Swarovski is considered as a brand with a rich history and cultural background which has enchanted the world with its innovation and glitter. Started with mere fashion accessories range around a century back, the brand has managed to capture the audience of fashion all across the globe. Be the celebrities or simple fashion lovers from upper-middle social class, there are many who are addicted to the shine offered by this brand. Swarovski is not just a brand name; its whole personality and a lifestyle offered by the crystalline world. It has revolutionized the dreams of many all across the world. Where many of us used to wish that we could use the branded accessories, now we wish to shine off with the Swarovski.
Swarovski & Luxury Fashion
Experiential Marketing
Use of 360 Degree Marketing by Swarovski
Merits of Experiential Marketing
Three Ds of Experiential Marketing
Strategic Experience
Swarovski: A Transition from Traditional Marketing to Experiential Marketing
Emotional Brand Attachment
Brand Identity
Self-concept
Brand Luxury
Brand Attachment
Brand experience
Brand Prestige
Importance of Social Media for Luxury Brand
Translation of Unique Brand Elements to Social Platforms
Adapt Business Practices to the Online Business Model
Swarovski is a leading name when it comes to global luxury brands. It has managed to rise above its actual self and makes its customer perceive it as an actual personality. The marketing techniques used by it have made it operate differently than the other luxury brands and that makes it a prime choice of fashion lovers globally. Its use of experiential marketing, social media and exploitation of customer's brand attachment has made it attract and retain customers from all fields of life.
Swarovski is personified as a superficial self which is all charismatic, luxurious, and stylish and chick. Innovation with style is what Swarovski stands for. Similarly, when the customer wants to be seen, shine out or feel like a celebrity, Swarovski would be the ultimate choice of the consumer. The purpose of this literature review is to understand how new marketing concepts are integrated by Swarovski into its marketing and business development strategies. For this purpose, the luxury brand has been studied with reference to experiential marketing for understanding brand attachment so that a relationship between the identity of the user and brand experience can be established, which is the fundamental concept behind brand attachment. The basic idea of brand self is based on few major marketing concepts such as identity expression, self-concept, brand-luxury, brand attachment and brand experience.
Considering the example of Swarovski, one can visualize how the brand has put up a claim of glittering and illuminating the lives of its consumers with luxury and how its products are acting as a live definition of it. Where crystals are becoming synonymous with the name of Swarovski, more or less every product presents the same notion. Although few critiques claim that this has bring monotony to the portfolio of Swarovski. In order to combat that, the brand has integrated innovation of high quality into its product giving it a name and character of a highly luxurious brand.
Swarovski' presence over social media shows that the marketing management of this brand is up-to-date. It claims to provide its customer with a chance to live like a celebrity. Other than just the brand, it also focuses on maintaining a customer relationship which provokes its representatives, managers, and consultants to make the customers feel the luxury attached to this brand. For this purpose, the organization allows its employees to operate in a similar setting so that they can deliver the actual experience to their customers.
Considering the current portfolio of Swarovski, one can understand the merits that experiential marketing has to offer. Since the main idea is to engage the customer into an experience which involves a degree of rationality and logic paired with emotional desires. Satisfaction attained at both the areas allows the customer to become loyal to the brand. The merits offered by this marketing strategy involves giving new life, perception or name to a dying brand, introducing innovation into existing one, making a corporation or a brand known by a certain perception, to provide differentiation and have an edge over the competitors offering homogeneous products.
Swarovski allows its consumer to differentiate from those who use other items offering similar utility making consumer mirror the image projected by it which stands for exclusivity and glamour. A distinguished brand identity makes addition to the self-concept of the consumer respecting the consumer's desire of covetousness and appearance. In the success of Swarovski, we cannot forget the impact of social media forces. It is the power borne by the entertainment world which affects the minds of today's consumer making him / her aspire for the same look as the famous singer or actor.
In relation to providing a brand experience, Swarovski has moved from mere show piece and jewelry manufacturer over time to a complete definition of fashion. It has ventured into apparels, sun-glasses, men accessories, and everything that defines fashion and luxury. This is the reason why a buyer prefers buying Swarovski since it makes them feel the prestige that is associated to this brand and also satisfies every aspect of their desires. Be it a home utility like a candle stand or a fashion accessory like a crystal necklace, Swarovski is the choice that a consumer will make. Since brand attachment is a notion based on the experience of the customers and the persona developed with the product, Swarovski manages to promise an outlook with makes it bearer stands distinguished as compared to the users of other brands.
Introduction
Swarovski is considered as a brand with a rich history and cultural background which has enchanted the world with its innovation and glitter. Started with mere fashion accessories range around a century back, the brand has managed to capture the audience of the fashion world all across the globe. Be the celebrities or simple fashion lovers from upper-middle social class, there are many who are addicted to the shine offered by this brand. The brand is an ideal case study for other luxury brands having historical backgrounds since it has evolved over time and has shown remarkable adaptations to the changes taken place globally. Through its innovative marketing and change in overall paradigm, it has taken an opportunity to utilize its established goodwill and has provided its customers a memorable experience which only comes after getting attached to Swarovski. The company has shown an adherence to a relatively new marketing concept called experiential marketing and has utilized the opportunities offered by today's robust social media and already prevailing emotional attachment of its loyal customers to this brand.
Swarovski is not just a brand name; its whole personality and a lifestyle offered by the crystalline world. It has revolutionized the dreams of many all across the globe. Where many of us used to wish that we could use the branded accessories, now we wish to shine off with the Swarovski. Founded in 1895, the brand has integrated revolution and innovation in the living style of many. Swarovski appears to be an advocate of customer-driven approach as it has managed to offer a complete life style ranging from fashion accessories to home utilities, all offering functionality with style.
