Sephora Takes Top Spot in First-Ever L2 Prestige 100: Mobile IQ

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 11, 2012

Sephora secures the top spot in the inaugural L2 Prestige 100?: Mobile IQ. The ranking, developed by NYU Stern Professor Scott Galloway and a team of experts from L2, measures the mobile competence of 100 brands drawn from five industries: Beauty & Skincare, Fashion, Hospitality, Retail, and Watches & Jewelry. Brands were measured against more than 250 data points across four dimensions: Mobile Sites, Mobile Apps, Mobile Marketing, and Innovation & Integration, and were assigned a Mobile IQ and a corresponding class of Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged, or Feeble.

The IQ distribution reveals a significant, widespread underinvestment in mobile, as nearly half the brands were designated as Feeble.

?Mobile competence may be a crystal ball for a brand?s global prospects,? says Galloway. ?Ground zero for growth in prestige exists among consumers who are increasingly turning to a small screen to learn about, and ultimate consummate purchases of prestige brands.?

To download the complete rankings and key findings, go to: http://bit.ly/L2MobileIQ

To watch the video, go to: http://youtu.be/YofkVkz4Qe8

Top Ranked Brands in the Study:

1.????Sephora

2.????Nordstrom

3.????Macy?s

4.????NET-A-PORTER

5.????Bloomingdale?s

T6.????L?Occitane en Provence

T6.????Tiffany & Co.

8.????Neiman Marcus

9.????InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

10.????Est?e Lauder

Key findings include:

M-commerce adoption is nascent in the prestige industry. Only two-thirds of prestige brands maintain a mobile-optimized site, and one-third of these mobile development efforts do not yet support commerce.

While 70 percent of brands have mobile apps, fewer than 20 percent of brands have created unique app content for tablet devices such as the iPad, which register high usage among affluent consumers.

Retail brands outperformed other prestige categories by a significant margin. Of the 14 brands classified as either Gifted or Genius, half are retailers.

Many prestige icons (16 percent of brands) have not yet developed a mobile-optimized site or a mobile app, significantly limiting their ability to effectively reach mobile consumers.

The ratio of mobile searches to desktop searches for prestige brands exceeds expectations set by the share of traffic generated by mobile devices at large. This observation underscores the urgency to adapt search engine optimization, email marketing, and other digital efforts for mobile platforms.

?Given the evidence, we appear to be entering the beginning of a persistent mobile era,? says Galloway. ?Brands ignore this shift at their own peril.?

About L2

L2 is a think tank for digital innovation. Founded by NYU Stern professor of marketing Scott Galloway, L2 helps prestige brands navigate the digital marketing landscape through events, research and advisory services. The L2 Digital IQ Index? is the largest and most robust study of its kind. Rankings are published annually across industries including Luxury, Specialty Retail, Beauty, Travel, and Media. In Q4 2011, L2 launched L2 Europe offering research, advisory and events to prestige brands across Europe. For membership information, contact membership@L2ThinkTank.com

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TLC Premieres its First-Ever Broadband Series Makeover Train

Silver Spring, MD (Vocus) May 31, 2007

TLC premieres MAKEOVER TRAIN, its first-original direct to broadband series, which features a trio of stylists who ride the Boston subway in search of commuters willing to add a little glimmer to their get-up. Beginning June 4, TLC will air 10 installments of these special webisodes. Premiere shows will roll out every Monday and Thursday through July 2, as part of TLC's new Fashion Guide also launching in June at TLC.com.

Experts in hair, makeup and accessories face a moving train, a ticking clock, a curious crowd and unbelievable cramped conditions as they transform an unsuspecting commuter in each three-minute webisode. Whether subjects are on a three-stop jaunt or a half-hour journey, stylists have only from the moment they step on the train to the arrival at their final destination to work their magic. The MAKEOVER TRAIN experts -- Tasha Forgash, Lauren Arbeene and Kevin Lennox -- give viewers useful advice for their own lives as they transform some of Boston's biggest crimes on fashion.

"We are thrilled to extend TLC's success as an on-air lifestyle destination to new platforms with the premiere our first original direct to broadband series," said Christian Drobnyk, senior vice president, programming and development, TLC. "This is just the beginning. As consumer viewing behavior evolves, TLC will continue to bring its loyal fans and advertisers new experiences that engage, entertain and inform across all forms of media."

Offering a rich immersive online experience, the TLC Fashion Guide expands on TLC's promise to fashion and lifestyle programming. Visitors to TLC.com will find information and advice from some of TLC's leading experts, including the cast of WHAT NOT TO WEAR, 10 YEARS YOUNGER and other popular shows.

As the exclusive sponsor of MAKEOVER TRAIN, Herbal Essences Color will be fully incorporated into the online experience with video and banner advertising, product integration and additional branding on the fan site and throughout TLC.com.

MAKEOVER TRAIN is produced by Tiger Aspect USA. Steve Werner is the executive producer for Tiger Aspect USA and Stephen Harris is TLC's executive producer.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Through TV and digital media, Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks include Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Health, The Science Channel and Discovery HD Theater. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit http://www.discovery.com.

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