In a world where attention is a luxury, reaching the wealthiest 1% requires more than just premium placements. In our latest Performance+ webinar, we explored the complex world of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and what it really takes to capture their attention and loyalty.
Defined as individuals with a net worth of USD 1 M+ (HNWIs) and USD 30 M+ (UHNWIs), this audience holds nearly half of the world’s wealth. However, their media habits, values, and expectations are far from mainstream. From selective platform usage to a demand for elevated brand experiences, engaging them requires precision, relevance, and trust.
During the session, our expert panel – Lavinea Morris, Managing Director for EMEA; Jonathan Yantz, Managing Partner for the US; and Yasmine Tamir, Senior Sales Manager at StackAdapt – unpacked the key challenges and strategies for reaching this elusive group, backed by data, real-world examples, and global insights.
Watch the full recording here.
Why is it Hard to Reach Them
1. Precision: Wasted media spend is common due to poor segmentation and lack of control, especially with “black box” vendors. Reaching HNWIs demands accurate targeting, transparency, and data-driven decisions.
2. Quality: HNWIs expect premium experiences at every touchpoint. Your media strategy, creative, and channels must reflect the same high standards as your product.
3. Reaching Gen Z: Younger, wealthy audiences value relevance and experience over price. They expect ads to feel personal, contextual, and seamlessly integrated into their digital lives.
Where to Find Them
“Luxury is no longer confined to the traditional “golden triangle” of London, Paris, and New York.”
Lavinea Morris, Managing Director EMEA, M+C Saatchi Performance
While the U.S. still holds the largest share of HNWIs, its growth has slowed, unlike the UAE’s double-digit rise or Vietnam’s projected 70% increase in millionaires by 2027. Emerging markets like Colombia and Mexico are also gaining ground in global wealth and luxury consumption.
This shift brings both opportunity and complexity. What resonates in Singapore might fall flat in Abu Dhabi. Cultural nuances like language, symbolism, even tone matters. In today’s landscape, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. Without local relevance, even the most polished campaigns risk missing the mark.
Legacy VS Next Gen
Legacy HNWIs:
- Primarily from tech and finance
- Predominantly male, reflecting the persistent gender wealth gap
- Average age: mid-60s, highlighting wealth as a long-term pursuit
- Largely US-based
Next Gen HNWIs:
- Globally distributed, reflecting a more connected economy
- Emerging from sectors like manufacturing and fashion
- More gender-balanced, with a rise in female billionaires
- Younger, as wealth is inherited or built earlier
Reaching them through Segmentation
Brands can segment audiences based on high-value purchasing patterns, such as interests in luxury fashion, art, real estate, travel, sustainability, or exclusive experiences. Advertisers should understand the overlap between luxury brands and consider retargeting strategies based on brand affinity.
- Sustainability-Driven Choices: 75% of HNWIs and 65% of UHNWIs are actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint. 40% have already switched to EVs, making sustainability a powerful messaging angle.
- Experiences Over Possessions: HNWIs prioritize experiences, especially travel, health, and wellness over material goods. Those earning over $1M place the highest value on wellness-focused escapes.
- Luxury Goods: High-end purchases fulfil both status and self-esteem needs. Categories like leather goods, watches, apparel, and cosmetics continue to grow, with the global luxury goods market projected to increase by 4.04% annually (2024–2029).
- Investment Focus: Real estate remains a core part of HNWI portfolios, signaling an opportunity for brands in the property and wealth management sectors.
How to Engage Them
Effectively engaging High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) requires a data-led, highly targeted approach rooted in lifestyle, behavioural, and contextual signals. Here’s how brands can refine their targeting strategy:
- Behavioural Targeting: Identify HNWIs based on media engagement patterns such as frequenting premium financial publications, luxury platforms, or exclusive social networks.
- Data Integration: Combine high-quality first-party data (e.g., loyalty programs, high-end purchase history), second-party data from strategic brand partnerships, and third-party data (e.g., wealth indicators, credit card spend) to build rich audience profiles.
