It is increasingly clear that the ongoing pandemic has forced luxury fashion houses too to explore digital avenues. A cursory look at what’s already happening in the sector.

After a woeful year due to the covid-19 pandemic, thecovid-19 pandemic, the luxury industry has started to regain strength. As per a recent Bain& Company report, 2019 levels would most likely be attained in this year. The pandemic has forced luxury brands to    pivot into the digital space at a startling speed. Many brands have recognised the need to transform and revolutionise more than ever before. They are exploring unique digital methods to virtually engage consumers to offset their declining sales.

Nowadays, the most asked question is: are emerging trends like gamification, Fts and pre-loved fashion in lux industry the future or fad?

Gamification: During the pandemic, gamification has emerged as a widely used marketing tactic to provide immersive experience to consumers. An increasing number of brands have realised the need to integrate gamification into their overall digital marketing strategy. Many luxury brands including Dior, Burberry, Balenciaga and Chanel have been leveraging the power of gaming platforms to acquire, engage and attract young consumers. Recent trends in China have already confirmed the successful partnership between beauty, e-commerce and gaming. In 2019, MAC’s limited-edition lipstick which was commercialised for Tencent-owned game Honora of Kings was sold out within 24 hours.

High-end fashion label Balenciaga has revealed its latest Autumn/Winter2021 collection through an interactive online video game titled Afterword’s Age of Tomorrow. It allowed players Garden Experience on Roblox, an online gaming platform, blurred the difference between the virtual and real world. Gucci has been among the pioneer luxury brands to spot the opportunities of the ‘metaverse’—the emerging virtual universe where users can live a parallel life to their real-world existence.

Video games are allowing consumers to obtain digital outfits for their avatars, giving them access to luxury brands which they might not otherwise afford to buy in the real world. According to New zoo’s recent report, the global games market is projected to generate revenues of $200 billion by the end of 2023. GenY and millennial shoppers are reinventing social community in digital space through sharing experiences via online games. Young consumers, also known as ‘digital natives’, find traditional media to be tedious, since it emphasises more on the transactional aspect rather than the experiential. On the other hand, new age unconventional platforms like gaming, generate youthfulness and fun and build special bond with the users. Today, young consumers are spending same amount of time, if not more, on gaming as on movies and music. Therefore, it makes complete sense for the brands to venture into this space.

[Note: Gamification is a great way for luxury brands to reach a larger audience, boost brand awareness and engagement, create competitive advantage, build reputation, acquire user data and eventually build strong customer base.]

Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs): NFT means unique digital asset like artwork, videos, audio and music which is tracked through blockchain and cannot be interchanged.

Everyday we have been hearing breath-taking tales on new NFT record sales—from Beeple’s $69 milli artwork to an 18-year old’s $500,000 Vampire Queen. However, at present, FT use cases are in their infancy, particularly for luxury fashion. Luxury brands are contemplating whether the affluent consumers will ever be interested in luxury fashion NFTs. Will consumers achieve any value from them? Will this strategy lead to brand dilution? And so on… But at the same time, luxury brands do not want to miss the opportunities offered by NFTs.  Various luxury fashion brands are preparing to release NFTs. As per Vogue Business, Italian luxury fashion house Gucci lately said it’s “only a matter of time” before a brand like Gucci releases an NFT.

Just like high-end fashion bran ds came up with their diffusion lines to make luxury affordable, NFTs may further pave the way towards democratisation of luxury. For instance, customers who may not be able to afford real Gucci gowns may buy its digital version. They could develop their images wearing the 3D dress and share it on virtual platforms or use it for an avatar in games.

NFTs can also help resolve the counterfeiting problem which is a major challenge faced by the luxury industry through authenticating and tracking high-end items. Also, by storing info in a digital ledger, shoppers can know about the previous owners, etc which could also help the brands to get royalty for each resale. In addition, digital collectibles can be created by luxury brands using NFTs. They can serve as a new revenue stream for brands. [Note: NFTs can be used along with 3D visualisation, AR filters and virtual try-on technology to provide more engaging online shopping experience to the consumers.]

Pre-owned luxury:

Lately, the demand for pre-owned luxury fashion is growing phenomenally. Environmental concerns, desire for uniqueness, affordability and wide variety are some of the key reasons driving this market. A few years back, nobody could have ever thought that luxury brands would ever collaborate with pre-owned fashion resellers. Moreover, most of the luxury brands were hesitant to enter the resale market due to the fear of cannibalising sales of new items and risk of brand dilution.

However, today this is becoming a hot trend. Lately, Gucci partnered with The Real Real; Alexander McQueen partnered with Vestiaries Collective—to name a few. A recent BCG-vestiaries Collective’s research revealed that the global second-hand market is likely to grow at the rate of 15 per cent to 20 per cent over the next five years. Findings also indicated that 62 per cent of shoppers are willing to buy more from fashion brands that collaborate with the resellers. As per CPP Luxury, the global market of pre-owned luxury goods is estimated to grow from current $30 billion to $64 billion by 2025.

[Note: It is becoming increasingly important for the luxury brands to look for new business models that promote circularity and sustainability to entice growing number of conscious consumers.]

HOW WILL THESE PLAY OUT?

Emerging trends like gamification, NFTs and pre-owned luxury are innovative ways of connecting with the new-age consumers. They may provide immense opportunity to many luxury brands to thrive in the future. However, there holds a key challenge for the luxury marketers to strike right balance between inclusivity and maintaining brand identity and exclusivity.

Brands should not jump on to the bandwagon; rather they should formulate strategies related to these emerging trends by being more client centric as well as by delivering a clear value proposition. An experienced luxury industry professional, Sheetal Jain is Founder of Luxe Analytics, a luxury market consulting firm based in New Delhi.

This article was first published in the July 2021 edition of the print magazine.