Can Luxury Fashion Break into Tik Tok?

TikTok is the social media platform quickly leaving competitors in its dust. Based on data from statisica.com, the platform is now the 7th biggest globally with 689 million active users and a staggering 6 billion downloads on the iOS App Store and Google Play as of December 2020. It is also the social media app of choice amongst Gen Z, with a reported 40% of users between the ages of 16-24.

This data is all the more impressive given that Tik Tok only launched internationally in 2017. The social media powerhouse was initially launched in China as Douyin in 2016 and is owned by parent company ByteDance – now valued at around $180 billion.

International companies are well aware of the power of this youthful platform, with luxury brands slowly making their way onto TikTok in an attempt to broaden their reach and capture this key demographic.

Based on TikTok hashtags, the fashion category had 17.5 billion views as of June 2020, so it’s undeniably an area of opportunity for brands around the world. Luxury brands are perhaps a little out of their depth on this platform, having relied on far more traditional marketing strategies, but 2020 saw several fashion houses hop on the TikTok bandwagon.

While fast and affordable brands like Fashion Nova and Pretty Little Thing have 2 and 1.2 million followers respectively, luxury brands are lagging with Gucci at 994K, Dior at 809K and Louis Vuitton reaching just 482K followers. So, what are these high-end labels doing to stay relevant on this ever-growing platform? We took a look at 3 of the best "challenges" created by brands for the platform, as well as trending hashtags from the luxury fashion category:

What Luxury Fashion Brands on TikTok are Doing

#MonclerBubbleUp

Moncler, the beloved luxury ski wear brand, saw success with #MonclerBubbleUp with 7.2 billion, yes billion, views. The hashtag saw creators wrapping themselves in items resembling the brand’s puffy winter coats before using TikTok tools to transition into a real Moncler coat. Tik Tok queen Charli D’Amelio, Michael Le, Bella Poarch and other stars participated in the challenge, contributing to its success.

#GucciModelChallenge

While some brands have TikTok strategies in place, others have found coincidental success. One such example is Gucci and the #GucciModelChallenge, with close to 250 million views. In August 2020, the trend took over TikTok with creators layering clothes to mimic a Gucci ensemble. The hashtag proved an accidental hit, with stars like Tay Hage taking to TikTok to replicate the trend.

#Furladance

Furla, the Italian luxury brand known for its handbags and shoes, ran a branded challenge last June, which saw an impressive 558 million views. The #Furladance encouraged TikTok creators to replicate choreographed dance moves to a specific soundtrack. TikTok influencer Elisa Maino helped to promote the brand’s refreshed Metropolis bag collection using the now-famous hashtag.

It remains to be seen whether luxury will win a permanent place on the app. While Gen Z is ripe for advertising, the demographic doesn't come with the same level of disposable income that older age groups do.

Not to mention the fact that many TikTok creators openly express dislike for other platforms like Instagram, and the influencer marketing that has overtaken them. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, it's fun to watch new strategies unfold before our very eyes.

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