In today’s luxury market, brand loyalty has evolved beyond just repeat purchases. Brand advocates, whether they are VICs (Very Important Clients), loyal customers, or even enthusiastic prospects, play a critical role in shaping a brand’s reputation. These advocates, through personal experiences and public endorsements, influence others and amplify a brand’s reach. Cultivating this level of advocacy requires more than offering products; it involves delivering personalized, emotionally resonant experiences that turn clients and prospects into passionate ambassadors who spread the word to their networks.
Why Brand Loyalty is More Than Just Retention
In today’s luxury market, brand advocacy extends far beyond simple customer loyalty or retention. It’s about creating a community of brand advocates (both clients and prospects) who passionately endorse your brand through word-of-mouth, social media, and exclusive events. These advocates don’t just generate repeat business; they become trusted voices that influence potential customers and generate high-quality, pre-qualified leads. Whether they’re lifelong customers or individuals who admire and promote your brand without having made a purchase yet, these advocates play a critical role in amplifying your brand’s reach and driving organic growth.
Key Examples of Brand Advocacy in Action
- Jaeger-LeCoultre's "La Minute" SeriesThis content series showcases JLC employees and experts sharing personal stories and insights into their work, creating a deeper emotional connection with customers.
- BA111OD Afluendors ProgramA unique community where watch owners become influencers and vendors, connecting with potential customers through an app, earning rewards, and attending exclusive events.
- Panerai’s Paneristi CommunityA passionate global network of over 30,000 members with local hubs. Paneristi gather for annual conventions (P-Day) and enjoy exclusive special edition watches designed by Panerai in tribute to their loyalty.
- FP Journe’s SocietyAn ultra-exclusive group of less than 30 members who gain access to global networking events and custom limited-edition watches. The membership process involves owning two FP Journe watches and undergoing multiple interviews and endorsements.
Key Recommendations for Building Brand Advocacy
- Foster a Brand Advocacy Mindset
Develop a mindset across your organization that prioritizes the identification and treatment of brand advocates. Focus on creating a sense of belonging by cultivating a Maison-owned community where advocates, both clients and prospects, feel valued. This will generate a network effect, encouraging peer-to-peer influence and long-term loyalty as advocates share their brand experiences with their personal circles.
- Implement a Comprehensive Brand Ambassador Strategy
Establishing a brand ambassador program is crucial for driving influence, increasing loyalty, and reaching new customers. Ambassadors embody the brand’s values and history, helping to transform awareness into conversions. By selecting the right advocates who align with the brand’s vision, companies can create powerful narratives that elevate their perception and boost credibility within targeted markets.
- Enrich Advocate Profiles through Data & Segmentation
Develop an action plan to profile and better understand your advocates. Start with a pilot market to identify patterns in advocate behavior, create typologies, and tailor offerings based on these insights. This approach allows you to offer personalized experiences that resonate with each advocate segment, ensuring they feel recognized and motivated to continue promoting your brand.
- Establish a Rewards and Recognition System
Motivate advocates by offering a range of tangible and intangible rewards. Exclusive access to events, networking opportunities can reinforce their role as brand champions. Recognition programs that acknowledge their contribution to the brand’s success will further deepen their emotional connection, making them even more committed advocates.
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Feel free to contact our experts for any question:
Ravouth Keuky
Ravouth is a digital transformation expert specialized in luxury retail sector and airline industry. He is the global account executive for Deloitte of two major iconic brands. He brought Deloitte Digital (one of Deloitte Consulting’s offerings) to success in France, and he is currently leading the French Practice, with teams both located in Paris and Casablanca. Ravouth spent the first 10 years of his career in the telecom industry where he embraces the major tech disruption around mobile/fixed broadband (2G, 2.5G, 3G, 4G, DSL, Fibre,…). For the past 10 years, he has been advising CxOs, and especially CDOs (Chief Digital Officers) of Fortune 100 companies, on their digital transformation (from strategy to implementation). In terms of thought leadership, Ravouth has contributed to research on digital transformation, like “Leading Digital” best-seller book (www.leadingdigitalbook.com). He is also a regular invited speaker on corporate events, tech conference around digital transformation.
Ambroise Rezeau
Ambroise has 9 years of experience, starting his career in operation within an automotive Tier 1 Supplier where he managed several International projects. Since joining Deloitte, he has a good understanding of organization transformation thanks to experiences in different industries (Luxury, Automotive, IT, Service) and different countries (France, Japan, Singapore). Ambroise conducted several projects designing and reviewing customer strategy for Luxury Groups (Dior Couture, Richemont), gaining significant knowledge on Consumer & Premium Retail industry. Ambroise covered an important part of Marketing and Client value chain from strategic & top line growth, Organization transformation and Operating Model design, Customer Experience Operational excellence, Pricing, Marketing activation & Salesforce projects roll-out, M&A
Agathe Flament
Agathe various academic and professional experiences in marketing have cultivated her interest in digital and customer experience. She conducted several projects for high-end fashion and watchmaking houses on client experience, activation strategy, operating model… which led her to develop an expertise on the luxury industry. Agathe has forged a strong international mindset as she daily collaborate with international teams and spent +6 years working and studying across Spain, the UK, Hong Kong and Australia