BOTTEGA VENETA PRE-COVID AND COVID EXPERIENCE
Bottega Veneta is a dynamic and vibrant brand, constantly capable of bringing innovation with its offering and reinventing itself in original manners. For this reason, it appears particularly interesting to analyze how the brand evolved from the pre-covid world to the post-covid one, also giving customers the opportunity of living the "Bottega Veneta experience" in different ways. What really matters to this brand is the customization of the experience offered to its customers since this makes them feel unique and special, creating more engagement with Bottega Veneta. An example of this brand tendency is the launch of the "Initials" service, advertised with the motto "When your own initials are enough", which allowed customers to customize bags and accessories with their initials. This service was launched through a dedicated website and a pop-up store, allowing customers to try this peculiar offering in person. So, since 2012, Bottega Veneta has tried to combine virtual and real-life experiences to create its own special universe accessible to its clients.
Even the stores of this brand have a specific reason to exist. Think about the only-for-men boutique that Bottega Veneta opened in New York in 2012 to answer the growing demand for men's clothes or its first Maison in Milan, built with the idea of lightness at the basis to give space to the entire universe of products and experiences that the brand has created over time. The fact that Bottega Veneta has received the Walpole Award (2014), being recognized specifically as an innovative brand, underlines how even before the pandemic's outbreak, which has brought a need for innovation, the brand was building its path in this same direction.
Obviously, the sanitary crisis brought by Covid-19 has pushed the brand far beyond its precedent results, making it more and more original and revolutionary. During the difficult times of the pandemic, a new Bottega Veneta was born under many different aspects; however, it still anchored its heritage and history. In fact, the brand not only changed its designer and introduced the iconic "Bottega green" that nowadays makes it immediately recognizable its products, but also became a lot more socially engaged and even digital.
Bottega Veneta became more sustainable, socially and environmentally, with initiatives such as donations in favour of the research against Covid-19 or the introduction of an internal app that updates the staff on sustainability and evaluates the brand's products considering how sustainable they are. Furthermore, regarding the digital world, Bottega Veneta changed a lot after the tragic beginning of the pandemic. Not only has the brand left all social media, but it also introduced "Bottega Residency", an online entertainment platform for helping people feel better in the moments of loneliness that quarantine policies all around the world have brought, and it also took part in a virtual runway organized by Nintendo, where avatars simulated a real-life runway. Moreover, Bottega Veneta has recently introduced an app that allows watching its offering in real-time without being in a store, thanks to augmented reality.
The brand also expanded its network of stores, with new openings and pop-up stores that engage even further with local communities, always paying attention to the level of sustainability of these new sales points.
As it has been said, however, despite all these changings, Bottega Veneta clearly is anchored to its roots, as the "Bottega Series" project shows, with the creation of a new section in the brand's website, where re-edited bags of the past seasons of Bottega Veneta can be bought by customers.
Even the stores of this brand have a specific reason to exist. Think about the only-for-men boutique that Bottega Veneta opened in New York in 2012 to answer the growing demand for men's clothes or its first Maison in Milan, built with the idea of lightness at the basis to give space to the entire universe of products and experiences that the brand has created over time. The fact that Bottega Veneta has received the Walpole Award (2014), being recognized specifically as an innovative brand, underlines how even before the pandemic's outbreak, which has brought a need for innovation, the brand was building its path in this same direction.
Obviously, the sanitary crisis brought by Covid-19 has pushed the brand far beyond its precedent results, making it more and more original and revolutionary. During the difficult times of the pandemic, a new Bottega Veneta was born under many different aspects; however, it still anchored its heritage and history. In fact, the brand not only changed its designer and introduced the iconic "Bottega green" that nowadays makes it immediately recognizable its products, but also became a lot more socially engaged and even digital.
Bottega Veneta became more sustainable, socially and environmentally, with initiatives such as donations in favour of the research against Covid-19 or the introduction of an internal app that updates the staff on sustainability and evaluates the brand's products considering how sustainable they are. Furthermore, regarding the digital world, Bottega Veneta changed a lot after the tragic beginning of the pandemic. Not only has the brand left all social media, but it also introduced "Bottega Residency", an online entertainment platform for helping people feel better in the moments of loneliness that quarantine policies all around the world have brought, and it also took part in a virtual runway organized by Nintendo, where avatars simulated a real-life runway. Moreover, Bottega Veneta has recently introduced an app that allows watching its offering in real-time without being in a store, thanks to augmented reality.
The brand also expanded its network of stores, with new openings and pop-up stores that engage even further with local communities, always paying attention to the level of sustainability of these new sales points.
