In luxury retail, brand integrity and consumer trust are paramount. This often translates to a very high need for control about where advertising appears with a strong focus on quality ad environments that deliver relevant reach.
Ironically, this means that often more traditional advertising channels are being chosen in favour of data-driven ones, although the very nature of applying data to advertising can offer exactly the level of control and transparency that luxury advertisers want.
It’s time for a radical re-evaluation, a 180-degree shift in perspective for luxury brands to not only stay abreast of the digital revolution but to lead it.
Have you booked your seat at the Campaign Breakfast Briefing event yet?
Join us this Friday, September 6, for The Future is Now event being held
at the Grand Plaza Mövenpick, Media City. Click here to buy tickets.
Brand positioning in luxury retail – a strategic imperative
Luxury advertisers are meticulous about how and where their products, services and brands are featured. They demand precision and transparency about where their ads are being shown. Leading marketers have already realised this potential by running ads on the open internet, because this is exactly where they benefit from a lot more data and therefore control than on traditional, offline channels.
Marketers value the transparency available for campaigns within digital channels on the web, in apps, digital audio and connected TV – particularly, compared to user-generated content and social media within so called “walled gardens,” where ad placements often happen within a black box and without transparency.
Advanced targeting options and analytics available for advertising on the open internet can help advertisers maintain brand safety and control. They can ensure that their campaigns appear in contexts that boost the brand’s reputation, reinforcing its positioning and appealing to discerning customers.
Transparency: building trust in the digital age
These advanced controls can provide the levels of transparency and trust that are paramount for luxury advertisers. By embracing real-time ad placements, powered by granular data, advertisers can build campaigns with greater precision to reach the right audience.
Reputable partners who provide clear independent and objective reporting and accountability, can help luxury brands to safeguard their reputation and ad investments. While social media does offer analytics, the data is typically confined to the metrics and formats provided by the platform itself.
This means the level of independent and transparent measurement and attribution, which is already available on the open internet, can sometimes be difficult to obtain from social media providers.
High-quality channels: prioritising premium placements
With transparency comes a much better way to ensure ads are positioned alongside high-quality content, a pre-requisite that is often non-negotiable for luxury brands. The placements of their ads need to be in line with high standards of quality and brand exclusivity.
Programmatic advertising can be much safer and more reliable than is often perceived. Collaborations with established publishers and esteemed platforms that produce premium content and ad inventory can help focus the investment on brand safe channels and thereby ensure a refined digital presence that underlines and supports the premium image of the brand.
Digital media-buying platforms use extensive data to target specific audience segments within the desired quality channels. These can include the web, mobile apps, streaming video and audio, and even digital out-of-home screens. By understanding consumer behavior, brands can refine targeting strategies to focus on premium audiences and placements.
Relevance and reach: the new paradigm of personalised engagement
Being very selective depending on the data available – to ensure the right ads are relevant for the right audience – doesn’t mean compromising on reach. There are plenty of opportunities available to choose from. Each second, we see about 15 million ad opportunities within our platform.
An omnichannel approach means that digital advertising can mirror the fragmented media consumption of the consumer. This could include streaming music in the morning on the way to work, seeing digital screens in the shopping mall, surfing the web for news over lunch, streaming series or movies on the TV at home, and of course, the multiple smartphone interactions throughout the day.
Programmatic advertising can harness vast amounts of data to deliver highly personalised and relevant messages to the right audience at the right time. Advanced targeting techniques ensure ads resonate on a personal level.
Leading the digital revolution in luxury
Embracing data-driven advertising is not just about keeping up with the digital age; it’s about leading it. Luxury brands in the Middle East have an opportunity to redefine how they apply these tools for precise, sophisticated, and meaningful engagement.
Embracing what is already possible today is essential for future marketing success, because media consumption across the digital space is extremely fragmented.
Successful advertising strategies must consider all potential touchpoints across devices and channels to address audiences in the right places. Only then can luxury brands remain relevant and successful in the digital age.
Terry Kane, Managing Director Middle East & Africa at The Trade Desk
