Trend Report

Gucci
Advertising Campaign
2020
Contents

Brand Research

Image - legacy, philosophy

Client – Target Audience

Personality

Social/Culture/Financial impacts

Execution

Need for Trend Forecasting

Marketing Campaigns

Upcoming Global Trends

Technology

Photography, Film and Videography

Social Media

Technology

Photography, Film and Videography

Brand Research
Long ago, people used buy a product for its sole function, instead now we buy a product
to satisfy necessities. Undoubtedly a product or a service as we are connected to symbolic
values. We strive for our psychological wants. More than ever we are attached to a favorite
brand, simply for the fact that we love it as if we love ourselves.
Among the functions brands perform is the relational function, where the brand is con-
strued as having a personality which enables it to form a relationship with the consumer.
You find yourself in love with a brand when it symbolizes your distinctive values and char-
acteristics. Cheerful, brave, successful or classy are amongst various adjectives used to
describe our beloved brands. By assigning a set of traits, human attributes to a brand, we
anthropomorphize it. From that, brand personality derives.

“
Gucci has an iconic brand identity. Its GG
interlocking gold logo and their horse bite loaf-
ers are recognizable to consumers as products
like the GG logo belt are instant reminders
that someone is wearing Gucci product. They
have a strong brand identity which is backed
Client – Target Audience
Target market is middle and high-class con-
sumers around the ages of 20-50. Who buy
for their products for the Italian heritage,
luxury and timeless pieces. Gucci’s demo-
graphics has changed a lot in recent years.
up by high quality, trendy and Italian Crafts-
manship factors. Personality
Gucci, as a market leader in the fashion
Image - legacy, philosophy industry, well applies those dimensions in
Gucci has a very strong brand identity, they building its brand identity. From another an-
communicate a perception of high-quality gle, Gucci’s personality is inferred through
craftsmanship along with innovative and bold the applications of semiotics (brand logo,
design. The brand’s personality is reflected in signs, and symbols) and classical condition-
their customers; eclectic, contemporary and ing (when an external stimulus such as typ-
romantic. They also very clearly depict their
country of origin; Italy amongst their identity,
evoking feelings amongst customers that Gu-
cci products represent the pinnacle of Italian
craftsmanship.
Because of this strong identity, their relation-
ship with their customers is highly personal.
When a customer looks in the mirror and sees
Gucci the brand is reflected back in them-
selves, the stereotypical consumer will feel
influential, innovative and progressive- much
like the brand itself.
ical user, endorser, and price of advertising
style is associated with the brand to trigger
expected responses).
As suggested by many scholars, excitement
and sincerity are considered two funda-
mental dimensions that capture the ma-
jority of variance in personality ratings for
brands. It is not an overstatement to say
Gucci has a notoriously recognizable and
loveable identity worldwide. The brand
takes pride in its high-quality craftsmanship
and unparalleled, innovative design, pos-
sessing itself a robust identity. Just by look-
ing at something as simple as the brand’s
monochromatic logo, we can notice a sense
of grandeur and authenticity. The ‘Made in
Italy’ slogan accentuates the brand’s afflu-
ent Italian Heritage – a luxury craftsman-
ship culture renowned as a leader in art
and fashion. Thus, the belief that Gucci’s
products are made from the pinnacle of
Italian mastery is ingrained in consumer’s
perception.
The brand’s personality is also reflected in
its eclectic, contemporary and romantically
flashy customers. Since Gucci fans usually
find themselves influential, innovative and
progressive – much like the brand itself –
the brand’s luxurious nature and its custom-
er self-image are interrelated. By utilizing
numerous strategic alliances with celebri-
ties as brand ambassadors, the brand fur-
ther accelerates its prestige stance. On top
of that, Gucci’s top-end price range, in re-
lation to the classical conditioning concept,
brings out a Veblen effect, postulating that
goods are desired for being over-priced. It
is caused either by the belief that higher
price means the higher quality or by the de-
sire for conspicuous consumption and to be
seen as buying an expensive, prestige item.
All those factors contribute to the brand’s
imagery which characterizes five dimen-
sions above.
To name every single contributor of Gucci
brand’s multi-dimensional personality, it is
obviously an elephantine task. However,
those elements are more or less pertinent
to the classical conditioning and semiot-
ics field. By well employing factors such as
logo, symbols or pricing or promotion strat-
egies, Gucci has successfully established its
robust identity of being innovative, luxuri-
Social/Culture/Financial impacts
Social
One day prior to World Environment Day, last 5th
June, Gucci unveiled the launch of Gucci Equilib-
rium, an online platform designed to further its
commitment to sustainability. This launch is part
of Gucci’s 10-year sustainability plan, centered
on three pillars: environment, people and inno-
vation.
Gucci desires to have a World in equilibrium. It
is not easy nowadays, we know, lots of things to
undo. That is why the company has decided to
take part of the fashion revolution bringing pos-
itive change in order to secure its collective fu-
ture.
With Gucci Equilibrium, the luxury company en-
sures it will update its employers on the way they
are letting planet Earth set the limits and how
they are applying innovation and cutting-edge
science to find new ways to manage its impact.
Gucci Equilibrium also explains how the brand
accounts for its actions, helping to shift the way
that society values companies to make them
“We know that our brand and our people are commit-
ted agents of social and environmental change and we
want to take that seriously”.
more sustainable.
For the future of fashion
Gucci is really doing for the future of fashion. Lots
of things,
Gucci has a recycling programs in which they are
retoffing LED lighting at 200 stores. The compa-
ny also monitors Co2 emissions, so that it can set
real targets for reduction.
Gucci is steadily increasing the number of hybrid
vehicles in its fleet, up from 19 in 2015 to 52 in
2017. It will carry on switching.
Gucci has established an ambitious target to re-
duce its EP&L footprints by 40% relative to Busi-
ness growth by 2015.
Regarding to environmental reporting, Gucci re-
duced a 63% the paper consumption, a 33% the
water consumption and an 18% the energy con-
sumption per employee in 2017 vs. 2016 in its of-
fices.
 Last 2017, Gucci purchased around 102 tons of GOTS
certified cotton that is about the same weight as a blue
whale, and equates to 13% of all the cotton the com-
pany consumes. Gucci is also working to increase the
proportion of recycled and plant-based fibres they use.
The company has incorporated Newlife polyester into
its ready-to-wear collections. This is an engineered fi-
bre made 100% from post-consumer bottles, which are
sourced, processed and spun into yarns using a mechan-
ical (not Chemicals) process.
Gucci no longer uses PVC anywhere in its products. In
2015, they began replacing verging plastic in the heels
of shoes with a recycled ABS plastic and, in 2018, they
will produce 40,000 pairs of shoes with TPU soles which
contains 50% bio-plastic content.
Gucci’s ongoing campaign to support girls’ and women’s
empowerment, diversity and inclusion through initia-
tives like Chime for Change has been widely publicized
thanks to the work of its high-profile founders Salma
Hayek and Beyoncé.
I was a Sari, shows how Gucci craftsmen teach women
from marginalized communities in Mumbai the skills to
upcycled saris.

