COMMENT
COMMENT
HOW TO TARGET LUXURY TRAVEL PURCHASES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
ANTHONY RAWLINS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, DIGITAL VISITOR
designer luggage – attracting the mass-market consumer is a neverending temptation for luxury brands. But it’s one that presents a very real catch-22 scenario. On one hand, mainstream success and the power of the once-in-a- lifetime purchase result in sales. On the other, it can dilute reputation, potentially damaging perception among a luxury brand’s core audience. But what if there were a way of appealing to mainstream consumers without risking brand suicide? Below we explore deep- audience targeting on social media and its
C
ruises, once-in-a- lifetime destinations, first-class flights, even
potential for enabling luxury travel brands to gain mainstream success.
BECAUSE IT’S WORTH IT... Last year we produced insights for a major UK travel group. Using data tools to analyse its social media audiences, we clearly identified a ‘luxury treats tribe’ among its followers. Composed primarily of low-end earners who gift themselves luxury goods when they travel, this ‘tribe’ highlights the potential of ‘because it’s worth it’ purchases. And this is a finding echoed elsewhere, with TripAdvisor’s Trip Barometer finding that ‘spending more on holidays’ is the second-most significant trend for 2016.
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Though any insight into consumer spending is vital, equally important is understanding how to harness that potential. In this case, that means targeting the ‘luxury treats tribe’ without alienating traditional consumers of luxury goods. So, what makes us so sure of social? First, it’s broadly recognised that core luxury audiences don’t interact and engage with social media on the same scale as mainstream consumers, let alone specific brands. Therefore, any presence on social media is unlikely to carry significant risk for luxury travel brands. Second, the opposite
is true of mainstream consumers, who are far more likely to favourite, follow and engage with their favourite brands. This behaviour includes aspirational brands. Third, social media channels – Facebook, in particular – are always expanding the granular targeting options open to businesses. This gives luxury brands the opportunity to target advertising messages to once-in- a-lifetime purchasers. Finally, these laser-focused targeting options also enable the mindful marketer to hide offers and potentially damaging advertising from their standard timeline, greatly reducing the risk of undermining long-established relationships with core audiences.
IS IT WORTH IT? The targeting options available on social media are compelling, and can be used for far more than simply dangling a product under the nose of consumers. Insights, data and custom audiences are just the first step. From a point of understanding, you can tailor messaging to appeal to specific audiences and even use it to drive a campaign to capture contact data of thousands of new fans. By using social media to laser-focus on mass-market audiences, it’s possible to sidestep brand alienation and siphon off only the benefits of audience expansion.
aspire june 2016 — 25
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