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Collaboration Ideas for Luxury Brands

July 18, 2016
Brand, Agency
  
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Luxury brands have long been influencer marketing pioneers, creating some of the industry’s most striking (and effective) digital campaigns — from Burberry’s Snapchat debut with photographer Mario Testino, to Gucci’s near-complete social takeover of last year’s Oscars.  

Although luxury brands can face unique challenges when working with influencers (they often cannot gift as freely as their mainstream counterparts, and must consider that a portion of an influencer’s audience, however interested, may not be potential buyers), they also have some real advantages, including strong name recognition and an instant “cool factor” that can allow them to launch creative and memorable collaborations.  


Here are four ideas for luxury brands to successfully collaborate with influencers: 


Loan Your Product 

Allowing influencers to experience your brand can give you all the benefits of gifting without the expense. Many fashion and accessories brands have begun loaning influencers pieces from their current collections for events during major events like Fashion Week, and luxury car brands like Jaguar and Mercedes have used this approach to introduce vehicles to new audiences. 


Mercedes’ #GLApacked campaign, an Instagram-focused collaboration that targeted young buyers, is a great example. Ahead of the 2014 launch of its GLA sport utility vehicle, Mercedes loaned a GLA to five influential Millennials for a cross-country trip, during which time they were instructed to document their experience. The campaign resulted in more than 2 million total likes, according to Digiday, and more importantly, a noticeable boost in sales among its target audience. More than half of GLA owners were part of Generation X or Y in the year following the campaign, and for 75 percent of them, it was their first Mercedes. 


The above image, captured by photographer Theron Humphrey, who participated in the #GLApacked collaboration, generated 63.3k likes and 1,778 comments.  

Luxury fashion brands can take the same approach by developing campaigns around events like Fashion Week, loaning pieces to top influencers who document their experiences at runway shows, panels, and after parties.  


“Gift” an Experience 


For brands that offer a service rather than a product, “gifting” an experience is another great way to utilize influencer marketing. When The Sofitel wanted to reach a younger audience than it was able to reach through traditional advertising, the hotel used Shopping Links to identify travel-loving bloggers with strong Instagram audiences. Through influencers, the hotel was able to reach hundreds of thousands of potential guests while positioning itself as a brand for young, style-conscious travelers attending events like Fashion Week.   

 

In the above collaboration with globally recognized blogger Zorannah Jovanovic, The Sofitel NYC was able to tout its proximity to New York Fashion Week shows while tying itself to one of fashion’s biggest influencers.  



Sunday Funday @sofitellondon #yourmirrorstyle #ymsaround #london

A photo posted by Lorenzo Liverani (@liveranilorenzo) on

This collaboration with Lorenzo Liverani, a blogger with an eclectic audience of both male and female followers, showed off the charm of The Sofitel London. 


Gift the Right Influencers

Although loaning product and offering services can yield great results for some brands, gifting is still often the most effective option for luxury brands that can budget for it, particularly when they can target the right influencers. Jewelry brand Arme de L’Amour had great success with this approach by using Shopping Links to identify four top influencers for collaborations on Instagram. 


The campaign resulted in a total reach of nearly 200,000 with thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. By focusing on just a few influencers with the right audience, Arme de L’Amour was able to wisely use its “gifting” budget while boosting brand awareness and sales. 


Pam Hetlinger, above, introduced Arme de L’Amour to her more than 100k followers, resulting in more than 1,600 likes and 60 comments. 


The key to successful gifting collaborations is simply finding the right influencer. You can run an effective collaboration with just three or four influencers if you select ones that truly understand your product and speak to the right demographic.


Combine Beautiful Content with an Incentive 

One of the easiest ways to work with influencers when gifting or loaning product is not an option is to simply provide beautiful photography, complemented by an incentive such as a gift card.  


During Macy’s recent diamond sale, fashion influencers seemed the perfect voice for reaching jewelry enthusiasts. Gifting diamonds, however, was not cost-effective -- a common conundrum for many luxury brands. To overcome this issue, Macy’s took an editorial approach, working with bloggers like Brenna Lyden of Chic Street Style, Lauren Vandifer of VandiFair, and Vanessa Kaufman of We the Classy  to reach a wide audience of jewelry enthusiasts by offering gorgeous content. Bloggers were also incentivized with the option of earning commission on sales.  


In its collaboration with Brenna, Macy’s was able to showcase its full collection in a colorful article and engaging Instagram post, which received 527 likes: 


Lauren made her Instagram post personal, using a photo of her own engagement ring to share why she loves her own diamond. (She also posted on her blog.)  


Vanessa personalized her blog and Instagram posts by choosing pieces that spoke to her own sense of style: 

In total, the collaboration had a total reach of 2.5 million on Instagram with a boost in new customers at a lower cost per acquisition than other efforts. 


The key to these collaboration is to remember that bloggers are also storytellers, and their audiences love learning about beautiful products as much as bloggers love sharing them. You can tap into this by offering beautiful photography and a seamless way for bloggers to share something new with their followers that still allows their personality to shine. 


Host an Influencer Event 

Events are one of the most effective ways to collaborate with influencers no matter what your product or service may be. The chance to personally connect with influencers gives you a rare opportunity to share your brand story in a way that inspires a genuine enthusiasm. Marks & Spencer discovered the value of in-person influencer connections when it hosted an event for the launch of its Australian website in Sydney. Using Shopping Links to develop a guest list of influential fashion bloggers, including top influencers Bec Judd, Nadia Fairfax and Kate Waterhouse, Marks & Spencer reached hundreds of thousands of potential shoppers in Australia. The event resulted in several blog posts from attendees that not only mentioned the event, but specifically explained the brand history. This emphasis on a brand “story” is especially important for luxury brands, which can reap the same benefits from influencer events. 



Almost time to start celebrating! @marksandspencer @katewaterhouse7 @nadiafairfax @becjudd #mandsaustralia #houseofmands

A photo posted by Shopping Links | 830M+ Reach (@shoppinglinks) on


No matter which approach you take, the most important factor in a successful influencer collaboration is the relationship you develop with your influencers. Taking the time to identify bloggers whose followers closely match your target audience will yield the best results — whether you choose gifting, offering an experience, or hosting an event. Developing a genuine relationship is particularly important for luxury brands, given the extra time and consideration consumers take before making buying decisions. We are always available to help you find the best influencers for your brand. 


We are always happy to help brands find the best influencers for their audience. If you need advice as you run a collaboration or are not finding the right influencers, just get in touch: hello@shoppinglinks.com.  To make finding the right influencers even easier, ask about our Managed Collaborations.