“Equilibrium means that we are committed

to bringing the very best quality to our cus-
tomers, while maintaining positive environ-
mental and social impact”.

Cultural
Gucci Launches Initiatives to Foster Cultural Diversity
and Awareness-
The Italian luxury company revealed Friday the first four
long-term initiatives to achieve cultural diversity and
awareness throughout its organization and activities
globally, following accusations last week that a Gucci
balaclava-style sweater evoked blackface.
The first four initiatives are:
• Hiring global and regional directors for diversity and
inclusion;
• Setting up a multicultural design scholarship program;
• Launching a diversity and inclusivity awareness pro-
gram;
• Launching a global exchange program.
Gucci is pledging to hire diverse talent within key func-
tions and leadership positions of the group, including the
design office, and will invest in educating all of its 18,000
employees around the world “to achieve a much higher
level of global cultural awareness.”
“The pain of these days: my own and
that of the people who saw in one of
my creative projects an intolerable in-
sult,”
- Gucci employees, Michele
President and chief executive officer Marco Biz-
zarri said Gucci accepted “full accountability for
this incident, which has clearly exposed shortfalls
in our ongoing strategic approach to embedding di-
versity and inclusion in both our organization and
in our activities.”
In an interview with WWD earlier this week, Biz-
zarri pointed to “ignorance of this matter. Certain-
ly, it was not intentional but this is not an excuse.”
A “thorough review of the circumstances that led
to this” followed, said Bizzarri on Friday, ex-
plaining that he had “also engaged with all of our
stakeholders, most especially our employees and
leaders of the African-American community, in or-
der to determine immediate actions that will bring
greater diversity to key functions in our corporate
and regional offices, along with greater cultural
awareness throughout our worldwide organization
to avoid similar situations occurring in the future.”
The executive was in New York this week and he
underscored the role Dapper Dan — a Gucci col-
laborator — played in helping to meet other com-
munity and industry leaders in Harlem, N.Y., to re-
ceive their perspective and insights. This was not a
one-off, underscored the company, as the plan is to
continue to engage with this group to ensure diver-
sity and cultural awareness in the long-term. Dan
said earlier this week that he held Gucci account-
able for “getting it outrageously wrong.”
“My entire life has been dedicated to fight to grant
myself and any other the possibility to be different
and to freely express themselves,” said creative di-
rector Alessandro Michele. “I look forward to wel-
coming new perspectives to my team and together
working even harder for Gucci to represent a voice
for inclusivity.”
As reported, in a letter to Gucci employees, Mi-
chele, while also taking “full accountability,” ex-
pressed “the pain of these days: my own and that of
the people who saw in one of my creative projects
an intolerable insult,” explaining that the sweater
“was a tribute to Leigh Bowery, to his camouflage
art.”
As part of the initiatives, Gucci will seek to hire
global and regional directors for diversity and in-
clusion in terms not only of diverse candidates but
also creating positions within the company “whose
sole responsibility will be to ensure the company
reaches these standards.”
Internal mobility is also key as part
of a global exchange program to be
launched with immediate effect. Se-
lected participants will be able to
come and work at the Italian head-
quarters, paired with mentors.
Gucci President and CEO Marco Biz-
zarri Unveils Culture of Purpose
Sustainability Plan
On the occasion of both the Interna-
tional Day of the Girl and the 2017 Ker-
ing Talk at the London College of Fash-
ion, Gucci President and CEO Marco
Bizzarri unveiled details of the compa-
ny’s new 10-year ‘Culture of Purpose’
sustainability plan with two significant
commitments. The first, that Gucci
will join the Fur Free Alliance eliminat-
ing animal fur from its Spring Summer
2018 collection onwards; and, the sec-
ond, that Gucci is contributing €1 mil-
lion as a founding partner of UNICEF’s
Girls’ Empowerment Initiative.
During the Kering Talk, Bizzarri spoke
to Eco-Age’s Founder and Creative
Director Livia Firth about Gucci’s am-
bitious 10-year ‘Culture of Purpose’
sustainability plan, which underpins
the company’s approach to creating a
more responsible business.
Following Kering’s sustainability
framework, the plan is focused on
three pillars:
Environment
Gucci is committed to reducing its
environmental impacts and is setting
ambitious targets to create a new
standard in luxury retail, e.g. guaran-
teeing the traceability of 95% of our
raw materials.
Humanity
Gucci recognizes the value of its em-
ployees and is dedicated to enhanc-
ing the lives of the people who make
its products as well as supporting
communities, e.g. responsible and
innovative management of the sup-
ply chain (Gucci was recently award-
