Dior. Christian Dior is a French fashion house that designs and manufactures some of the world’s most desirable haute couture, luxury ready-to-wear and accessories. The House of Dior was launched in 1947 with Christian Dior’s groundbreaking creation known as the “New Look.” Today Dior is under the artistic direction of John Galliano.

Objective. The objective of this project was to develop a unique luxury service program that could become a “trademark” shopping experience and set the brand apart from other luxury houses. The Apple Genius Bar, the Geek Squad at Best Buy, and Virgin Atlantic’s level of airline service were the kind of programs that inspired our thought process.

Heritage, Value, Experience. Dior’s core service values were central to the development of our signature service – we defined these concepts as Dior’s heritage, value and experience. Dior has a rich history that is rooted in couture as well as Mr. Dior’s life, and it became important to educate the customer about this heritage. Additionally Dior has much to offer in terms of value, including investment dressing pieces, exceptional customer service, and the classic Lady Dior handbag. Finally, luxury is all about the experience. How could we differentiate the Dior experience from other luxury houses? To incorporate these facets of Dior into our service program, we arrived at the following ideas.

The New Look Magazine. The New Look Magazine is a quarterly magazine that is available in stores or by subscription to the Dior mailing list. The objectives are to create a consistent communication tool that could be managed by Dior and used to educate the consumer about the brand’s history and products. Features will include a letter from the president, Dior runway coverage and how to dress in Dior at every age. Each issue will feature a Dior client who is active in philanthropy. A portion of what this client spends at Dior will be donated to the charity of her choice, which will be profiled in the magazine.

Dior Expert Styling. This program will create a new stylist position within Dior stores, requiring that current sales associates earn a unique certification in styling and customer service. Clients can book three appointment types: in-home closet and wardrobe development, styling and beauty services for special occasions, and in-store private shopping. The expert stylist will be extremely knowledgeable about the client and deliver a customized service, strengthening the relationship between the client and the house.

Dior ID Investment Dressing. Dior will designate items from a collection as investment pieces. The sales associates would be trained to match these with the pieces that the clients already own from the previous collections. For example, a jacket from the spring 2006 collection could be matched with a dress from the spring 2009 collection. Wardrobe development and in store product maintenance such as charm replacement and detail refurbishment will also be offered under this service.

Conclusion. The combination of these service offerings will provide the customer with a Dior experience that will reach them through a variety of new touch points. These offerings will serve to strengthen the Dior client’s bond and loyalty to the brand. They will come to represent Dior and the House’s core values of heritage, value and experience.
Benefits. Implementing these signature services will help Dior develop and maintain their CRM database. They will give customers incentives to visit the store and thereby increase customer purchasing. Ultimately, these services will redefine the luxury shopping experience creating a more unique, relevant, customized and resonant experience.