Struggling to keep up with SEO in 2025? AI, UGC, and Google updates are shaking things up. Get expert insights from top SEOs to stay ahead of the curve!
From short-form videos to SEO to influencer marketing, today’s marketers have more marketing channels to choose from than ever before. When it comes to identifying which channels to focus on, it all comes down to your specific company, product, and target market. But I know firsthand how helpful it is to see how your fellow marketers are navigating the evolving landscape. That’s why I’m excited that the HubSpot team surveyed over 1,700 B2B and B2C marketers to explore the most used marketing channels. Below, I’ll share the top marketing channels identified in that survey. I’ll also discuss how these channels can help amplify your reach and how real marketers are planning to implement them into their 2025 strategies. Table of Contents Top B2B Marketing Channels Top B2C Marketing Channels Social Media Marketing Video Marketing Influencer Marketing Search Engine Optimization Podcast Marketing My Takeaways on the Top Marketing Channels Top B2B Marketing Channels Before I dive into the channels marketers are focusing on, I want to highlight who they’re marketing to. Over 70% of B2B and B2C marketers plan to target Millennials in 2025, followed by Gen Z at over 30%. Meanwhile, marketers’ interest in reaching Gen X and Baby Boomer audiences is down 30%. When it comes to how marketers plan to reach these decision-makers, our survey found that the channels seeing increased investment in 2025 are: Brand awareness. Website/blog/SEO. Paid social media content. Organic social media content. Video marketing. Of marketers, 92% plan to maintain or increase investments in brand awareness in 2025, making it the top marketing channel across the board. Additionally, 13% of marketers plan to invest in brand awareness for the first time in 2025. Brand-led marketing campaigns are becoming a top priority as consumers seek authenticity. Marketers plan to use brand-led campaigns to communicate their brand values, such as social responsibility. I’m not surprised by this response, given that 65% of marketers reported that addressing social issues in marketing campaigns in 2024 was effective for their brand. The top B2B marketing channels that resulted in the best ROI in 2024 were: Website, blog, and SEO. Paid social media content. Social media shopping tools. In my opinion, one of the most interesting findings from the HubSpot survey is that both B2B and B2C marketers are leveraging visual content over text-heavy content. As a B2B marketer and writer, I’m personally drawn to text content like blog posts. But I can’t deny the impact of visual storytelling. Attention these days is limited, so it makes sense for both business-facing and consumer-facing businesses to use strong visuals to grab their audience’s attention. The content formats that B2B marketers are using most are short-form video (30%) and images (29%), followed by interviews (24%) and blog posts (23%). With increasing content needs, especially on the visual side, marketers are turning to AI tools to help them generate more content. One in four marketers plan to leverage using AI to turn text into multimedia campaigns. Moreover, the survey found that there’s still a learning curve that comes with AI for B2B and B2C marketers alike. Marketers are reporting that they feel overwhelmed by the idea of incorporating AI into their marketing strategies and workflows, with less than half saying they have a clear understanding of how to use AI in their marketing strategy. When it comes to social media channels, the data shows that LinkedIn is a more important platform for B2B brands than B2C, with B2B marketers substantially more likely to report investing in this platform. Finally, the top marketing strategies that B2B marketers are turning to in 2025 are: Using AI to turn text into multimedia campaigns. Using AI-powered reporting tools to evaluate the ROI of campaigns. Automating marketing strategy and execution with AI. Creating content that reflects your brand’s values. Personality-led content, creators, and authentic engagement. Top B2C Marketing Channels Many B2C marketers use platforms similar to their B2B counterparts but with a few key differences. For B2C brands, the top marketing channels with the best ROI in 2024 were: Email marketing Paid social media content Content marketing Like B2B, the top content format for B2C marketing was short-form video. Of B2C marketers, 30% say they use short-form video as part of their content strategy. Compared to B2B marketers, B2C marketers incorporated more user-generated content (UGC) and live streaming in their content. B2C marketers are also prioritizing authenticity in their marketing in 2025 and will likely use social media channels to do so. HubSpot’s survey offered further support for the importance of social media, finding that B2C brands are planning to invest in Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok in 2025. Finally, the top B2C marketing strategies for 2025 are: User-generated content. Creating content that reflects your brand’s values. Leveraging