Conclusion

Conclusion

Image 1. Social Media (Simply Social, 2016)

The project topic is researching how the different fashion brands use social medias to promote their brand and products. There are three different type of fashion brands. They are Louis Vuitton which is a kind of luxury brand; Topshop is present for the high street brand; H&M is fast fashion brand. All of these fashion brands have their account on the various social media platforms. 

H&M is a kind of fast fashion brand. The characteristic of H&M's social media management is activity and have lots of fans. In order to target Chinese market, H&M also have account on Weibo and Youku. H&M’s digital identity was built by social media is same with the brand identity. The other strategy of H&M marketing is that fans culture is important on the social media information, such as on Google+. 

Topshop is present for the high street fashion brand. There are two points of Topshop's social media management for promotion. First is that interaction between company and consumers. For example, the "#topshopstyle" on Twitter and "haul" videos on Youtube is encouraging consumers to share their brought Topshop products. Secondly, hot topic is the main content in the Topshop's social media information, such as London Fashion Week. 

Louis Vuitton is luxury fashion brand. The social media function method and content is special compared to other fashion brands. The strategy of Louis Vuitton internet advertising strategy is providing digital experience, customers can get internal accessed to get more information of brand event on Youtube. The content of internet advertising is advanced and "wide open", such as game characters as the models. However, there also have the challenge for luxury brand to use social media in promotion. 

Reference:

Simply Social. (2016) “Turn social media into a group activity.” Available at: http://www.gosimplysocial.com/ [accessed 8^th March 2016]

Posted by Yucui Zhang

Digital marketing of luxury brand: Louis Vuitton

Brands, and in particular luxury brands with their high brand equity, ought to have a clear understanding of what social media could do for them, and develop a clear strategy of how they could enhance customers’ experience and perceptions of their brands (Thomas 2011). For instance, Louis Vuitton is the top luxury brand which take advantages from social media marketing in large part. Louis Vuitton’s Facebook page now has more than 9 millions fans and its Twitter’s account recorded more than 5,400,000 followers. 

                                              https://twitter.com/LouisVuitton

All the show videos and products images were immediately posted on Facebook for fans. These social media strategies helped Louis Vuitton to rejuvenate the brand and reposit it as a more fashionable one than ever. Louis Vuitton could attract more consumers with using these digital methods, especially increase its appeal to younger and web-savvier consumers. Beside, Louis Vuitton also does the support with the competitions or the charities to propagandize its brand.

                                                https://twitter.com/LouisVuitton

 Louis Vuitton’s social media performance could definitely be improved through the interaction between the public and the media vehicles. It will be with time, as social media will help it to run the business differently(Jin, 2012). Social media seem to play a key role in Louis Vuitton’s success. However, It can be balanced of the relationship among consumers’ perceptions of value-expressive and social-adjustive functions of the luxury brands? It needed to be explored on the next step.  



Reference：

Dosh Dosh. (2008). Social Media Networking and ROI: How to Maximize Value and Minimize Cost. Fetch 2009-11-03, from http://www.doshdosh.com/social-medianetworking-and-roi/

Kim A J, Ko E. Do social media marketing activities enhance customer equity? An empirical study of luxury fashion brand[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2012, 65(10): 1480-1486.

Phan M, Thomas R, Heine K. Social media and luxury brand management: The case of Burberry[J]. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 2011, 2(4): 213-222.

Seung‐A Annie Jin, (2012) "The potential of social media for luxury brand management", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 30 Iss: 7, pp.687 - 699

Posted by MINGXIN ZHANG

LV's New Forms of Advertising

Magazine is the mass media dissemination way Louis Vuitton has been used. The nationwide publicity mainly through high-level magazines such as "Harper's Bazaar", "Vogue" etc… This is because the luxury needs a higher positioning and its high price. Luxury goods consumers in general is in the forefront of fashion, followed by the popular trend of the crowd, usually quite concerned about food, fashion, luxury cars, watches, tourism and other information and these are also the magazine mainly content. The large amount of information and has a strong ornamental and artistic content, and more advertising can attract the attention of the audience. 

And the advertisement of Louis Vuitton has always stressed that full rich details, in communication with consumers, it will involve such as handbags discussions of maintenance, which are he latest creation characteristics and magazine advertising can be clearly show the information. However, with the development of the online social media, those can be done better than before by using the social networks. (Kim and Ko, 2012)

Ackroyd said that the advertising and networking events create opportunities for people to interact with brands and eventually become part of its online community. Now many European brands are increasing their online sales. The Internet channel " is effectively turning in to the best, or one of the best, stores in each local market for the luxury goods brands, " said Mallevays, in terms of product categories, he believes that the Internet "wide open". (Socha, M. 2007) And LV even use a game character as its endorser in the latest advertisement.