Swarovski has developed a specialty of using crystals in redefining the usual fashion and household products. Usage of crystal is the main attraction of this brand. It is an important fact to note that Swarovski has a special crystal development methodology patented by it. The process, through which crystals are made and integrate into tiny shiny reflection of sun, is the whole foundation of this glittery world of Swarovski.
Where the brand itself has distinguished characteristics, it further relates to the customers desire of being distinguished and develop into an illuminating model exhibiting panache. This is the reason why many celebrities are associated to it. Furthermore, the brand has managed to exploit social media and online technologies to its fullest in order to ensure maximum penetration into customer's segments. Where there are sexy and chick stores scattered all across the globe ensuring that they are in the access of major customers who wish to visit, touch and feel the brand, it also offers accessibility through Facebook, Twitter, individual website entailing its products for those who wish to save their time or probably do not have an access to the stores.
Interestingly, there are various other forums which offer selling / buying services for the retired or used Swarovski products. Even the crystals used by it, are the main commodity which is being bought and sold online. It is also a major source of attraction for designers all across the world. There are also forums which illustrate how to take care of Swarovski products giving it a character of a luxury coupled with prestige. The whole persona reflected by this brand is based on one notion, "pampering the customers with style." This is the reason why the customer feels to be well-taken care of, by the brand and develops an urge of relating to it.
The brand enjoys its relativity to the crystal hood. In fact, it is considered as synonymous to it. Swarovski has benefited greatly by relating itself to this realm. Due to after-sales service, which is unlike other products, it has managed to acquire the trust of its customers as they believe that there investment in such high profile product is well-protected. Furthermore, it keeps on bring out up-beat limited editions which ensure that it meets the present demands of the customers. Entry to other segments such as perfumes, apparels, bags etc. makes it a go-to forum where all the cells of the customers' body get to feel the finesse offered by it.
Swarovski has extended a cordial relationship with its customers over time. When it adopted experiential marketing, it showed its commitment to its customers since it appeared to be willing to go an extra mile and give its customer a chance to experience Swarovski lifestyle. This is the reason why every showroom of Swarovski, its own website and presence on social media shows that Swarovski is a brand which should be the first choice of crystal lovers. Through a luminous experience offered by it, it has managed to attract a mass of customers globally. It appears that Swarovski knows that attracting customers is easy but it's difficult to retain them. It appears to exploit the emotional attachment of its customers to its fullest. It has not only projected an image of a luxurious product but also gives out a persona of a prestigious brand. This is the reason why its customers invest their emotions in this brand; and Swarovski does not disappoint them at all. In fact, it pampers them even more by providing them everything in the name of fashion and style and also makes their home shine with a complete after sales-service which further enhances the trust of its customers.
Despite all these factors, it is the presence of Swarovski on social media and entertainment channels that make it exceptionally eminent in the luxury brands. It's PR and marketing team has managed to exploit the opportunities offered by these channels to its fullest. Every forum where Swarovski's name is used, the customers expect to see clarity, style and luxury which are now other names of Swarovski. It is interesting to see how a mere website of it, projects Swarovski's culture which is sophistication with style. Similarly, it has managed to attract customers from different demographics by being elegant and stylish simultaneously. From the viewers of runway shows to movie star lovers, from the young users of Facebook to serious users of Linkedin, Swarovski caters to all. And its active presence on social media keeps its name alive in the mind of customers all across the globe.
Experiential Marketing
Definition
Experiential Marketing is a new art of capturing the minds of consumers. It focuses on providing the customer a chance to relate to the commodity at intellectual as well as emotional level. Where the consumer is becoming more aware of his rights, the landscape of marketing is changing at an exponential rate. Now the brand is as good as the social media says it is. Where today's fashion market offers a product with an instantaneous life, it is difficult for manufactures to retain the customers on the basis of brand name. Here comes the need that the opportunity offered by experiential marketing should be exploited to its fullest (Abrahams, 1986).
Experiential marketing presents a notion that a brand needs to relate to the customer at an emotional level by relating to an experience. It is the experience of the customer which would make him loyal to the brand and also make him become a brand ambassador walking on the streets and attending social meetings. This experience makes the customer deliver a message to the mass which is more powerful than any other social media activity or marketing campaign. Where earlier marketing challenges were to identify the desired customer's segment and address its needs through effective marketing strategy, there are few new challenges that today's marketer has to face. This challenges entail whether the brand offers pleasant memories which would attract and retain the customer and also if these experiences are substantial enough to make the customer share his or her experiences with others. A possible answer for triggering and influencing customer to do so is experiential marketing (Arnould and Price, 1993).
This marketing strategy allows the customers to relate with the brand, interact with it, make it part of their lives and redefine their persona. However, experiential marketing emphasizes on making the consumer operate in a controlled environment. Where the major focus is on engaging with the brand, the emotions, logics and senses of the customers are the major tool of the marketer. This phenomenon eliminates the discrepancies between the claims of the manufacturer or service provider and the actual encounters of the customers.
Experiential marketing ensures that the claims of the brand become its face value and the customer can actually relate to it. Considering the example of Swarovski, one can visualize how the brand has put up a claim of glittering and illuminating the lives of its consumers with luxury and how its products are acting as a live definition of it. Where crystals are becoming identical with the name of Swarovski, more or less every product of it presents the same notion. Although few critiques claim that this has brought monotony to the portfolio of Swarovski. In order to combat that, the brand has integrated innovation of high quality into its product giving it a name and character of a highly luxurious brand (Addis and Holbrook, 2001).
