Vertu see rise in demand for bespoke luxury experience

Vertu, the English manufacturer of luxury mobile phones, saw a dramatic increase in the number of consumers seeking luxury experiences in 2014. The company, which offers its customers exclusive offers and access via its Vertu LIFE app, as well as Concierge services, saw a 350 per cent increase in engagement with its lifestyle services. In December 2014 alone, more than 13,000 Vertu consumers, across 30 markets, explored the global Vertu LIFE app for inspiration on services and experiences. Vertu Concierge also enjoyed an upturn in engagement. In the 18 months since launching its premium service, Dedicated Concierge, which offers the individual a personal rather than team based concierge service, Vertu has seen an overall 3 % increase in registration, with 17% of all Concierge users opting for the enhanced and more personal service offered by Dedicated Concierge. Within the Dedicated Service approximately 10% of monthly requests are triggered by proactive recommendations from the Lifestyle Managers. For Vertu LIFE, 2014 also proved to be a milestone year, not simply because of the 200 per cent increase in the number of experiences presented on-device, but also because of the increasingly tailored nature of those on offer. Opportunities ranged from an ultra-bespoke submarine adventure holiday and privileged access to hard to source luxury goods, to exclusive dining experiences and entry to a global network of private members clubs. By December 2014 Vertu LIFE was able to offer experiences in over 30 countries. Vertu Chief Executive Officer, Massimiliano Pogliani, said: “We have all observed the change in luxury tastes that has occurred in recent years; people have moved away from ostentatious displays of wealth to more connoisseur led luxury purchasing. Now, at Vertu, we are seeing a further evolution with people increasingly seeking a more experiential interaction with the luxury market. We see this trend developing clearly within Vertu’s own LIFE and Concierge services where, throughout 2014, our customers were increasingly seeking out more experiences aligned to their own individual tastes. “These ranged from exclusive dining options for Valentine’s Day all the way through to bespoke adventure holidays. The launch and steady rise in popularity of our Dedicated Concierge Service is testament to this trend. People will invest in a service that is totally dedicated to providing them with an individually tailored experience. Rather than formulating a request, they expect that service to get to know them personally and to proactively suggest appropriate experiences and services to them.” By December 2014 Vertu LIFE had over 130 lifestyle experiences, in 30 countries, live on-device and exclusive to Vertu users. In total, over 600 privileges were presented in 2014, across nine categories of customer interest, including travel, fashion, elite world sport and fine dining. We are now well in to 2015 and the trends observed in 2014 continue. Experiential luxury so key to the consumer experience, that Vertu has developed a new campaign that specifically promotes this aspect of its brand. Designed largely as a digital campaign in order to best reach tech savvy luxury consumers, the campaign brings to life numerous aspects of Vertu’s luxury experiential offering, which can include often complex requests within challenging timescales. The campaign showcases the two latest Vertu smartphones, Signature Touch and Aster. Vertu’s new brand campaign will be launched globally on 31st March 2015, the brand campaign video can be seen at Vertu.com, home of Vertu e-commerce, from the same date.