This past October, I was interviewed about the growing number of luxury brands joining the iPhone app bandwagon. In that context, I identified two iPhone apps which to my mind stood out as examples of how luxury brands can harness the power of social media and mobile technology for the benefit of their brand's image and growth: Net-App from Net-A-Porter was one. The other was Van Cleef & Arpel's Une journée à Paris, an app they developed to complement the launch of their boutique collection by the same name. I was therefore happy to learn recently that Van Cleef & Arpel's has won a Grand Prix du Luxe award for best mobile app.
The award is well deserved. With the help of Heaven Conseil, a Paris-based agency, Van Cleef & Arpels developed an app that cleverly reinforces their marketing message by playing up the theme of their new collection (a stroll through Paris). It takes the user on various excursions throughout Paris complete with addresses of noteworthy places to see and names and addresses of recommended restaurants or cafés. The application is therefore relevant to their product and adds value for the user.
Relevance and usefulness may sound like obvious enough goals to pursue when developing any marketing tool but surprisingly, they're too often absent from many mobile apps. Perhaps this is because in the rush to join the technology and social media fray, some brands are forging ahead with no discernible strategy or clear sense of purpose?
Van Cleef's app has the added benefit of heightening awareness of their brand among a new group of potential customers (iPhone users). It gives a brand with a very rich history a cool, contemporary edge likely to resonate with younger, tech-savvy customers who might not otherwise be inclined to consider the brand when purchasing a watch or piece of jewelry. All in all, not a bad return on investment for one little mobile app. Kudos.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
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