Product demonstrations, online reviews, point-of-purchase displays, samples -- these are all very basic examples of experiential marketing that have existed in the marketing mix for awhile. These strategies when coupled with individual messages meant for a particular segment of the customers help in attracting and allowing customers to relate to it. Swarovski focuses on providing its customer, irrespective of who he/she is, treating like a celebrity. Other than just the brand, it also focuses on maintaining a customer relationship which provokes its representatives, managers, and consultants to make the customers feel the luxury attached to this brand. For this purpose, the organization allows its employees to operate in a similar setting so that they can deliver the actual experience to their customers (Blois, 1997).
Where targeted marketing was the earlier face of product's promotion, experiential marketing has made few substantial additions to this basket of marketing strategies. Due to hyper yet powerful social media, a customer's demand to present transparent product i.e. sell what is claimed, and highly short attention spans of the customers' attention, there are various changes which are observed in the experiential marketing (Borden, 1964). Now, the approach adopted is much wider and is focused on making customer develop a positive yet persistent image of a product which is important for customer's retention. For this purpose, there is a thorough need of a skilled mechanism which would be detrimental of customer's feedback on timely basis (Arnould, Price, and Zinkhan, 2002).
In the preliminary phase of the century, customer experience management was the most hyped marketing phenomenon which made the marketers focus on devising strategies of engaging customers to its fullest. Although CEM and experiential marketing are two different phenomenons, they have an intertwined model. Where experiential marketing emphasizes on presenting and showcasing the products in a highly visible environment allowing maximum interaction between the customer and the product itself, CEM makes the whole marketing process its niche by focusing on complete customer delivery method adopted.
Use of 360 Degree Marketing By Swarovski
Experiential marketing is a phenomenon which allows the customer to immerse completely into the experience offered by a brand. For this purpose, Swarovski has done substantial homework. One of the examples of this ideology of Swarovski was its display of 360 degree marketing at Swarovski's "22 Ways to Say Black" Campaign. Imagine when the customer knows that the brand that it is being associated to is a result of the works of elite artists and designers. The powerful marketing campaign focused on showcasing the work of 22 leading designers from all across the globe. The inspiration of this collaboration between the designers was a little black dress with an immense shine which is the signature of Swarovski products.
These 22 elite designers who were highly respected figures in the fashion industry were made to redesign their own interpretation of Swarovski black dress using its signature elements. As a result, 22 master pieces were created which stunned the world. Along with the designers, the social media forces were no less powerful. Dresses were then unveiled in a traveling exhibit that began in Paris and concluded in New York, where the pieces were auctioned off for charity at the highly acclaimed Philips de Pury & Company gallery. 100% of the proceeds went to benefit the American Cancer Society and La Ligue Contre le Cancer in France. Designers including Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, Thakoon, Gianfranco Ferre, Valentino and Philip Lim were all challenged to create their interpretation of the little black dress using Swarovski Elements in their designs. The result was an absolutely stunning collection of 22 dresses that commanded an excess of $100,000 for charity in a single evening.
The whole series of events was nothing but a source of new experience for its customers where they got to see how they can live the life of luxury and feel the elite touch by being with the brand which is endorsed by designers. Furthermore, the entertainment offered as a whole further attracted the upper-middle segment to stretch their pockets a little more and become associated with Swarovski. We need to visualize how Swarovski managed to create an ambience which was nothing but a definition of fashion, luxury and desires ready to be fulfilled.
Where the products and presence of designers at the portfolio of Swarovski was enough to attract the audience, a dedicated web campaign and social media coverage managed to become attention of international media coverage agencies which offered the audience (not present at the auction) to divulge into and feel the similar experience. The online and offline marketing strategies allowed the brand to interact with the customers at various forums. Incorporated in the marketing was video content, one video featuring the 22 little black dresses and a second raising awareness for the need to find a cure for cancers. These videos were not only promotional, but key ways to invite high profile influencers and celebrities to participate. Content was posted on the Swarovski YouTube Channel, Facebook page, Twitter handleand on the Swarovski Elements website.
Merits of Experiential Marketing
Considering the current portfolio of Swarovski, one can understand the merits that experiential marketing has to offer. Since the main idea is to engage the customer into an experience which involves a degree of rationality and logic paired with emotional desires. Satisfaction attained at both the areas allows the customer to become loyal to the brand. The merits offered by this marketing strategy involves giving new life, perception or name to a dying brand, introducing innovation into existing one, making a corporation or a brand known by a certain perception, to provide differentiation and have an edge over the competitors offering homogeneous products.
Although experiential marketing concept is still in its infancy, it is important to understand whether it can be treated as a substitute of traditional marketing. Where traditional marketing offers a different outset for necessities and luxuries, experiential marketing does not offer this segregation. It presents a notion that every product which was once a luxury has a tendency of becoming a necessity of necessity (Postma, 1999). Consider an example of a celebrity who has a reputation to keep, for the sake of that reputation, alliance and use of brands is more like a necessity for them. On the other hand, there are several industries which have adopted a model of experiential marketing such as transportation products, personal-grooming and apparels along with other fashion accessories etc. (Engel, Blackwell and Miniard,1999).
Similarly, Swarovski which was an earlier advocate of traditional marketing concepts has evolved over time on the marketing front as well. Instead of just attracting customers, it is now aiming to become an integral part of their lives. This is the reason why other than fashion accessories, home accessories, jewelry, charms, men's collection etc. are turning into new definition of Swarovski which was a gender-oriented brand earlier.
Three Ds of Experiential Marketing
Experiential marketing emphasizes its practitioners to focus on the three Ds of customer experience. These three Ds are design, deliver and develop. This concept allows the brand owner to design the appropriate products and make the customer experience them. Traditional marketing has provided a concrete guideline that the customer base should be segregated into separate segment and specialized products should be offered to these segments accordingly. On the other hand, experiential marketing is rather evolved form of this concept. This concept allows the customer to not only become a loyal business generating entity but also develop a tendency of acting as an advocate of the company. Hence, a customer is a moving and talking brand portfolio himself for others. Further experiences can be developed using various purchase points from general view to final billing and after-sales services (Kotler and Levy, 1969). Design is closely tied to the delivery from the very beginning, and planning focuses on the value propositions and on all steps required to deliver the propositions to the appropriate audience segments.
Next D. is the delivery of the product and services. Experiential marketing focuses on developing an organizational culture in which all the departments collaborate and put it their efforts in delivering the product which was designed earlier. The very concept of EM entails that delivering a product is not only a function of marketing team only but requires synergy organization wise (Kotler, 2001). This is the reason why Swarovski has ensured that the employees associated with it get to feel the persona which this product has to offer. For this purpose, the enterprise formed strategic alliances with the business trainers who introduced strategies amplifying the vision of its employees. Online portals were developed providing an access to necessary fashion-rekated information. The whole idea was to allow the employee to relate to the rich heritage of the brand and feel proud of it. Resultant was the replacement of a retail-store experience by the premium luxury feel (Holbrook and Hirshman, 1982).
Third D. is to develop a portfolio which would make the customer come back to the same brand again and again. This means redefining the planning of the brand, allowing the employees and associated personnel to come up with new prepositions and attacking the unfulfilled desires of the customers; lastly becoming accountable for their actions and services to the customers. The manufacturing methodology which is a high-class display of sophistication itself, paired with immaculate after-sales services ensures that the customer who associates with Swarovski gets to experience the honesty and loyalty of its manufacturers.
These three Ds collectively work together to enforce an experiential version of customer engagement. Experiential marketing is based on the notion that a human mind is divided into various segments. Business managers and marketing professionals are expected to come up with the appropriate strategy to satisfy each level of human mind.
Strategic Experience Modules
Experience marketing has emerged as a discipline which would satisfy all the senses of the customers. Based on this idea, Schmitt has presented five strategic experience modules, also known as (SEMs). These SEMs are sense, feel, think, act, and relate. Out of these, Sense offers an opportunity to experience sensual and tangible parts of the product and experiences attached to it. Our major senses include sight, sound, scent, taste and touch. All these senses cumulatively allow the customer to feel the presence of the brand, differentiate between various products and develop a perception about the brand itself. Feel marketing is more concerned with developing the emotions and exploiting the existing ones related to the brand. It is rather obvious that positive and negative emotions would have a direct effect on the consumption of the brand. This notion is well-exploited by Swarovski. The brand has managed to exploit the emotions of its customers. It has managed to associate itself with the feeling of luxury which is felt by the customer when they use its products (Schmitt, 1999).
Another important aspect of these SEMs is THINK. The THINK marketing regime allows the customers to perform thinking with creation and elaboration. These ideas of the customers are later on, transformed by the enterprise into actual products. Swarovski was a name of crystalline product line earlier. It was the desire of the customer who wanted to shine out in every aspect of life using Swarovski illumination. Resultant is a rather elaborative product line which manages to not only make the customer feel like a celebrity but actually act like one. Even a simple cover of iPhone presented Swarovski illustrates how it has exploited the ideas of the customers in enhancing its product line.
Other than these SEMs, another important area is ACT marketing. Act marketing is intended towards the formation of experiences through performance on the part of the customer, either privately or in the company of others. The basic intent is to modify the habit of the customers in the manner that is beneficial for a certain products. The same notion has acted as the major strength of Swarovski. It has managed to become a necessity for its customers and has divulged into their lives in a manner which has altered their habits and perception of other brands. This phenomenon can also be seen as synonymous to customer's loyalty since it makes customer to trust a brand and adhere to it religiously.
The last SEM is RELATE marketing. Relate marketing expands beyond the individual's private sensations, feelings, cognitions and actions by relating the individual self to the broader social and cultural context reflected in a brand. If alternate words are used, relate marketing allows the customer to identify itself in the context of the products and services used by him. Relate marketing is the major tool used by Swarovski. This is so because the brand has alleviated itself into the group by most respected names in the world of fashion and luxury living. Consumers do not seek utility from its products but luxury and prestige. They feel worthy after being shown off using Swarovski bangs, apparels, jewelry etc. Hence, Swarovski has acted as a smart player and has exploited most of these SEMs to its fullest.
All these SEMs are made available to the consumers through experience providers (ExPros) which are modes of making these experiences available to the consumer. Some of these ExPros are communication (advertisements, organizational communications, PR campaigns, inclusion of verbal and visual identity through logos, names, colors etc.), product presence (through the way the product is packed and displayed), co-branding (through strategic alliances with partners, sponsors, event marketers, licenses, product displays in social media and entertainment etc.). Some other ExPros are spatial environment (which includes internal office atmosphere and settings along with exterior look of the corporate presence, sales outlets, presence in events and trade fairs etc. ), websites, human resources (sales reps, after-sales professionals, call-centre and front-desk professionals).