As it has been said, however, despite all these changings, Bottega Veneta clearly is anchored to its roots, as the "Bottega Series" project shows, with the creation of a new section in the brand's website, where re-edited bags of the past seasons of Bottega Veneta can be bought by customers.
BOTTEGA VENETA POST-COVID IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
Bottega Veneta selected Matthieu Blazy as the Italian fashion house's new creative director in November 2021, just days following Daniel Lee's abrupt departure. Blazy has been working for Lee's number two and has been his right-hand man since mid-2020 (Blazy was hired by Kering as Bottega Veneta's design director in June 2020). Blazy became famous in 2014 after being named "the most famous designer you've ever heard of." The French-Belgian designer is part of a select group of designers from second-in-command positions to lead their brands into a new era of influence and power. Blazy, for whom the CV suggests, is a "cool, handcrafted aesthetic", according to iconic designer Raf Simons. "Blazy comes with lots of ideas and willingness to experiment, which is a source of great motivation for his team," he concluded. Everything old is new again; thus, the new creative director of Bottega Veneta is obsessed with technology and newness. CEO of Bottega Veneta, Bartolomeo Rongone spoke on hiring Blazy. He states, "Matthieu's appointment will further enhance the modern relevance of our brand and accelerate our growth while preserving the values at the core of Bottega Veneta." Breaking that down into "modern relevance" and core "values," Blazy's task is to continue the much-loved and Instagramable products that are funding Bottega's more adventurous runway pieces while offering exclusivity and luxury while maintaining the brand's popularity.
Lee stepped back from Bottega Veneta; thus, he is credited with injecting a new sense of modernity and youthfulness into the brand during his three-year tenure. The fashion designer has incorporated the brand with many memorable styles, especially the "Bottega Green", one of Lee's most outstanding style contributions from his tenure at the heritage design house and one of his more recent introductions. The colour is consistent with the top colour trends of 2021, which include several shades of green. Colour trends were mostly bright and vibrant, reflecting people's desire for optimism and happiness amid the pandemic. Bottega Green's new colour became the trendiest in fashion with the Kelly green, a bright green that falls somewhere between parakeet, apple, and shamrock, the new colour du jour in manner. Green, in general, has a reputation for being difficult to wear, which is likely due to its history as a colour of wickedness, witchcraft, sin, and ghosts; however, thanks to Lee and his work at Bottega Veneta, "Bottega Green" took on a whole new dimension and became the fashion's favourite hue. It is a new set of codes that Lee offered to the fashion world that are a marketer's and CEO's fantasy in rapidly gaining high status, popularity, and commercial significance. The brand has applied the colour to various categories and products, including rubber puddle boots, leather outerwear, a fluffy bathrobe coat priced at a hefty 6,500 euros, and different blouses and tops. Still, it has been careful to keep its offering consistent to maintain peak interest and demand. "Bottega Green" is now recognizable and has built the brand image across the fashion industry.
Another initiative taken by Bottega Veneta after the Covid-19 pandemic, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Bottega Veneta created digital screens on a section of the Great Wall of China to display the messages "Bottega Veneta" and "Happy Chinese New Year". The new brand's signature green and orange colours were also featured. With this initiative, Bottega Veneta has committed to donate to support the renovation and maintenance of the easternmost part of the Great Wall, the Shanhai Pass.
Also, to bring innovation back to the brand, Bottega Veneta is returning to digital with a mobile app on the Apple store, which will offer AR functionality. The app allows customers to enter into the world of the brand. The platform is a meeting point for creatives, and the app aims to go live with new content every day. The brand plans for the app to become the brand's regularly updated channel. The app's main screen currently displays a large green background, the same colour as Bottega's new logo, with a small rectangular box in the top right-hand corner to switch between campaign images. By tapping on the screen, users are transported to another digital room to access the augmented reality feature, which allows them to take photos with the Bottega Veneta logo prominently displayed in the foreground. This "gateway to the brand's world" will appear "wherever the green is", turning the app into a kind of unofficial augmented reality visor but without turning it into a library of content or services - and thus differentiating it from the rest of the brand's apps seen so far. The Bottega Veneta app offers a pure experience and is not just a version of the brand's website available for smartphones.
