Okonkwo Prelims

The online experience that a customer has with a brand is significantly
different from the offline experience mainly as a result of the lack of human
presence and other sensory elements online. The lack of human contact gives
an impression of a more negative rather than positive experience. However,
several tools can be used to compensate for this and enhance the web experi-
ence as well as improve shopping interactivity. The same tools can also be
applied in the online customization of different aspects of the brand’s package.
Online customization can be done in different ways. The first is through
providing customers with tools to personalize or customize whole or parts of
a product. The example of the Apple iPod shown earlier in this chapter high-
lights this point. Another method is through providing tools for online
consumers to manipulate product components such as pendants and charms
of jewellery and straps of wristwatches. Other online customization means
could be related to the web experience such as the choice of music type, web
page background and web contents according to preferences. Currently, the
online customization offerings of luxury brands are limited, mainly because
the internet and e-business strategy of the luxury fashion sector is still in the
introductory phase.
One of the few luxury brands that exhibit an understanding of experience
customization through the internet is Italian luxury fashion brand, Roberto
Cavalli. Online visitors to robertocavalli.com are ushered into a virtual space
where they can choose the pages that they view according to their mood.
Choices are also provided for customizable screen backgrounds and back-
ground music. Although the variety is limited to less than five choices for
each category, the impact on the total web experience is high. This is a first
example of how luxury brands can extend the customization of experiences
online.
On the value chain, the online customization of products and services is
significantly experienced in the development and retailing levels as shown in
Figure 8.11.

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customize me!

Figure 8.11 The changes in the value chain during the online experience
customization of products and services
Source: Adapted from B. Joseph Pine II (1997) Mass Customization: The New Frontier for
Business Competition.
Note: Coloured areas indicate changes.

Development

Standardized

and

customizable

products and

services

Production

Standardized

products and

services to be

customized

Retailing

Customized

products and

services

Delivery

Standardized

products and

services