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Keywords
Brand names, Brands, Internet, Brand image, France, United Kingdom
Abstract
The paper addresses the issue of the use of the Internet for the management of luxury brands. We investigate luxury managers' attitudes towards the use of the Internet to promote their brands and also assess consumers' opinions and behaviour concerning luxury brands Web sites. Finally, we present the results of a content analysis of a number of luxury brands sites. Any discrepancies between expectations and reality are investigated. Results indicate that reality falls short of the expectations of both managers and customers and that the interactive potential of the Internet is not exploited. Furthermore, there is evidence that the Internet works best as a communication than as a customer acquisition channel for luxury brands.
Introduction
The Internet has become an essential part of the branding and communication strategies of organisations, ranging from fast moving (e.g. Nestle and Procter & Gamble), to luxury goods (e.g. Chanel and Dior). Peterson et al. (1997) comment that the Internet may provide an efficient medium for accessing, organising and communicating information, while Chaffey (2000) focuses on the Internet's interactivity potential and on the opportunity to build relationships with individual consumers. Yet, the content of existing Web sites varies widely, from truly interactive to on-line brochures. Likewise, the level of customer service and personalisation provided by different on-line companies is found to vary widely (Hewson and Coles, 2001).
In parallel with the increasing number of brands with a dedicated Web site, there has been an escalating interest in the literature on the use of the Internet for brand management (e.g. de Chernatony (2001) and in the recent Journal of Brand Management (Special Issue) 2001). However, much of the literature on successful brand building on the Internet is either prescriptive in nature (e.g. Chaffey, 2000; Clauser, 2001), or does not go beyond the hype of anecdotal evidence (e.g. Chiagouris and Wansley, 2000). No single empirical paper contrasts planning with implementation issues. This paper attempts to fill such a gap, first, by exploring the motivations that have led manufacturers to create Web sites for their brands. We then contrast the managers' aims with consumers' perceptions and their use of brand Web sites. Finally we report on a content...