Top 10 luxury brand mobile marketers of Q1

 

Changing consumer habits have forced brands to move quickly into the exploding mobile marketing arena, staying ahead of trends and spearheading technological innovations.

Virtual reality and tactile ads are examples of technology’s cutting edge, while on-demand services and mobile-enabled customer recognition open the door to ways of satisfying customers that were unthinkable even recently. Consumers’ changing relationships with their phones is one of the premiere storylines of recent years, and brands that find innovative ways to reach mobile consumers will be well positioned in the long-term.

Here are the top 10 mobile marketers from the first quarter of 2016, in alphabetical order:

Bang & Olufsen decorates the room
Denmark’s Bang & Olufsen is helping consumers envision the placement of its audio and visual products through a new room configurator application.

Exclusive to Apple iPad, Bang & Olufsen’s BeoHome Design app takes the guesswork out of audio visual set-up by letting consumers explore product options and determine how the brand’s equipment will meld with existing decor and room structure. Using technologies adapted by home repair and decor brands, Bang & Olufsen’s app will allow consumers to experiment without a commitment, as well as seamlessly supporting conversions (see story).

Barneys brings iBeacons to new flagship
Department store chain Barneys New York is offering its consumers an elevated shopping experience by embracing in-store technologies at its newly opened Chelsea flagship.

Barneys’ new downtown New York flagship opened its doors Feb. 15 and while increasing Barneys’ footprint within the city by 55,000-square feet, the space also acts as a kind of homecoming for the retailer. Located between 16th and 17th Streets along Seventh Avenue, the block-long store is situation on the same block where Barneys first opened in 1923 (see story).

 

BMW innovates with interactive film
German automaker BMW is raising awareness with prime product placement in a new kind of movie.

“Late Shift,” created by CtrlMovie with new technology that allows the viewer to make decisions that influence the course of the story, prominently features the BMW i8 and BMW X5 M, with appearances by other vehicles. Having a big part in an innovative creation helps BMW assert its own success on those fronts (see story).

 

 

 

Immidia allows on-demand yachting
New luxury travel company Immidia is launching its app with a promise to be Uber for yachts.

Immidia will allow consumers to hail a yacht to charter for private use, with delivery promised in no more than a couple hours. The new digital economy has encouraged a consumer mindset based around immediately fulfilling wants and needs, and the app represents a further step in the direction of on-demand luxury (see story).

 

 

Lexus pushes mobile ads forward
Toyota Corp.’s Lexus is promoting its GS F in an unusually tactile manner.

The automaker, along with its advertising agency Team One, has partnered with marketing platform Opera Mediaworks and haptic technology licensor Immersion Corporation to design a mobile advertisement that causes the phone to vibrate to recreate the feeling of driving the vehicle. A novel advertisement that engages the consumer’s senses in a new way will make a stronger impression, likely leading to increased conversion rates (see story).

 

 

Michael Kors enters wearables market
U.S. fashion label Michael Kors is proving that technology can be both glamorous and effortless with the introduction of the Michael Kors Access smartwatch.

The traditional watch industry saw a challenge when smartwatches went to market, but brands that meld wearable technology with analog design will likely see an uptick in interest from consumers yearning for the most talked about gadgetry in current memory. From the beginning of wearable discussions, experts had agreed that for traditional watchmakers to protect their market share, brands would need to embrace consumer interest through collaborations by maintaining heritage through aesthetics and including technological touchpoints (see story).

 

Miu Miu combines music and fashion
Prada’s Miu Miu is bringing music and fashion together on mobile with the release of a new interactive application.

The Miu Miusic app lets consumers become the creator as they mix beats from DJ Frédéric Sanchez with animated moods featuring the label’s latest collections. Music and fashion often go hand-in-hand, whether it is the runway soundtrack that illuminates a designer’s vision or a creative partnership, and this app allows Miu Miu fans to create their own relationships between the two artistic outlets (see story).

 

 

Rémy Martin provides a new angle
Cognac maker Rémy Martin is letting consumers explore its heritage through an interactive experience that mixes education and entertainment.

Housed on a microsite, the “One Life/Live Them” places consumers at the center of a party, allowing them to uncover 300 years of brand history in a three minute video. This first-person narrative enables Rémy Martin to explain its codes and craftsmanship in an immersive, experiential manner.

While available for desktop, the video is most immersive on mobile because gyroscope technology enables the viewer to navigate through the scene simply by angling their device. On desktop, the viewer’s vantage point can be controlled by using the arrow keys (see story).

 

 

Tag Heuer taps into new reality
Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer is crafting a legend with the help of the New York Times’ virtual reality mobile application.

The NYT VR app puts readers at the center of New York Times’ content, including what is produced by its brand partners, through immersive 360-degree video experiences that allow for an interactive narrative. LVMH-owned Tag Heuer is using the NYT VR app’s storytelling capabilities to share the heritage of its Carrera timepiece with New York Times’ audience, showing both its placement within the overall watch industry and its modernity (see story).

 

 

Versace showcases branded love
Italian fashion house Versace is letting consumers put their own touch on some of its most well-known codes with a new Emoji mobile application.

Released in time for Valentine’s Day, Versace’s app passes the creative baton to the user, allowing them to combine existing photos, backgrounds, stickers, drawings and text to create a photo shareable on Instagram. With the romantic holiday around the corner, the label is looking at this app as an opportunity for its consumers to share their affection in Versace style (see story).