Lee stepped back from Bottega Veneta; thus, he is credited with injecting a new sense of modernity and youthfulness into the brand during his three-year tenure. The fashion designer has incorporated the brand with many memorable styles, especially the "Bottega Green", one of Lee's most outstanding style contributions from his tenure at the heritage design house and one of his more recent introductions. The colour is consistent with the top colour trends of 2021, which include several shades of green. Colour trends were mostly bright and vibrant, reflecting people's desire for optimism and happiness amid the pandemic. Bottega Green's new colour became the trendiest in fashion with the Kelly green, a bright green that falls somewhere between parakeet, apple, and shamrock, the new colour du jour in manner. Green, in general, has a reputation for being difficult to wear, which is likely due to its history as a colour of wickedness, witchcraft, sin, and ghosts; however, thanks to Lee and his work at Bottega Veneta, "Bottega Green" took on a whole new dimension and became the fashion's favourite hue. It is a new set of codes that Lee offered to the fashion world that are a marketer's and CEO's fantasy in rapidly gaining high status, popularity, and commercial significance. The brand has applied the colour to various categories and products, including rubber puddle boots, leather outerwear, a fluffy bathrobe coat priced at a hefty 6,500 euros, and different blouses and tops. Still, it has been careful to keep its offering consistent to maintain peak interest and demand. "Bottega Green" is now recognizable and has built the brand image across the fashion industry.
Another initiative taken by Bottega Veneta after the Covid-19 pandemic, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Bottega Veneta created digital screens on a section of the Great Wall of China to display the messages "Bottega Veneta" and "Happy Chinese New Year". The new brand's signature green and orange colours were also featured. With this initiative, Bottega Veneta has committed to donate to support the renovation and maintenance of the easternmost part of the Great Wall, the Shanhai Pass.
Also, to bring innovation back to the brand, Bottega Veneta is returning to digital with a mobile app on the Apple store, which will offer AR functionality. The app allows customers to enter into the world of the brand. The platform is a meeting point for creatives, and the app aims to go live with new content every day. The brand plans for the app to become the brand's regularly updated channel. The app's main screen currently displays a large green background, the same colour as Bottega's new logo, with a small rectangular box in the top right-hand corner to switch between campaign images. By tapping on the screen, users are transported to another digital room to access the augmented reality feature, which allows them to take photos with the Bottega Veneta logo prominently displayed in the foreground. This "gateway to the brand's world" will appear "wherever the green is", turning the app into a kind of unofficial augmented reality visor but without turning it into a library of content or services - and thus differentiating it from the rest of the brand's apps seen so far. The Bottega Veneta app offers a pure experience and is not just a version of the brand's website available for smartphones.
BOTTEGA VENETA IN-STORE EXPERIENCE CONCEPT
PERSONALIZED & DIGITIZED
Bottega Veneta’s new in-store experience concept is more personalized than ever. Real-world experiences are digitized and connected virtually while going to the actual store. We aim to attract the younger generation while creating an inclusive luxury experience for each customer, strengthening loyal client relationships and boosting sales and brand awareness. Besides standard dressing rooms, we will have connected ones with a mirror as a screen that scans each consumer with the chosen Bottega Veneta product. As a result, people can relate to personal shoppers or share their know-how and styles with a broader audience, allowing them to live the luxury Bottega Veneta experience.
Over personalization and sharing experiences is the centre of our brand, thus each screen will be connected to a personal shopper that will advise and propose other versions, even those that are not available in-store, and directly order them to have an all-inclusive omnichannel approach in addition to local staff. The customer sees the new version of him/herself in the mirror as opposed to choosing online. As the customer gives his name, he will be directly connected to his personal shopper from previous experiences, who knows everything about the client to build trust and brand loyalty. The goal is for Bottega Veneta customers to receive the best-personalized clienteling service and luxury experience from their favourite personal shopper in any store across the globe. As a result, brand awareness, store frequency and sales will grow as every customer can be helped to find his/her perfect match even if the selection in-house is limited, which would have led to no sales in the past. For Gen Z as our target consumers, the connected dressing rooms act as a stage to show and let followers be part of their purchasing decisions. Influencers can choose various backgrounds, such as a Bottega Veneta runway or branded Chinese wall. We want to let the dream float and allow everyone to live the Bottega Veneta luxury experience. Here, you can see our new Bottega Veneta luxury experience live.
The new concept follows Bottega Veneta’s brand DNA, involving the tradition of brick & mortar stores and innovation. We enable a real luxury experience and apply the latest technology. The vision is to connect to our customers and let them connect to their audience. We lead change while adhering to brand values. However, privacy is still guaranteed. Excellent client service is always the key goal.
The goal of that personalized customer experience is to engage loyal customers, give them the very best clienteling service anywhere they go and allow people to always purchase the perfect match regardless of whether it is available in-store. The concept involves all channels, enhancing in-store and being above online experiences as all versions can be tried on the screen. Furthermore, we seek to attract younger customers who enjoy sharing luxury experiences to give influencers a stage and boost store frequency, brand awareness and sales. Above all, we target loyal customers, strengthen trust and client relationships providing the best service wherever they go.