- Interest & Location Targeting: Use lifestyle cues like interest in golf, yachting, luxury travel, or sustainable fashion and geo-targeting near luxury retail locations to enhance relevance.
- Business & Travel Signals: Tap into B2B data to reach executives and business owners, and use travel intent signals (travel type, transport mode) to capture globally mobile HNWIs.
- Contextual & Keyword Targeting: Leverage AI tools to place ads in high-quality environments based on page content, keywords, or article headlines.
- Premium Inventory Access: Use PMPs and curated inclusion lists to ensure placements align with luxury standards and brand values.
- Firmographic Precision: Even outside B2B, firmographic data helps pinpoint influential individuals, HNWIs, and those who influence them, like family offices or financial gatekeepers. This reduces waste and increases precision.
Media planning
Blend Traditional & Digital Media: Traditional television remains a primary entertainment source for UHNWIs, and online sources are preferred for news. Maintain presence on traditional TV while prioritizing trusted digital channels for news and updates. Deliver a consistent luxury experience across web, app, physical retail, and social.
Curate High-Quality Social Experiences: HNWIs are active on social platforms, but their usage is more selective and quality-driven. Use Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for selective, storytelling-led luxury content.
Lead with Digital Innovation: HNWIs are often early adopters of new technologies. Offer virtual showrooms, interactive events, and seamless luxury apps for early tech adopters.
Offer Exclusivity & Personalization: HNWIs expect highly curated, exclusive content and personalized communication. Create members-only digital spaces, invitation-only events, and early access to limited collections.
Elevate Creative Quality: High-resolution imagery, cinematic video, and interactive features are essential. Invest in cinematic visuals, real-time consultations, and virtual-try ons.
Build Credible Partnerships: Publish branded content on trusted financial or luxury lifestyle platforms and leverage programmatic advertising to deliver personalized, behavior-based messaging.
Crafting Premium Media Experiences
Channel: For synergy between shopping and media experience, evoking greater basket value and brand preference
Targeting: Improving user experience by targeting users at the right time as they are consuming content related to your products
Creatives: Utilizing stand-out yet non-intrusive formats that compliment the user’s experience and drive action
How to leverage DOOH and CTV Spotlight
“While channels like Digital Out-of-Home and Connected TV are traditionally seen as mass-reach brand builders, they can be powerful tools for targeting High-Net-Worth Individuals when paired with smart data.”
Yasmine Tamir, Senior Sales Manager, StackAdapt
- DOOH: Use mobile movement data to understand not just where HNWIs are (e.g., Harrods), but when they’re there. Combine this with access to premium screen placements like airport lounges, and tailor media plans around actual movement patterns.
- CTV: Go beyond broad location targeting by using data to identify high-value households within affluent areas. Digital platforms allow for precise targeting, reducing spillover and focusing spend where it matters.
Localization and Cultural Nuances
Localization is vital for driving engagement amongst these individuals. Awareness of these subtle differences will ensure campaigns are relevant to each market, capturing HNWIs’ attention in a way that respects their cultural context.
- China: Campaigns should reflect family-centric values and reinforce notions of social status and community respect.
- North America: HNWIs respond well to philanthropy and sustainability. Brands should spotlight charitable initiatives, eco-conscious practices, and broader environmental values.
- Asia: Luxury marketing should focus on innovation, contemporary interpretations of luxury, and interactive experiences like AR and virtual showrooms.
- Europe: Heritage and craftsmanship remain key. HNWIs value tradition, sustainable luxury, and authentic brand stories rooted in legacy.
- Middle East: Emphasize privacy, tradition, and a sense of exclusivity in brand communication.
In Summary
Reaching HNWIs isn’t just about premium placements, it’s about precision, personalization, and cultural relevance. From shifting global wealth patterns and changing generational values to the demand for seamless, high-quality media experiences, brands must rethink how they segment, target, and engage this influential audience. The key? Treat them not as one group, but as individuals with distinct lifestyles, expectations, and media behaviors.
