Why France is the perfect location to study digital marketing in the luxury sector

The US’ lead in the global tech market, with its GAFAM companies – Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft - is comparable to France's lead in the luxury goods manufacturing market.  

France is home to the KOHL companies: Kering, Hermés, L’Oréal and LVMH. These companies each have established, world-renowned expertise, with a high pricing power and a solid brand portfolio. 

At EM Normandie, the luxury-focused marketing and digital graduate degree places a strong focus on digital issues within the luxury and lifestyle sector, with an aim of meeting the current expectations of recruiters in the luxury industry. 

Several marketing and digital directors from well-known luxury brands gave input into the creation of EM Normandie’s programme and continue to offer their support to students throughout the programme. These brands include Louis Vuitton, Hermès Group,L’Oréal Group and Plaza Athénée Palace, a global leader within the luxury hotel sector. 

Students can take advantage of the school’s extensive connections in their second semester, when they complete an internship with a luxury company. 

If you want to succeed in the luxury sector, having strong online and offline marketing skills is essential. 

Digital marketing in the luxury sector is  more important than ever, and graduates are expected to use both online digital marketing tools such as social media, traffic analysis, customer relationship management, business e-tools and SEO, to deliver the luxury experience to customers online.  

At EM Normandie, all lectures are given by professionals with international experience in the luxury sector as well as PhD teachers from METIS laboratory who worked on digital and luxury marketing subjects of research. Students will benefit from a variety of immersive teaching methods, from conferences organised by luxury goods manufacturers, to visits to luxury stores, hotels and starred retaurants.  

Students will also be given the chance to work on consulting projects with luxury sector players (including one in collaboration with the French Institut National des Métiers d’Art) and a professional thesis and a one week-long challenge which will help boost their employability. 

By the end of the course, graduates will be prepared to take on a variety of digital marketing managerial roles within the luxury sector, including digital marketing manager, CRM manager, traffic manager, eCommerce manager,product manager, brand manager, customer experience manager, events manager, category manager, community manager etc. 

Despite the pandemic, the luxury sector is expected to be valued at more than £280 billion by 2025, according to Statistica. The sector has experienced significant growth in recent years, due to increased spending in mainland China.  

Asian consumers are set to account for half of the sales of luxury products and services between now and 2025, according to consultancy company Bain and Co, and more than two thirds of Chinese consumers purchase luxury products from their mobile. 

EM Normandie has campuses across Europe, in France, England and Ireland, with its original roots in Normandy.  

Normandy has a long history of luxury: it is where Coco Chanel had her brand’s first flagship store; it’s home to Granville, where Christian Dior grew up and it’s where the magnificant French ocean liner SS Normandie was built, which exported French luxury goods to the United States and carried the influencers of the time. 

Normandy is also well known for its “made in Normandie” brand and EM Normandie has partnerships with a range of these high-end Normandy-based brands such as Saint-James, Christofle, Lampe Berger, Kusmi Tea, Le Parapluie de Cherbourg and Calvados Christian Drouin.Throughout EM Normandie’s marketing and digital in luxury and lifestyle graduate degree, students will learn about international trade, to prepare  for an international career. Students will have the option to complete Chinese language modules and will be given the opportunity to go on a study trip abroad.