Storytelling for luxury brands

Storytelling for luxury brands is nothing new, but digital media has certainly made it a vital part of the marketing mix through which to engage existing and potential consumers.

The nature of traditional media has meant that luxury brands have not always been free to tell their stories on their own terms, despite having a lot to offer in the space. But luxury content marketing means storytelling can shine across various platforms and in various guises.

Why is storytelling so important for brands?

Giles Lury, a leading branding consultant and an executive at The Value Engineers, said:
“Storytelling is a marketing trend which echoes the deeply rooted need of all humans to be entertained.”
This is why storytelling is increasingly used in marketing today to build brand and customer loyalty. Stories are illustrative and easy to remember. When reading straight data, only the language parts of our brains work to decode the meaning. However, when we read a story, the language parts of our brains light up as well as the other parts we use when we actually experience something. This also has the side effect of allowing brands to create stronger emotional bonds with customers.

In ‘Luxury Unfiltered: Crisis or opportunity?’, Daniel Langer, CEO of the luxury, lifestyle and consumer brand strategy firm Équité, says: “Effective luxury branding is rooted in client-centric storytelling that inspires and taps into the psychological aspects of luxury purchases. However, most brands talk about themselves and forget to define their role in the eyes of clients.” Unique and authentic storytelling is both an art and a science. Storytelling at all levels of the brand – from product, to marketing, to PR – is essential and it doesn’t have to all be the same. Premium brands that capture their unique essence and set their offering in a broader picture of their target market’s world, wants and needs will surely see success.

In ‘Gen Z, luxury and the undeniable pull of interestingness’, Marieke Dekker explains that in order to reach Gen Z – the crucial audience for luxury brands – brands must work harder to be interesting.
“Being interesting starts with being interested. Zoomers spend a quarter of their day on content. Luxury brands need to create content they want to see, listen to, and interact with. Content that grabs and keeps their attention because it’s unusual, exciting, or surprising. That turns heads and stops thumbs, and lingers in the mind even once it has disappeared.”
Langer adds: “To reach the next generation of clients, brands must communicate a brand story that resonates deeply with them, creating connections grounded in shared and inspiring values. Storytelling in luxury is about building a narrative that feels inevitable yet fresh – a story so well-executed that it creates an emotional contract with the client.”

What types of stories do luxury brands tell?

Historically, brands from all industries have achieved success telling stories about:

• Their mission statement
• Their legacy or history
• Their founders and employees
• Their culture, collaborators or third parties
• Their events
• Their customers
• Personalities (real or fictional) associated with the brand
• And their products

However, increasingly brands are telling stories about sustainability and corporate social responsibility. These are particularly important for brands wishing to target Gen Z, for whom these values are incredibly important.

The Corporate Activism report from insights company RepTrak reflects public perception of brand performance across 17 factors, including sustainability, talent management and diversity.

RepTrak defines corporate activism as a public stance taken by company or brand to impact social change or legislation. This can impact purchase appeal, trust, consumer willingness to recommend and general reputation.

Their report found that 63% of global consumers prefer buying goods and services from companies that “stand for a purpose that reflects their values and beliefs” rather than businesses that do not. And if more brands are targeting this messaging to broaden their appeal, then it’s important that luxury brands stand out from the crowd with any storytelling around sustainability.

In the blog ‘5 Ways to Leverage Ethical Conduct for Business Success’, RepTrak emphasises the ‘big picture’ when it comes to leveraging ethics as a business asset: “do good and talk about it”. The company says: “Ethical behaviour is foundational, but it’s not enough on its own. Communication is what bridges the gap between actions and perceptions,” and this is why telling stories around sustainability is crucial for luxury brands. Brands that are transforming the way they work sustainably, and combining it with work around corporate social responsibility, will reap the benefits – but this work needs to be communicated clearly and regularly. The luxury travel industry in particular needs to clearly communicate sustainable practices. In our blog ‘Sustainability, storytelling and personalisation: the future of luxury travel marketing’ we discuss the rapidly growing hospitality sector and the importance of using emotion and transparency to engage with a demographically different audience, particularly on sustainability issues.

Methods of storytelling for luxury brands

In recent times, brands have also realised that expressing their values and telling stories through third parties and platforms that their audience already engages with is highly effective, so are embracing working with ambassadors and influencers, and branching out to new platforms (for them), such as gaming.

Avery Booker from Jing Daily writes about ‘Why brands need to think like media platforms’, explaining: “It is manifested in companies literally becoming producers. Among luxury fashion brands, Gucci is one of the most evolved in thinking like a media company, experimenting with a vast array of initiatives, including its GucciFest film festival, magazines, audio, innovative collaborations, virtual goods and even a brand-funded ‘talk show’.”

