Montblanc marketer: Never forget the role of your product

The future of marketing will see an evolution of content marketing where augmented reality and virtual reality will become commonplace in consumers’ mobile devices. With analytics fast gaining mainstream adoption, what is also inevitable is the rise of data-driven marketing, where brands leverage actionable insights with such precision they can predict and provide tailored offerings for each customer.

For modern marketers, utilising new technologies can help their brand cut through a marketplace that feels increasingly cluttered, but I would also like to share some marketing fundamentals that inspire me and that continue to be relevant, irrespective of the era.

The adage “The product is the marketing” is especially true for brands in the luxury sector. Luxury goods are priced as such because they are painstakingly created by specialist craftsmen, often involving countless hours and unwavering dedication before they can be displayed on shelves or put on e-commerce sites. Given the price point, a consumer subconsciously scrutinises every detail of the product before or after purchase – whether it’s the face on a timepiece, the nib of writing instrument or the finishing of a leather wallet. As such, every item that bears your logo becomes a critical touchpoint.

It is a promise of what your brand stands for and can be an excellent amplifier for the brand. Though easily understood, brands that truly internalise this principle go to great lengths to ensure every creation bearing their name has impeccable quality. By offering products crafted to the highest standards, the iconic Montblanc Emblem is today the ultimate seal of performance, innovation, quality and expression of style.

Driving in-person interaction

Technology can never replace the tactile experience of holding a finely crafted product in your hand. Even today’s most advanced immersive technologies still face limitations and can only provide a fraction of the true product experience. For example, while AR and VR may have made significant leaps in the past few years, they continue to remain comparatively one dimensional in terms of sensory perception for the user. A watch collector may want to feel the weight of the timepiece on their wrist while some petrol heads crave a vehicle’s “new car smell” – both of which cannot be fulfilled by any technology that is within reach of the average consumer or even for more affluent ones. Last, but not least, current VR environments or videos are pre-built, further restricting a potential customer to a watered down product experience.

Marketers should instead focus on using such technology to pique interest or showcase their products digitally, with the ultimate aim of driving in-person interaction with their products.

Maximise product and customer experience 

Although ideal, in-person interaction with a brand’s product may not always be possible (or timely enough) due to a multitude of factors. The next best thing is to ensure every avenue in today’s omni-channel world brings the best possible product or customer experience for the consumer. Whether this is in a physical boutique or an online environment, the goal does not change. Experience shows consumers who have had positive interactions with a brand tend to be stronger advocates and have a higher tendency to become loyal customers. For walk-in consumers, in-store moments can be both a journey and the destination. Those who walk into a boutique either purchase on the spot or may be further influenced to travel down the decision-making funnel. In this area, the rise of bespoke services will eventually become the norm. A seemingly small, but significant offering is on-the-spot embossing and engraving services for customers. You will be surprised how often a simple gesture can determine if a walk-in consumer becomes a return customer or remains a casual shopper.

The writer is Benjamin Goh, head of marketing and communications, Montblanc SEA. The article first appeared in Marketing’s The Futurist print edition.