eBay Advertising in October Vogue

[fashunu4eeuh]

I was surprised to see a 7-page spread in my Oct. ‘23 Vogue magazine, highlighting some of the high-value designer goods covered by the Authenticity Guarantee program, and modeled by the chic and famous. The premise is a clever re-creation of Vogue ads from days gone by, see screen shots below. 

The featured celebs are 1) Twiggy in a 1967 Vogue ad, channeling herself in 2023. 2) A 1992 ad with Paulina Porizkova, re-imagined now with Rita Ora. 3) Christy Turlington Burns from 1986, re-created with Wisdom Kaye standing in today. Some of the highlighted merchandise is from Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and other high-end designers.

I was disappointed to see the sales surge eBay enjoyed during the pandemic fall back to pre-Covid numbers. It felt like eBay had no plan to retain those new and returning users when B&M stores re-opened and re-stocked. Was it because it was primarily focused on select niche categories (it calls “focus categories”) and high-spending users it has named “enthusiast buyers?” These focus categories include jewelry, sneakers, handbags, and collectibles like trading cards.

Marketplace Pulse reported in 2022 that enthusiast buyers are roughly 12% of active eBay buyers and shop on eBay multiple times a year and spend more than the average user. They also reported that eBay still has five categories generating over $10 billion in sales: Motors, Parts & Accessories, Electronics, Collectibles, Home and Garden, and Fashion.

So I like these new ads and welcome any advertising eBay does as holiday shopping gets into full swing. I am wondering about the reach of such marketing but i don’t object to it. It is not that i think that focusing on high-value customers is a bad idea, it’s that i am wondering if eBay may have done so at the expense of maintaining the user base it gained during Covid.

My question is—why couldn't they do both?

 

 

 

 

 

[valueaddedresource]

@fashunu4eeuh  - "Why couldn't they do both?"

Simple - they could, they've just chosen not to.

I do give them credit that I think this campaign is well done for the intended audience, but like you, I have to wonder if the gains eBay says they have made in the focus verticals haven't come at the expense of others and if so...what does that mean for the long-term health, growth and sustainability of the broader marketplace?

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I'm no marketing expert, but to spend money on advertising in a magazine seems very old school these days and less affective (viewers). Magazines are following the same slow road as newspapers. Going obsolete which is sad. I do understand eBay is advertising high fashion products in a high fashion magazine. 

The shut down did not help. I don't see magazines in break rooms, doctor office / hospital waiting rooms areas like I use to due to the potential spread of germs and has anyone noticed the cost of magazines lately? They seem to average an easy $10.00 here in Indiana. My guess, they may cost more in other areas. 

Why not run some late evening, overnight, early morning adds on TV and maybe radio? I'm sure the cost is cheaper. I would like to see some fresh real adds beside the 2.0 amazing pillow and the sit on your butt peddle cycle scams. 

Maybe some radio commercials besides the eBay Motors add I hear about once-a-day early morning that covers more of what eBay offers. Note: It may play more than once, I just have other responsibilities to attend to. 

[wastingtime101]

I saw press about the shoot in mid-September.

They also did a video with Twiggy.

I wonder if Twiggy used the word magical on her own or if eBay asked her to sneak in that buzz word. haha

Sponsored article on vogue.com

https://www.vogue.com/sponsored/article/twiggy-rita-ora-and-wisdom-kaye-recreate-vogues-archival-mom...

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@sextons-sweet-deals  While I agree magazines are struggling, in this case, I'd say Vogue was a good choice, for a couple reasons. It is HIGHLY targeted. Vogue readers are likely to be high value buyers. And, because magazines (probably even Vogue) are struggling these days, ad costs might be less than few years ago....AND since the ad campaign is basically an ad for ebay and, in a way, an ad for Vogue itself (featuring iconic Vogue layouts), the cost might have even been less. In addition, because Vogue is so central to the high fashion industry, you can be sure there was press coverage of the ad campaign itself, so even non-Vogue readers heard about it. So, for the audience ebay is targeting with this ad....a very good choice. 

This isn't about reaching the most people....it's about reaching the most people who would likely have an interest (and the money) to buy high end handbags etc. 

I am critical of ebay's marketing in general, but to be clear: I think ebay is doing a pretty good job of marketing in the focus categories. However, the average ebay seller never sees this stuff, because we are NOT the target market. That's one reason , when people here do post about ebay ads, it's usually ebay Motors P&A....ebay is casting a wider net with Motors. But ebay has been active with luxury watch marketing, but how many here are likely to see that marketing? not many.

