In a preview, ULTIMZ Journal’s Club of Chroniqueurs introduces Eric Maillard, a consultant with 25 years of experience in corporate and agency communications. Maillard’s new column delves into the mechanisms of influence and strategy in the luxury industry.
With the recent setbacks that have tarnished the reputation of influence marketing, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect a decline in partnerships between influencers and luxury brands. However, despite their vigilance regarding their image and all factors that affect it, luxury brands have once again immersed themselves in the world of influence marketing, sometimes even disregarding certain fundamentals. This raises questions about the effectiveness of influence marketing for luxury brands. Is influence marketing dead or does it still thrive?
The 2018/2019 season witnessed a crisis of confidence in influencers and the associated marketing. The community faced challenges such as the purchase of followers, difficulties in measuring impact, and a diminishing persuasive force when influencers grew closer to brands. Yet, on August 30th, the luxury world came alive with Dior’s “New Moon Festival” for its fragrance “Sauvage.” This event, held in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne and simultaneously in 11 other cities worldwide, created a magical setting with pyrotechnics and timeless experiences. It aimed to deliver an unforgettable evening for the biggest icons in the industry, and surprisingly, influencers were the ones invited, instead of journalists, media partners, or celebrities. Notably, the chosen influencers were the most powerful ones in the French Instagram sphere.
What remains of this event a few weeks later? A search on Google barely yields any results, except for photos of the influencers by Ten Days in Paris and Facebook and Eventbrite events created in Germany. The only traces found are on Instagram, the least viral platform at the moment, and one must look under the hashtag #NewMoonFestival. The stories, though numerous, have since vanished. It could be speculated that the simultaneous crisis surrounding the fragrance’s advertising campaign, which was deemed “racist and deeply offensive” and had to be urgently withdrawn, hindered the event’s visibility. Nevertheless, this choice of focusing on influencers should raise questions.
Influence may occur elsewhere…
Though perhaps necessary, Instagrammers or YouTube stars do not guarantee the long-term reach and visibility of an event, at least not to the extent that celebrities can capture media attention. On September 4th, Givenchy organized “The Forbidden Party” for the launch of their perfume “L’Interdit” and lipstick “Le Rouge.” This event, themed around beauty, took place at the Maison des Métallos in the XIth arrondissement of Paris. The brand didn’t hesitate to invite influencers to mingle with celebrities, including actresses, singers, and top models. The event received extensive media coverage, leaving a lasting impact from publications like Paris Match and Elle, not to mention the buzz generated on social media under the hashtag #TheForbiddenParty.
Many other luxury brands have also held events with varying degrees of success, effectively managing influence with or without celebrities and media coverage. Some notable examples include the Breitling Party, Montblanc Party with (RED), Grand Opening of the luxury hotel Sinner Paris, and the VIP launch of the luxury hotel Les Jardins du Faubourg. It is now time for a comprehensive assessment to shed light on the future of Instagram stories, which provide a reassuring yet fragile tool for brands. However, how many are currently conducting this assessment?
Credit: Dior.
Useful links:
