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Vertu taps Vogue, Net-A-Porter for geo-targeted mobile ads

February 9, 2012

Vertu ad in Vogue Daily News

Luxury smartphone retailer Vertu is using location-based advertisements in mobile applications such as Conde Nast’s Vogue and Net-A-Porter to market its new Constellation device.

The ads use video and are meant to drive consumers to Vertu boutiques. The brand is trying to target a high-end female consumer.

“With innovative mobile advertising campaigns, luxury brands have the ability to better target their campaigns at a specific audience in a certain geographic location,” said Gabi Schindler
chief marketing officer of Amobee, San Francisco.

“With the use of rich-media technology, brands can also create very relevant campaigns that engage the potential customer more than the average traditional ad,” she said.

Nokia-owned Vertu’s ad campaign was handled by Amobee.

Seeing stars
Vertu’s mobile ad featured an in-app video that described the features of the Constellation.

The Constellation is the first handset with a full touch screen from Vertu. Key features include an 8-pixel camera, hard-worked leather and a high-tech sound system.

Vertu sponsored the Vogue Daily News app which allowed the brand to reach a female market, according to Amobee.

Vertu sponsorship for Vogue Daily News app

In addition, the Vertu video ad ran in the Net-A-Porter iPad app which received a 24 percent click-through rate. This exceeds expectations and industry standards, claims Amobee.

The ad used location-based technology to reach affluent shopping areas and drive foot traffic into Vertu boutiques.

Geo-targeting was crucial in this campaign to reach a niche female market, per Amobee.

Vertu ad

Banner act
Many luxury brands are using banner ads to target consumers. However, only a few are using location-based services to do so.

For example, department store chain Nordstrom used Internet radio service Pandora’s iPhone app to target consumers in a particular region and drive them to their local store for an upcoming lingerie event (see story).

Additionally, retailer Bergdorf Goodman used a location-based banner ad that advertised an in-store event on the popular smartphone game Words With Friends (see story).

Since Vertu was going for a very specific audience, it was likely a good move to target demographics and apps that traditionally have a female userbase.

Vertu ad for the iPad

“Location-based mobile advertising allows the brand to hone in to a very specific audience to encourage the potential customer to act on the offer provided in the mobile ad,” Ms. Schindler said.

“For example, if the potential customer is near a Vertu boutique, geo-fencing allows the advertiser to deliver the mobile ad only to people in the defined radius around the particular boutique and, therefore, significantly increase potential customer visits to the stores,” she said.

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.