Uniqueness and immediacy. These are the two terms that perfectly describe the demands of digital consumers today.
Understanding this and putting the customer’s needs at the heart of their marketing strategy is how these top fashion brands achieved some of the most successful digital campaigns this year.
Here are the top 10 brands who did digital best in 2017:
In this article you’ll learn…
That Feeling When Gucci ...Nails It
Gucci’s strategy to enamour millennials and Gen-Z buyers has been consistently spot on and this year they’ve managed to turn their brand name into the most used hashtag on Instagram. However, #TFWGucci - that feeling when Gucci - outperformed all of Gucci’s previous Insta-campaigns, all through one simple and very familiar idea: memes.
Alessandro Michele tapped international artists, already famous on Twitter and Instagram, to design unique memes that would go viral for the launch of Gucci’s Le Marché des Merveilles collection of watches. According to Dash Hudson, these posts generated a total of 1,986,005 likes and 21,780 comments.
Michael Kors Gets Phygital in Shanghai
Attending fashion parties is no longer limited to invite-only exclusivity in Michael Kors' world. "The Walk", a Shanghai-based party which took place in November, hosted 9.53 million digital guests via the popular Chinese app, YiZhiBo. The live-streamed #korsshanghai event featured VIP guests showing off their "after-dark styles" on the LED-lit catwalk, including Soo Joo Park, Yang Mi, Hikari Mori, Ella Richards, and Princess Olympia of Greece while DJ Sebastien Perrin, singer Bibi Zhou, and hip-hop artist Nick Chou provided the entertainment. The perfect marriage between physical and digital, a winning formula for fashion events.
F is for... Fendi's Fierce Content Strategy
F is for Fendi is a space designed solely for youths, where nothing is available to purchase and it's only purpose is for the sharing of original content. It features a feed full of creative and fresh images on which you can explore the five different series:
- Freaks: where the manifesto is found, a powerful message empowering the younger generations, inspiring users to be creative and unique.
- Fulgore: filled with editorials taken with an iPhone 7 consisting of photos that feel spontaneous and authentic.
- Faces: where you can get to know the brand ambassadors (such as Laura Love and Kirin Dejonckheere).
- Freedom: featuring city guides and the ambassadors' favorite hot spots.
- Fearless: a space dedicated to the artists and musicians, for them to share their work, such as Cailin Russo in the video below.
The Worldwide Communications Director at Fendi, Cristiana Monfardini, wanted to give younger generations their own space to express their identities and F is for Fendi has successfully achieved that.
Burberry taps Mr. Bags for a digital launch in China
This year Burberry tapped blogger Mr. Bags for the launch of its leather DK88 handbag via an exclusive online WeChat shop. Mr. Bags boosted sales by asking shoppers to share screenshots of their orders with him in exchange for the exclusive chance to win a special gift selected by him.
Burberry also created a WeChat game in which users could shake their mobiles to ‘paint’ the DK88 bags. Whenever the user "liked" a color, the app would provide personality descriptions according to their favored colors (blue, for example, meant the user was "gentle, delicate, elegant, and quiet”). The featured color for the launch, chosen by Mr. Bags, is called Bright Toffee and was only available for purchase in China on Burberry’s official WeChat shop.
An Innovative Look at Louis Vuitton's Historical Past
Louis Vuitton has always had a strong digital presence, attributing to the creativity and craftsmanship placed within their digital campaigns. The company's website is designed to showcase everything that happens within the world of Louis Vuitton which is done through the dedicated "World of Louis Vuitton" section. It houses a detailed narrative of the brand's history, as well as their dedication to design and art. It covers all the latest events, product updates, and behind the scenes coverage for the brand enthusiasts to discover. Each article is easy-to-read and has social sharing buttons, encouraging readers to share with their followers.
Further, the Friends Of The House section highlights all the celebrities and influencers that partner with the brand. From Selena Gomez and her designation as the youngest Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF to Wong Kar Wai, whom in 2009 was honored to lead the panel of judges for the first-ever Louis Vuitton Journeys Awards, created to showcase emerging filmmakers.
Primark Speaks to Customers' Chipped Hearts
In March 2017, Primark released a range of popular Beauty and the Beast merch around the time of the remake's release. The €6 Chip mug was all the rage and had shoppers fighting tooth and nail. Primark snatched up the opportunity, quickly designed a pair of socks, and advertised them on Instagram. The phrase on the socks, "I wanted a Chip mug but all I got were these socks #Chipgate", hit home with followers and reached 145,000 likes.
Neiman Marcus’ Store of the Future
Luxury retailer, Neiman Marcus, uses innovative technology to elevate the customer experience. In their new Dallas location, the Neiman Marcus iLab team brought on technology to engage with customers, including everything from digital directories inside the lobby, smart mirror technology in the beauty department, to customized music playlists in the dressing rooms.
The smart mirror technology provides shoppers an interactive and digital makeover experience, while learning how to apply all the different products. Shoppers are able to record the makeover application on video then share their beauty experience on social media.
The goal of the iLab team is to bring new technology, many that were never once considered, to the luxury retailer and create a better customer experience.
Nike Digitally Connects with Basketball Fans
Nike partnered with the NBA and launched jerseys with a technology called "NikeConnect". Every NBA Connected Jersey contains a unique chip powered by Near-Field Communication (NFC), which can be paired with an iOS or Android device via the NikeConnect app. Using NikeConnect, fans are able to get insider access to exclusive videos, pictures, GIFs from their favorite teams and players, special products, tickets and game highlights directly from the NBA.
However, what really makes this digital experience stand out is the personalized touch. For example, NBA players can connect directly with fans who own their jersey, sending them customized, exclusive messages instantly to their phones.
Tom Ford Creates a Digital Standalone Store
With the recent opening of the Tom Ford Beauty Store in London, the location implemented multiple digital technology features to help customers look for products and digital content for information.
To help customers sample the collection of Tom Ford fragrances, the brand created a digital scenting table, and to help customers try on the wide variety of Tom Ford lipsticks, the brand utilized augmented reality for customers for a virtual try-on experience.
Chanel’s focus on digital storytelling
Chanel’s commitment to digital content has been apparent for the past few years. From beautifully produced video content to carefully curating channel-specific social content, the brand has become an expert on content crafting.
The luxury brand’s website is also focused on digital storytelling, where guests can explore the world of Chanel in different chapters and experience the legacy.
By Launchmetrics Content Team
The Launchmetrics content team is always on the lookout for new trends in the fashion and technology sector. We are geeks with style and lovers of good stories!