AI to turn text into multimedia campaigns. Using social media DMs (direct messages) for customer service. Using AI-powered reporting tools to evaluate the ROI of campaigns. Social Media Marketing In 2025, I expect to see the rise of visual social media content driven by compelling storytelling. The HubSpot survey found that consumers are looking for even more authenticity than ever before, and I think marketers will meet that expectation with brand-led social content and increased partnerships with content creators. In fact, marketing leaders are prioritizing hiring for social media, creative, and content roles in 2025. The top marketing role that leaders are making a recruiting priority in 2025 is a social media coordinator. Other top-priority roles include a content creator and social media strategist. According to HubSpot’s survey of marketing professionals, the top performing content format in 2024 was short-form video. This points to the impact of social media — one that will continue to grow in 2025. The top social channels for 2025 are YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. These channels make sense to me given that they all offer opportunities for short-form video. Video Marketing Now is the time if you’ve yet to invest in video marketing. Across industries and markets, I’ve found that video can be a
With new AI tools, integrations, and use cases coming out almost daily, I know it can be overwhelming to keep up with how AI is changing business. Take DeepSeek R1, for example. Created by Chinese company DeepSeek, the AI model turned the world on its head when it was first launched in January 2025. It disrupted the entire AI industry, helping researchers and marketers to do research, brainstorm, and generate content very quickly and at no cost. Most professionals believe AI innovations will be comparable to the industrial revolution. So, if you’re wondering exactly how AI is changing business, then you’ve come to the right place. At its core, I think the advent of AI means one big thing for the future of business: marketing, sales, and service professionals now have more time to work on complex, higher-impact work while AI takes care of mundane tasks. Here are a few ways AI’s already changing the workplace and what we can look forward to, according to our State of AI survey of 1,350 U.S. professionals. Table of Contents How AI Is Used in Business Today How AI Will Impact Business in the Future The Potential Dangers of AI in Business How AI Is Used in Business Today 1. Marketing Marketers across different organizations are leveraging AI to enhance their ability to target and effectively grab the attention of their audiences. Nearly 75% of marketers use AI to perform their day-to-day roles, and over 68% of marketing leaders who invested in AI report seeing a positive ROI, according to our recent State of AI in Marketing report. Research by Meta also reveals that campaigns that use AI-powered tools have an average click-through rate 11% higher and a conversion rate 7.6% higher compared to those not using AI. Example of AI in Marketing I think a great example is how multinational beverage company Coca-Cola used AI to create the “Masterpiece ad” in 2023. Although the company collaborated with some contemporary artists — like Wonderbuhle, Aket, F. Ramadan, S. Tejada, and V. Kushwah — and used some live action shots in the video, its use of AI-powered image generation and motion synthesis played a key role in creating fluid transitions between the painting and the real world. The result? A video that sparked global conversations and drove engagement, highlighting how forward-thinking brands can stay relevant in a digital space that is fast evolving by using AI to push the boundaries of creativity. Pro tip: If you’re looking to start leveraging AI in your marketing strategies and are unsure of where or how to start, check out HubSpot’s AI Sales and Marketing tools to help improve your team’s performance. 2. Analytics One of AI’s biggest selling points is its ability to comb through vast amounts of data and provide insights relevant to your needs. It’s like it promises to find the proverbial needle in the haystack in 30 seconds flat. This makes it possible for companies to consider big data in real time and provide predictions that can inform decisions. AI-powered analytics are transforming industries across the board. From retail to finance, banking and more, all kinds of businesses are now using AI to analyze the behaviors of their customers and what drives those behaviors. And that helps these businesses to create more tailored solutions that effectively serve customer needs. Examples of AI Analytics Did you know 80% of what we watch on Netflix are suggestions provided based on its analysis of individual watch history? According to Netflix, this highly personalized recommendation engine saves the streaming company from losing at least $1 billion every year. The model continuously learns from user behavior, watch history, and engagement patterns, refining its recommendations to keep subscribers hooked. But Netflix isn’t alone. I love how Marks & Spencer (M&S) has implemented AI technology to enhance its online shopping experience by offering personalized style advice. Customers could complete a quiz detailing their size and style preferences, and the AI system, combined with insights from in-house stylists, provided tailored outfit suggestions. This initiative led to significant engagement, with 450,000 shoppers using the feature. In addition, M&S further increased automation of product descriptions to 80%, aiming to boost its digital fashion sales to 50% by 2028, up from one-third at the time. Pro tip: To maximize AI-driven analytics, focus on clean and structured data — even the most advanced AI models need high-quality inputs to deliver valuable insights. 3. Operations Operations form the backbone of any business, and AI is proving to be a game-changer in this domain by automating repetitive tasks and optimizing complex processes. In manufacturing, for example, AI-powered robotic process automation (RPA) handles tasks like assembly, quality control, and inventory management. In fact, installations of industrial robots were at an all time high (the second highest in history) as of 2023, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Beyond retail and manufacturing, AI-driven process automation is helping businesses optimize scheduling, streamline logistics, and improve operational resilience — allowing companies to do more with less. Example of AI in Operations I think Walmart’s AI-and-machine learning-driven inventory management systems is a brilliant use case of AI operations. It focuses on demand forecasting, reducing understock and overstock situations by at least 35%. That is millions of dollars saved every year! Pro tip: AI works best in operations when paired with human oversight. The key is to automate the repetitive while keeping decision-making in human hands. 4. Customer Service and Support And then there’s the belle of the ball — the customers and how they are supported throughout their journey. Customers want faster and more personalized service, and integrating AI always gets this job done. Our State of Service report found that: 84% of customer support reps see AI as an instrumental tool for interacting with modern customers. 92% say that AI has improved their customer service response times. 77% believe that AI will handle most ticket resolutions by 2025. Beyond chatbots, AI-powered sentiment analysis also allows businesses to detect customer frustrations
Modern marketing is less pushy than yesteryear’s — and I love that. It’s less about forcing your message on people and more about helping. However, personality marketing is one strategy that still dances the line between savvy and shady to many, including yours truly. As marketers, we work to get inside the heads of our audience and understand what makes them buy. We learn who they are, their age and interests, but personality marketing pushes the envelope into psychometrics or deeper psychological traits. It also raises the question of when marketing turns manipulative, and it’s not one to be shrugged off. Let’s talk about what personality marketing really is and how to use it effectively and ethically. Table of Contents What is personality-based marketing? The Controversy of Personality Marketing How to Implement Personality Marketing into Your Strategy Ethically What is personality-based marketing? Personality marketing actually goes by many names. Some call it personality-based marketing, others personality-theory marketing, and some even psychometric marketing. But no matter what you decide to call this strategic rose, it’s when a marketer takes into account deeper psychological traits of their ideal customers to reach them more effectively. I know what you’re thinking: “This just sounds like buyer persona research or segmentation, Ramona. HubSpot loves that stuff.” And yeah, we do and they’re pretty similar. But personality marketing goes beyond surface demographics like age and gender. It stretches into motivations, fears, values, relationships, and even emotional states. There are several different personality theories brands can explore here (e.g., Myers-Briggs, DiSC), but one of the most popular is the “Big 5” or OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. UK-based market research agency Brandspeak breaks down the five traits for us: Openness: Intellect or imagination, curiosity, and creativity Conscientiousness: Tendency towards organization/structure Extroversion: Energy source in regards to interactions with others Agreeable: Orientation to others; how they get along with others Neuroticism: Confidence, how comfortable someone is in their own skin Source Whatever factors you end up analyzing, personality marketing aims to unpack the “why” behind the more obvious qualities (what) and buying behaviors (how). Need help organizing all your audience information? Download our free buyer persona templates. Benefits of Personality Marketing So, the goal of the strategy is to understand your buyer better, right? Well, once you do, this can lead to some big benefits. The most direct is more relevant messaging and content. One of the most high-profile examples of personality