Mediaboss Marketing

Today, a large following on social media does not necessarily offer brands a shortcut to driving the cultural conversation online. Many of fashions largest names have a relatively low engagement rate on social media, while smaller brands are able to consistently capture and lead online discourse. For example, Jacquemus regularly generates hundreds of thousands of likes on Instagram posts with a following of 6.4 million, while Dolce & Gabbana, a brand with over 30 million Instagram followers, typically receives fewer than 10,000 likes per post.

Which fashion brands punch above their weight when it comes to social media engagement, and how have they done it?

The BoF Brand Magic Index is a rigorous brand measurement tool that aims to provide marketers with a data-backed answer to the question of what makes a powerful brand.

In the latest volume, we added Engagement as a metric to analyse how effective 50 fashion and luxury brands are at inspiring customers on social media from October 2023 to March 2024. Engagement is calculated by assessing a brands engagement rate on Instagram, as well as how much user-generated content customers create about a brand on TikTok. Collectively, these data points indicate how much buzz a brand is creating irrespective of the actual size of its following, thereby adjusting for brands that generate high engagement simply by virtue of their sizable marketing budgets. The overall Engagement rank is an average of each brands rank on TikTok and Instagram.

Diesel and Calvin Klein tied for first place in Engagement, with much of Diesels strong performance stemming from the brands results on TikTok, and Calvin Kleins from Instagram. Diesel ranked No. 3 overall on TikTok, after luxury heavyweights Dior and Chanel, with 200,000 user-generated posts using the brands hashtag shared on the platform during the period.

By contrast, Calvin Klein ranked No. 4 for its Instagram engagement rate, with its top-liked posts each generating over 2 million likes from its more than 25 million followers. For context, Louis Vuitton, which has nearly double the number of Instagram followers as Calvin Klein, received about 1.5 million likes on its top-performing posts during the period. Notably, no brand ranked in both the top 10 for Engagement on Instagram and TikTok, highlighting the different skills needed to master each platform.

1. Creating Cultural Moments

For Calvin Klein, much of its Instagram engagement can be tied to its viral Jeremy Allen White underwear campaign, which drove 40 million eyeballs to its Instagram, according to the brands owner, PVH. For that campaign, Calvin Klein did not just follow its usual strategy of titillating imagery or celebrity; the brand also understood the cultural moment, tying its campaign release to the start of awards season where White was up for a Golden Globe for his role in The Bear, clad in Calvin Klein on the red carpet.

This was savvy brand building on several levels, giving the underwear campaign another boost but also reviving speculation that Calvin Klein was going to give capital-F fashion another try. Sure enough, in May Calvin Klein hired 2023 LVMH Prize winner Veronica Leoni as creative director of its Collection line, and said it would return to the runway in 2025.

When a cultural moment does not exist, the best brands know how to orchestrate one. In November, Calvin Klein held a surprise concert with K-pop band BTS Jungkook in New Yorks Times Square to add buzz to his denim campaign launched that August. An Instagram post from the event was Calvin Kleins top post in the assessment period, which has since received over 2.7 million likes.

2. Subverting the Status Quo

For Diesel, the denim brands popularity on TikTok is evidence that a turnaround under creative director Glenn Martens is resonating and especially with young audiences. TikTokers regularly post videos about the brands tank tops and bags, echoing Diesels Y2K aesthetic and subversive, playful positioning.

This idea of subversion runs throughout Diesels online strategy. For its February runway show, the brand invited 1,000 viewers to watch front row from home, with their faces live-streamed on screens around the runway, creating an immersive and collective viewing experience that was then reshared online.

3. Leaning into the Fanciful and Surreal

Jacquemus was the top performer on Instagram, with an average 2.6 percent of its following engaging with each post during the assessment period. For context, Jaquemus 2.6 percent Instagram engagement rate was almost double the second ranked brand. Jacquemus cuts through polished Instagram imagery by leaning into humorous and surreal content that blossoms on social media today, with fanciful store designs and whimsical videos serving among Jacquemus top-liked posts in the period.

The brands ability to stand out with rewatchable content and visually captivating juxtapositions, coupled with its status as a hot independent label, mean its content is catnip for social media audiences.

