3 Inspiring Social Media Case Studies for Fashion Companies
I remember going to the mall when I was in high school back in the late 90s. Most stores did a great job promoting the products of their suppliers. Today, many of those malls are shutting down and fashion brands are selling their products directly to their customers. They have to engage with them on social media to make a living.
Some of the oldest fashion brands have been forced to adapt to the digital marketing era. As department stores like Sears and J.C. Penny start to close down, they can no longer rely on pull marketing strategies. They must instead find more aggressive and innovative ways to promote their own products. The same applies to newer companies in an increasingly fragmented industry.
Fashion companies of all sizes are embracing social media to reach their customers in a new way. They have discovered that building relationships with social media thought leaders, sponsoring content and finding creative ways to engage their customers with contests and other campaigns are key to running a successful social brand in the 21st Century. Here are some case studies that they should pay attention to.
Topshop
Topshop has been a large fashion company for over 50 years. They have rebranded themselves over the past decade, largely due to their strong social media presence. Their social media strategy has helped them reach customers in a number of new markets. They have also benefited from recommendations of fashion bloggers and other social media celebrities.
They launched the #LIVETRENDS real-time social media campaign on Twitter during London Fashion Week. They had to spend a lot of money to sponsor the trend, but the results were exceptional. They received nearly 4 million engagements and sales on featured products increased by 75%.
The lesson is clear – if you have the money to sponsor a Twitter trend, go for it. The payoffs can be huge.
Maya Brenner
Maya Brenner is one of the most famous jewelry and fashion designers in the world. Her accessories have been worn by major celebrities such as Katy Perry, Jessica Alba, Rihanna and Emma Roberts. Her success is just as much attributed to her activity on social media as her stunning designs.
Brenner has run a number of contests on Facebook to show off her pieces. Many have received over 1,000 shares and likes within 24 hours.
How did Brenner make her contests a success? She knew the importance of using thought leaders in the fashion industry, so she reached out to a lot of major fashion bloggers. She rewarded them with a zodiac necklace. She also leveraged her own social media presence.
Burberry
Burberry has been a major fashion brand for over 150 years. The fashion icon has developed a remarkably innovative social media strategy that is usually only witnessed among much younger customers. Their social media strategy has become so successful that they now allocate over 60% of their marketing budget to digital platforms.
They have dabbled with a number of social media strategies. They launched the ‘Art of the Trench Coat’ contest in 2009, which attracted several thousand fans on social media. The campaign has been so successful that they have run it ever years since on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
In addition to their unique contest ideas, Burberry has carefully refined its content marketing strategy over the years. They use carefully chosen images with their own insignia and share them across all platforms. Their cross-platform marketing strategy helps them get 2,000 to 5,000 shares on most of their posts.
Social Media is an Invaluable Platform for Fashion Brands Around the World
Most of the world’s fastest growing fashion brands have one thing in common – they all have a strong presence on social media. Brands need to invest in the right social media platforms to reach their customers in new and inspiring ways.