marketing is a controversial one from Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, but the CEO of the consulting firm once explained this aspect of personality marketing well. He said, “It allows us to nuance our messaging. Rather than serving the same advert to 100 million people… [we] can sub-segment people by personality and change the creative to resonate with individuals based on how they see the world.” You can see this idea in action in the promotion of the Apple Watch. Apple targets its loyal base of techies who want the latest new gadget in the promo above, but it also appeals to health and fitness enthusiasts who want to track their movement on its website. Source Not to mention the inherent gamification. Each audience has very different motivations for buying so they need very different messaging to take action and Apple took the note. 64% of consumers say they’d quit a brand if their experience wasn’t personalized or relevant, so this is not an outrageous idea. More personalized and relevant messaging can mean increased connection and trust in your brand, as audiences feel like you “get” them. This creates a better customer experience, and ideally, over time, all of these elements come together to increase conversions and even sales. The Controversy of Personality Marketing As with any marketing, personality marketing has to be done strategically to reap the benefits, but more importantly in this case, it needs to steer clear of the dilemmas and controversy that can come with it. What’s the big drama with personality marketing, you ask? It really comes down to privacy and ethics. Data Privacy In an age where data breaches and privacy settings are a normal part of life, critics are concerned with how brands gather the psychological details they use in personality marketing. Whether it’s through forms on their website, market research, or inferences based on social media, marketers have to be careful about where they are gathering their psychometrics and if they have the legal rights to use. According to Twilio’s 2024 State of Customer Engagement Report, 60% of consumers say protecting their data is the top way to build their trust. So, it’s clear consumers today are increasingly aware of how their data is being shared and used. Any misuse of this can be extremely damaging to your brand. Meta, Amazon, and T-Mobile are just some of the corporations that have faced backlash and gotten fined for data breaches and privacy violations. Ethics In addition to how they’re getting their data, personality marketers need to be wary of how they’re using that data. This is the big one for me. You see, I love marketing; it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was a teenager. But I’ve always struggled with this perception that marketers are manipulative. To some, we’re out here trying to trick others into buying things, making false promises to steal money. We’re like the stereotypical “sleazy car salesman” or whoever sold Jack those magic beans in “Jack and the Beanstalk.” It’s an ugly image to attach yourself to. That’s largely why I was happy the industry had turned more inbound by the time I entered the workforce, but now personality marketing adds a different layer of potential misconduct. Personality marketing encourages brands to cater to their target audiences’ deeper concerns and tendencies. This is great if we use it to create a better experience for consumers and give them what they need — but the fact is not everyone uses this information for good. Think about it: Leading with a pain point
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In addition to running a marketing agency with customers around the globe and a seven-figure local business, today’s master is also a kickboxing champion and MMA fighter — making Jennifer Waters easily the marketer I’d least like to fight. Though Flo from Progressive seems like she’d be a scrapper, right? It’s not just me? But rather than spend our time arguing about which mascot would win in the octagon, today she’s here to teach you how to kill it… in small and local business marketing that is. But don’t worry; you SMB and enterprise marketers will get your kicks in, too. Meet the Master Jennifer WatersCo-founder, 7 Figure Dojo; Executive sensei, Seigler’s Karate Center Claim to fame: Grew her small business to seven figures (Thus the name of her agency!) Fun fact: She’s a sixth-degree Kempo karate black belt and purple belt in Tetsu Shin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu Lesson 1: Forget omnichannel. Think omnipresence. “To survive as a local business, you need to think and market like a Fortune 500 company,” Waters says. If that reflexively made your wallet pucker, you can relax. She means that you need to think bigger than just a few scattered Facebook ads. “You need to do what I call omnipresence marketing. Digital marketing is just one arm of it,” Waters explains. So while omnichannel refers to coordinating your marketing across all of your digital channels, omnipresence means you include the real world. In fact, Waters says the foundation of small-business marketing is live events. “This is where