Gucci takes lead in luxury brand earned media in November

In November, Italy’s Gucci received the equivalent of $73.8 million in free publicity, rising to the top of Tribe Dynamics’ monthly rankings for earned media.

Tribe Dynamics’ Earned Media Value quantifies both the amount of publicity brands receive through digital media and engagement levels surrounding posts by influencers, brands, retailers and publications. Among luxury labels, Gucci topped brands including Chanel, Saint Laurent and Dior who also made the top 10 list.

Conversation starter
Gucci’s earned media rose 47 percent year-over-year in November. Like most of the other brands that made the list, the majority of Gucci’s mentions and engagements came from Instagram.

While Gucci bested other brands on Instagram and Twitter, other brands gained more earned media value on specific platforms. Chanel was top for blogs, while Louis Vuitton rose to the lead for Facebook. Saint Laurent earned the most free publicity on YouTube.

Showing the impact of partnering with pop culture events and brands with mass followings, Balmain’s EMV rose 206 percent in November to $21 million thanks partly to its collaboration with Victoria’s Secret on its annual televised runway show (see story). While some of the models posted about the collection, it was Victoria’s Secret that acted as Balmain’s number one ambassador during the month, giving the brand $6.5 million worth of publicity.

Balmain's $298 Swarovski-covered bustier for Victoria's Secret (top left) sold out in one day. Image credit: Victoria's Secret

Also notable during November, Off White joined Tribe Dynamics’ luxury rankings for the first time, coming in at number 10. This was partly due to the hype surrounding the label’s collaboration with Nike.