Ted Baker and Paul Smith have topped the list of most socially engaged premium menswear retailers, according to a new study.
Ted Baker received the highest score of 14 out of a possible 25. The brand brings its personality to life with playful and sophisticated content. Social channels show high quality imagery, illustrations and films displaying products in exciting ways. Ted Baker took the lead with its well-designed and visually interesting size guides. New technologies have been embraced, such as augmented reality, to create an immersive experience for customers.
Paul Smith ranks at number two, with a score of 12.5. Social content is tailored appropriately to suit each channel – Periscope covers backstage moments from fashion shows, Instagram shares behind the scenes footage and inspiring product images while Pinterest focuses on catwalk looks. Its on-site content centres mainly on its blog, with few opportunities for customers to engage.
Retail marketing agency Leapfrogg analysed 11 fashion retailers’ social media activity across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, alongside content quality. Engagement levels across social channels influencing purchases were scored using analytics tools and qualitative testing. Retailers received 0 to 5 for each platform, with 5 being the highest.
Third-placed Reiss’ social engagement levels are consistent across all channels, obtaining a high ‘like’ ranking compared to the volume of comments. A score of 11.5 is owed to Reiss’ high quality campaign images, giving the brand a polished and professional personality. Reiss regularly posts fashion and lifestyle content in blog form, leaving room for adventurous new technology to capture its audience’s attention.
“The rise of the male fashion consumer has created huge social engagement opportunities for online retailers, but only if they can cater to particular needs and wants,” said Rosie Freshwater, MD of Leapfrogg. “A personalised experience for customers will help them connect with a brand, heightening the chances of a purchase. Brands that truly relate to customers are far more likely to be rewarded with a ‘connected’ relationship.”
According to the study, channels showing the best engagement levels were Twitter, followed by Facebook. Instagram and Pinterest were the least engaged channels.
Leapfrogg’s engagement rate scorecard covered user actions such as likes, comments and shares, which were then divided by the number of fans to ensure brands with different sized audiences could be compared, producing unbiased results.
Source: www.leapfrogg.co.uk