For fashion-focused brands, Instagram provides the best engagement rate of any social media platform and gives companies the perfect outlet to showcase their visually-appealing products. A recent L2 study found that, of all social media interactions that took place at the Fall 2016 New York Fashion Week, 97% occurred on Instagram (Digiday). To leverage the platform’s high engagement rates and build anticipation for the release of their new No. 5 L’Eau perfume (to be released in September), iconic brand Chanel invited top Instagram influencers to the company’s beautiful production facility in the South of France for a perfectly Instagrammable retreat.
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In this Instagram marketing case study, we explore how fashion icon brand Chanel leveraged the reach of top Instagram influencers to engage massive social media audiences and create excitement for the release of the company’s new fragrance. For the campaign, Chanel invited top social media influencers to visit the brand’s flower fields near Grasse to see (and document on social media) how Chanel uses actual flowers to make their iconic No. 5 perfume.
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See examples of how Chanel creatively collaborated with high-reach Instagrammers below:
N°5 L’EAU. @chanelofficial #newchanel5 #chanelgrasse
A photo posted by JULIE SARIÑANA (@sincerelyjules) on
With over 3.6 million Instagram followers and creator of one of the most successful fashion and lifestyle blogs in the world, Julie Sariñana has the power to influence the purchasing decisions of millions. By inviting Sariñana to their French production facility, Chanel guaranteed that the fashion blogger’s audience would be acutely aware of the brand’s forthcoming product.
Fresh roses in the @Chanelofficial factory in Grasse #newchanel5 #chanelgrasse #jemercedxchanel A photo posted by Jessica Mercedes Kirschner © (@jemerced) on
Jessica Mercedes Kirschner is known for sharing fashion trends and tips with her large social media audiences on Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. A key element in Chanel’s Instagram marketing campaign, Kirschner’s branded post received over 26K likes and 100 comments in just two weeks.
Last night I have dreamt The marvellous Parfum of The May Roses, Missing this place #chanelgrasse #newchanel5 #theuglytruthofv #grasse #diditravel #virginiaforchanel #chanelexperience A photo posted by Virginia Varinelli (@virginiavarinelli) on
Fashion blogger and Instagram influencer Virgina Varinelli has fostered a genuine connection with her followers, routinely garnering high levels of engagement on her posts and inspiring audiences through her design- and fashion-focused content. Varinelli’s #newchanel5 Instagram photo elicited an engagement rate of nearly 25%—exactly what the brand hoped for when they invited the Instagrammer to Grasse.
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For brands, collaborating with top social media influencers to draw attention to an event or the launch of a new product is one of the best ways to generate social media buzz and reach millions on engaged consumers without purchasing Instagram native ads or investing in traditional advertising (like print ads or television commercials). Because Chanel’s exclusive event was visually stimulating—the “retreat” took place in sun-soaked Grasse in the South of France—Instagram was the ideal platform for Chanel’s influencer marketing campaign.
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