Hermès, Vuitton : Two Brands of Excellence..: Hermès, Vuitton : Media Strategies

In this article, we will review the communication strategy evolution of Hermès and Louis Vuitton.

In 2008, with the economic crisis, the luxury market was suffering and the sales of Top Brands were low. To seduce their clients, the luxury brands can not only claim their luxury identity and their universe like in the past.

From now on, they have to modify their media strategies in order to succeed in affirming their uniqueness while also responding to the needs of the individualization of consumers.

Louis Vuitton and Hermès opt for two different strategies with distinct objectives.

Hermès and the importance of its handcrafted products...

The firm, created in 1873 by Thierry Hermès, has become over time among one of world renown and finest luxury fashion house by personifying the elegance and refinement. The company possesses 14 product divisions encompassing leather, scarves, ties, men's wear, women's fashion, perfume, watches, stationery, footwear, gloves, enamel, decorative arts, tableware, and jewelry.

Hermès has never changed its communication strategy but with the crisis, its objectives are evaluated by having a low volume of product advertising communication, a higher effort of corporate communication through rich content events and Hermès Foundation and the Launch of Corporate e-commerce website in 2007.

Besides the traditional media techniques (press, posters, videos), Hermès has the good idea to reinforce its presence in the media.Thanks to that the luxury brand won the first place in the 2010 Luxury Marketer of the Year awards. Indeed, the participative website on the Voyage of Hermès has been successful.

Actually, the internet users were invited to participate in the game online on the website.Participants will be invited to express their views on their travel dreams with poesy.

They were supposed to tell the story of its new product. After selection, Hermès paid for the dreams which has the most success among the net users. Its larger presence on the web allowed to the democratization of its relational and to get close to its consumers. Indeed, the luxury brands have used this to keep distance with their clients because by essence, the luxury products have to be rare and unique. Nonetheless, in recent years, they want to be more accessible in their digital strategies. Indeed , they do not have forgot what their principal characteristic is : the service.

In second place at the 2010 Luxury Marketer of the Year awards, there was Louis Vuitton. This multi channel strategy brings the history and prestige of the French fashion icon to life.Louis Vuitton’s parent company, LVMH, is engaged in digital marketing with its Cross-channel campaigns between traditional and new media. Indeed, for example, an extension of its campaign with the famous rock star Bono and his wife has launched through different media strategies as print, online, mobile and social marketing .