Digital profilering av lyxvarumärken inom retail : Uppbyggnad av en exklusiv kundupplevelse i en digital kontext

Sammanfattning: Title: Digital profiling of luxury brands within retail Digital sales in retail have increased significantly over the past decade and the trend has accelerated as a result of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Motives for luxury consumption are often described as the symbolic desire to achieve a certain status, success and identification. This requires the experiences to be characterized by prestige and exclusivity, attributes that have traditionally been attained through sensory strategies - which luxury brands have considered difficult to communicate online. Luxury brands' resistance towards digital establishment has been challenged as general online retail sales have increased, alongside with the emergence of digital business opportunities such as increased visibility and new customer segments. The digital context requires new methods of communication and a potential reformulation of the traditional “luxury experience”. Previous research has presented strategies applicable for the transition of luxury brands from physical stores to digital platforms, but a knowledge gap has been identified concerning if, and how, luxury brands can be created in a digital context. The purpose of the study is to investigate if and how a luxury brand in retail can be built and branded online, and how the players of the industry reason about future luxury branding. The study utilizes a qualitative method, where existing theory is further developed through information collected from 10 interviews. All interviewees have extensive expertise in branding. The results of the study show that it is possible to build a luxury brand in a digital context, but that the online context democratizes the exclusivity of the consumer experience. The study therefore emphasizes the need for new communication strategies to compensate for the influential factors lost in a digital context. Strategies that involve association, a distinct niche, storytelling, a seamless experience, meaningfulness, uniqueness and delivery experience are emphasized for the luxury brand in order to continue aspiring to exclusive emotions and purchasing factors. Regarding motives for future luxury consumption, the branding experts mainly emphasize conspicuousness, uniqueness (uncompromising), craftsmanship, a seamless experience, transparency and association - where association is the most important component to incorporate in order to position and strengthen the luxury brand in a digital context.