Women's Wear Daily
10/16/2007
Amy Wicks
Can luxury brands be successful on the Internet? Some high-end companies have been hesitant to move to the Web for fear of watering down their brands, but Rolex is proving a small investment on the Internet can lead to a high profile. In fact, after quietly expanding rolex.com more recently, the brand has already received kudos from Forrester Research, which gave the site an almost perfect score (11 out of 12) for conveying its "brand image" effectively. The Forrester study, "Best and Worst of Brand-Building Web Sites, 2007," included 20 Web sites, such as those of Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
"They [Rolex] had wondered if they belonged on the Internet and it turns out they are a perfect fit for it," said Jerry Johnston, chairman of Critical Mass, an agency that creates marketing strategies, and builds and maintains Web sites for Fortune 500 clients, including Rolex. Chanel was the only other "luxury accessory" site to be recognized. According to Forrester, "Chanel's site features its founder's uncompromising nature, uniqueness and passion for perfection. Incredibly sharp images of timepieces, photographed with dramatic lighting, showcase product craftsmanship." In other product categories, Lexus, Porsche and Panasonic were also awarded high marks for communicating and supporting their brand images. Johnston said Rolex is under the industry average in terms of money spent on the Internet but, next year, 8 to 10 percent of its marketing budget will be devoted to the Web.