The concept is feasible as the technology of mirrors as screens, video calls, online personal shoppers, and clienteling services already exist! As an opportunity, the experience can be broadened by applying it to brand collaborations and allowing collaborative client services. However, risk can threaten loyal, elderly customers by over-modernizing and over-sharing.
We see the relevance as customers seek seamless omnichannel experiences and the best clienteling service. People are attracted to stores again as they can try on everything! Personalized services and the best customer experiences can be guaranteed. People seek trust, personalization and connections. We allow you to stay connected always and anywhere. Fit is given as VR experiences can perfectly align with brand codes (green runway, real-world backgrounds (Bottega Veneta Chinese Wall etc.)), and we ensure real luxury Bottega Veneta customer service. Over-personalizing and building trust with customers also strengthens the purchase loop for loyal customers.
For quantitative benchmarks, we look at the average number of customers in store, store frequency, number of sales, number of social media conversions, number of recurring sales by loyal customers, number of sales through connected dressing room personal shoppers and in-store salespeople, and number of new customers. For qualitative benchmarks, we look at customer satisfaction, feedback on the new personalized clienteling service, the number of personal shoppers who become “private” shoppers and are connected again to previous customers, also in other stores across the globe as well as the number of customers who prefer to connect to a new personal shopper or even refuse to use the tool again.
Over personalization and sharing experiences is the centre of our brand, thus each screen will be connected to a personal shopper that will advise and propose other versions, even those that are not available in-store, and directly order them to have an all-inclusive omnichannel approach in addition to local staff. The customer sees the new version of him/herself in the mirror as opposed to choosing online. As the customer gives his name, he will be directly connected to his personal shopper from previous experiences, who knows everything about the client to build trust and brand loyalty. The goal is for Bottega Veneta customers to receive the best-personalized clienteling service and luxury experience from their favourite personal shopper in any store across the globe. As a result, brand awareness, store frequency and sales will grow as every customer can be helped to find his/her perfect match even if the selection in-house is limited, which would have led to no sales in the past. For Gen Z as our target consumers, the connected dressing rooms act as a stage to show and let followers be part of their purchasing decisions. Influencers can choose various backgrounds, such as a Bottega Veneta runway or branded Chinese wall. We want to let the dream float and allow everyone to live the Bottega Veneta luxury experience. Here, you can see our new Bottega Veneta luxury experience live.
The new concept follows Bottega Veneta’s brand DNA, involving the tradition of brick & mortar stores and innovation. We enable a real luxury experience and apply the latest technology. The vision is to connect to our customers and let them connect to their audience. We lead change while adhering to brand values. However, privacy is still guaranteed. Excellent client service is always the key goal.
The goal of that personalized customer experience is to engage loyal customers, give them the very best clienteling service anywhere they go and allow people to always purchase the perfect match regardless of whether it is available in-store. The concept involves all channels, enhancing in-store and being above online experiences as all versions can be tried on the screen. Furthermore, we seek to attract younger customers who enjoy sharing luxury experiences to give influencers a stage and boost store frequency, brand awareness and sales. Above all, we target loyal customers, strengthen trust and client relationships providing the best service wherever they go.
The concept is feasible as the technology of mirrors as screens, video calls, online personal shoppers, and clienteling services already exist! As an opportunity, the experience can be broadened by applying it to brand collaborations and allowing collaborative client services. However, risk can threaten loyal, elderly customers by over-modernizing and over-sharing.
We see the relevance as customers seek seamless omnichannel experiences and the best clienteling service. People are attracted to stores again as they can try on everything! Personalized services and the best customer experiences can be guaranteed. People seek trust, personalization and connections. We allow you to stay connected always and anywhere. Fit is given as VR experiences can perfectly align with brand codes (green runway, real-world backgrounds (Bottega Veneta Chinese Wall etc.)), and we ensure real luxury Bottega Veneta customer service. Over-personalizing and building trust with customers also strengthens the purchase loop for loyal customers.
For quantitative benchmarks, we look at the average number of customers in store, store frequency, number of sales, number of social media conversions, number of recurring sales by loyal customers, number of sales through connected dressing room personal shoppers and in-store salespeople, and number of new customers. For qualitative benchmarks, we look at customer satisfaction, feedback on the new personalized clienteling service, the number of personal shoppers who become “private” shoppers and are connected again to previous customers, also in other stores across the globe as well as the number of customers who prefer to connect to a new personal shopper or even refuse to use the tool again.
