CHRIS EVANS, head of creative at Creative Action Design, highlights the ways in which marketing materials can turn your prospects into buyers.
By: Chris Evans
In recent years we have seen a massive re-definition of what people aspire to have and what luxury desirables are actually perceived to be. Rather than accumulating more things – whether cars, yachts, or holiday homes – people are craving 360-degree lifestyle experiences. It’s no longer enough to be selling just a product and this is particularly important with fractional ownership and timeshare offerings targeting the more sophisticated, wealthy consumer.
This market, driven by the need for ‘lifestyle experiences’, can be broadly defined as ‘cash-rich, time-poor’. Not that they waste their money, quite the opposite in fact. These customers are very smart with their hard earned cash and it makes considerable financial sense for them to acquire fractional or timeshare-based items – to be able to use something only at the times they want to.
I would suggest there are six key things that every company operating in this market should consider. Firstly about themselves as a brand, and then in the way they seek to target their potential customers in any communication – whether marketing, advertising, branding, online, or in the services they offer.
1. Inspiration
Take a yacht company, for example. The focus of communication should be on creating inspiring images appealing to the consumer’s senses, conveying the feeling of actually being there. The sound of the lapping water, the smell of the fresh sea breeze and the colour of the clear blue ocean, goes way beyond the value of the actual product alone.
2. Intrigue
Most importantly in initial contact, and then also to enhance and support the sales process, the visual communication needs to be eye-catching and tease browsers to discover more. Giving someone all the information in one go and leaving them with no journey of exploration can be an anticlimax that can put customers off altogether. It’s vital to create touch-points or situations that people can relate to and desire for themselves.
When promoting fractional or timeshare-based second homes, a great way of doing this is with images of people rather than shots simply of the rooms set out like show homes. A focus on the atmosphere and ambience of a destination will leave people with a deeper and more satisfying all-round experience.
3. Exclusivity
Being made to feel special and unique really motivates the affluent customer, and this needs to be harnessed when communicating with them. All marketing materials need to clearly convey visually that the customer will be treated as an individual. If it’s well considered and applied, ‘exclusivity’ can be an incredibly valuable tool to drive sales and generate interest.
4. Clarity
To be able to stand out visually and strategically from an increasingly crowded marketplace is becoming more challenging. Therefore it’s vital to have a brand that is distinctive, communicates clearly and articulates what is special about your product and your owners. The concept should be easy to explain and, more importantly, easy for the customer to understand. Whether on the shelf, on the screen or on the page, you only have a fraction of a second to attract a customer.
5. Consistency
Communicating your brand values starts from the first point of contact with the customer. The whole process needs to be thought through thoroughly to create a seamless and holistic experience. From a purely marketing point of view, you’re only as strong as your weakest piece of communication. I’ve come across companies that have spent thousands of pounds on high colour brochures – and then haven’t bothered to post complete and appropriate contact details on their website. How many businesses spend thousands on advertising campaigns only to have nobody on the end of the phone who can help follow up interest and demand?
6. Innovation
Whether using alternative ‘ambient’ advertising, or harnessing new online social networking sites, being innovative in communicating with this consumer category is vitally important. The market is always changing and your competition is always evolving, so brands, communications and offerings need to be kept fresh and innovative to achieve that all-important competitive advantage. For any company to fully maximise the opportunity that exists they need to remember the pressures the lifestyle customer groups have on their time, as well as their preference for experiential holidays.