you’re out shakin’ hands and kissin’ babies,” she smiles. For a karate school, this might be hosting a monthly parents’ night out. For a florist, it could be weekly wine-and-design classes. (As a real-life example, the kung fu school I go to hosts a monthly classic kung fu movie night.) The exact details will differ, but the goals are the same: generating leads and building visibility. “We want to be physically present in the community. We want to have internal events to bring people to us, to generate publicity. And because your name is constantly out there you become category king or category queen with your local business.” Meanwhile, as your digital marketing promotes these live events, your live events provide fodder for your digital marketing. And when you coordinate them both? Voilà! Omnipresence. Lesson 2: Relationships are everything. Because I’m a massive dork, I can’t resist asking the cheese question: What do martial arts masters know that marketers need to learn? Waters’ answer is anything but cheese. “Relationships are everything,” she says. “Your relationship to the individual customer, or in this case to your martial arts student, is what is going to keep them coming back. Or feeling comfortable referring other people to you.” Every touchpoint you have with your audience — at live events, on social media, on your website, on the phone — is a chance to build that relationship. Imagine you see a great video ad, so you call up the company and… some rude jerk answers the phone. “All that marketing did nothing because the relationship wasn’t there.” This is a good time to take stock: When you reply to your emails, are you maintaining that relationship? Are you proactively reaching out to customers who talk about you on social media? When they land on your homepage, are they getting the same vibe they can expect at your live events? Lesson 3: Cause a pause. For Waters, the current era of marketing is all about asking, “What can we do to get this person to stop?” Stop scrolling and watch your video. Stop clearing the inbox and read your newsletter. Stop walking and check out your booth at your local fair. “If I’m going out in person, I’m not going in plain clothes. I’m going to throw on a karate gi and now I’m stopping traffic.” “If I was advising a chef who was trying to get people to come over and taste the pastries, I’d say put on a chef’s outfit with the hat and everything,” she gestures at an imaginary toque like Ratatouille. And the same principle applies online; you just have to figure out the digital equivalent of your gi. Waters notes that, since they’re still new and novel to most folks, dropping AI-generated images into your social feed is a good way to get people to stop scrolling. The key is figuring out what makes your unique business stand out both online and off. Now, get out there and don your gi apparel.
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I was shopping for dog treats recently. My dog has particular tastes, so I turned to Amazon to find what new treats might delight her. Amazon collects my browsing data and purchase history (aka, first-party data) and uses it to plan and deliver targeted ads while I’m on the platform. One of these ads led to me a good deal on some rawhide-free chewy rolls, which have now become her favorite. The retail media network (RMN) is what runs behind the scenes to enable that integrated experience. It’s how brands get their products in front of eager customers like me while not wasting too many ad dollars chasing cat owners instead. If you’re running advertising for a brand, you may have questions about RMNs. How do I get involved in RMNs? How much should I spend? What returns can I expect? Along with help from a few RMN experts, we’ll work through answers to these questions and more. Table of Contents What is a retail media network? The Benefits of Retail Media Networks How Retail Media Networks Work Top Retail Media Networks Tips for Using Retail Media Networks What is a retail media network? A retail media network is an advertising platform that runs within a store’s website or app. These networks allow other brands to advertise online to customers on sites like Amazon, Target and CVS. Source From the CVS example above, you can see the sponsored tag in the bottom right corner of the Flonase ad. That’s a retail media network ad. The Benefits of Retail Media Networks What’s so great about RMNs? I asked several RMN experts to share their insights. A Clearer Performance Picture Knowing that roughly 41% of ad spend goes to waste, marketing teams are under serious financial pressure to perform. They need ads that work as efficiently as possible. And they need to tell that tale to executive leadership to stay invested in ads. Greg Brunk, Head of Product at MetaRouter, notes that RMNs have a unique ability to deliver on performance criteria and help tell the story of your ads to leadership. “One of the most overlooked advantages of Retail Media Networks (RMNs) is their ability to provide direct, real-time ad performance measurement beyond what traditional ad platforms offer,” Brunk said. “Many brands still operate in siloed reporting