February 7, 2019
Moncler says its third quarter is going well. Image credit: Moncler
Fashion houses Moncler and Burberry went in a new creative direction during 2018, which helped the brands climb into the top 10 most-searched-for labels during the crucial fourth quarter.
According to data from fashion platform Lyst, Gucci regained its crown as the hottest label in the fourth quarter of 2018, with 6 million shoppers searching for its accessories. While Gucci reigned, Moncler and Burberry’s work to reinvent themselves with new design talent and marketing helped them move up in consumer consideration.
"Gucci dominated the luxury gifting season," said Katy Lubin, communications director at Lyst.
"We saw huge global demand for the brand’s hero accessories," she said. "From October to December, more than 6 million shoppers searched for a Gucci bag, belt or shoe.
"The cult brand is appealing to a wide range of customers from all over the world, with gifting made easy thanks to the huge variety of options and color ways available within the signature pieces. The strength and depth of the Gucci product assortment made for a lot of SoHo Disco bags and logo belts under Christmas trees this year."
Lyst's index is based on its own search data, Google search data, sales and social media mentions.
Rising searches
In recent editions of the quarterly Lyst Index, Balenciaga and Off-White had overtaken Gucci as the most popular brands. In the fourth quarter of 2018, Gucci reclaimed the title of buzziest brand as consumers sought to gift Gucci bags, belts and shoes.
Gucci's gifting campaign for 2018. Image credit: Gucci
Following Gucci was Off-White. The Virgil Abloh-designed label had a key collaboration with Nike, which Lyst says was the most popular sneaker tie-up of the year.
Balenciaga came in third, helped by celebrity placements as both Michelle Obama and Cardi B wore the label.
Moncler moved up 12 places in Lyst’s rankings to come in fourth. In the past year, the brand has undergone a shift towards multiple creative collaborations rather than employing a single artistic director.
This “Genius” strategy has paid off for the brand, allowing it to achieve newness with monthly drops and driving social conversation. Moncler plans to roll out a new series of Genius projects this year (see story).
Moncler’s signature puffer jackets also continue to be a popular choice for consumers.
"Collaboration launches give brands a powerful hit of ‘newness’ and ‘nowness,’" Ms. Lubin said. "They create a sense of urgency. We’ve seen that the right collaboration drop can send customers into a frenzy, causing huge spikes in search, and then often also a lingering halo effect of increased demand for both brands involved.
"The Moncler Genius collaboration was a successful way to co-opt the creative aesthetic of designers that appeal to new customers," she said. "They have made an authentic connection with new audiences without alienating the core customer. Both the classic Maya coat and a Genius 3 Grenoble Vonne jacket have made the hottest products."
Britain’s Burberry has seen a similar surge in interest thanks to an altered creative approach.
Last fall saw the reveal of chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci’s first collection for the brand. Along with a streetwear aesthetic on the runway, Mr. Tisci has shaken up Burberry’s marketing image, with a new logo and monogram (see story).
Burberry 2018 holiday campaign. Image courtesy of Burberry
Burberry also launched a star-studded holiday campaign that diverted from typical themes, helping to drive awareness during the gifting season. During the quarter, 17.5 million people talked about Burberry on social media.
The brand entered Lyst’s top 10 this past quarter, coming in 10th place.
After seeing their own comebacks, Fendi and Versace have retained consumer interest, respectively coming in fifth and sixth place.
Fendi released a logo-centric capsule in the fall, which was released in a streetwear-style drop format (see story).
Versace, meanwhile, has kept itself at the forefront with a focus on its heritage, staging a runway show in honor of late brand founder Gianni Versace’s birthday.
Instagram post from Versace
Lyst notes that even though brands are driving buzz with drops and collaborations, it is classic items or pieces that are now mainstays that dominate the most popular products, such as Gucci’s GG belt and Balenciaga’s Speed sneakers.
Celebrity endorsements
A number of brands and products in the Lyst Index benefited from celebrity placements. For instance, sneaker label Veja became the first sustainable brand to make it into the top 10 products list with its V10, thanks to support from famous faces including Meghan Markle, Emily Ratajkowski and Emma Watson.
Versace likewise got a boost for its baroque printed products thanks to celebrities such as Drake, Kanye West and Kevin Hart posting pictures while wearing a recognizable robe from the brand.
Gucci received the most digital earned media of any luxury label last January thanks to its collaboration with a well-known beauty blogger.
The brand gifted influencer and makeup entrepreneur Jeffree Star with a set of custom pink luggage, and the personality drove $1.6 million in earned media as he posted about his experience with the brand. In recent months, Gucci has been topping Tribe Dynamics’ rankings of earned media, showing the marketing and word-of-mouth impact of the brand’s buzzy moves (see story).
"Celebrities and influencers remain one of the most powerful sources of inspiration for customers worldwide," Ms. Lubin said. "Brands should consider the entire customer journey, from seeding a product with an influencer to customers eventually getting that same product into their hands.
"At Lyst we’re trying to help shoppers find these white hot celebrity-endorsed items by providing the best way to search from the best global selection," she said. "We see that there are multiple touch points between seeing an influencer’s post and a customer pulling the trigger on buying something.
"It’s super interesting to trace the powerful fashion trends back to the celebrity moments that made them."
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