My criticism is similar to Valueadded's statement: why not market both the focus categories and the site itself?  ESPECIALLY during the Holidays? 

[wastingtime101]

---

@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:

I'm no marketing expert, but to spend money on advertising in a magazine seems very old school these days and less affective (viewers). 

---

It's Vogue which is still going strong. It translates from print to online to social to news coverage and more. The reach extends far beyond the printed ad. It's a smart campaign for promoting the luxury focus categories.

Though I do agree with others that the rest of the site has been neglected in favor of focus categories.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I stated that in my post:

Maybe some radio commercials besides the eBay Motors add I hear about once-a-day early morning that covers more of what eBay offers. 

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I stated that in my post: 

Maybe some radio commercials besides the eBay Motors add I hear about once-a-day early morning that covers more of what eBay offers. 

[valueaddedresource]

---

@wastingtime101 wrote:

---

@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:

I'm no marketing expert, but to spend money on advertising in a magazine seems very old school these days and less affective (viewers). 

---

It's Vogue which is still going strong. It translates from print to online to social to news coverage and more. The reach extends far beyond the printed ad. It's a smart campaign for promoting the luxury focus categories.

Though I do agree with others that the rest of the site has been neglected in favor of focus categories.

---

To add on to this, it's part of a much bigger "partnership" eBay has going with Vogue which encompasses a wide range of events with full print and digital coverage.

So it's not like it's just a one off print ad (which could maybe be of questionable value these days), it's part of a full 360 campaign and longer term partnership. Arguably one of the things Vogue would want to get out of the deal (besides just money) is content for their print edition as well as digital.

Just a few examples:

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/ebay-forces-for-change

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ice-spice-hints-vogue-ebay-151710207.html

https://phillystylemag.com/ebay-vogue-auction

Or this one which had header image covering up the required Advertising disclosure that I notice has been removed since both eBay and Vogue were called out for possibly violating UK regulations. 😉

https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/bc/ebay-handbags-authentication-guarantee 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I agree with @valueaddedresource ...this is part of an overall campaign. And, frankly, it seems like a pretty good fit for the Focus Categories ebay is targeting here. I've seen stuff for other focus categories, and I actually think they do a pretty good job with their targeted marketing. 

I'd just like to see that sort of effort aimed at the site as a whole, if not year round, then at least during the Holidays. The problem , to me, is not just the absence of a general marketing campaign, it's the fact that this absence is at a time when competing sites are growing and taking sellers and buyers from ebay in these non-Focus Categories. 

[valueaddedresource]

---

@wastingtime101 wrote:

I saw press about the shoot in mid-September.

They also did a video with Twiggy.

I wonder if Twiggy used the word magical on her own or if eBay asked her to sneak in that buzz word. haha

Sponsored article on vogue.com

https://www.vogue.com/sponsored/article/twiggy-rita-ora-and-wisdom-kaye-recreate-vogues-archival-mom...

---

@wastingtime101  I didn't even catch that before. 😂 The eBay magic must just be contagious! 

[reallynicestamps]

This isn't about reaching the most people....it's about reaching the most people who would likely have an interest (and the money) to buy high end handbags etc. 

Exactly.

And not just those, but also those who are likely to buy used/secondhand/vintage handbags, which would be a larger market.

It was amusing to see a Vuitton bag featured given eBay's history with them.

On a more downmarket note, I am seeing eBay ads every month in my FaceBook feed. That's on my Home page, not the ads which I might see if I didn't have AdBlock Plus enabled. 

I can't comment on TV or radio, since CBC Radio One has no advertising (it's like NPR for us Canadians) and for broadcast TV I only see the local news, Jeopardy and the MSNBC political soap operas.
But I'm 77, maybe younger people watch TV?

[selsa84]

The Vogue crowd will buy new not used. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@selsa84  "The Vogue crowd will buy new not used"

Oh, I'm not at all convinced of that. They'll buy both. The right vintage handbag , luxury watch, jewelry, and so forth....the Vogue crowd will buy it. These ads aren't about buying used clothing from WalMart. This is about high end stuff that has generally either retained value or increased in value over time. 

[selsa84]

It's used handbags and clothes. Nothing more. May help the older or vintage purse sellers but it won't do much to boost the "designer" image they are going for.  Time will tell though. I just wish they advertise eBay as a whole. That market their trying to corner has been cornered for a while now. Rebranding doesn't always go as planned.