Louis Vuitton Presents Series 4: Lightning: A Virtual Heroine by Square Enix, 2016

Video via Louis Vuitton

Newspapers and magazines is the traditional media for luxury brand, with the development of new media, although now there still exist many problems, but there is no doubt, new media will become another main media for luxury.(Phan, Thomas and Heine, 2011)

Reference:

Socha, M. (2007). Shooting at the Net: luxury brands boost their online profiles. Women’s Wear Daily, 193(39), 1-18.

Kim, A. and Ko, E. (2012). Do social media marketing activities enhance customer equity? An empirical study of luxury fashion brand. Journal of Business Research, 65(10), pp.1480-1486.

Phan, M., Thomas, R. and Heine, K. (2011). Social Media and Luxury Brand Management: The Case of Burberry. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 2(4), pp.213-222.

Posted by  WENJIAO YU

LV's Show LIVE in Facebook

Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854, it is now part of France's Hennessy Louis Vuitton Moet group, which specializes in the production of luxury goods. (Berghaus, Reinecke and Müller-Stewens, n.d.)

Like other old luxury brands, Louis Vuitton has focused on to magazines and television media of traditional promotion mode in the past for a long period of time, but with the development of network times, this long history luxury brand was aware of the importance of this new media, so that LV first time uses a network of live means in the fashion field -- the Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Show LIVE in Facebook.

Image 1: the Louis Vuitton Women’s Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Show LIVE in Facebook.

Louis Vuitton’s goal is to providing a digital experience that has never used before to their customers or fans. They are committed to the function of pure editorial content through social channels further this year and Women’s Fall/Winter 2011-2012 Show. For the first time, LV fans will be given internal access, giving them a virtual display in the front seat and back office privileges and enhanced digital experience.

Fans can now experience the event in a few weeks with LV's live broadcast on Facebook, as there is only one real insider to be able to roam the LV’s site so freely.

This runway and its background will use a revolutionary camera shot, it will capture a seamless, panoramic view of the integrity of the environment. This experience will make the virtual insiders have the opportunity to look for in any direction and explore the house, just as they confront in the fashion runway. In addition to have these internal access, the audience can also learn more about the show behind the scenes content online.(Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011-12 Womenswear Show Live in Facebook, 2011)

Video via Louis Vuitton

POSTED IN: FALL-WINTER 2011, FASHION SHOW, WOMEN

Reference:

Berghaus, B., Reinecke, S. and Müller-Stewens, G. (n.d.). The management of luxury.

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011-12 Womenswear Show Live in Facebook. (2011). [online] ILVOELV. Available at: http://www.ilvoelv.com/2011/03/louis-vuitton-fallwinter-2011-12-womenswear-show-live-in-facebook.html [Accessed 8 Mar. 2016].

Image 1:http://www.ilvoelv.com/2011/03/louis-vuitton-fallwinter-2011-12-womenswear-show-live-in-facebook.html

Posted by  WENJIAO YU

   

Topshop & YouTube

Topshop, a high street fashion brand, has a digital campaign ‘Wish you were at Topshop’. That means the customers were provided with a special online and in-store experience. Through this campaign their customers could have make-up sessions and feel a free styling. Moreover, they could be encouraged to create their own postcards by using social media such as Instagram, Facebook and some social shared video on YouTube. There is a competition for customers to win a 1,000 pounds summer shopping time. (KIM, et al, 2014, p. 12) Topshop is also a successful example in co-branding. They collaborated with Google and YouTube company to interact with their customers by letting them to access Topshop London Fashion Week show. (JEAN, 2014, p. 276)

YouTube is a popular social media for most of  consumers of Topshop. Topshop is a popular fashion brand, so most of their consumers would expect to see numbers of videos about fashion. Therefore, Topshop video on YouTube is various on fashion and make-up tips. That is direct for the company’s target clients.

Image 1: Topshop on YouTube page includes fashion and make-up information.

A special type of fashion brands video is called “haul” videos. That means young shoppers upload videos to tell other the bargains they found at different retailers. In other word, making and seeing haul video could help Topshop’s customers know and discuss their purchases. It is easier to gain information about what different products are being popular and how to buy them in the exact various retailers. This is a benefit for Topshop’s customers. By using this video, some discounts and sales information of Topshop could be known easily without paying too much money to advertise. Hence, this way on YouTube would be smart for a fashion brand. (BROWN, 2012, p.192)

Image 2: Topshop haul video 2016 on YouTube

Reference:

KIM, H. and AHN, S. (2014) Shifting paradigms for fashion: from total to global to smart consumer experience, Fashion and Textiles, publish online http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40691-014-0015-4.  

JEAN, W. A. and YAZDANIFARD, R. (2014) How Fast-Fashion Apparel Stores are able to Operate Sustainably in New Global Economy, Techmind research, vol. 3, no.2, October.

Image 1 from https://www.youtube.com/user/TopshopPodcasts/videos

Image 2 from https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=topshop+haul+2016

BROWN, S. (2012) Social Information: Gaining competitive and business advantage using social media tools. Oxford: Chandos Publishing Ltd.       

Posted by Ziyan Zhao