environments, making it difficult to understand the true impact of their media spend, especially across different networks. When properly implemented, RMNs can integrate ad performance data into existing analytics platforms, providing real-time visibility into impressions, clicks, and conversions.” That said, he also cautions teams to pay close attention to these metrics — even when deciding on which RMNs to use or keep. “This level of transparency is critical for optimizing ad spend and proving ROI, yet many brands fail to leverage RMNs to their full measurement potential,” Brunk said. “Instead, they often choose to spend more on all RMNs equally or invest in one network over another based purely on instinct.” (Psst: Subscribe to Masters in Marketing newsletter for weekly insights from top brands. Plus, for one week only, 100 readers can win our limited Kit!) Guaranteed Consumer Attention Consumer attention is fleeting: research shows that you have about eight seconds to catch a buyer’s eye and make your case. With such tight time expectations, marketers need every advantage they can get to capture consumer attention. Paul Brenner, SVP of Global Retail Media & Partnerships at Vibenomics, explains that RMNs offer a special advantage in that department — especially with digital ad displays running in-store. “Physical retail locations offer brands guaranteed consumer attention during purchase decisions — something digital channels can’t match. While most brands focus heavily on targeting and measurement capabilities, they often overlook the significant profit potential,” said Brenner. “Digital in-store advertising consistently delivers 70-90% margins, far outpacing traditional retail’s single-digit returns.” Personalized Benefits RMNs bring data and capabilities that enable better targeting and personalization. Personalized ads are table stakes these days. Consumers expect a personalized experience: Research presented in Content Marketing Institute found that 88% of consumers expect personalized recommendations based on history, and 85% expect personalized recommendations. Your ads need to fit those expectations. Randy Mercer, Chief Strategy Officer, 1WorldSync shares that RMNs and their ad delivery capabilities can personalize your message to reach people better than many other channels can manage. “There‘s the e-commerce advantage — when customers buy your product online, it shows up in their purchase history, which is often where they start their next shopping trip,” said Mercer. “Unlike a physical store where competitors’ products are right there on the shelf, your product stands alone in that history, making repeat purchases more likely.” (Randy) Pro tip: Detailed media planning can help you which benefits matter the most to you and your team. Smart planning helps maximize ad results. How Retail Media Networks Work Now that you see what RMNs can do, how do they actually deliver on those benefits? Gather first-party data. A RMN’s biggest boon is first-party data. Retailers gather information on their shoppers from things like customer surveys, customer service interactions, loyalty programs, social media, and digital interactions. Basically, anything a customer touches, a retailer tracks. That data gives advertisers a finely honed lens to examine their target audience. As you work with the team behind an RMN, you’ll find out what kinds of data they gather and if their audience fits your needs. Buy and sell ad space. Retailers then use their RMNs to sell advertising spots on their website, app, and other digital properties. Third-party brands (that’s you) buy these ad spaces. More RMNs are adding self-service options to let you build and buy ad space on your own. But, for larger campaigns, you’re typically working with the retailer’s team on a negotiated contract and bespoke pricing. Pro tip: As you start this process, use our paid media template to track your ad buying and management. Produce creative. Each RMN will have its style guidelines and expectations on details like sizes, resolutions, and
As a marketer who’s familiar with the different marketing tricks brands pull, I’m good at resisting the allure of commercials. That is, until a luxury brand marketing strategy sweeps me off my feet, transforming my casual scroll into an aspirational shopping session (even if I’m just looking through the digital store window). One moment, I’m dismissing ads. The next, I’m all in for that sleek wristwatch or captivating perfume I absolutely don’t need. Do I still put it in my shopping cart? Guilty — I admit. That’s how good marketing works — even the strongest fall. So, in this piece, I’ll explore the top strategies from the best luxury brands worldwide and share the secrets you simply want to know. Table of Contents What is luxury marketing? Elements of Luxury Brand Marketing Luxury Marketing: How it Differs from a Traditional Brands Luxury Marketing Strategy Examples What You Can Learn From Luxury Brand Marketing What is luxury marketing? Luxury marketing is a marketing approach that focuses on promoting high-end, premium products and services. Luxury marketing goes beyond simply highlighting