Luxury Content: Marketing for the High-End Consumer

What’s the rest of 2023 looking like for marketers of luxury consumer goods and services? While middle-income consumers are expected to cut back on discretionary spending due to inflation, research shows luxury content will be unaffected. The forecast for personal luxury retail sales looks bright, with growth in spending predicted to continue through 2026, according to Insider Intelligence.

If you’ve been tasked with marketing a luxury item, service, or experience, consider these steps to help ensure you’re reaching your target audience, crafting compelling content, and providing the exceptional customer journey that luxury consumers have come to expect from high-end brands.

Identify your niche audience

Savvy marketers know that identifying target personas is essential, and the same is true for luxury consumers.

Beyond simply looking at income and spending habits, buyers of high-end items may have different values, goals, and personality dimensions than middle-income consumers. You’ll need to do some consumer research to better understand how to capture the attention of the former, including their desired feelings. You need to dial-in your target audience.

Your team should determine where your target audience spends their time and what kind of content they prefer so you can meet them where they are, whether on social media, through print media, or at celebrity-fueled events. Identify luxury influencers who connect with your audience and collaborate with them.

Need an example of on-target marketing by a luxury brand? Check Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo’s campaign with GayTravelCurator on Instagram.

Differentiate by showcasing high-value qualities

Whether you’re marketing a high-end hotel, a designer watch, or a fine dining experience, your brand won’t focus on savings. Discounting can harm luxury brands by removing the sense of exclusivity.

Targeting wealthy consumers—or at least those willing to splurge—means you’ll need to craft content highlighting unique characteristics. Will your brand be promoting the exceptional craftsmanship of a men’s suit? The materials used in kitchen cabinets? The performance of a speed boat? The exclusivity of an opal necklace?

Determine what differentiates your brand and the individual item or service you’re promoting. Then focus on ways to highlight those features in a way that reflects your target audience.

Need an example of laser-focused features marketing? When Rolex wanted to promote its Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge watch built for “ultimate diving,” it enlisted the endorsement of “Titanic” filmmaker James Cameron, who reflected on his journey into the deepest part of the ocean.

Craft exceptional content around feelings

There’s a psychology behind good content, and luxury consumers aren’t immune. Without price points as a consideration, luxury content should be focused on not only features and benefits but also feelings. The more consumers can relate to feel-good emotions produced by the content, the better connected they’ll feel about your brand, and the more likely they’ll buy.

The feelings derived from luxury content are often driven by the symbolism the messaging creates. Luxury brands tend to craft messaging around social standing, a strategy that plays off ideals of “I’ve reached the pinnacle of my career,” or “I’ve managed my money well,” or simply “I’ve earned the wealth to treat myself.”

That social standing strategy can be mirrored to consumers through celebrity brand endorsements, highly produced content components with stunning photography or videography, a jaw-dropping background (think of a lone luxury car driving the coastline), and packaging (think Tiffany’s blue jewelry box).

When developing content that evokes emotion, keep storytelling top of mind. Use elements that create a sense of place, mood, and energy to evoke feelings and share the story of your brand and the happily-ever-after of your customer.

For a prime example, see how champagne giant Dom Perignon revealed its Vintage 2004 Plenitude 2 “through a journey of elevation” with a bespoke rooftop performance by Prima Ballerina, Dorothee Gilbert.

Provide a legacy of customer experience

Luxury brands don’t just have high expectations to meet in terms of their product or service but also of a lifetime of exceptional customer service. Luxury resorts have built-in multi-generational ownership. Luxury cars get passed down to adult children. Luxury jewelry is insured and included in estates. Marketers of elite brands aren’t building a sale; they’re building a legacy that future generations of buyers will continue to respect and covet.

Need an example of multigenerational legacy-focused storytelling? Check out Porsche’s video highlighting its iconic Porsche 953, the car that revolutionized rallying, and how it inspired the new 911 Dakar.

Every touch point of the luxury consumer’s journey must make them feel special and nurtured. Emotional engagement is of the utmost importance not only for the content itself, but also with every call, email, comment, or in-person meeting with your customer or their representatives.

Your content is only as effective as the weakest link of their entire buying experience. One disappointing experience—with sales or customer service—can be enough to lose a customer for life.

Luxury brands are held to higher expectations, including but not limited to immediate responses to posted or submitted questions, real-time customer service with no holding, exclusivity, flawless packaging, and door-to-door delivery. Don’t drop the ball before the sale is complete; or even after it’s done. Brand loyalty at the luxury level often means referrals, upgrades, and repeat business—even decades later.

Put these tips and examples to use as you venture into marketing for the luxury consumer. Keep features, feelings, and open-ended experience top of mind as you cater content to high-income consumers. Try to mirror your target audience members’ aspirations back to them through content to elevate your marketing efforts.