Swarovski: A Transition from Traditional Marketing to Experiential Marketing
While exploiting these ExPros and SEMs, Swarovski has played smartly by considering the overall impact of intervention and innovation into its complete product portfolio. There are various issues that are related to using experiential marketing instead of traditional mechanism. As far as traditional marketing is concerned, it considers introduction of new products and services as a mere addition of features into the old ones. This means that product gets to retain its original character but with some innovation (Hollis, 1994).
On the other hand, experiential marketing is driven by three factors: a) the value-addition it makes to the exiting experiential image of the product or an organization, b) the new experiences added into the portfolio of the organization through new products and brand extensions, c) a holistic views offered by it. While opting for new extension in its product line, Swarovski has taken special care of these areas (Katona, 1953). It has ensured that every product associated with Swarovski reflects its original ideology which is to allow its customers to experience luxury. Secondly, it has also ensured that every product makes an addition to Swarovski feel instead of presenting its customers with monotony. Thirdly, to ensure that this experiential approach captures the customer completely by providing a life like experiences which not only satisfies all the senses but also exploits the five SEMs.
The adoption of experiential approach by Swarovski has shown that the brand believes in staying upbeat and evolves over time as the customers' demands and wishes increase. This is the reason why an outlet of Swarovski is not a retail store but a reflection of luxury living that this brand promises. It is aimed at providing its customer with a life-time memory of lavishness which can only be experienced once you touch and feel Swarovski.
Emotional Brand Attachment
We, humans use various ways to methods to define ourselves as a person. One of the common practices is to relate one's self to an appropriate brand (Fournier, 1998). As per Fournier, a relationship between a person and a brand has a tendency of effecting one's conceptualization about one's self. Where there are thousands of brands available to the customer, it is necessary to understand why a singular brand grabs customers' attention and make them stay loyal to it. This is so because these brands develop a relationship with the customer rooted in centrally-held identity issues. She further presents an idea that an association between the brands and the consumer remain valid as long as they are supported by experiences of the consumer offered by the brand. This idea is a further extension of experiential marketing where customer gets to experience the liveliness of a brand. Hence, we can reach a conclusion that the consumers stays interested in the brand which benefits them by adding value to their personal identity.
This is what Swarovski has precisely done. It has developed a superficial self which is all charismatic, luxurious, and stylish and chick. This is what Swarovski stands for. Similarly, when the customer wants to be seen, shine out or feel like a celebrity, Swarovski would be the ultimate choice of the consumer. We further need to use our understanding of prior discussion about experiential marketing for understanding brand attachment so that a relationship between the identity of the user and brand experience can be established, which is the fundamental concept behind brand attachment.
The basic idea of brand self is based on few major marketing concepts such as identity expression, self-concept, brand-luxury, brand attachment and brand experience.
Brand Identity
It is well-argued by marketing professionals that the consumption defines the consumers. The idea is presented by Schau (2000). As per Schau "...identity directly translates into consumption, and that consumption is capable of revealing identity." It is important to note that the intangible consumer identities are a result of manifestation which is based on the consumption. The very idea is also well supported by Power and Hauge (2008). As per them the brands are responsible for devising a context of an institution which allows the customer to develop the identities synchronized by these contexts. These institutions are not just logos or the colors attached to any brands; they are more than that. Hence, brands are known when they rise above their manufacturer or the institution that they relate to and devise the marketing processes as their character.
In the fashion world, brand management has become a mode of having an edge over the competitors by introducing innovation, competitive edge, and communication to the customers' needs in one's products. Swarovski is no different. As compared to other fashion brands offering luxurious identity, Swarovski has moved a step ahead by allowing its consumer to not just wear the luxury but live through it. In terms of innovation, Power and Hauge (2008, p. 128) state, "In the fashion industry new technologies and trends are prototyped, tested and launched in high-end markets and gradually adapted for mass consumption through successive product offerings...." Swarovski has evolved over time where they have developed their own technology of manufacturing products which is exclusive and patented.
A thorough study would explain how brands are now considered as institutions allowing the consumer to move in a space where they are not their real selves but brand selves. Brands act as powerful way of differentiating with the consumer products. Since we have developed a notion that we are what we consumer therefore, this war of becoming authentic and elite is becoming more and more stronger making the consumer more brand conscious (Boli and Elliot, 2008). In the words of Boli and Elliot "...individuals must consciously construct their identities to build (or discover) authentic selves, and the identities they construct must be unique" (2008, p.543). This idea is highly correlated to the luxury fashion brands like Swarovski since they offer exclusivity and uniqueness.
This is rather true that through its patent manufacturing and adherence to crystals with immaculate shine, Swarovski has managed to develop a unique character as compared to its competitors. Where other designers thrive on the basis of innovation, Swarovski promises to respect its historical glory yet answering the current needs of the consumers by combining innovation with sophistication of crystal. However, it is important that the role of cultural forces should be well-understood in this scenario. Penaloza (1994) is a big advocate of the power borne by the cultural forces on consumers' identity. However, even if we agree to this theory, Swarovski has presented its own version of global culture which is called luminous sophisticated. The products that it has offered other than apparels are unique yet uniformly offered to the consumers globally. This is the reason why Swarovski is famous in fashion lovers and not in a particular gender or particular nation. Respecting the ideologies presented by Penaloza, Boli and Ellito, being associated with Swarovski makes one part of a global culture which allows the customer to develop a distinct personal identity.