product features and quality. Instead, it crafts an exclusive brand narrative that emphasizes heritage, superior craftsmanship, scarcity, and prestige. Source With this kind of marketing, every element — from product design and pricing to customer experience and distribution — is meticulously curated to create an aspirational image. Think Schiaparelli couture and Birkin bags. My favorite luxury brand is Rolex, the iconic watchmaker, but I’ve always wondered why people would shell out tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars on a wristwatch. It didn’t seem practical, or dare I say, necessary. There are much cheaper watches out there that look good and can tell time just fine. (Psst: Subscribe to Masters in Marketing newsletter for weekly insights from top brands. Plus, for one week only, 100 readers can win our limited Kit!) But one day, it dawned on me that Rolex doesn’t just sell watches; it sells a legacy of precision, exclusivity, and success. And the reason rich people buy it isn’t just because they can afford it. It’s all down to Rolex’s marketing. The brand’s marketing strategy includes: Limited production runs and high price points that create a sense of scarcity and desirability. Marketing materials that highlight the brand’s long history, intricate craftsmanship, and dedication to precision. Imagery and storytelling that evoke success, achievement, and a lifestyle associated with high status. These three things — exclusivity, heritage and craftsmanship, and emotional connection — are the bedrock of luxury marketing. They’re what helps luxury brands reinforce their image (and products) as a symbol of excellence and affluence. Elements of Luxury Brand Marketing Luxury brand marketing is carefully orchestrated to build an elite image. Here’s an in-depth look at the strategy. 1. Target Audience Luxury brands are expensive. I’ll talk about pricing soon, but when these brands make their products, they don’t try to sell them to the average person. Instead, they zero in on a niche subset of people who value exclusivity, quality, and an aspirational lifestyle. Every time I watch a luxury ad, I’m always struck by how they speak directly to people who see value in exclusivity. These folks are willing to invest in a lifestyle rather than just a product. Rather than simply segmenting by age, income, or location (as in regular marketing), these brands focus more on psychographics. They seek to understand the lifestyle, aspirations, and emotional drivers of their consumers, who are typically well-educated, affluent, and culturally discerning. Their target audience determines the kinds of products these brands create and the media through which they market those products. 2. Brand Heritage and Storytelling Luxury brands, like Hermes and Chanel, were often established decades (or over a century) ago. They lean on a rich history and compelling narratives to set themselves apart. These stories about origin, product evolution, craftsmanship, or cultural significance help create a deep emotional connection with the audience. The narrative explains not just what the product is but why it matters in a broader context. I think this element is particularly effective because it transforms a simple purchase into an experience steeped in tradition and meaning, making the consumer feel a part of something timeless. For example, on LVMH’s website, there’s a section that describes how Hubert de Givenchy built the Givenchy Maison by predicting the “casual chic and democratization of luxury that would leave its mark on the 20th century.” So, when you buy a dress from the house of Givenchy, you’re partaking in Hubert’s genius. It’s not just a dress anymore. It’s prestige. 3. Exclusivity and Scarcity While the exact number of bags it produces every year remains a closely guarded secret, Hermes ensures that the number of Birkin bags available is always less than the demand. That’s why the bags are so expensive and have a high resale value. In fact, there used to be a waiting list that people had to join before they could own one of these highly sought-after bags. Now, Hermes has scrapped the waiting list and made the process of getting a Birkin even more nuanced. Hermes, however, isn’t the only luxury brand that does this; most luxury brands make their products scarce and exclusive on purpose. Scarcity drives desirability. When items are hard to come by, they often seem more valuable and coveted. By limiting product availability or crafting unique, bespoke offerings, brands ensure that their customers feel privileged to own something few others do. 4. Product Quality and Craftsmanship At the core of every luxury brand is an unwavering commitment to quality and craftsmanship. For example, Patek Philippe prides itself on assembling all its wristwatches by hand. And, in 2019, haute couture designer Elie Saab and his team spent 800 hours making a wedding dress. With luxury brands, every detail of a product is meticulously designed and executed, often by artisans who have honed their skills over years of dedicated practice. This dedication to superior quality ensures that each product is not only functional
