
• 5 million friend requests sent every day
Functionalities:
• Video and voice call and messages
• Group chat (up to 50 friends)
• Timeline
• Profile customization with status updates + photos
• Edit, share, comment and like photos
• Friends nearby localization
• Music via Spotify
• Games
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
31. NEWS
RADAR
CASE
INSTANT MESSAGING
New game, new rules.
We’ve reached a time where users are growing sick of social media’s intrusive advertising. This explains the global
rush towards these commercial-free applications that offer an unrivalled level of confidentiality.
And here comes a big challenge for brands that must reinvent themselves on unfamiliar territories.
Even though the game has changed, and its rules along with it, this new field is very promising in terms of services.
Where Maisons have the opportunity, via social media, to reach a massive audience, they haven’t had the chance, yet,
to fully exploit the potential of one-to-one or one-to-few relationships.
Instant Messaging will enable a new bond between luxury brands and their aficionados; a more thoughtful,
respectful, customized, instantaneous and intimate one.
The key to success is to remember that users truly own this territory. Imposing oneself would be very badly
perceived. Maisons must infiltrate these nests by keeping in mind the reasons why consumers have migrated.
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
FOCUS
33. BEYOND THE GREAT WALL
OVERSEAS SHOPPING SPREES
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
A revisited tradition
The Hongbao, meaning “red envelope”, is a Chinese New
Year tradition where close ones offer money to each other
knowing that what matters the most is not the amount of
RMB given but the way it is delivered.
This is why Wechat had the idea to digitalize this long
inscribed tradition with the creation of a special account
Xinnian Hongbao, “New Year Red Envelope”.
February 2014
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
34. BEYOND THE GREAT WALL
THE DIGITAL HONGBAO
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
How does it work?
The official WeChat account was created right in time for the
Chinese New Year. In order to send their virtual Hongbaos,
users had to follow the account. Then, they were offered
the opportunity to send their red envelopes to either one
or a selection of contacts. The maximum amount allowed
was limited to 300 RMB.
February 2014
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
35. BEYOND THE GREAT WALL
THE DIGITAL HONGBAO
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
Miracle of the loaves and fishes
The operation was quite successful. Firstly, users were
pleased with this new way of distributing hongbaos and
turned it into a game. They sent very small amounts of
money to groups of friends, hoping to get their RMBs worth
out of it by receiving their own red envelopes.
But most importantly, the Tencent application benefited
from this operation that highly increased the number of
WeChat Payment users. Indeed, Hongbao receivers that
hadn’t activated the payment method yet, had to do so in
order to obtain the gift. A smart move from WeChat!
February 2014
PREMIUM
INSIGHT
February 2014