Where consumers may get associated to luxury brands for distinguishing themselves from others, they may also make an effort to integrate a meaning defined by the brand into their own personalities (Vigneron and Johnson, 2004, p. 490). This may also consumer to go onto a level where adhering to a brand would be determinant of the social referencing and the consumer's effort of constructing his superficial self. Here, the social referencing represents the spending patterns of the consumers under the influence of other social forces such as family, community etc. These social forces also play their respective role in affecting luxury seeking behavior of the consumer which may allow them to get indulge in luxury buying as compared to non-branded purchase. If this perception stands true that Swarovski has to face a difficulty in reaching out potential customers. Despite of having ability to enjoy the luxurious self offered by Swarovski, few customers may chose not to buy it as their cultural forces directed them to do the other way.
White and Dahl (2007) argued that consumer is more likely to spend on a brand which is accepted in the social circle rather than being differential to it. Due to this psychology of consumer, Swarovski has not mastered all the markets globally as yet. It has a substantial standing in the western part of the world and is highly famous in the celebrity world, however, in the eastern markets, it has to gain a little more ground because the cultural forces acting in this region exhibit different behavior.
Escalas (2004) describes the degree to which a brand is incorporated into the personalities of its consumers to have a brand oriented self-concept which would represent their identity. This conception allows the consumers of Swarovski to operate in a closed group in which they can be competed with the personnel bearing similar profile and using Swarovski would give them an edge over others. This is the reason why the brand appears to be common in celeb-world or is seen to be utilized by the elite ones which makes them different than the rest of us, or better than the rest of us.
Self-concept
The definition of self, sense of self, and identity was provided by Belk in 1988. As per Belk, these terms demonstrate how one sees himself or herself. As per him, a customer is a core self who is in a power of possessing other goods and services. This power of possession allows him to extend itself by adopting or acquiring other things (read brands) which later on represent themselves better than the core self. Swaminathan, Page and Gurhan-Canli (2007) define self-concept as individual-level unique identity, which is based on the need for individual autonomy. Self-concept is also illustrated as the beliefs and feelings that one may have about one's self. If we study the relationship of a brand with the self-concept, we would observe that self-concept demonstrates the idea of personal identity instead of a group reflection. The idea of self-concept makes the consumer evaluate what a certain brand has to offer to them and whether it confirms with their exiting self-concept or makes it better.
The idea of self-concept is highly dignified when we study Swarovski. Swarovski stands for shine, luxury and prestige that come with it. It offers panache to its bearer and makes him or her feel like being associated with a century-old legacy of fashion and glamour. Considering the consumption of Swarovski by fashion lovers, we can understand that the brand relates to their ideology of living and also adheres to their self-concept. And, even if it doesn't relate to the exiting self-identity, it makes them develop a desired one. Hence, in the words of Fournier (1998), self-concept connection as the degree to which the brand delivers on concerns, tasks, or themes important to a person's identity.
Brand Luxury
Vigneron and Johnson (2004) emphasizes on how the brand luxury acts as strong element enhancing its consumption sue to limited supply and high value-addition by a commodity associated to that brand. As per the literature-based definition, the luxury goods are the goods offering more esteem and recognition than the other similar goods, along with their specific utility or purpose. Furthermore, Matthiesen and Phau (2004, p. 326) state "Luxury brands are those that are able to persistently demand considerably higher prices than goods with comparable tangible functions." This definition allows us to understand the notion behind consumption of Swarovski.
Swarovski allows its consumer to differentiate from those who use other items offering similar utility making consumer mirror the image projected by it which exclusivity and glamour. A distinguished brand identity makes addition to the self-concept of the consumer respecting the consumer's desire of covetousness and appearance. In the success of Swarovski, we cannot forget the impact of social media forces. It is the power borne by the entertainment world which affects the minds of today's consumer making him / her aspire for the same look as the famous singer or actor. This painted perception makes the general public opt for a brand which was earlier consumed only by the exclusive group (Mandel, Petrova and Cialdini, 2006). One of the reasons for doing so is the opportunity offered by these brands to relate to a luxurious experience allowing the consumer to develop and experience the perception of affluence which makes them different and elite than the consumers using lesser premium brand. Ryan (2007, p. 14) states "The luxury market and its selective distribution system had created the conditions whereby a brand was to be understood in relation to others like it, and to be recognized as distinct from everything else."
Brand Attachment
Brand attachment refers to a strong emotional connection between the consumer and the brand itself. There are three dimensions of this attachment: affection, passion and connection. As per Brakus, Schmitt & Zarantonello (2009), a consumer gets attached to a brand based on the experience related to it, encountered by the consumer which later on transforms into an emotional relationship. Swaminathan, Stilley and Ahluwalia (2008) present an idea that if this sentiment is humanized, it will develop into a brand personality allowing consumer to build loyalty to it. Swarovski has grown over time and is now an identity itself instead of mere commodity. It is a life style which offers its bearer pride and dignity to enjoy. This is the reason why a general consumer feels proud while saying, "I am wearing Swarovski." Swarovski is not just a crystalline product line anymore. It is an amalgam of style, finesse and glitter which makes its bearer stand exclusive.
One can see a consensus in the analysts on how the brand attachment operates. Consumers are more likely to opt for a brand which is a reflection of their existing ideology and they feel related to it. It is more likely that a consumer with a negative self-image is more likely to differentiate between the brands as compared to those who are less anxious about it. Brakus et al. (2009, p. 54) illustrates that along with brand attachment, customer's satisfaction comes with the characterization offered as an arousal and a positive perception of a brand which forms an integral part of the satisfaction offered by the brand itself. This ideology leads us to the conclusion that there is a definite relationship between the emotions borne by the customer and purchasing a particular brand.