Platforms for telling brand stories

With a quickly evolving and diverse media landscape, brands have many options for where to tell their brand stories. Which option works the best depends on the brand, the story and the audience being reached. In the Walpole article ‘How to connect with luxury customers in the current media landscape’, Jordie Elms, Associate Partner at ANM Comms explains: “As the media continues to change at a rapid rate, so should your communications strategy. The good news is that you now have more outlets than ever to tell your brand stories. However, as quickly as trend-driven platforms like TikTok and Instagram rise, the news cycle changes just as rapidly and it’s imperative to make sure you’re telling your brand story to the right audiences at the right time.” She goes on to present numerous options to consider.

Print: “Print media, with its timeless appeal and perceived prestige, can lend a sense of authenticity and permanence to a brand’s message. Luxury brands benefit from the high-quality visuals and in-depth storytelling that print publications offer, often reaching a discerning audience who values the tactile experience. The curated nature of prestigious print publications means that luxury brands can precisely target a discerning audience which values and seeks out premium products. This selective readership often includes high-net-worth individuals who are more likely to invest in luxury goods. In an era dominated by digital content, print media offers luxury brands a timeless and impactful platform to convey their heritage, craftsmanship, and exclusivity.”

Online and social media: “Online and social media offer immediacy, interactivity, and a broad reach that print media cannot match – not to mention these platforms often also offer global visibility. Online media allows for quick updates, multimedia content and targeted advertising, making it easier for you to measure and optimise your campaigns.
“Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are particularly powerful due to their visual nature and large user bases. These platforms enable real-time engagement, influencer partnerships and user-generated content, creating a dynamic dialogue with consumers.
Podcasts are also a great way to tell your brand story to a highly engaged audience.”

Elms advises that you pick your channel based on your own KPIs and objectives – but this choice should be driven by storytelling too and an assessment of your needs to tell the story. If you’re investing millions in a brand collaboration, for instance, it is worth making the most of stories you can tell – a video series, global PR strategy or even a series of high-profile events might be most effective.

Ways to tell brand stories

There are many ways in which luxury brands are telling their stories:

Collaborations

Previously overlooked by luxury brands due to the danger of sharing the spotlight and potentially diluting the brand’s message and prestige, collaborations are now big business for luxury brands. Some great examples include:

Cult Gaia x GAP:
This collaboration blended Cult Gaia’s modern aesthetic with GAP’s classic American style and resulted in a collection that appealed to a broad consumer base. The partnership was well-received, showcasing the effectiveness of combining distinct brand identities to create unique products.

Fenty x Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics:
Rihanna’s Fenty brand partnered with the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, merging fashion with sports on a global stage and highlighting the versatility of luxury brands and their ability to engage with diverse audiences.

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama:
Louis Vuitton has had an enduring relationship with renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The most recent collaboration featured Kusama’s signature polka dots and motifs adorning Louis Vuitton’s iconic products, blending art and fashion seamlessly. Jordie Elms writes that collaborations can bring newfound relevance and revenue to luxury brands. She says: “When executed thoughtfully, partnerships between brands, locations, key opinion leaders and people of influence, have the ability to not only elevate a brand’s image, but also reach new consumer segments and generate demand.”

Find out more about the value of content collaborations.

Influencers

Luxury brands are attractive to famous faces, with their clothes, bags, cars and jewellery sported on red carpets and in celebrity hotspots. Increasingly, the new breed of influencer celebrity will talk about luxury brands on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

Brands are using this to their advantage, reaching new audiences and growing by working with famous and ‘internet-famous’ people as ambassadors – often selecting a number of different influencers to target different audiences. A 2024 study published in the British Journal of Management and Marketing Studies found that influencers have a 42.2% impact on the consumer buying journey in the global fashion industry alone. Influencers play a crucial role at every stage, from enhancing awareness to shaping purchasing actions, and they can add their own personal stories and insights to the brand’s story, creating even more engaging content, on the digital platforms that see the most engagement with the younger audience.

Gaming

Gaming The Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in consumer gaming time, which has only fuelled the growth and value of popular gamers, who generate a following across social media and platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.

YouGov’s report ‘The Power of Gaming Influencers’ found that more than 40% of the global adult population follows a social media influencer across a range of interests, and almost 10% follow a gaming influencer (rising to 17% among consumers aged 18-34 and 23% among men aged 18-34).

Gucci was an early harnesser of the power of gaming. As Luxury Daily reports:
“Gucci introduced personalised avatars in partnership with mobile application Genies. Not only could users dress their clones in Gucci apparel and accessories, but the platform also allows consumers to purchase clothing they see their digital selves wearing… The brand also partnered with two Sims custom creators for its Off the Grid capsule collection. Through the collaboration, players were able to download the virtual Gucci designs and build items.”

And the rest of the luxury fashion world has caught up. In 2023 Burberry partnered with Minecraft to create an in-game adventure titled ‘Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond.’ This collaboration allowed players to explore a Burberry-inspired world within Minecraft, featuring landscapes and characters that reflect the brand’s heritage. Alongside the game a limited-edition capsule collection was released, showcasing Burberry items adorned with Minecraft-inspired designs, bridging the digital and physical realms of fashion.

Other brands diving into the gaming space include Prada, which created an outfitting space in extreme sports game Rider’s Republic, and Ralph Lauren, which launched the ‘Ralph Lauren Winter Escape’ on Roblox, providing a holiday-themed virtual experience.

