Premium Marketing Personalisation

On a recent market visit to London, I noticed a particular trend – of personalisation getting a premium and premium products getting personalised. One day, I saw a long queue of parents, grandparents and kids, in one section of the m&m’s store in central London. The consumer families were eagerly but patiently waiting to get their children’s/grandchildren’s photos and names stamped on the many coloured m&m’s they had purchased. The waiting period to get the kids’ wishes met would have taken almost an hour. But they were happily waiting for their personalised treasure. The popular brand m&m’s was getting personalised and commanding a premium price, as against the normal m&m’s. and the wait was worth it. The sheer joy on the kids’ faces was invaluable – so was the delight reflected on the faces of their parents and grandparents. Personalisation premium marketing, as a trend, had caught on.

It will be a matter of time before popular brands will command a premium in India too through personalisation premium marketing. Interestingly, in this process, there is no change in the configuration, quality, quantity, shape or size of the product and, yet, the brand commands a premium through personalisation. Each consumer and his/her family considers the name and the way it is spelt, the photo or any other image, etc, valuable. and, so, the consumer is willing to pay a premium for the personalisation, because the joy of seeing the name and photo/image/ initials on the product enhances his/her self-esteem and that enhances the value of the product, which thus commands a premium. It also has a certain snob appeal, which also justifies the premium and cuts the clutter from the ordinary.

During this visit to London, I was able to experience premium products, which had taken the personalisation route – they not only had greater footfall but also commanded a premium. The premium products are in any case out-of-the-ordinary but the process of personalisation enhances their image, making them ultra-premium. apart from the higher price, in some cases, there could be a longer waiting period too – of a day or two – before you pick up your personalised product, which enhanced its uniqueness, created through the scarcity and the waiting period.

In a flagship Burberry store, a jacket or scarf, personalised with the initials of a name neatly engraved on the product, comes out as a trophy having been won, since it is personalised. The entire ambience and service at the Burberry store in London would of course be world-class but the touch of personalisation – of owning a piece of the Burberry brand, whether jacket or scarf with one’s personal initials neatly and painstakingly engraved on them – enhances the value and the premiumness through personalisation. The counter salesperson also shares the whole process, including the waiting days, with a sense of pride and then a couple of days later, ceremoniously hands over this ultra-premium Burberry personalised brand to a proud and well-deserving consumer.

The sheer enhancement through personalisation, with no other change in the brand, suddenly brings out a leap in marketing and consumer delight, through personalisation and helps it command a premium. It could be as high as 30-100 percent. The best part is that the consumer willingly and enthusiastically pays the premium when he/she becomes the proud owner of the personalised brand.

Apart from normal utility products like belts and wallets getting enhanced in terms of image and commanding a premium, high-end products such as handbags or briefcases become ultra-premium through personalised premium marketing.

The process of personalised premium marketing is gaining ground in India, especially in select cities and across specific categories. This enhancement—achieved through a minor change, with a little cost of money and time—provides a huge image boost. As its perceived value rises in the eyes of the consumer, he/she is happy to pay a premium and wait for the personalised product to be handed over after a few hours or days.

For a certain segment of consumers, personalised premium marketing has become the norm—they would not like to buy the brand without the personalised stamp of premiumness on the product.

The premium set of products like the Louis Vuitton range in India already incorporates personalisation, maintaining a gold standard for its exclusive consumers. Whether in London or elsewhere in the world (including India), the Louis Vuitton store offers a personalised premium marketing experience, making consumers feel special and exclusive.

From a consumer behaviour perspective, in addition to the perceived value of the Louis Vuitton brand, personalisation further enhances the self-esteem and image of the consumer.

Several premium brands have capitalised on this strategy, such as:

• Mont Blanc
• Coach
• Victorinox (Swiss knives)

For example, Victorinox, known for its multi-functional Swiss knives, significantly enhances its image through personalised premium marketing. The proud owner of a Swiss knife experiences heightened pride when the brand is personalised just for them.

The trend of personalised premium marketing is expanding rapidly:

• Across countries: Whether in London or India, brands are embracing this approach.
• Across categories: As consumer aspirations rise, more product categories will adopt personalisation.

At Hamleys, London, a favourite for children, personalisation is being implemented in innovative ways.

While earlier examples focused on engraving names, initials, visuals, photos, and images, another form of personalisation has emerged—audio personalisation.

At Hamleys in London, clocks—designed in various colours—feature a unique personalisation twist.

• The alarm bell can say “Wake up” or “Good morning” in a child’s name.
• Parents and grandparents provide the child’s name at the counter, which is then incorporated into the voice-over.

This simple yet valuable form of personalisation creates immense joy for children and their families.

Personalisation can be implemented in multiple ways:

1. Visually – Through names, initials, and images.
2. Audibly – Through customised voice messages.
3. Emotionally – Creating a lifelong memory for consumers.

For instance, at Hamleys, the soft toy teddy bear takes personalisation to the next level:

• The teddy bear is assembled in front of the customer.
• Consumers can choose the attire for their teddy bear.
• The child’s name is embroidered onto the toy.

This customisation significantly enhances the perceived value and premium pricing of the teddy bear. The result? A long queue of excited parents, grandparents, and children eager to purchase their personalised teddy bear.

For children, such personalised experiences can become lifelong cherished memories.

• Commanding a premium no longer depends solely on better quality, higher technology, or increased quantity.
• A simple personalised touch can significantly elevate brand value.
• Personalisation premium marketing is a powerful strategy to:
  • Enhance perceived value
  • Command a premium price
  • Delight the consumer

Recent global trends, including those observed in London, clearly indicate that personalisation premium marketing will expand further, geographically and across multiple product categories, in India.

After all, Indian consumers are world-class consumers too.