Swiss watchmaker, Rolex, is a leading international luxury brand. Headquartered in Geneva, it is endorsed by some of the world’s most high-profile celebrities including David Beckham, Brad Pitt and Roger Federer, to name but a few.
In 2014, Rolex was ranked at No. 57 in the Forbes most powerful global brands, being recognised for its beauty, power and exceptional craftsmanship. Valued at $7.7 billion, their branding is renowned for its consistency and excellence across all marketing channels, and as such, we can learn many important lessons from this powerful brand:
1. Match the quality of your brand with the quality of your advertising
Rolex watches are made with the finest quality materials and as such, feature high price tags. To match the quality of its watches, Rolex does not sacrifice on the quality of its advertising.
Its visual advertising is simple, rich, powerful, clever and completely brand-appropriate. Images are of the highest quality and frequently feature well-known, successful celebrities. They often incorporate concepts such as adventurous travel into their advertisements, showing images of mountain climbers, deep sea divers or people on challenging expeditions and denoting that wearing a Rolex watch will support their adventures.
2. Tidy up your copy
All content is thoughtfully and carefully crafted and quantity never supersedes quality. For instance, instead of using social media platforms to heavily promote its watches, the brand uses the platforms to discuss brand-related topics and launch in-house documentaries, such as those related to deep-sea missions or Himalayan expeditions. As such, everything is carefully planned and thought out before being published and promoted.
3. Advertise in Locations that Complement your Brand
Rolex advertisements are often featured in prominent locations, such as Wimbledon. This relationship dates back to 1978, when Rolex first partnered with the Wimbledon Championships as their ‘Official Timekeeper’. Since then, these two exceptional partners have been associated with one another, year after year.
Like Rolex, Wimbledon is widely considered as prestigious, powerful and strong. As such, this makes for a highly suitable partnership that suits both brands very well.
Summing Up
Like Rolex, it’s important that you deliver on your brand promise, time and time again. You can do this by executing campaigns that are consistent, high-quality and true to your brand. This will ensure that you maintain your appeal to your client base and are also able to reach out to a wide and committed target market.
Browse through the links below for inspiration from other leading brands: