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Robb Report taps lifestyle, hospitality ads to promote summer travel

April 26, 2012

May Robb Report

CurtCo Media-owned Robb Report is looking to entice summer travel via hospitality, private jet and lifestyle advertisements in its May issue.

Advertisers including Patek Philippe, Ritz-Carlton, IWC, Inspirato, Sea Island, Net Jets, XOJets and Jet Suite lend a summery, get-up and-go feel to the magazine that will likely encourage consumers to travel. The ads are coupled with editorial and content on lifestyle brands to round out the experience.

“Robb Report’s brand advertisements are written in such as way that they come off as more of an article than an ad,” said James Dean, vice president and head of luxury practice at WealthEngine, Bethesda, MD. “From advertisements and articles, they have a compelling audience reach that resonates with a high-net-worth consumer more than anyone else in the publication market.”

Mr. Dean is not affiliated with Robb Report, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Robb Report could not comment before press deadline.

Get away
The main cover image of Robb Report is the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S. The cover story is the 100 Top Resorts in the world.

The first ad to relay a summery lifestyle is that of watchmaker Patek Philippe. It shows a father and son tying knots on a yacht on a summer day.

The slogan reads, “You’ll never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation.”

Another ad is for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card. The ad shows an image of New York at night and the brand’s credit card. The newly-rebranded tagline says, “Let us stay with you.”

Ritz-Carlton print ad

IWC’s ad shows two planes in the sky with the tagline, “Engineered for men who don’t need a co-pilot.”

The ad does not exactly lend a summer feel, but definitely gives off an adventurous vibe.

Many hotel and hospitality brands including the St. Regis, the Bellagio and Inspirato have ads next to prime editorial spots throughout the magazine.

Bellagio print ad

In addition, private jet companies including Nextant Aerospace, XOJet, NetJets and JetSuite encourage consumers to get up and away.

“Advertisements appearing in Robb Report have the benefit of being deemed as a luxury brand by the consumer,” said Courtney Albert, brand strategist at Parker Avery, Atlanta. “However, I would assume that this belief does not come as easily behind the scenes.

“I would assume the sales and editorial staff take extra measures of vetting every possible marketer they approach or who desires to appear in its pages,” she said. “As a luxury lifestyle magazine, the added effort taken to ensures that the print marketing aligns with the editorial content and also allows the periodical to protect the advertising rates charged.”

NetJets print ad

Jetting off
With digital magazines on the rise, consumers are seeking out new ways to read publications.

Along with these new editions comes two-way interactivity with brands and consumers that cannot be done through the one-way print medium.

However, this may not be such a bad thing for luxury advertisers.

Older, affluent consumers are more likely than younger consumers to read a print publication. Furthermore, these are exactly the kind of reader that luxury marketers want.

Since print is becoming cluttered, luxury brands may want to consider some environments that are not shared with mainstream marketers.

Brands that do not want aspirational consumers will have to pick and choose the magazines that cater solely to the affluent crowd.

For example, advertisers including Tiffany & Co., Ralph Lauren, Cartier, Rolex, Chanel, Christian Dior, David Yurman and Ritz-Carlton positioned themselves purveyors of the luxury lifestyle in this month’s Town & Country magazine that featured actress Gretchen Mol, private clubs and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (see story).

In addition, Condé Nast’s Tatler magazine is moving towards creating a luxury lifestyle image by carefully selecting only high-end brands and images in its April issue (see story).

“While we live in a digital age, print marketing in publications is still widely read and I do think that print marketing is a way to reach an audience in a traditional way more than anything,” WealthEngine’s Mr. Dean said. “Print is a singular directional media, but the approach while it is different is still as effective as anything else.”

Final Take
Rachel Lamb, associate reporter on Luxury Daily, New York

Rachel Lamb is an associate reporter on Luxury Daily. Her beats are apparel and accessories, arts and entertainment, education, food and beverage, fragrance and personal care, government, healthcare, home furnishings, jewelry, legal/privacy and nonprofits. Reach her at rachel@napean.com.