BE518-5-SP

Digital Marketing and Social media Strategy of Burberry

 2

Table of Content

Introduction......................................................................................................................................3

Theoretical background...................................................................................................................3

Customer Engagement Strategies................................................................................................3

Various Dimension of Digital Customer Engagement Strategies...............................................4

Customer Engagement by the Burberry..........................................................................................5

Recommendations............................................................................................................................7

References........................................................................................................................................9
 3

Introduction
The benefits of digital marketing, which were previously unattainable, have gained
attention from across the world. As digital marketing expanded and new digital platforms and
services emerged, new marketing tactics had to be developed. Businesses that have embraced
social media marketing have unquestionably carved out a unique niche for themselves in the
industry (Helal, Ozuem and Lancaster, 2018). Burberry is founded in 1856 by “Thomas
Burberry” in the United Kingdom and moved to the London in 1891 (Vinerean, 2019). For many
years, Burberry has been a fashion icon powerhouse that has endured adversities. The most
interesting and dynamic component of Burberry's management approach has always been its
ability to maintain a distinctive trend alive from the company's inception to its current items
(Pardal, 2021). The distinctive strategy design has long served as a steadfast identifier of the
company. Variety of different displays and designs used to further promote the image of the
company in retail marketing. Burberry's retail marketing strategy focuses on creating a product
that attract people and that works best with the company's current management practices. This
essay will talk about Burberry’s Customer engagement strategies and the various dimension of
digital customer engagement. Lastly, some recommendations will be given to Burberry’s market
managers to enhance customer engagement on various social media platforms.

Theoretical background
It is essential to understand how customers preferences and choices are changed in
current the digital era to comprehend consumer behaviour. To meet their wants and
requirements, understanding how customers and consumers make their purchasing decisions is
critical to a company's success and growth (Duong and Sung, 2021).

Customer Engagement Strategies

According to Tang, (2020) consumers, especially the youth are more concerned than ever
before with businesses' ability to evoke strong emotions in them. Burberry’s goal is to build a
vibrant community by energising and inspiring the “Fashion Vanguard”. For this reason,
Burberry has used its extensive network of communities and influencers to elevate its brand
 4

through deliberate, true luxury storytelling. Moreover, Burberry has developed a unique brand
persona to gain benefit in the company's efforts to improve the way its brand is perceived. Thus,
the business has presented its apparel lines, bags, and accessories as trendy yet useful (Tang,
2020). The long-lasting nature of the bags contributed to the brand's reputation of sincerity and
reliability. Burberry has promoted itself as focusing on quality rather than pretentiousness in its
marketing strategy.
According to Khelladi and Castellano, (2019) Burberry provide its customers with a
memorable brand experience with its instantly recognisable pattern. Burberry, on the other hand,
can cultivate a distinct brand image by focusing on a select number of customers who can pay its
high prices. However, Burberry in the past had to shift its focus from making raincoats to being a
high-end fashion supplier and producer. Customers' need to buy premium goods that mirror their
brand image has been used by Burberry. As a result, Burberry has developed a brand identity that
is immediately recognisable as reputable, and trustworthy (BORSBOOM, CASE and LAWSON,
2018). Burberry has emphasised its worth as a source of self-esteem for its customers to respond
to their unconscious desires.
According to Park and Rhee, (2021) with Burberry’s responsibility to use web
technologies to increase its global performance, has assisted the brand to establish itself as the
well-known brand. As a fashion label, Burberry aims to appeal to the most elite individuals in the
world by creating bespoke commercials that are tailored to their specific needs. It is important
for the firm to connect with its customers and develop a brand image, so it exhibits historical
commercials from previous years that remind buyers of the premium product's lengthy history
(Silvano, 2020). For many people, the British lifestyle and rich legacy and workmanship of
Burberry are associated with purchasing Burberry goods. As a result of this distinctiveness,
customers are more likely to link themselves with the Burberry brand and its rich history.

Various Dimension of Digital Customer Engagement Strategies

Brand advocacy and community will be built through unique and meaningful storytelling,
formats, and experiences that captivate and excite highly important premium customers (Chen et
al., 2021). Throughout the year, Burberry continues to improve the way they communicate with
customers to build an “Omnichannel” luxury experience while concentrating on local clients in
 5