4. Giving Audiences a Reason to Engage

Ferragamo ranked the lowest overall in Engagement at No. 47, placing last for both Instagram and TikTok. (Brands ranked 48 to 50 are those that were unable to be assessed because they do not disclose the number of likes on their Instagram accounts as well as Bottega Veneta, which does not have an active account.)

For Ferragamo, its low Engagement rank may be due more to a lack of intrigue rather than any specific action by the company, which has suffered from falling sales amid a turnaround that is taking longer than expected. While Ferragamo presents a well-curated Instagram feed of high-quality product photography and news, the company lacks a distinctive aesthetic or point of view. Fashion brands today face fierce competition for attention on social media, both from other brands but also influencers, stylists and, of course, the friends and family of followers. Lower-ranked brands may need to consider how to act less like a brand and more like a media company to compete for attention.

BoF Insights and Quilt.AI work directly with brands on bespoke engagements to measure Brand Magic in detail and over time, enabling brands to identify positioning opportunities, deeply understand their customers and measure their marketing impact. Contact our team if you are interested in learning how we can work with you.

This article is part of a series that unpacks the assessment metrics in the second volume of The BoF Brand Magic Index.

A sample of The BoF Brand Magic Index featuring more information about the methodology is available for download here.

Full access to The BoF Brand Magic Index is for Executive members. For unlimited access to this and all future editions, become an Executive Member now.

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Which Fashion Brands Punch Above Their Weight on Social Media and How They Do It - The Business of Fashion

By Kanishka Singh and Sheila Dang

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday called for a warning label to be added to social media apps as a reminder that those platforms have caused harm to young people, especially adolescents.

In an op-ed in the New York Times, Murthy wrote that a warning label alone will not make social media safe for young people but that it can increase awareness and change behavior as shown in evidence from tobacco studies. The U.S. Congress would need to pass legislation requiring such a warning label.

Youth advocates and lawmakers have long accused social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat of what they say is a harmful effect on kids, including shortened attention spans, promoting negative body images, and making them vulnerable to online bullies and predators.

"It is time to require a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents," Murthy wrote on Monday.

TikTok, Snap and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:), owner of Facebook and Instagram, did not respond to requests for comment.

The CEOs of those three companies, along with social media platform X and messaging app Discord, were grilled by U.S. senators in January during a hearing about online child safety, with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham accusing the leaders of having "blood on your hands," for failing to protect young users from sexual predators.

Some U.S. states have been working to pass legislation to safeguard children from the harmful effects of social media, such as anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses as a result.

New York state lawmakers this month passed legislation to bar social media platforms from exposing "addictive" algorithmic content to users under age 18 without parental consent.

In March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that bans children under 14 from social media platforms and requires 14- and 15-year-olds to get parental consent.

(This story has been refiled to correct Senator Lindsey Graham's name in paragraph 6)

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US Surgeon General calls for social media warning labels to protect adolescents By Reuters - Investing.com

By Dietrich Knauth

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Families of the Sandy Hook massacre victims want to seize Alex Jones' social media accounts in his bankruptcy, saying that the conspiracy theorist's frequent posts to fans are a key part of the Infowars business being liquidated to pay Jones' debts.

Jones, who filed for bankruptcyprotection 17 months ago, hasgiven up on trying to reach a settlement that would reduce the $1.5 billion that he owes to the relatives of 20 students and six staff members killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Jones and the Sandy Hook families now agree that Jones' assets should be liquidated in bankruptcy. But the families on Wednesday asked a U.S. bankruptcy judge in Houston, Texas, to additionally take control of Jones' X.com account and prevent Jones from using it to promote new business ventures.

The Sandy Hook families asked the judge to make clear that the Jones' "@RealAlexJones" account on X.com, formerly known as Twitter, will be among the assets turned over to a court-appointed trustee in charge of liquidating Jones' assets. Jones' X account, which has 2.3 million followers, is "no different than a customer list of any other liquidating business," the Sandy Hook families argued.

They argued that Jones has used the social media account to push down the value of Infowars by diverting sales from that site to his father's DrJonesNaturals.com, which sells health supplements and other products.

Jones' attorney, Vickie Driver, said on Thursday that the Sandy Hook families' request was procedurally improper and that Jones would oppose it at the appropriate time.

"The Connecticut Plaintiffs have never wanted money from Jones but to silence him," Driver said.

