Luxury Brands and Social Media In the luxury industry, there is a common dilemma: how can luxury brands maintain an air of exclusivity while being present on social media platforms that are accessible to everyone? For brands that thrive on the allure of being unattainable, it may seem contradictory to share their every move with the public. Social media accounts for a significant portion of time spent online, and it is a platform for engagement. Whether it's creating a hashtag, sharing an image on Facebook, documenting one's life on Instagram, or curating an inspiration board on Pinterest, social media allows users to produce and share content.

Luxury brands should not only consider their target consumers but also those who aspire to own their products. Brand-related buzz can originate from a blog post that has been shared just as easily as from a well-planned press release. So, how should high-end brands approach this challenge? The key is to keep it simple, distinctive, and unique. Brands need to consider how they want their audience to engage and how they can encourage sharing. By doing so, they can maintain their exclusivity while also including and inspiring the masses.

An example of this approach is Burberry's Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey, who successfully matched the luxury brand with Facebook. This seemingly contradictory move resulted in a 50% increase in online sales in 2009, with a significant portion of the traffic generated from their social media campaign, "The Art of the Trench." This campaign combined street style photography with the iconic Burberry trench coat, giving existing customers their moment in the spotlight. The chance to become a Burberry model served as a source of inspiration for both fans and peers.

Louis Vuitton's New Bond Street store reopening was an exclusive event attended only by A-list celebrities. To engage with their fans, Louis Vuitton created a Facebook event that resembled an invitation to the actual event. They also had a countdown to generate excitement. Additionally, they developed a dedicated app with live streaming capabilities, allowing users to update their status and take photos if they were in the vicinity. These photos were then added to a new album on the user's profile and appeared on their news feed, exposing their friends to the event. The footage was later edited into a video for their official YouTube channel.

With the emergence of Vine, many brands have started using short, quirky videos to promote their events or products. Burberry, in particular, showcased their entire SS14 Mens show in just 6 seconds, solidifying their position as a truly digital luxury brand. You can witness this for yourself. Jimmy Choo's "Trainer Hunt" campaign involved a collaboration between their Facebook page and Foursquare. Users were given clues and hints through Foursquare to locate hidden trainers in trendy bars, restaurants, and clubs across the city. This campaign resulted in a 33% increase in sales for their trainer collection and a 40% boost in positive sentiment towards the new range.

And the winner is? Surprisingly, the brand that has truly revolutionized the combination of luxury and social media has, in the past, been seen as outdated and somewhat conventional. Oscar PR Girl has emerged onto the scene, making a presence in every aspect, with a continuous stream of Tweets, Instagrams, and posts on tumblr, among others. Instead of being flashy or excessive, the PR Girl has successfully conveyed her love and admiration for Oscar in a very personal manner, while also providing exclusive glimpses into the brand. For their Autumn/Winter 2013 campaign, they released images on Instagram before anywhere else, receiving thousands of likes within the first hour. Following this "Insta-exclusive," they expanded to Facebook and Twitter, including links to pre-order the collection in order to track click-throughs and conversions.

And so... In addition to what we now consider "traditional" social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter), there are Vine and Instagram; simple yet effective and visually appealing. Was it a mere coincidence that Vine was launched just in time for New York Fashion Week? Well, it certainly didn't hurt. Luxury brands have been sharing 6-second Vines to generate interest and build excitement prior to their runway shows. With the abundance of social media options and a clever digital strategy, every luxury brand can find their voice and utilize these platforms to their advantage. Recognizing this as an opportunity is crucial: these brands maintain their luxurious status by engaging not only their paying customers, but also those who desire their products but cannot have them.