It’s not you…It’s me said the luxury brand to social media in the breakup line. I prefer exclusivity in my engagement everybody can see my Tweets and Facebook posts. Plus this issue about having everything I say retweeted is just not exclusive and personal. Not to mention I am just not comfortable letting anyone that I am not exclusive with post on my wall! In words you understand, OMG this is just not working out….
There were some outliers and exceptions but most luxury brands found even the concept of a website too much to bear as recently in 2010. That year several names like Prada, Jimmy Choo, Hugo Boss and Marc Jacobs set up their first online storefronts.
Fast forward two years: almost all luxury brands certainly have some kind of online presence and many engage in clever social media and/or digital advertising.
The most aggressive, or forward looking, of these companies are Macy’s, Sephora, Lancôme, Michael Kors and IWC, according to the recently-released L2 Facebook IQ Index, which measures the social media bona fides of 100 luxury and prestige brands. It developed the report with Buddy Media.
Other top ranking prestige companies in the index include Smashbox, Swarovski, United Colors of Benetton, El Corte Inglés, Estée Lauder and Pandora.
However, and it is a big however, the survey also found that while community growth is up, engagement across these high-end brands’ social media communities has declined. The average interaction rate or the percentage of the community liking or commenting on brand posts has dropped an eye-popping 50% year-over-year.
Nor could the blame be placed on the introduction of Facebook’s Timeline, which was widely expected to be disruptive to a number of marketing strategies; the study found that luxury brands added 125% more fans in the 50 days prior to the Timeline launch, than they did in the 50 days after the mandatory switch to the new interface.
The report doesn’t give a reason for the 50% drop although reading between the lines one can conclude that luxury brands are still reluctant to engage in two-way conversations with their fans. One-third of them, for instance, still prohibit fan posts on their Facebook walls.
With that said, for this relationship to be saved both parties have got to change. The venue social media meeting place must be able to create exclusive environments for engagement. You don’t have to be closed to be exclusive in social media! However, it should be the responsibility of the venue social media meeting site to connect like and similar individuals with the same interest. Creating an open environment for exclusivity.
Luxury brands must engage in social media. Inform and give back through advice and tips. It’s social and luxury brands must engage in a social manner. Go further by offering exclusive V.I.P offers to special friends and followers who actively engage. A wonderful solution to create brand awareness and credibility…
Next stop is mobile relationships and luxury brands need to be ready!