ed with the Green Carpet Fashion
award for Sustainable Innovation),
gender equality (59% women senior
manager, campaigns to support girls
and women empowerment), diver-
sity and inclusion (membership with
Parks).
New Models
Gucci is developing new solutions by
applying technical innovation to im-
prove efficiency in its production and
logistics. E.g. setting up an incubator
and start-up environment to foster
innovation within the company.
Commenting on the plan, Bizzarri
said, “Our new ten-year ‘Culture of
Purpose’ sustainability plan has three
principal focuses: the Environment,
Humanity and New Models. The an-
nouncements that Gucci has joined
the Fur Free Alliance and has become
a founding partner of UNICEF’s Girls’
Empowerment Initiative, demon-
strate our absolute commitment to
making sustainability an intrinsic part
of our business.”
Explaining the origins of Gucci’s pro-
gressive approach, Bizzarri attributed
dynamic change to the unified vision
he shares with Gucci’s creative direc-
tor, Alessandro Michele: “In selecting
a new creative director I wanted to
find someone who shared a belief in
the importance of the same values.
I sensed that immediately on meet-
ing Alessandro for the first time. To-
gether, by committing to a culture
of purpose, taking responsibility and
encouraging respect, inclusivity and
empowerment, we want to create
the necessary conditions for a pro-
gressive approach to sustainability.”
Fur Free Alliance Commitment
Gucci announced that it will no lon-
ger use, promote or publicize animal
fur beginning with its Spring Summer
2018 collection. As a commitment
and thanks to a long term partner-
ship with LAV and The Humane Soci-
ety, Gucci joins the Fur Free Alliance
(FFA), which focuses on the depriva-
tion and cruelty suffered by fur bear-
ing animals both in wild trapping and
industrial fur farming. Gucci will be
organizing a charity auction of re-
maining animal fur items with pro-
ceeds to benefit LAV and the Humane
Society.
Girls’ Empowerment Initiative
Building on its long term CHIME FOR
CHANGE campaign for gender equali-
ty Gucci is donating Euros 1 million as
a Founding Partner of UNICEF’s Girls’
Empowerment Initiative. This will
help UNICEF reach more than 50,000
girls directly with programs aimed
at empowering them, and indirectly
reach 150,000 more. The fund and
program underpins a joint commit-
ment by Gucci and UNICEF to sup-
port the 2030 Sustainable Develop-
ment Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal
5, which sets out a robust agenda on
gender equality and the empower-
ment of women and girls.
During the Kering Talk event, the
Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF)
also revealed the winners of the 2017
Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion
presented by Gucci and Stella McCa-
rtney.
Financial
In 2017, Gucci’s sales grew by 44.6%
over the previous year. And in the
first quarter of 2018, the luxury
brand posted nearly $2.2 billion in
sales revenue, up 48.7% compared
to the same period last year.
As any experienced marketer will
tell you, luxury branding requires a
different approach than standard
B2C efforts. We at IntraLink Glob-
al understand luxury brands and
have done award-winning work in
this space. To us, millennials are the
clear access point: According to the
Financial Times, millennials are “the
world’s most powerful consumers.”
While many other luxury brands have
struggled to tap into the growing mil-
lennial demand, Gucci has found an
eager and expanding base. Accord-
ing to Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of
Kering, Gucci’s parent company, mil-
lennials and Gen Z account for nearly
50% of Gucci’s total sales.
According to Fast Company, Guc-
ci CEO Marco Bizzarri’s partnership
with famed Harlem tailor Dapper
Dan has helped transform the Gucci brand
for a new generation of luxury consumers:
the hip-hop crowd. Gucci’s name has been
used in lyrics by artists including Pusha T
and 2 Chainz, which have likely influenced
millennial demand.
However, there’s more to Gucci’s success
with millennials than simply knowing
what’s “cool.” To win with millennial con-
sumers, brands need to understand what
millennials value: personal satisfaction
and purpose.
 do so with sustainability in mind, luxury product trends, compared
Redefining Luxury prioritizing the demographics’ to 15.1% who cited brands’ web-
There are two things that have tra- commitment to social values. sites.
ditionally marked a brand as being According to various sources, Millennial luxury shoppers’ online
“luxury.” The first is high-quality the fashion industry is one of the migration has resulted in another
craftsmanship — you can’t have most wasteful in terms of pollu- major shift in the fashion industry:
luxury without superior quality. tion. For example, Burberry’s de- “recommerce.” Essentially, this is
The second is exclusivity — luxury cision to burn $40 million worth a higher-end online resale or con-
is often thought about as showing of stock rather than selling it at a signment e-commerce store of
off to everyone else. discount was meant to maintain authentic, highly desired fashion
According to a Deloitte survey, the brand’s exclusive status but brands. Examples of recommerce
millennials don’t buy into these instead drew considerable criti- brands include Luxury Garage
traditional selling points. For one, cism. Sale, Farfetch, TheRealReal, Posh-
the term “luxury” has lost some They’re not alone: Stella McCa- mark and thredUP.
of its cachet to lower-cost com- rtney was one of the earliest and Luxury fashion recommerce is also
petitors. Millennials are less inter- most vocal luxury fashion compa- powered by an unusual twist on
ested than previous generations nies to adopt sustainable practic- purpose. By promoting resale and
in outward displays of status. es. Adidas has led the charge in repurposed fashion, it helps con-
According to the report, which the footwear space (yes, Adidas tribute to sustainable consump-
surveyed 1,005 millennial luxury is a luxury brand now) by tapping tion. We can look to one of the
consumers in the U.S., U.K., Italy into purpose-based branding with original sustainability designers,
and China, “Respondents from all a focus on eliminating waste and Stella McCartney, as a role mod-
four geographies were most likely environmental impact. It has pio- el. Not only does she boast a line
to say that they bought luxury to neered the “sustainable sneaker” of high-quality, vegan products,
please themselves, not to impress by using more eco-friendly mate- but she also pays attention to the
others or to do what influencers rials. post-purchase life of her clothing.
or celebrities said they should do.”
So, how can you incorporate
More than anything, millennial The eponymous designer recent-
these tactics into your own lux-
consumers crave purpose, au- ly partnered with online retailer
ury branding strategy? As some
thenticity and passion. They’re TheRealReal to facilitate future
would say, the secret’s in the
attracted to companies that consignment. The futility of fast
sauce.
demonstrate a committed, ethical fashion is no longer acceptable.
High-end luxury still revolves
approach to business. So, luxury Well-made clothing that lasts is
around the continued artisan
brands must embrace a higher what’s in, and this also means ed-
craftsmanship that has long been
purpose if they want to win over ucating consumers on proper care
millennials. part of the industry’s DNA. Inte- and storage to ensure longevity.
grating sustainability into that Capturing the Millennial Market
narrative is key — millennials love The luxury market has grown at
Luxury Brands Moving To
to know how the “sauce” is made. a staggering pace in recent years,
Purpose yet luxury brands face serious
Issues like sustainability, transpar- challenges in the years ahead if
ency and ethical manufacturing A New Luxury Model
While brick-and-mortar retail will they fail to engage millennial con-
have received increasing attention sumers on their own terms. Pur-
in the media, but the luxury indus- always be important to luxury
fashion, the future of the indus- pose is key. Brands must demon-
try has been slow to respond, as strate that they stand for more
the 2018 Fashion Transparency try is online. The rise of e-com-
merce is already in full swing, than just making money. Promot-
Index reports. Profits are strong ing sustainability and ethical busi-
now, which is why some brands with many luxury brands building
online shopping experiences to ness practices is one way to stand
might not see the need to change. out. Embracing millennial-focused
However, millennial consumers access millennial consumers in
their natural habitats. According business models such as luxury
demand change, and their volume fashion recommerce also offers a
is increasing. A 2015 Nielsen study to Deloitte, 20.5% of millennials
cited social media as their main way forward.
confirms that consumers who are
willing to pay more for a product source of high-end fashion and
 Execution
Gucci is communicated in various ways, they have used social media
especially instagram as platform to share their campaigns and new
products. They created Guccigram, an individual website which shares
artworks done by artists of their own take on Gucci imagery. ‘Gucci
Places’ has also helped to communicate Gucci all over the world. It is
a section on their website described as ‘dedicated to those seeking
the unexpected in travel and experiences. Unveiling new Gucci places’.
Their ‘Gucci places’ travelled from Chatsworth House in Debyshire in
the UK to Waltz store in Tokyo.
Marketing Campaigns “He’s a relatively new creative director who is
‘The new Gucci’ trying to position his aesthetic as a total life-
Gucci’s designs, under creative director Ales- style, so [the videos are] a great position for
sandro Michele are recognized by the people them to show not just the clothes but how
because of the layered, ruffled skirts, bright you wear them and what inspired the col-
colors and embroidered snake accents. Most lection,” said Tony King, founder of creative
recently, the brand translated it into a video agency King and Partners. “Brands are talking
series, a recreation of the Greek romance about storytelling and narrative but haven’t

