Most luxury brands have been badly hit by sales decline during the pandemic, with no exception for Valentino. Fortunately, Valentino’s CEO, Venturini, had timely viewed the future of luxury sales and increased investment in digitalization and e-commerce to counteract the fast-changing market.. In January 2021, the hiring of digital innovation expert Enzo Quarenghi marks a stronger shift towards digital content and better user engagement through various campaigns, such as Valentino One Stud Sneaker AR try-on, Chez Maison Valentino, Valentino Insights, etc. Through all these digital channels, it achieved a 62% increase in total sales and a 77% sales growth in the virtual boutique. A closer look into Valentino digital events will show how the sales were boosted up so quickly.
Valentino One Stud Sneaker AR Try-on Improves Engagement and Sales
Valentino has launched its latest One Stud Sneakers for men, presenting in the Fall 21 Men Collection for the first time. The calfskin sneakers feature a single stud in a semi-matt finish at its side. Available in low-top or mid-top, the new sneakers also come with a Valentino Garavani screen-printed logo on the heel and tongue, and a rubber sole with low-relief Maxi stud details. To enable consumers to experience the new style in a timely and immersive way, Valentino digital marketing event was introduced, including the 3D engagement and AR sneaker try-on functions, which ultimately engaged many more consumers and increased their likelihood of purchasing. See its highlights below:
3D Rendering Replicates Your Offline Shopping Experience
Start your 3D exploration and find your favourite One Stud sneaker by accessing the online Valentino boutique. Indulge yourself in a super-realistic 3D model engagement by dragging the shoe freely to view details from all angles. With its iconic stud craftsmanship being clearly and realistically presented to you, it feels like you were viewing them in a real boutique. This is the credit of high-precision 3D rendering technology that accurately recreates the material.
Real-time AR Foot Tracking Helps Consumers Quickly Find the Perfect Pair
You can virtually try on shoes in various styles and colours, just click on the “AR Try-on” button on the smartphone and point the camera at your feet. The shoes will magically appear on your feet, which can easily help in finding the perfect pair. Even if you turn your feet from side to side or walk, the top of the shoe meets the cuff of your pants in a very realistic and natural way.
Virtual Shoe Try-on Shortens Purchase Cycle for Consumers
Virtual try-on allows consumers to quickly make their purchase decision and add items to the shopping cart and complete the purchase simply with one click. Overall, this digital event reshapes customers’ shopping experience, helping them make faster shopping decisions and shortening their purchase cycle.
UGC: Share Try-on Photos Via Social Media Platforms
Consumers can save try-on photos, share timely with their friends and seek valuable advice via social media platforms. UGC can help brands build brand awareness, promote and generate sales.
Interactive ChezMaison Valentino: Boost Sales with Digital Events
Chez Maison Valentino, a new engaging digital project, allows users to virtually explore the renaissance Palazzo Mignanelli, which is the historic headquarters founded by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti in 1967. Users will be able to take a virtual tour, navigate and explore the marvellous world of Valentino through a series of curated stories, surprises, quizzes, and more within seven rooms on its website.
Pierpaolo’s Studio, the first room, has a video showing the creative process and its vast selections within his wardrobe. Haute Couture Ateliers, the second room, allows users to learn about its history while trying out on its story quizzes. Hall of Fame, the third room, allows users to take a digital walk to recap the most honorary moments of gorgeous gowns worn by Hollywood stars. The New Collection room with the well-known Igor Mitoraj’s sculpture in the palace courtyard, the fourth room, has the current collection enhanced with editing methods and direct linkage to the online store.
Chez Maison Store, the fifth room, is an exclusive space for users to purchase designer Joana Avillez’s limited-edition collection of hoodies and T-shirts. Maison Collections, the sixth room, grant the users access to Pierpaolo Picciloi’s archive collections and advertising campaigns. Last but not least, users will end off their visits with one or two film masterpieces specially tailored for them on digital screen by global cinema platform MUBI.
Create Immersive Shopping and Increase Brand Loyalty with Valentino Insights
Valentino Insights, an immersive campaign, invites users to walk around a digital 3D replica of a modernist Mediterranean villa and experience the lifestyle of designer Pierpaolo Piccioli. High ceilings and large windows give the space a sense of grandeur, while the 60s-style chairs and central tables are decorated in warm inviting colours. The villa also includes various interactive items, such as red phones with recording capabilities, record players with curated Spotify playlists, and, of course, the latest Valentino Collections, which can be explored and purchased with one click.
Valentino Insights constantly updates its products, campaigns, news, etc., and leverages digital marketing hacks to enhance brand loyalty and sales conversion rate.
AR Shopping and Digital Marketing Events Leads to Sales Increase
The Valentino team was visionary in recognising that e-commerce was the only channel to connect with customers during the peak of the pandemic. The team introduced the Valentino digital marketing events to entertain the customer community and managed to acquire an amazing repurchase rate. As shoppers’ demand intensified for more sophisticated digital interactions, optimizing the shopping experience with advanced technologies is of utmost importance to attract more users. It is reported that the global augmented shopping market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 47.1% from 2020 to 2027. The need to increase higher customer experience, user engagement, and sales is driving the adoption of AR shopping across various industries.
How to integrate AR try-on engine quickly? Kivisense, a reliable AR solution provider, was named one of the top five startups at F8 2021. It has created AR try-on scenarios for many luxury companies, such as Dior, Gucci, etc., helping them achieve better sales and ROI conversion rates.
Kivisense’s Technical Advantages:
- Lightweight AR algorithms for real-time tracking: Kivisense develops an AI deep learning neural network based on foot tracking, which not only realizes foot tracking in real-time, but also complete the physical mask, perfectly shortening consumers’ buying decisions.
- 3D rendering replicates offline shopping: The high-precision 3D engine can replicate a variety of common shoe materials, such as leather, canvas, PVC, etc., making 3D shoes more than 95% accurate. Through visual 3D models, users can feel like they are viewing sneakers in a real boutique.
- Modular API services improve development efficiency: Kivisense provides various modular API services, such as AR shoe try-on, AR eyewear try-on, AR jewellery try-on, AR cosmetic contact lenses try-on, etc. Businesses can directly invoke based on different demands to significantly increase their development efficiency.
- Easy integration into various platforms: Kivisense is the perfect choice for integration to AR plugins into the Web, App, or even EC SaaS Platforms like Shopify.
Conclusion
It is confirmed that the economic consequences of COVID-19 have had a profound impact on the e-commerce landscape. Through multiple innovative Valentino digital marketing events, its online penetration in total retail sales continues to grow, with e-commerce representing 15% year-to-date. Deborah Weinswig, the chief executive of Coresight Research, a consulting and research firm focused on retail and technology, said that users spend three times as much time on AR experiences as they did on traditional e-commerce sites. This means that there will be fewer exchanges and returns on e-commerce. It is the best time to make a marketing transition and adopt digital content.