major regions. Maintaining leadership in digital and focusing on full pricing is the major
priorities for the foreseeable future.
Firms' interactions with consumers have been reshaped by the rise of new technology.
Having the capacity to build connections with clients is essential in a world where there are
several options for goods and services. Internet and digital environments provide a unique set of
problems for luxury brands to overcome when it comes to branding premium products and
services. It is a sense of self, a way of thinking, and a way of life. Tuluk (2021) says that modern
consumers utilise these things to “make statements about themselves, to construct identities and
generate a feeling of belonging”. Clients have developed a new individualized consumption
paradigm, driven by new demands and aspirations for experiences. The necessity of knowing
consumer requirements and wishes are obvious in design and marketing literature due to
customer purchasing choices being based on more subjective criteria (Ceil, 2018). Consequently,
this demand needs organizations to possess information and procedures that enable them to
understand their clients and establish deeper ties to form emotional interactions with them.
Many other aspects go into the process of forming an emotional connection, but affect
(emotions, feelings, and mood) is the most important one to consider (Olteanu, 2020). When a
person's thoughts and opinions regarding stimuli are stimulated, their bodies begin to react
(emotion). They are important in the decision-making process and the choice of action,
according to (Liu, Shin and Burns, 2021). 'Experience' is the central notion at the heart of
design and emotion. To design for an experience, Burberry considers the client with feelings,
thoughts, have an active role to play in the development of their products. According to Nagaraj
(2020), when a customer pays for a service, they buy a memory. The "progression of economic
value" is a "new economic offering" that arises after commodities, products, and services. As a
result, a new lever for generating value for the business and its customers is opened.

Customer Engagement by the Burberry

For as long as Burberry has existed, it has never compromised on its brands image. When
it comes to digital innovation, Burberry has always been ahead of the curve, unlike many other
long-established businesses. The corporation since 2010 has adjusted its mentality to embrace
social media, AI, big data, and more into its overall strategy (Pardal, 2021). Those who made this
 6

investment are reaping the rewards now, while others suffer as consumers' requirements and
desires change. A total of 70 million people follow Burberry on social media sites like Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter. Burberry debuted a chatbot on Facebook Messenger as part of their 2017
runway show marketing campaign. Chatbot updates and behind-the-scenes footage are available
to customers (Helal, Ozuem and Lancaster, 2018).
In addition, Burberry has pioneered several innovative digital outlets. For the first time, it
was the first luxury brand to experiment with personalised Pinterest experiences and the first to
deploy a Snapchat “Snap code” (Vinerean, 2019). As part of product promotions, Burberry
partnered with both Pinterest and Snapchat, adapting them as their digital partners. The Apple
Music channel is another first for Burberry. Burberry is trying to shake off its reputation as an
old-fashioned luxury brand by integrating these digital offerings into its overall strategy (Duong
and Sung, 2021). As a result, the company may begin marketing itself to clients at a far earlier
stage in the process. On Instagram or Snapchat, an adolescent can view Burberry's material and
begin to develop an interest in the brand. When that adolescent turns into an adult with
disposable income, Burberry stands to benefit financially (Alexandra and Elena, 2019).
Burberry is also making use of technology to combat the problem of counterfeiting. With
the use of a tech-based verification tool called “Entrupy”, Burberry can now verify that a picture
is of authentic goods by using image recognition (Khelladi and Castellano, 2019).
Inconsistencies in texture and weave may be detected with 99 per cent accuracy by glancing at a
small portion of the photograph. Falsification is a severe and expensive problem for the luxury
goods industry. When it comes to dealing with counterfeits, Burberry has shown a readiness to
try new things to find a solution. Using this new technology, the brand can react much more
quickly to new cases of online counterfeiting to prevent them from taking up (Park and Rhee,
2021).
They may now communicate with the bot to explore current collections, view pricing,
and receive suggestions for matching goods and accessories. Customers may also take advantage
of the technology through the Burberry app. Burberry's brand pleas to a younger demographic by
embracing new means of communication (Chen et al., 2021). This is important to the company's
longstanding viability as a source of revenue. At Burberry's annual runway they display the
runway walk on live streaming to broaden their worldwide reach. As of 2016, Burberry's runway
 7

