According to the study Lovers of Luxury – The Role of digital media for Brands in Europe , conducted by Microsoft Advertising, luxury brands have a good chance of reaching their target audience, luxury lovers, online.
Microsoft Advertising defines this target audience as people with an annual income of over $100,000 who have spent at least $3,000 on luxury goods in the past 12 months.
Luxury lovers are believed to have spent $3 billion advertising data online of the $14 billion spent on luxury goods in 2008, according to the study. This is an audience that can be reached with online advertising; the average profile of the luxury lover in Europe is a 38-year-old man (52%) who makes purchases motivated mainly by self-indulgence.
Luxury lovers perform multiple online activities above the average of the general user: they use online banking above the average (74% vs. 64%) and they also shop online more (65% vs. 58%) and use the Internet for business (63% vs. 27%). The only activities they perform below the average are sending emails and using social networks.