The twentieth century brought essential changes in the marketing landscape. With the Internet being one of the biggest factors for a paradigm shift in moving goods and products, luxury markets are now realizing the power of social media, as well as, creating and targeting specific demographics in order to grow their business. 

Luxury goods, in particular, have seen great success by being digitally social – setting up profiles on popular platforms for better audience coverage. The watch industry, especially the great Swiss watch houses that produce more than 70% of the luxury watches in the world, has seen a decline in sales year on year because of new watch technologies. 

Keeping up with the new kids, so to speak, means coming into the millennium. In this article, we’ve collated the best practices for watch brands to adhere to in order to maintain their place in the industry. Digital marketing is the only thing that matters for these fledging watch brands right now, but how are they going to do this specifically?

Visual social networks should be a mainstay on any campaign

Think about Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. There are numerous visual social networks, of course, and as a brand, you don’t need to be present in every single one of them. Luxury still needs to be exclusive and aspirational, but that does not mean your onlookers can’t see you from afar. The greatest of these visual social networks is Instagram. 

Look at Hamilton, for example. The company has both an official Instagram and Youtube pages, something that should be a prerequisite to every luxury watch brand nowadays. Capitalizing on the visual nature of the platform, Hamilton has revived hype and popularity on some of its more obscure collections, like the Hamilton American Classic.

Hamilton created brand awareness by being visual. The world should see the products at their best light. It’s where watch brands should create this world where their products fit the fantasy. With the company’s American Classic Instagram posts, they don’t just feature the products; they make it a point that customers, or in this case, followers, get something out of the post – a tidbit of information, a historical fact, or the usefulness of the watch’s feature.

The website should have a unique experience

A website is any brand’s fundamental marketing and sales machine. It’s not just a place where people check the brand’s history, ideology, and products; it should be an experience in itself. Huge watch brands like Rolex and Omega set up their websites in a way where people can instantly identify a separate and individual experience. 

For smaller watch manufacturers, it’s important to know the design language of your brands. This should translate directly to your website. For example, Patek Philippe’s website is a study in how streamlined the brand is when it comes to its products, philosophy, and direction. The use of white background in Patek’s iconic font and color effectively conveys luxury, even on a screen.

Search engine optimization is a must

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the basic building block of an effective digital marketing campaign. It’s a whole another industry that focuses on how keywords, brand names, etc. rank on a search engine’s result’s page. Watch brands should realize that the first order of business for most people on the internet is the Google search bar. You rank well on a keyword, and the brand is pretty much good to go.

There is power in celebrity and influencers collaboration

This is a time-tested trick. People defer to people who are successful, who are universally liked and have done great work in their fields. With digital marketing, celebrities are still your best bet in taking your brand to the next level. Movie stars, pop icons, and people in the TV industry are a safe bet, but you should look out for influencers as well. These are the people who have capitalized on digital platforms, and their opinions matter. 

Takeaway

The power of the Internet is unprecedented. Just two decades ago, traditional sales channels and marketing techniques were all the rage, but now, the landscape has changed. Drastically, at that. Gone are the days where luxury watch brands are too exclusive for comfort, as the days of having a great digital following are here. As such, more and more watch brands are coming into the new millennia of how to position their products.