“A lot of people are really intrigued by the new Gucci, and with longer videos, you

Instagram,” said King. “People get a little sick of seeing brands all the time there.”
“The Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice,” taking really done it. This is Gucci doing it well.”

can actually get a grasp on the brand, which you can’t really do on Snapchat and
place in modern-day New York City, to pro-
mote its 2016 pre-fall collection. The video on Gucci.com also connects the
dots, said King, as it’s accompanied by the full
Directed by filmmaker Gia Coppola (grand- list of products and outfits featured in the se-
daughter of Francis Ford Coppola) and pro- ries with links to shop. It’s reasonable to as-
duced by Condé Nast’s content studio 23 Sto- sume, however, that most of those watching
ries, the video series tells an updated version the video series won’t then purchase Gucci’s
of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice in four $19,000 snake-embroidered dress. The mil-
parts: their marriage, their happiness, Eury- lennial consumer that the brand claims to be
dice’s murder and Orpheus’ visit to Hades. targeting might go for the $620 pair of sneak-
Instead of ancient Greece, scenes take place ers, though. It’s too early to see such results.
in a Manhattan brownstone, Central Park and Gucci’s built-in coverage for the branded-con-
a nightclub. Everyone in the videos is wearing tent series from Vanity Fair, Vogue, and non-
Gucci’s new collection. high fashion magazines like GQ and Pitch-
fork, can raise publicity outside of regular ad
It is the first multi-part video series for Guc- campaigns (and feature more links to shop).
ci’s branded-content strategy. Each video will The series was also promoted in snippets and
run on six Condé Nast properties, including stills across Gucci’s and Condé Nast’s social
Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, as media accounts, aligning with the type of cu-
well as Gucci.com. rated video content Gucci most often shares.
“Gucci has a very strong voice, and we used It isn’t as readily embracing the type of video
that as a North Star,” said Josh Stinchcomb, that most brands are creating to blend in on
managing director of 23 Stories. “When we’re platforms like Snapchat, Periscope and Face-
creating content, we can always refer back to book Live.
it. That makes the brand so ripe for storytell-
ing.” The four two-and-a-half minute videos “It tends to be obviously produced,” said
are part of Gucci’s plan to turn its current Thomas Rankin, CEO and co-founder of Dash
cultural buzz into a lasting brand for today’s Hudson, an Instagram marketing platform.
younger consumers. Gucci is looking to build “They take their time to create something
the brand to reflect Michele’s strong point of that feels very much in the image of Gucci
view, using native content and social media to rather than behind-the-scenes or on-the-fly
ride the current momentum brand into long- like other brands are doing.” According to
term brand loyalty, according to the brand’s Dash Hudson data, Gucci’s video view rate
recent strategy presentation on June 3. (the percentage of followers who watched a
video post) on Instagram declined from 2.3
The strategy is especially timely given the cur- percent in December to 1.9 percent in May
rent state of the luxury industry: as creative (Gucci has 9 million followers). The brand is
directors have begun leaving their posts at also posting less on average now than it was
fashion houses after three- or four-year stints, six months ago. On Snapchat, Gucci’s account
observers are wondering how long Gucci can only surfaces in followers’ feeds a few times
hold onto Michele, who’s been in his current a year when they’re hosting a fashion show.
position since January 2015, and his success. Most recently, the singer SoKo took over the
In 2015, the brand brought in $4.4 billion in- brand’s Snapchat account to generate buzz
revenue, up from $3.9 billion in 2014. around the Gucci 2017 resort collection.
Gucci: Old world luxury meets digital marketing

In today’s fast paced social media age, fashion is in a

constant flux. High fashion labels are constantly facing
the pressure to present something new each season,
something that will ensure that they are ‘seen’, and not
lost amidst the crowd. Today, it is not enough that a
fashion label just creates clothes and showcases it on
the runway or in stores, it has to compete to be seen
and faces tough competition from other up and coming
labels. Today’s consumer wants to see things instantly,
and if not, they move on quickly.
This means investing in huge amounts in marketing
alone, raising the starting capita of fashion startups to
a higher amount today than ever before. Failing to do
so and remaining relevant in the consumer’s eyes can
result in the demise of your company.
So how do traditional fashion houses adapt and cope
with social media and e-commerce today?
Born decades before social media, brands like Gucci,
Louis Vuitton, Chanel, have fostered an image of exclu-
sivity in their marketing campaigns. Social media and its
inclusivity, on hindsight, does not seem to bode well for
such brands.
Some, as with Chanel, initially were resistant to the
change, but were eventually convinced that social me-
dia and the internet was going nowhere. Some failed
to pick it up quick enough, such as BCBG Maxria, who
relied mostly on brick-and-mortar sales, and eventual-
ly went bankrupt, or Ralph Lauren, who has recognized
its need to refocus its e-commerce operations after an-
nouncing it will close its retail store on Fifth ever, New
York due to dismal sales.
Some labels are thriving better than others. Gucci is a
prime example of a fashion label that has adapted well
to the currents of social media.
But this wasn’t always the case. In the early 2015s, Ital-
ian luxury brand Gucci, born in 1921, suffered from poor
sales, under Frida Giannini, struggling with the new re-
ality of the internet and social media. Furthermore, Gu-
cci was associated with bad taste — it was associated
with gaudy and outdated things, and ultimately not re-
latable. No one wanted to buy Gucci, and the company
faced near bankruptcy.
But fast forward to today, Gucci has experienced a quick
turnabout, with 30% increase in profits since 2016, and
has even been named the top luxury brand in 2017. It is
also named the top brand in the study of social media
influencers in 2016.
Under Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s appointed creative
director since mid-2015s, Gucci embraced its maximal-
ist, romantic aesthetic that created covetable, iconic
“subversive geek chic” pieces, bringing it back to the
spotlight.
But its not just the clothes that account for its suc-
cess. Gucci experienced a revamp in terms of style,
imagery, and embraced a more tech-savvy approach
towards their marketing. Indeed, a major compo-
nent of its success today is attributed to its innova-
tive digital strategy and marketing.
Born decades before social media, brands like Gucci,
Louis Vuitton, Chanel, have fostered an image of ex-
clusivity in their marketing campaigns. Social media
and its inclusivity, on hindsight, does not seem to
bode well for such brands.
But it’s not just the clothes that account for its suc-
cess. Gucci experienced a revamp in terms of style,
imagery, and embraced a more tech-savvy approach
towards their marketing. Indeed, a major compo-
nent of its success today is attributed to its innova-
tive digital strategy and marketing.
Today’s millennials — people who have grown up
with cellphones and the internet — care more about
experiences rather than buying things. Thus, as a
brand today, one needs to have meaningful engage-
ment with their audience, and how you advertise to
them must resonate.
Across all channels, it posts content regularly, which
generates constant engagement. It also posts rel-
evant content, such as behind the scenes shoots,
which most consumers would not get a chance to
see.
Facebook Live has also been used as a live stream
for their fashion shows. For instance, on the day they
shared their live stream on September 21, there was
a marked growth in page fans on their facebook.
Gucci’s social media campaigns
In its latest campaign, Gucci teamed up with GQ to
produce a film series with up and coming male artists
and actors of today. The full film series is available
on Gucci’s website, and short snippets were posted
on Gucci’s instagram and instagram stories. There is
even a function of “swipe up to see more” on insta-
gram stories that directs the user to their website to
watch the entire film.