Belk (1989) argues that attachment, if broadly construed to apply to past experiences and individual possessions, is more intimately implicated in the extended self construct and that consumers are more likely to be attached to things that are significant to individual identity. Thomson, MacInnis and Park (2005) provided further extension of this argument by illustrating that if the customer is attached to the brand, there is a degree of predictability related to this commitment of the consumer which subsequently motivates him to make financial substitutions or sacrifices in order acquire that brand.
Another dimension in which brand attachment can be evaluated is the association developed between the customer and the brand when consumers attempt to map incoming narrative information onto stories in memory (Escalas, 2004). Swarovski has made its consumer develop memories driven by the luxurious experience they had. These memories make them loyal to it and revert back to it whenever possible. It is the experience altogether that Swarovski offered from the point the consumer actually sees the product and tries them on. From that point till the customer owns it, it is joyous experience which stays in the minds of the consumer and makes them attach to the brand. Swarovski allows its consumer to develop a story and be a part of it. As the customer goes through the narrative experience, they get to visualize the experience offered by this brand and also revisualzie it in order to understand their expectations from the brands. It is this narrative procedure which allows them to relive more valuable experiences which makes them attached to a particular brand. These narratives include stories and personal experiences that have enhanced the purchasing experience of a consumer's particular brand and have consequently caused a memorable attachment to the brand.
This idea is more simplified when explained Guthrie and Kim (2009). As per them, the personality associated to a particular brand is also related to the emotional attachment a customer shows towards it in the form of trust, loyalty, and self-attachment. They further illustrated this idea by saying that a brand personality is the group of human traits attributed to a particular brand. Hence, the relationship developed between self-concept and the brand attachment is that consumer is more inclined towards products which bring significance to self-concept (Belk, 1989).
Brand experience
It is important to note that the consumer experience is highly relevant to the experience brought by a brand as it is one of the major trends in luxury. As per Morrison and Crane (2007, p.410), "Emotional branding is defined here as engaging the consumer on the level of senses and emotions; forging a deep, lasting, intimate emotional connection to the brand that transcends material satisfaction." They continued to add that creation of a holistic experience is what triggers the emotional fulfillment of the customer making customer develop a bond with a unique brand based on trust. In addition to that since the marketing processes have become highly globalized, therefore the marketers have to redefine the nature of the products in order enhance the branding experience.
In relation to this ideology, Swarovski has moved from mere show piece and jewelry manufacturer over time to a complete definition of fashion. It has ventured into apparels, sub-glasses, men accessories, and everything that defines fashion and luxury. This is the reason why a buyer prefers buying Swarovski since it makes them feel the prestige that is associated to this brand and also satisfies every aspect of their desires. Be it a home utility like a candle stand or a fashion accessory like a crystal necklace, Swarovski is the choice that a consumer will make.
Here is a crucial factor related to a brand consumption that would make customers to develop a positive feeling about a brand leading to its purchase and also an affirmative inner satisfaction after making the purchase. This factor is also well-considered by Swarovski since it has many forums to ensure that consumer feels the luxury not only at the time of purchase but also ensures that they are well-satisfied with reference to the after-sales services as well. The character borne by Swarovski is well elaborated by Okonkwo (2009) by saying that luxury brands are sensory in nature therefore the senses of the consumer should be considered rather important while selling a luxurious brand. On this idea presented by Okonkwo, one can see how Swarovski has made its consumer think, feel, and sense the products that it offers.
Brand Prestige
Brand prestige is defined as a relatively high status product / service positioning associated with a brand (Steenkamp, Batra, & Alden, 2003). Dubois and Czellar (2002) further presented an argument that as afr as the product categorization is concerned, the major criteria for a brand excellence is to identify the unique attributes which are inherent to the unique character of a brand reflecting its overall quality and performance (p.4). They further argue that the prestige perceptions derive from a unique, exceptional accomplishment inherent to the brand whereas luxury is related to comfort, beauty and refinement.
Hence, luxurious products are often known for the hedonic benefits offered by them. Brand prestige develops when the people interact and discuss the product attributes and symbolic values attached to them (Vigneron & Johnson, 1999). When the customer experiences a brand, he/she customer notices the positive attributes of it (i.e., sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness), they would likely to develop a certain level of prestige for the brand. Hence, it is the overall brand experience which when associates with the brand personality influences the prestige of that particular brand.
All these factors combines altogether lead the consumer to feel the prestige associated with a brand. The consumer weighs down the benefits offered by a product not only in terms of utility and functionality but also the experience associated to it. Brand attachment is an idea well-exploited by Swarovski. Since brand attachment is a notion based on the experience of the customers and the persona developed with the product, Swarovski manages to promise an outlook with makes it bearer stands distinguished as compared to the users of other brands.
Importance of Social Media for Luxury Brand
With the influence of social media increasing at exponential rate every day, the world is now a global village where everyone can access a piece of information if they wish to. It is also a rather powerful tool allowing the customer to have an easy access to the products they want. Now, exploiting social media is not a choice that luxury brands may choose not to make. They are expected by the consumer to utilize WorldWideWeb for entering, and establishing in the luxury market. However, the question arises how they should do so. Even the landscape of social media practices is changing everyday at a rather growing rate. Along with that, the behavior of the customer and their expectations from the brands are also varying.
Today's customer wishes more and expected more out of brands especially luxury brands. Since luxury brands tend to claim a better prospect and experience as compared to the non-branded commodities, consumers wishes to know if these brands are easily accessible to him or her and even if they are, would they offer a similar level of satisfaction or not. Where the social media is the hub of major information mass exchange, the conventional tools of marketing are losing their value gradually.
