How Has TikTok Changed The Way We Shop For Luxury
The social media platform TikTok’s popularity skyrocketed in the year 2020. The global pandemic at the time had left many people in search of a new form of entertainment and TikTok with its endless content of quirky, bite-sized videos became the ultimate guilty pleasure. Since then, the social media platform has continued to amass in popularity, surpassing Instagram and X (Twitter in the past). TikTok has also come to shape pop culture and the ways by which we consume media. TikTok’s influence on media and society in present times is always a hot topic, especially now with the significance it has in US politics.
A less discussed aspect of TikTok concerns the ways by which it has influenced our buying habits, specifically when it comes to the purchase of products from Luxury brands. Many experts agree that TikTok has revolutionized luxury shopping. According to an article by Business of Fashion,
“In the first half of 2023, luxury brands grew their media impact value, a measure of engagement, on TikTok by 11%, outpacing fast fashion’s 7% increase, according to Launchmetrics. Dior, Gucci and Prada generated nearly as much MIV in the period from January to May 2023 as they did in all of 2022.”
And this change is only predicted to get larger. By 2025, consumers between ages 18 and 35 will account for 40% of the global luxury market. Consumers in this age range are coincidentally those who most use TikTok.
TikTok has changed how luxury brands market themselves and attract customers. It’s not just another social media platform for advertising; its unique algorithm, diverse communities, and trending content have significantly reshaped luxury culture.
TIKTOK HAS REDEFINED LUXURY CULTURE
The most prominent way that TikTok has changed luxury brands is by making luxury culture into a more transparent and accessible space.
This is owing to a few integral features of TikTok. The first of them being that TikTok is a very democratic social media platform; a claim that is heavily under scrutiny in current American politics, and yet the argument stands when it comes to investigations of how luxury culture is presented on the platform. The platform has a remarkable ability to democratize content creation and distribution. TikTok’s algorithm is particularly effective at surfacing content from a wide range of users, regardless of their follower count or prior popularity.
Large corporations do not always have a monopoly on the ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ they receive, simply based on metrics tied to follower count. Rather, they must create content that engages with internet trends. For this reason, brands often collaborate with popular creators on the app. By engaging directly with their community and collaborating with influential creators, these iconic brands have opened up a new dialogue about the deep value of craftsmanship in luxury fashion.
Following this line of thought, statistics show that most TikTok users find brands appealing specifically because they like the brands personal approach to TikTok. This means that brands are required to display a certain level of authenticity and proximity to users. As TikTok increasingly demystifies the luxury industry, the barriers that once shielded luxury brands are being lowered.
Furthermore, in order to achieve proximity to customers, brands must resort to creative and often unconventional methods. No longer is it enough to simply make an advert boasting about the supposed benefits and quality of a product – nowadays, we see brands making ASMR videos, taking part in BookTok or MusicTok. Luxury brands infiltrate niche communities, in order to engage with more audiences. TikTok provides rich grounds for such creative communities and aesthetics. Luxury brands are leaning into niche communities and subcultures to reach new audiences, grow brand equity and showcase the extent of their artistry.
HOW LUXURY BRANDS ARE SCALING USING TIKTOK
As mentioned before, the TikTok community has always been about creativity, authenticity, sharing real life experiences and putting a fresh twist on emerging cultural trends. Luxury’s brands’ ability to attract interest from young customers depends on how well they maintain their TikTok identity. The following look at three luxury brands that have managed to leverage their TikTok presence to win the hearts of customers.
‘Passing The Vibe Check’: A look at how Gucci uses TikTok
Gucci has emerged as the leading luxury brand on TikTok. The Italian fashion label has a surprisingly simple yet effective approach to the social media app that has amassed 3.9 million followers. A look at Gucci’s TikTok feed reveals that they have maintained a consistent brand voice with snippets of shows, products and a variety of other editorial content that keep up with the colorful and often-quirky image of the brand.
An undeniable fact that weighs into TikTok’s popularity is the importance it places on authenticity. Users of the platform are often wary of brands that have carefully curated images that seemingly display no understanding of its consumer-base. To make it on TikTok, a brand has to ascend its position as a corporate entity and reveal a more human-side, this is the sure way to be part of the ‘in-group’ on TikTok. In Gen Z slang, such a process is known as “passing the vibe check”.
Gucci has managed to achieve this by leaning into the more human-side of TikTok. Gucci launched their #Guccichime campaign, which advocated for gender equality. In this campaign they got celebrities to talk about ‘what they chime for’– what beliefs or values they advocate for. This initiative allowed audiences to learn about their beloved celebrity figures on a more intimate level.
Furthermore, the brand has hired non-fashion influencers to promote their products. They did this by hiring nerdy British trainspotter, Francis Bourgeois, a beloved figure in very niche circles on TikTok, to model at their runway shows. Such activities show that the brand truly understands what appeals to their younger audiences.
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‘Keeping It Real’ with Fenty Beauty
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty has been a masterclass of using social media for marketing and branding since its inception. Currently, Fenty Beauty’s TikTok is full of trending sounds, challenges and pure entertainment. Its content manages to show off their products with high quality visuals, while also venturing out the strict conventions of brand image that are so often imposed on businesses. The account regularly uses funny meme formats and participates in trends, and in general likes to ‘keep it real’ with its followers.
The account constantly keeps its community thriving by regularly replying to comments from followers or engaging with micro or nano-influencers rather than the mega-influencers of the platform. This once more creates a sense of proximity to the customer base. It sheds the distancing label of “luxury” and makes the brand more approachable and human.
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How Swarovski ‘Builds Hype’
Swarovski’s image as a luxury brand has been meticulously curated for over a century. However, the business experienced a significant decline following the global pandemic. In recent years, Swarovski has embarked on a rebranding journey, leveraging TikTok to rejuvenate its image. This rebranding effort provides a compelling case study on how brands can utilize social media platforms to generate anticipation and engage their target audience. Essentially, Swarovski’s rebrand aims to modernize its image while preserving its timeless elegance, shifting its focus to attract a younger, more digitally-savvy demographic. The new brand design features the iconic Swarovski swan taking flight, aptly symbolizing the rebrand’s accomplishments.
Since its relaunch, Swarovski’s TikTok feed has featured high-quality visual storytelling with impactful short videos, expertly tailored for the algorithm. Alongside videos of famous supermodels like Bella Hadid showcasing the products, there are also clips of popular influencers adorned in the new jewellery lines. This strategic use of user-generated content enhances the brand’s credibility and demonstrates that the new collections perfectly align with the aesthetic preferences of the younger generation. These sneak-peek previews of the brands’ new products build excitement or rather, ‘builds the hype’ surrounding the relaunch and the new lines of products.
Take a look at influencer Lea Eli (@leaelui) wearing Swarovski’s new lines of jewellery.
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