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Storytelling should be focus for luxury brands: HL Group

June 29, 2011

Hugo Boss uses the power of video on its Web site

NEW YORK - An authentic narrative is an important and integral part of all marketing strategies for luxury brands and to develop this successfully, brands should bring in content specialists, according to an expert at the Luxury Interactive conference.

The importance of original branded editorial content for luxury brands is growing as social media and consumer conversations increases. Brands can benefit largely from a genuine story with relative content across all mediums.

“If you look back on the landscape of great brands, what they all have in common is they are very, very good storytellers,” said Hamilton South, founder of HL Group, New York.

“The one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that digital and social media are a new opportunities to become a good story teller,” he said.

HL is a strategic marketing and communications firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles that creates multiplatform programs for brands with public relations at their core.

Video killed print
Brands cannot just be present on social media. Instead, they must have content that is worth sharing in order to engage consumers and maintain customer relationships.

If a brand does not have good content to share, then social media will serve as nothing more than the mechanics of distribution, according to Mr. Hamilton.

Most luxury brands have a rich history and an intricate narrative, but they are missing the keys in taking this story to the digital world.

Mr. Hamilton suggests that video is a great way for brands to create content and tell their stories, both in online and broadcast mediums.

For instance, Mattel created an initiative with Hulu where the brand created an online reality elimination TV show that engaged consumers while reintroducing the Ken doll into the market.

Also, Ralph Lauren is taking their brand and stretching it across each of their different content categories.

Polo.com hosts several video series developed around its golf and home lines, per Mr. Hamilton.

“I think that the next step we’ll see is most big luxury goods companies getting into the media business because there are so many opportunities to broadcast content,” he said.

Content creators
An important thing that luxury brands must remember when producing branded content and telling a brand story is that authenticity is key.

In order to maintain a consistent, authentic strategy, brands should bring in their own creative, content-based specialists.

“Every brand should be looking for that person who lives in that brand and can mime the brand from the inside out,” Mr. Hamilton said.

When brands use outside agencies for creative content, they run the risk of putting out an inconsistent message and off-brand material.

Also, content created by agencies often tends to be too commercial. Consumers are starting to pick-up on this.

Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs as brands that build narratives and create interesting content because they use inside people who are passionate about the brands, according to Mr. Hamilton.

“Content people are inclined to look at something and develop the story that is there,” Mr. Hamilton said.

“Truth and authenticity are something that everybody can intuitively pick up on and I fundamentally believe that it [content] is not a good agency role, it is the responsibility of the brand to bring in content specialists,” he said.

Final Take
Kayla Hutzler is editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York

Kayla Hutzler is an editorial assistant on Luxury Daily. Her beats are automotive, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, financial services, media/publishing, software and technology, telecommunications, travel and hospitality, real estate, retail and sports. Reach her at kayla@napean.com.