As compared to the non-branded products, the luxury brands tend to face different product-related barriers. However, if the tools of social media are exploited properly, the rewards are also extremely lucrative. As far as luxury products are concerned, in order to be exclusive, social media is still an undiscovered sea for many luxury brands. However, the adopters of these methodologies have reaped substantially high benefits. Success will be dependent on developing strategies that address the new behaviors of the modern consumer online while appreciating that luxury brands in social media must remain just that, luxurious (Qualman, 2009).
Social media has allowed the consumers all across the globe to develop a better insight of the products available however this social media regime offers completely different consequences for the luxury products. Earlier marketing strategies made luxury providers to operate in a controlled environment with limited social media activities and were more towards print and electronic marketing. When elite people saw others of their same status wearing a luxury item they wanted the same or better luxury commodity. So most the luxury products were promoted seen in lavish parties and the decision making was based on other luxury consumers.
Social media on the other hand has made available the products that were unseen by the consumers belonging to different segments of the society. The measurement of success or failure of a brand does not depend on desirability of a product now it is rather the image and the way it is promoted in front of its audience on social media sites. Additionally the view points, likability and opinions of a Fashion aware elite living in France is equal to a teenager living in suburbs of New Jersey.
When these brands open themselves up to the opinions of common men along with the actual users these brand can't just differentiate themselves from other brands by means of price and claims of better quality. In these conversations about a particular brand or product these luxury item producers face a tough choice either they indulge themselves or answer the queries of their potential customers themselves.
A luxury brand needs to emphasize on quality and to do so commitment of both human and financial resources is necessary. You cannot sell a low quality product or change your customer services because it is a purchase done on the internet. Cheapening a brand on the internet can have similar consequences in the real world. An ineffective website with a substandard social media presence can result in to a brand's failure. In these economic times and the ever-changing nature of brand equity one should not just start marketing campaigns on the social media. Any such effort should be backed up by extensive research coupled with a good marketing strategy and perfect execution, in this way brands can achieve short-term and long-term success.
Translation of Unique Brand Elements to Social Platforms
Luxury brands claim to offer a unique experience altogether to their customers. There are various brands who haven't ventured into social media as it does not fit well with the definition of their products and services. Also, they expect to be exclusive by not creating hype about themselves. The truth is that social media is a forum which surrounds your targeted segments and makes your message be available to them readily. Where WWW has entered into almost field of life, the consumer expects their service provider to give them expedient solution with reliability.
Although not using social media services was a choice earlier but now that the world has become too compact and the consumer is more aware than ever, even the oldest luxury brands are now required to develop a virtual presence along with their brand personality. Where the consumer has a desire of getting everything instantaneously on a single click and is more aware of his/her social brand. With such desire, the consumer further wishes to feel the same luxury experience on the web what he/she gets while visiting an outlet (Qualman, 2009).
There are various strategies which are required to be followed by the luxury brands. Firstly, the web space needs to be treated rightly as any other mode of marketing would be. Social media allows the luxury businesses to tap into market without actually having a physical presence. Along with that the social media needs to be treated as an extension of the original business. Any flaws would be seen as the faults in the basic product by the customer. It is also important that the message available on social media is a reflection of an offline image of a luxury brand.
In addition to the basic of social media operations, it is also important that luxury brands are manifesting their unique characteristics into products which are offered online. The same ideology needs to be followed not only on the website of the luxury brand but also on other social media forums such as twitter, linkedin, Facebook etc. Where it is established that the social media practices are equally important for luxury brands as they are for non-branded products, it needs to be understood that the objectives and benchmarks related to a product are well set and understood. While evaluating the suitable objectives, all the irrelevant ideas need to be eliminated from the product's portfolio. The luxury brands further need to ensure that the presence of luxury brands on social media not only reflects the original experience available in the stores but also enhances it. Since consumer prefers a physical presence with a human touch in order to divulge into a particular product, social media needs more effort for providing equal level of customer service. A customer needs to be provided with suitable incentives for visiting and shopping from online stores (Safko & Brake, 2009).
A good social media strategy begins with the identification of the brand characteristics and then redefines these traits by enhancing then. Just like a product, a social media strategy also requires suitable packaging.
Adapt Business Practices to the Online Business Model
Marketing as defined by traditions is very different when it comes to social marketing especially when it comes to luxury items. The way social media works is a real challenge for these products since most of the value created for these brands is by restricting its access to everyone. In the physical world, an easy to the brand is known for losing its exclusivity. However, the usage of social media makes the luxury brands to alter their traditional marketing campaigns, hence acting as a mode of attracting more consumers. A mere replacement of a banner with a bill board redefines the message which is being delivered. A consumer feels ignored when the same traditional marketing campaign is reinforced into the websites of the enterprise since they expect to reap more benefits out of social media (Evans, 2010).
There are various best practices which if followed allow the luxury brands to maximize the experience of the consumer. First and foremost rule is to eliminate traditional marketing campaign from the social media and present a fresh marketing regime combined with old core message. Secondly, every brand thrives on ethos. These are the centre pieces which should remain constant at both the forums. Thirdly, try to understand what increases the customer's loyalty towards your brand and then enhance it accordingly, expand it, make the customer feel it. Now that the consumer is getting more aware of what is being offered to them, a consumer well-versed with the virtual world knows precisely the difference between a mere PR campaign and an actual information available on the web. Consumer wants the latter one. There are no fixed formulas through which luxury brands can develop a suitable marketing campaign. However, an effective strategy coupled with original ideology seems to do the needful (Evans, 2008).
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