Chanel, an eCommerce Case Study
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The Retail & Consumer Index
Coco Chanel is a French fashion house that has specialized in ready-to-wear women’s high fashion, luxury goods and accessories since its founding in 1909. Currently based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Chanel’s revolutionary haute couture and every day wear have made it a staple in women’s fashion.
While Chanel may be late to the online game compared to most luxury brands, it's certainly made a lot of ground to become one of the most talked-about names in the social media landscape.
From its eschewment of anything digital to perhaps the envy of all fashion houses, Chanel's core strategy has always been to first and foremost uphold the brand's image.
It's precisely that careful consideration that allowed Chanel to surpass other high-powered luxury names such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry through an ambitious content strategy.
An emphasis on video has made Chanel one of the savviest social media players in luxury, with its reach on Facebook and YouTube boasting over half a billion views and a combined 24.5 million followers.
To make this particular approach all the more effective, Chanel has been consistently posting repurposed content cross-platform, which shows the skill with which the brand optimizes content for each of its social channels. Differentiated content has most certainly been a critical component of most brands today, yet Chanel does better than all.
Strict advertising campaigns and promotional marketing videos are kept under a minute long for launch. At the same time, its atelier, instructional, and behind-the-brand scoops can better illustrate the brand's extravagance and craftsmanship. Chanel's runway and fashion shows are made specifically to exhibit their latest collections. The differentiated assortment of content makes for an excellent portrayal of everything Chanel could wish to showcase to consumers and is precisely why Chanel has earned the title as the most social luxury brand.
Chanel has masterfully translated its brand status through its online channels and a high production effort of publishing differentiated content for an increasingly more social audience.
On the eCommerce side, Chanel has forged a partnership with the online luxury retail platform Farfetch to connect its shoppers with their products. Chanel's leveraging with Farfetch gives it another way to augment its relationship with consumers.
Chanel ranks among the best luxury brands when it comes to illustrating high-quality content production
But the alliance shows a willingness and a need to reinvent the shopping experience both online and offline. More than anything, Chanel's partnership with Farfetch is to supplement the existing in-store experience it has.
"Chanel’s leadership has clearly stated their alliance with Farfetch is to enrich the relationship with their customers," says Juan Manuel Gonzalez, founder of UI/UX eCommerce web design and development agency G & Co. "The possibilities in this partnership are endless and can only mean that Chanel employing more digitization can help optimize the user experience for both customers and store staff."
Speaking on the brand's digital innovation, Juan Manuel says, "it's not the grandiose digital transformation overhaul other brands have done, but for Chanel, this incremental change very well accelerates their brand affinity and customer connection."
Chanel's online strengths may not currently lie in eCommerce per se, but that is a deliberative action it has taken. Instead, Chanel has been able to expertly adopt a digital marketing and social media strategy that's been met with resounding success, and at the most befitting time, as well.
With consumers making their buying decisions based on what they see and engage with online, it's undeniable that a strong focus on social channels can generate the engagement needed to retain the spark in a relationship.
For Chanel, doing that while maintaining its image of elegant confidence is not what every brand is made to do, but certainly, one that's propelled it to the top of the most influential luxury names in social.
What platform does Chanel use?
Chanel uses SAP Commerce Cloud as its eCommerce platform.
What libraries and functions is Chanel utilizing?
Chanel utilizes AJAX Libraries as part of its content delivery network of choice.
Why is UI/UX important for eCommerce stores?
A good user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) is essential for any eCommerce store in that it helps browsers easily navigate a website for the sole purpose of making their customer journey easier to finish. Most importantly, an eCommerce store is a window into a brand’s image; the first impression a browser makes when coming across a shop can easily determine whether or not they will continue browsing and ultimately purchase something.
Why is eCommerce important for any luxury business?
In the rapidly changing world we live in, it’s important now more than ever for brands to adapt to evolving consumer needs. And that includes meeting them where they are.
How is eCommerce different for luxury and non luxury brands?
It’s not enough for luxury brands to have a branded site just to check the box off on eCommerce. Consumers today want an experience that matches the quality of a luxury product they purchase. That’s why luxury brands place a great emphasis on tailoring their approach to play on consumer sentiment and meet the mark of exclusivity.