Jones was banned from the platform for nearly five years, but his account was reinstated in December after a user poll conducted by X.com owner Elon Musk.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge is scheduled to hear the families' demand at a Friday court hearing in Houston. The judge is expected to convert Alex Jones' bankruptcy case from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which offers more control to a bankrupt debtor, to a Chapter 7 liquidation, which would allow a court-appointed trustee to take and sell Jones' assets.

Jones claimed for years that the Sandy Hook killings were staged with actors as part of a government plot to seize Americans' guns. Jones has since acknowledged that the shooting occurred.

The judge overseeing Jones' bankruptcy has ruled that most of the debt will survive after a liquidation, because it resulted from "willful and malicious" conduct.

Jones has estimated that he has less than $12 million in assets, meaning that he will carry an enormous legal debt even after Infowars and his other assets are sold.

The Sandy Hook families intend to continue collection actions against Jones' future income, and pursue additional payments from Jones' wife, father, employees and other associates to whom Jones' allegedly diverted assets.

A Chapter 7 liquidation will enable the Sandy Hook families to enforce their judgments "now and into the future while also depriving Jones of the ability to inflict mass harm as he has done for some 25 years," said Chris Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families.

Jones has said on a June 7 broadcast of The Alex Jones show that Infowars is "overrun" and "will be completely worthless" without him. He encouraged listeners to buy products from DrJonesNaturals to support his "future" and make sure he can continue to broadcast after the shutdown of Infowars.

"I've already sold everything but my house," Jones said on June 7. "I'm down to my last moves on this."

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Sandy Hook families want to seize Alex Jones' social media accounts By Reuters - Investing.com

A number of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies are seeing greater demand for their social media applications in overseas markets, as adoption on the mainland has been slower by comparison. Shanghai-based MiniMax a generative AI start-up that counts South China Morning Post owner Alibaba Group Holding as a major investor has become a prime example of such overseas success on the back of its Talkie app, which saw its traffic more than double to 1.32 million views in May, according to AIcpb.com, a site that tracks the popularity of AI products worldwide. The Talkie AI app, which competes in a market segment led by Character.ai, enables users to customise avatars and interact with virtual chat buddies. Although Character.ai reached 318 million views last month, Talkies more than 150 per cent monthly growth rate was faster than its rivals 21.6 per cent monthly growth rate, according to AIcpb.com.

Meanwhile, the Talkie apps Chinese version, Xingye, amassed just 422,000 views in May, AIcpb.com data showed.

The ranking of Chinese version Xingye, according to Data.ai, shifted between 29th and 8th place on the mainland App Stores social networking category during the same period.

05:03

How does Chinas AI stack up against ChatGPT?

How does Chinas AI stack up against ChatGPT?

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Chinese AI social media apps see growing demand in overseas markets - South China Morning Post

If youve heard it once, youve heard it a thousand times: Advertisers need to reach people where they spend the most time. In todays digital age, that increasingly means social media platforms. Ads on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn reach people of all ages, nationalities, and income brackets. Whats more, the platforms targeting tools help you reach the exact types of people whom you regard as prospective customers.

Strategic social media campaigns can build brand awareness and drive real results, from boosting sales to fostering customer loyalty. But the key word here is strategic. Cast too wide of a net and you may not end up with much of anything.

Heres an overview of advertising on social media, including a step-by-step guide to launching an effective social media campaign of your own.

A social media campaign is a coordinated marketing effort to promote a specific message, product, or service across various social media platforms, using strategic content creation and engagement techniques. Social media marketing campaigns exist to achieve defined business goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating sales leads.

Campaigns can include organic content (the free content you create and post on your social media accounts), paid content (ads you pay the social media platform to show your target audience), or both.

Social media campaigns exist in concert with other marketing efforts such as television commercials, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, radio and podcast ads, and word-of-mouth campaigns. Yet given the popularity of the worlds major social networksmore than five billion people use social mediasocial media marketing efforts often play an outsized role in a companys outreach.

Successful social media campaigns include some or all of the following tactics:

A social marketing strategy can benefit your business in the following ways:

A successful social media campaign can reach a vast audience quickly and effectively, increasing your brands visibility and attracting more followers. Over time, this expanded reach helps you build a strong brand presence online.

