Is Louis Vuitton killing the Social Media game? Here are their pros and cons.
Overview
The luxury brand Louis Vuitton has a rich history dating back to 1851, when young Louis Vuitton began to establish himself in the midst of elite and royal clientele. He made his mark after becoming Napoleon III’s wife, the Empress of France’s personal box maker. It was said that he packaged “the most beautiful clothes in an exquisite way.”
Three short years after that, Louis Vuitton, named after himself, was founded in 1854 in Paris, France. Louis’ shop started as a box making and packing workshop, with his shop sign reading, “Securely packs the most fragile objects. Specializing in packing fashions.”
His boxes, better known as trunks, were first made with leather and were dome shaped. However, he soon began using a different material that was considered more durable and water resistant. Louis also changed the dome shape to a rectangular shape, making them easy to stack. Many commentators consider his trunk to be the “birth of modern luggage.”
After his death in 1892, his son carried on his legacy and now Louis Vuitton not only sells luggage, but an array of products ranging from clothes to accessories. The company currently has 9.2% of the market share for luxury brands and according to Forbes, has 27.3 billion in revenue, with 10 billion in sales.
Past and Present Marketing Methods
Due to the company establishing its brand overtime, it seems as though no matter how they market the brand they will always appeal to their loyal customers. With Louis Vuitton being one of the top global luxury brands, it is no surprise seeing their commercial print ads in fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and InStyle. This has been a norm for the high fashion company and they also brand themselves through their glamorous fashion shows, among other methods. However, with current technological advances, it is expected for this superior brand to make marketing strategy adjustments in order to accommodate consumers’ new love for all things social media.
Pros of Louis Vuitton’s Social Media Marketing
Louis Vuitton has multiple social media handles that showcase their latest collections and enable fans to watch their fashions shows live. The company posts regularly on their accounts and seem to be doing really well. They currently have social media accounts on:
· YouTube
There, you will find high quality photos and videos of their latest pieces, as well as access to live fashion shows for the fans. Louis Vuitton even offers fashion advice!
Louis Vuitton’s limited customer base makes it even more vital for their branding and marketing team to stay on top in terms of reaching those high paying customers. With a following of over 39 million between all social media accounts, they seem to be marketing themselves extremely well online. However, there a few ways they can brand themselves better.
Cons of Louis Vuitton’s Social Media Marketing
Although Louis Vuitton has their Facebook and Pinterest linked, they don’t have any other accounts linked. If they were to link all accounts, they’d be able to reach a larger consumer/fan base. Considering they don’t post the same things on each social media handle, it may put them at an advantage by encouraging consumers to explore more sides of their brand with a simple click to another one of their pages.
Another issue is their one-way communication online. The company constantly posts photos and videos, but there is no area that encourages consumer feedback. They have some of the most likes, shares, and comments on social media, but they still lack dialogue between them and their customers. It’d be a good idea to create two-way communication.
Louis Vuitton could have contests, ask questions to customers on their sites, and even create a hashtag for customers to use when they take photos of their purchases. This will reinforce the brand, as well as make customers feel important and encourage customer loyalty, purchases, and repurchases.
Conclusion
Louis Vuitton has always seemed to do well with their marketing and brand management, but there’s always room for improvement. With these few tweaks, Louis Vuitton will be on their way to maximizing their usage of social media in order to effectively market themselves. But what do I know? I’m just a social media addict.
This post was created as part of the Global Luxury Management Program at the NC State Poole School of Management. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sources:
- “Luxury Buyers Demand a Cross-channel Shopping Experience — Marketing Forward Blog.” Marketing Forward Blog. N.p., 2013. Web.
- “Louis Vuitton’s Facebook Page: The Pros and Cons.” Fashionable Marketer. N.p., 2014. Web.
- “Fashionisers.” Fashionisers. N.p., n.d. Web. (Photo)
- “Louis Vuitton Logo.” Wikimedia Commons. N.p., 2011. Web. (Photo)