Entertainment

The link between brands and entertainment has taken a step up in recent years with more opportunities that go far beyond simply product placement and allow brands to tell more in depth stories. French fashion house Balmain and its creative director Olivier Rousteing teamed up with UK broadcaster Channel 4 on a short-form drama series. Based on the life of struggling singer-songwriter Mya, the series is called Fractures and showcases Balmain’s autumn/winter collection in each of the five eight-minute episodes.

Olivier Rousteing told Variety: “The fashion industry is in need of new narratives and new ideas. My team and I were determined to break away from the pack.”

Other brands embracing the entertainment industry include LVMH who announced the launch of 22 Montaigne Entertainment, a venture developed in collaboration with media consultancy Superconnector Studios. This initiative aims to co-develop, produce, and finance media content, including films, television series, and audio projects, to enhance marketing strategies across LVMH’s portfolio of luxury brands. These examples showcase interesting ways luxury brands can create innovative marketing strategies that engage audiences through storytelling and immersive experiences.

Experiential

A Harvard Business Review study titled ‘The New Science of Customer Emotions’ found that emotionally engaging experiences can boost revenue, compared with less engaging forms of marketing. For instance, Ferrari’s ‘Cavalcade’ event is an exclusive gathering that brings Ferrari owners together for a multi-day driving experience through Italy’s most scenic and culturally significant routes. Bulgari has expanded into the hospitality industry with a collection of luxury hotels and resorts in Milan, London and Dubai. Bentley has launched the Miami Residences, a luxury high rise residential building in a prime seafront location in Florida that is imbued with the brand, from Bentley’s diamond-motif as seen on the grilles and stitching brought to life through the interior decor, to Bentley Home furniture and the interior car lift so residents can live alongside their luxury vehicles.

The luxury automotive brand has also launched the Bentley Record Room – a luxurious and exclusive showcase of the brand’s DNA at Co-op Live Manchester. The exclusive venue was designed in partnership with Bentley and provides unique music experiences. Steven De Ploey, Director of Product and Marketing at Bentley Motors, said:
“From the meticulously crafted interiors of our vehicles to the powerful sound of the Bentley engines – design and sound excellence have always been an integral part of the Bentley lifestyle. The Bentley Record Room embodies this ethos, offering our clients and VIP contacts a sanctuary to indulge their passion for music, watching the world’s finest performers and artists on the arena stage, before returning to an intimate space that speaks to the authenticity of the Bentley brand in its execution of luxury fused with contemporary design and the finest craftsmanship.”

The experiences are appreciated by the UHNW audience and provide myriad opportunities for brands to tap into emotions, tell stories and integrate more fully into the broader lifestyle of the customers. Brands need to think beyond their immediate product offering and look at home else they can create a presence in people’s lives.

Podcasts

We’ve written about podcasting for brands and how the number of listeners has grown and they are a fantastic way to make your brand seem more trustworthy, knowledgeable and authentic.

Podcasts lend themselves to storytelling for luxury brands as they are listened to at times when consumers want to be entertained – they are commuting, cleaning, exercising – and if your brand can fill that time, you become part of their lives.

Listeners will return week on week for episodes and truly immerse themselves in your brand’s stories. Chanel Connects is a podcast series offers listeners intimate conversations with influential figures in fashion, art, and culture and is now in its fourth season, with the most recent recorded on location at the Venice Biennale, the world’s most influential exhibition of art. Gucci’s podcast features discussions with collaborators, artists, and thinkers who contribute to the brand's universe. Hermès offers audio stories that delve into the craftsmanship, artistry, and narratives behind its products.

As the above examples suggest, luxury brands often have really interesting stories to tell. They have rich histories, their products involve high-level craftsmanship and they are often involved in celebrity parties or events.

In conclusion

Print media is the traditional home of storytelling and many luxury brands have long embraced this format, with brand magazines and global stories shared. But digital media has given luxury brands even more choices when it comes to storytelling.

While it’s important not to neglect the in-person physical events that make luxury brands stand out from the crowd, storytelling through collaborations, ambassadorships with influencers and celebrities, gamification and podcasts are highly effective ways for luxury brands to reach wider audiences and engage with the luxury consumer of tomorrow.

Resources:

Storytelling is a marketing trend which echoes the deeply rooted need of all humans to be entertained - The Value Engineers

Effective luxury branding is rooted in client-centric storytelling– Luxury Daily

Gen Z, luxury and the undeniable pull of ‘interestingness’ – The Drum

63% of global consumers prefer buying from companies that “stand for a purpose that reflects their values and beliefs” – RepTrak

5 Ways to Leverage Ethical Conduct for Business Success – RepTrak

Why brands need to think like media platforms – Jing Daily

As the media continues to change at a rapid rate, so should your communications strategy – Walpole

40% of the global adult population follows a social media influencer – YouGov’s

Emotionally engaging experiences can boost revenue – Harvard Business Review