Gucci has very innovative social media campaigns,

and has expertly weaved different social media plat-
forms to craft a strong brand presence.
Its success it largely due to the creation of a lifestyle
that people want to emulate. It marries editorial
content with e-commerce, evident through the nu-
merous campaigns and collaborations with many
contemporary artists of today.
It has also con solidified its cool factor through its nu-
merous collaborations, namely photographer-mod-
el-it-girl Petra Collins whose dreamy aesthetic has
shaped many of Gucci’s campaigns.
Innovation
Gucci was one of the first brands to engage on Flip-
board, a social network and social news aggregator,
and completely revamped their website to make it
more user friendly and suitable across multiple plat-
forms. This digital tailoring, which favors visuals over
functionality, resulted in a 150% increase in traffic.
It understands and cleverly utilizes the visual nature
of such platforms.
#tfwgucci: a collaborative meme project
This was a recent meme-inspired campaign to
launch the new collection of luxury watches
under the brand. Gucci collaborated with some
of the internet’s most celebrated meme artists
such as @youvegotmale, @textsfromyourexis-
tentialist, @scariestbugever and visual artists
like Olaf Breuning, and posted these memes on
their social media platforms. This sparked some
controversy over the internet — was Gucci try-
ing too hard? IT was certainly a risky move for
such an established luxury brand. Either way, it
produced for hugely entertaining content due
to the different perspectives in content and the
artists that produced it.
This also resonated with a younger fan base on
instagram, many who would not be able to af-
ford the brand, but see it as aspirational. This
builds a bond with the younger audience as fu-
ture consumers, also positively differentiating
itself from other brands.
Collins, started collaborating with them and
producing amazing work). Furthermore, it has
ensured that it stays relevant in today’s fast
paced world.
The digital strategies are able to weave a cohe-
sive story around Gucci and its numerous ad
campaigns.
Such campaigns are effectively solidifying its
cool factor, showing that Gucci isn’t afraid to
be innovative. With a unified content strate-
gy, it ensures that its content and posts feel
native to each platform but are also instantly
recognizable across all of them. Such careful
curating ensures the distinct brand presence
not only online, but offline as well.

How did it perform?

Well, 2 of the posts became the top performing
posts of all time, with a high engagement rate.
Clearly, Gucci is doing something right.
#24hourace — Video project SS16
Artists, including Sue de Beer, James Kerr, were
asked to produce 60 second videos inspired
by Gucci’s Ace sneakers, to be posted on Gu-
cci’s instagram account. There was also a 24
hour takeover on snapchat by the artists from
around the world to illustrate and explain how
they collaborated with Gucci, and a micro-site
to showcase all the work here. Starting in NY
and ending in Tokyo, the snapchat takeover was
truly a full day and global experience.

#GucciGram
Another insta-initiative, Photogra-
pher-It-girl-model Petra Collins took over the
Snapchat while shooting the Fall 2016 cam-
paign in Japan.
These a just a few examples of the collabora-
tions and partnerships that Gucci has under-
taken in the past 2 years alone. Through such
partnerships, Gucci has been able to expand its
reach (for instance, I only took notice of Gucci
when one of my favorite photographers, Petra
 Technology
Virtual reality
Augmented Reality products
Chabot
Photography, Film and Videog-
raphy
Full Frame Look & 4K+
More relatable content
UK will be the next capital for
Videography
Emotional filmmaking
 Social Media
Ephemeral Content
Niche Social
Social Commerce
Video content will Dominate
Technology Adaptation
Influencer Market
Social Media for Customer Service
More brands
Technology
Virtual reality
VR is a new medium that can cre-
ate immersive ads for brands.
Virtual and augmented reality
could change the world. Through
full immersion, users can live out
stories they’ve only ever dreamed
of, be transported to an exotic place
without leaving their house and in-
teract with products as if they were
viewing them in actual reality. The
technology seems like the next step
in media progression – it started
with print then moved from photo
to video, and full immersion would
complete the circle of escapism and
experience that media companies
have strived to create for decades.

Augmented Reality
How Augmented Reality Makes
Advertising Interactive
Augmented reality (AR) has al-
ready become a buzzword in the
world of technology. It’s difficult
to find someone who’s never heard
of Pokémon GO, a bestselling AR
mobile game played by millions of
people all over the world.

However, AR isn’t just about

games. It goes far beyond gaming
and entertainment. AR has breath-
taking prospects in many indus-
tries, from education to healthcare
to construction. Now AR has come
to advertising, and it’s going to
change the way the digital adver-
tising market functions in 2019.
AR makes advertising interactive, allowing marketers and
advertisers to reach out to consumers in totally new ways.
Many companies have already embraced this cutting-edge
technology. If you still aren’t sure whether it’s worth going
for, you should clearly realize what benefits augmented re-
ality advertising provides and how exactly you can use this
technology in real life.

Chatbots
The Growing Role of Chatbots in Digital Marketing
The use of chatbots in digital marketing is becoming more
important every year.

In fact, get this:

A survey taken by over 1,600 marketing professionals showed
that 61% of the group believed both artificial intelligence
(AI) and machine learning (ML) will be the most important
data initiatives in the coming years.