Social media platforms facilitate direct interaction with existing customers. Campaigns encouraging likes, comments, and shares help you build a community around your brand.

Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer sophisticated targeting options that deliver your ads to people with specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. Unlike traditional tactics, such as print ads or billboards, where its difficult to know how many people saw your ad, social media analytics tools allow you to measure your campaigns success down to individual clicks.

Tracking and measuring real-time campaign performance allows for adjustments and optimizations. For example, suppose your ad on X isnt generating as many clicks to your ecommerce store as your Instagram ad. In that case, you can quickly reallocate your spending to the Instagram ad, improving your campaigns return on investment (ROI).

Consistently sharing high-quality social media content and engaging with followers helps establish your brand as an authority. By using social accounts to share valuable information, respond to queries, and showcase expertise, you can build trust and credibility with your audienceand ideally more sales.

Implementing a successful social media campaign involves careful planning, execution, and analysis. Each campaign will vary depending on your goals, but here are nine essential steps to get you started:

Clearly outline your social media campaign goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales. These objectives will guide your social media strategy and ensure alignment with your business objectives and brands mission.

Determine who you want to reach with your campaign. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to understand the different demographics, interests, and behaviors of people most likely to engage with your brand. This information helps you create campaigns that resonate with the right people.

For example, you might want to target iPhone users with ads for a fitness app and people who live in Texas with ads for cowboy boots.

Select the social media platform best aligned with your social media campaign goals and target audience.

Each platform has unique strengths. For example, Instagram is great for visual content and reaching a broader audience, while LinkedIn is ideal for business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Look at social media campaign examples from other brands to inform your choices or consider what each platform is best suited for:

Plan the types of content you will create and share during the campaign. This includes videos, images, blog posts, and other media that will engage your audience. Ensure your campaign content is relevant, valuable, and aligned with your brand values.

National Geographic, for instance, often posts stunning photographs to encourage print and digital subscriptions. Meanwhile, Guitar Center posts videos of people playing a diverse range of instruments to entice them to stop by the store.

Learn more: 8 Steps To Create a Winning Content Strategy

Organize your content into a calendar to ensure consistent posting and optimal timing. Social media scheduling helps maintain a steady flow of content and keeps your audience engaged throughout the campaign. Aim to post at least a few times a week so your campaign has a chance to gain traction.

Use a social media management tool like Sprout Social or Hootsuite to streamline the process and boost productivity.

Actively interact with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Engaging with your audience fosters a sense of community and builds stronger relationships, ideally enhancing your brands credibility and authority.

Social listening tools like Brand24 and Meltwater offer valuable insights about how people perceive your brand onlinewhether or not theyre communicating with you directly. Use this information to better understand your customer base and plot future campaigns.

Paid social media advertising can extend your reach beyond your following and target specific audience segments. Platforms like Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads offer advanced targeting options to ensure your campaign reaches the right people.

Start with a small portion of your overall advertising budget and expand your spending as you analyze the performance of your campaigns.

Reach customers everywhere they are with Shopify

Shopify comes with powerful tools that help you promote and sell products on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google, and YouTube from one back office. Make sales on multiple channels and manage everything from Shopify.

Regularly track performance metrics such as impressions (how many people saw your ad) and click-throughs (how many people clicked on your ad). Use tools like Google Analytics and other social media management tools to gain insights into whats working and what isnt. For a broader view, conduct a competitive analysis and compare your results with industry benchmarks.

Based on your performance analysis, make necessary adjustments to your campaign. This might include tweaking your content strategy, narrowing your target audience, using more relevant hashtags, or reallocating your budget to the best-performing social platforms. Continuous optimization ensures your campaign remains effective and achieves maximum engagement.

To create a social media campaign, define your goals, identify your target audience, choose the right platforms, develop and schedule engaging content, use paid advertising, and continuously monitor performance metrics to improve your next social media campaign.

A successful social media campaign combines engaging content, strategic targeting, and measurable engagement to achieve a specific goal.

The platforms you should use for social media campaigns depend on your target audience and goals. Popular choices include Facebook for broad reach, Instagram for visual content, X for real-time engagement, LinkedIn for B2B marketing, and TikTok for reaching niche audiences.

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How To Run a Social Media Campaign That Builds Your Brand (2024) - Shopify