displays have included an "as-you-see, as-you-buy" element, in which select items are available
for purchase right after the show (Silvano, 2020).
Content curation and storytelling, bespoke premium services, seamless omnichannel
experiences, and rapid digital collaborations are all part of Burberry's digital media strategy.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are all platforms where Burberry publishes
(Khelladi and Castellano, 2019). Across all their platforms, they maintain a similar voice and
message. To differentiate these channels, Burberry broadcasts video advertisements and their
runway presentations on YouTube, which are held numerous times each year.
Although Burberry publishes in a variety of colours, most of the time the backdrop is
always brown. As you can see from the Instagram photos (which also appear on Facebook and
Twitter), the company is aiming for a certain style, which is evident in its consistent use of
uniform colours and stances (Tuluk, 2021). Unlike regular feed postings, their Instagram stories
offer a lot of arty material that includes models wearing products, but they are not the focus. Like
an abstract painting, these tales are less about the clothes and more about the feelings. This is a
marketing technique aimed towards the fashion or creative industries. Burberry's clothes, in
contrast to those of many other high-end design brands, are far more understated, neutral, and
suitable for everyday wear. When Burberry shows that their items can be worn by both simple
and editorial fashionistas, they will attract more stylists, who will then style their famous clients
in Burberry, bringing the business greater attention (Silvano, 2020).
Burberry's social media profiles reflect the brand's basic side, while its print and
television promotion show the brand's editorial side. In print and television advertising, the
models and items are all dressed in the same tan colour scheme, and the same models and
products are featured on the brand's social media accounts (Ceil, 2018). Burberry prioritises both
basic and editorial material when filming any advertisement or content for social media.

Recommendations
Social media enables any brand to produce and share their own content. Burberry must
use SMM technique of leveraging social media technology to engage with customers easily by
providing, creating personal relationships, and trading offers. For example, customer ratings their
new product line and taking about the change and wants may help Burberry to know about
 8

consumer choice. Brands and consumers exchange information and ideas through interaction
create user-generated content relies heavily on social interaction. Burberry must provide a place
for the exchange of ideas and for the support of consumers. Individuals and groups may interact
and share their experiences using social media networks. Transparency and institutional pictures
can be promoted on Facebook by Burberry. The medium's subjective nature increases the social
presence of consumers, which in turn enhances brand engagement. The internet presences of
Burberry can heavily used by providing customized messages to specific clients, allowing them
to modify their purchased commodities. In other words, customisation may be broken down into
personalised messages and broadcasts depending on the message. In contrast to broadcasts,
personalised communications (e.g., Facebook postings) are sent to just one person or a limited
group of people.
 9

References

Alexandra, Z. and Elena, C.A., 2019. The Importance of Integrating Digital Marketing within the
Sales Strategy of Luxury Brands. Risk in Contemporary Economy, pp.119-127.
BORSBOOM, L., CASE, B. and LAWSON, N., 2018. BURBERRY JOUSTING FOR
REDEMPTION. LBMG Corporate Brand Management and Reputation-Masters Case
Series.
Ceil, C., 2018. Burberry Case Study about Consumer Behavior. Available at SSRN 3520418.
Chen, X., Cheng, S., Shu, R. and Yang, Y., 2021, September. Digital Marketing Transition for
Luxury Industry Under the New Coronavirus Epidemic-The Case of Burberry. In 2021
International Conference on Financial Management and Economic Transition (FMET
2021) (pp. 248-254). Atlantis Press.
Duong, V.C. and Sung, B., 2021. Examining the role of luxury elements on social media
engagement. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 12(2), pp.103-119.
Helal, G., Ozuem, W. and Lancaster, G., 2018. Social media brand perceptions of millennials.
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.
Khelladi, I. and Castellano, S., 2019. Play it like Burberry!: The effect of reputation, brand
image, and social media on e-reputation–luxury brands and their digital natives fans. In
Handbook of Research on the Evolution of IT and the Rise of E-Society (pp. 281-300).
IGI Global.
Liu, X., Shin, H. and Burns, A.C., 2021. Examining the impact of luxury brand's social media
marketing on customer engagement: Using big data analytics and natural language
processing. Journal of Business Research, 125, pp.815-826.
Nagaraj, S., 2020. Customer Engagement by Fashion Brands: An Effective Marketing Strategy.
In Circular Economy and Re-Commerce in the Fashion Industry (pp. 161-175). IGI
Global.
Olteanu, L., 2020. Rebranding strategies and their boomerang effect—The curious case of
Burberry. The Journal of World Intellectual Property, 23(5-6), pp.777-797.
Pardal, M.A.M.M.D.C., 2021. Equity valuation of Burberry Group Plc (Doctoral dissertation).
 10

Park, J. and Rhee, Y.J., 2021. Analysis of digital marketing strategies of luxury fashion brands.
Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association, 23(1), pp.87-102.
Silvano, M.D.C.L.F., 2020. Playing against the rules: how a digital strategy can enhance a luxury
business: the case of Burberry (Doctoral dissertation).
Tang, J., 2020. The relationship between social media marketing and luxury brands: new
opportunity to catch consumers (Doctoral dissertation).
Tuluk, T., 2021. The Impact of Brand Posts and Visuality on Customer Engagement Behavior: A
Study of Instagram Brand Accounts (Doctoral dissertation, Marmara Universitesi
(Turkey)).
Vinerean, S., 2019. Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands on Instagram.