As more brands are incorporating chatbots into their market-

ing strategy, this projected reality is quickly taking shape.
Photography, Film and
Videography

Full Frame Look & 4K+

More relatable content

UK will be the next capital for

videography

Emotional filmmaking
Leading Photographers/Videographers

Pamela Hanson
Mario Testino
Zhang Jingna
Mert and Marcus
Ellen von Unwerth
Jeff Bark
Lara Jade
Daniel Jackson
Alexandra Nataf
Tim Walker
Sarah Moon
Bruce Weber
Elizaveta Porodina
Cole Sprouse
Olivia Malone
Paul Bellaart
Lina Tesch
David Roemer
Cass Bird
Giampaolo Sgura
Julia Hetta
Social Media
Ephemeral Content

Ephemeral Content: Everything Market-

ers Need to Know
Ephemeral content is rich media, primar-
ily images and videos that are only acces-
sible for a brief period.
As a marketing strategy, it is temporary
content that takes advantage of the fear
of missing out (FOMO) and is designed
to elicit an immediate response from the
user.
There are two primary marketing goals
when it comes to ephemeral content.
Elicit an Immediate Response:

Perhaps the most obvious goal is to elicit

an immediate response from the user or
viewer.
The immediate goal may be for the user
Niche Social
to make a quick purchasing decision or
quick signup.
Niche marketing is an advertising
It may also be for the user to make the
strategy that focuses on a unique
content viral through liking, sharing, or
target market. Instead of marketing
reacting in some other way that is acces-
to everyone who could benefit from
sible and viewable by others.
a product or service, this strategy
The short-term nature of ephemeral con-
focuses exclusively on one group—a
tent creates a sense of urgency that’s fu-
niche market—or demographic of
eled by the fear of missing out (FOMO).
potential customers who would most
benefit from the offerings.
Increase User Engagement:
The benefit of niche marketing is that
Ephemeral content not only allows for
it allows brands to differentiate them-
the business to impress its product or
selves, appear as a unique authority,
service upon the user but also allows the
and resonate more deeply with a dis-
user to engage in the brand on a more
tinct set of customers. Rather than
personal level.
blend in with the many other brands
Ephemeral content as a content market-
that offer the same type of product
ing strategy also encourages user-gener-
or service, a brand can use niche
ated content (UGC).
marketing to stand out, appear more
valuable, reach its growth potential,
and build a stronger, longer-lasting
connection with its ideal audience.
Technology Adaptation
Advertisers must adapt to new technology or be
ignored online.
The internet has drastically changed the advertising
industry, and it continues to change as new technol-
ogy and platforms are released.
Automation
Automation has found its place in nearly all fac-
ets of the internet, and advertising is no different.
The internet is a large net of data and information
on consumers, and there’s no way advertisers can
browse all that data to build profiles of their ideal
customers. Algorithms are essential for analyzing
that info and putting it to use. Automated advertis-
ing platforms save time and money by freeing up
advertisement departments that need to build and
manage countless ad campaigns.

The automated platforms use data to bid on ad

space, detecting which ads are doing better and
putting in more bids for the ones that result in more
conversions. Of course, you set a cap on how much
the platform spends on ad space. These automated
platforms can be set to run until they reach a certain
ROI.
The other end of this process is also likely auto-
mated, with algorithm-based platforms like Google
AdSense automatically selling ad space for websites.
According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau
(IAB), about 20 percent of digital advertising busi-
ness is done by one machine interacting with anoth-
er, and that number is rapidly growing.
Social media and mobile
Fortunately, the major sites, such as Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram, have robust advertising
platforms. Furthermore, a staggering 80 percent of
users interact with social media on mobile devices,
according to Word Stream, which calls for optimized
advertising for the medium.
The highest-performing ads on social media are
ones that take advantage of relocation technology
on mobile devices, allowing for hyper local ads to
target users within a predetermined area.
Social Commerce
Social commerce is a subset of electronic commerce
that involves social media, online media that supports
social interaction, and user contributions to assist
online buying and selling of products and services.
More succinctly, social commerce is the use of social
network(s) in the context of e-commerce transac-
tions.

Video Commerce: Engages Even the Laziest

Buyers
The modern customer wants to see the product in
action. Video preference is one of the most important
driving forces of using video in your content market-
ing. Video marketing can capture a wide audience,
and it works on many levels.

Video content will Dominate

Video is also a growing medium for advertising that’s
catching people’s attention. According to a Kissmet-
rics blog post, video on social media gets much more
engagement than non-video ads. On YouTube, view-
ers are 1.4 times more likely to watch and share ads
on mobile. A popular type on social media is video
that doesn’t require sound and uses subtitles, allow-
ing for non-disruptive viewing in public.
It’s not just about advertising on the biggest social
media platforms. Companies like Nanigans sell ad-
vertising space on various mobile apps and games,
allowing advertisers to get in on the action if these
fledgling apps have the potential to go viral.
Native advertising
Native advertising is on the rise, with advertise-
ments being integrated into popular content
sites, bringing back the old line of “this program
was brought to you by …” Traditional advertis-
ing, depending on your audience, is falling by
the wayside, especially with the rise of adblock-
ing software. Advertisers need new, creative
ways to get their messages to viewers and actu-
ally get them to listen.
Many advertising networks now include native
advertising packages, offering opportunities for
sponsored articles that blend in with the rest of
a platform’s content.
“Everything on the internet is branded, whether
consumers realize it or not. It has been proven
to be more effective than other forms on the
internet,” Bruton said. “Advertisers are expected
to provide content that is engaging and either
entertaining or insightful.”
The goal of native advertising is to be non-dis-
ruptive to users, and companies like AdYouLike
create ads that fit into a website or platform’s
style and format.
Getting creative with new tech
“The internet has allowed good, creative
advertising to be more effective, because it’s
easier than ever to find and track the target
audience for optimal effectiveness,” Bruton
said. “However, if the advertising is bad, it
won’t matter how well the audience has
been targeted.”
Advertisers need to keep looking forward as
the internet changes and new technology
develops. It will take creativity from advertis-
ers to monetize new platforms.
“The big boom of augmented reality is hap-
pening, as phone manufacturers are already
developing AR-capable devices, and that
creates a large window of untapped poten-
tial for advertisers,” Bruton said.
Snapchat’s various filters for photos are a
form of AR, and they are becoming more
impressive and already being used by mar-
keters.
While mobile is currently king of online
engagement, wearable tech, like the Apple
Watch, is gaining traction and likely is al-
ready being examined by advertisers.
No matter how niche or fad-like, no trendy
app, platform or device should be ignored
for advertising potential. In a time when
traditional advertising is continually being
ignored by the changing demographics, ad-
vertisers need to change and adapt.
Influencer Market

Influencer Marketing: How to Work With

Social Media Influencers
To pull off an effective influencer marketing
campaign you need to work with the right
social media influencers.
Resonance
This is the potential level of engagement
the influencer can create with an audience
relevant to your brand.

Bigger isn’t always better. A huge follower

count is meaningless if those followers ar-
en’t interested in your offer. And a smaller
follower count can be very powerful if it’s a
niche area. Niche influencers can have very
dedicated and engaged followers.

Social media for customer service

Engage with your customers

Social media is a good way for engaging
and interacting customers. The more you
communicate with the audience, the more
chances you have of conversion. Set up a
two-way communication with your target
audience so that their wishes are known
and their interest is catered with ease.
Moreover, communication and engage-
ment with customers is one the ways to
win their attention and convey them your
brand message. Thus, your brand will reach
more audience in real terms and gets itself
established without any hassle.
Improved brand loyalty
When you have a social media presence,
you make it easier for your customers to
find you and connect with you. By connect-
ing with your customers through social
media, you are more probable to upsurge custom- More brand authority
er retention and customer loyalty. Since develop-
ing a loyal customer base is one of the main goals For making your business more powerful, brand
of almost any business. Customer satisfaction and loyalty and customer satisfaction both play a
brand loyalty typically go hand in hand. It is essen- major role, but it all comes down to communica-
tial to often engage with your customers and start tion. When customers see your company posting
developing a bond with them. Social media is not on social media, especially replying to their que-
just limited to introducing your product, it is also ries and posting original content, it helps them
a leading platform for promotional campaigns. A build a positive image in their minds. Regularly
customer sees these platforms as service channels interacting with your customers proves that you
where they can directly communicate with the and your business care about them. Once you get
business. a few satisfied customers, who are vocal about
their positive purchase experience, you can let the
Healthier customer satisfaction advertising be done for you by genuine customers
who appreciated your product or service.
Social media plays a vital role in networking and
communication platform. With the help of these
platforms, creating a voice for your company is
important in improving the overall brand image.
Customers appreciate the fact that when they post
comments on your page, they receive a modified
reply rather than a computerized message. A
brand that values its customers, takes the time to
compose a personal message, which is perceived
naturally in a positive light.

Marketplace awareness

One of the best ways to find the needs and wants

of your customers instead of directly communi-
cating with them is Marketplace awareness. It is
also considered as the most valuable advantage
of social media. By observing the activities on
your profile, you can see customers’ interest and
opinions that you might not know otherwise if you
didn’t have a social media presence. As a com-
plementary research tool, social media can help
you get information and a better understanding of
your industry. Once you get a large following, you
can then use additional tools to examine other
demographics of your consumers.
References
Solomon, M, Russell-Bennett, R. and Previte, J, 2019, ‘Consumer Behaviour’,
Australian Edition, 4th Ed., Pearson

(A1) Aaker, J. (1997). Dimensions of Brand Personality. SSRN Electronic Journal.

(A2) Aaker, J., Fournier, S. and Brasel, A. (2004), “When good brands do bad”,
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 1‐16.

Hankinson, G. (2004), “The brand images of tourism destinations: a study of

the saliency of organic images”, Journal of Product and Brand Management,
Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 6‐14

https://luxiders.com/gucci-equilibrium/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/11/02/what-can-
luxury-brands-learn-from-gucci-about-millennials/)

Connie J. A. Beck and Bruce D. Sales, Family Mediation: Facts, Myths, and Fu-
ture Prospects (Washington:
APA, 2001), 99-100.

Beck and Sales, Family Mediation

Beck, Connie J. A., and Bruce D. Sales. Family Mediation: Facts, Myths, and
Future Prospects.
 Image References
Jewelle Taylor Gibbs and Larke Nahme Huang, eds., Children of Color: Psychological Inter-
ventions With
Minority Youth (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991), 87
pects.
Solomon, M, Russell-Bennett, R. and Previte, J, 2019, ‘Consumer Behaviour’, Australian
Edition, 4th Ed., Pearson

(A1) Aaker, J. (1997). Dimensions of Brand Personality. SSRN Electronic Journal.

(A2) Aaker, J., Fournier, S. and Brasel, A. (2004), “When good brands do bad”, Journal of
Consumer Research, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 1‐16.

Hankinson, G. (2004), “The brand images of tourism destinations: a study of the saliency
of organic images”, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 6‐14

https://luxiders.com/gucci-equilibrium/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/11/02/what-can-luxury-brands-
learn-from-gucci-about-millennials/)

Connie J. A. Beck and Bruce D. Sales, Family Mediation: Facts, Myths, and Future Pros-
pects (Washington:
APA, 2001), 99-100.

Beck and Sales, Family Mediation

Beck, Connie J. A., and Bruce D. Sales. Family Mediation: Facts, Myths, and Future Pros-