March 15, 2019
Unveiling of the new Lamborghini Huracán EVO on Twitter. Image credit: Lamborghini
The name Lamborghini evokes a powerful, almost gritty take on sophistication.
For years, the automaker has capitalized on this impression with strong marketing messages that portray the brand's inherent luxury while also making consumers feel as if they could take their rightful place behind the wheel.
Today, Lamborghini continues this marketing push online by maintaining a strong presence on several platforms.
Instagram success story: Comparing engagement across platforms
As far as Lamborghini is concerned, Instagram reigns supreme in the social media marketing game, with the brand's account boasting more than 17.6 million followers.
Of course, follower count alone says little about user engagement — but if favorites, views and comments are any indication, Instagram users clearly connect with Lamborghini's content.
While Instagram posts regularly score up to 500,000 favorites, it is rare for Lamborghini updates on Facebook to exceed 10,000 likes.
User engagement is by far the most variable on YouTube, where videos may acquire anywhere from a few thousand to more than 1 million views — and between a few dozen and several hundred comments.
Official videos unveiling new models generate by far the best response.
For example, a marketing video announcing the release of the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 had generated more than 8.5 million views as of early 2019.
Lamborghini's Instagram success makes sense, given how typical users interact with the platform.
While users rely on Facebook for sharing articles or memes, Instagram has taken on a more aspirational slant, giving users the feeling of scrolling through pages in search of inspiration. Instagram immerses these users in a more luxurious way of life.
Posting frequency: A clear dedication to Instagram and Facebook
Lamborghini's social media strategy relies on frequent updates.
Instagram and Facebook followers see new posts nearly every day — and sometimes, multiple times within the same day.
On YouTube — where several luxury manufacturers post just once per week — Lamborghini can be counted on for near-daily posts. These videos may be short, but they instantly convey Lamborghini's larger-than-life persona.
Lamborghini is also present on Pinterest — but the brand has not been active there since 2016, perhaps because the platform fails to convey the exclusivity that Lamborghini portrays on other sites.
Weibo, however, appears to be an area of opportunity. Lamborghini posts regularly on the Chinese platform, where it achieves a high ratio of comments to likes.
Lamborghini's Twitter strategy diverges significantly from its approach on Facebook, Instagram and Weibo.
While some cross-posting occurs, the brand tends to only share original content on Twitter once or twice per week.
Instead, retweets play a central role in Lamborghini's Twitter strategy. Standard content includes updates from automotive authorities such as Motor Trend, Edmunds, Jalopnik or Automobile Magazine.
In addition to retweeting posts from top automotive sites, Lamborghini occasionally shares influencer posts from championship racers such as Paul Wallace.
Lesser-known individuals may also find themselves featured on the manufacturer's page. The Sun's Motoring Editor Nick Francis, for example, only has 2,600 followers on Twitter — and yet, his Huracán EVO post scored a retweet from the official Lamborghini page.
On both Twitter and Instagram, recent brand-generated posts come accompanied by the hashtag #EveryDayAmplified.
Hashtags may also highlight models currently playing a central role in the manufacturers' marketing efforts.
Role of original content
Like many luxury brands, Lamborghini has yet to experiment extensively with user-generated content. Instead, the manufacturer continues to stick with its tried-and-tested original content model.
Posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter typically follow a similar theme but may feature different images or videos.
For example, this Valentine's Day, Lamborghini posted a dramatic Instagram video that referred to followers' love as the brand's best source of energy. That day's Facebook video, however, lasted just a few seconds and featured far simpler imagery.
For other content, the brand may repeat images but use different captions to convey the main message. This is best exemplified by similar Instagram and Facebook posts about the Ad Personam customization program: both posted on Feb. 12, these updates share the same image, but differently worded captions.
Interactions with followers: Quest for exclusivity
Lamborghini's social media pages rarely respond directly to follower questions or comments — and when they do, the interactions typically feature influencers.
For example, when comedian Lilly Singh semi-humorously requested to borrow a Lamborghini for a two-hour shoot, the brand's Twitter page responded, "Hey! What's the script?" Responses such as this occur occasionally on Twitter, but are almost unheard of on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Avoiding calls to action
Like many luxury brands, Lamborghini steers clear from obvious calls to action — with a few exceptions.
On Twitter, for example, the brand occasionally requests that followers retweet posts.
Likewise, the brand encouraged user engagement in a series of December cross-promotional posts, in which followers were asked to share their most exciting adventures with the Lamborghini models featured in Forza Horizon 4.
FROM GLOSSY Instagram images to epic YouTube clips, Lamborghini strives to portray an air of sophistication while still capturing the imagination of a broad audience.
The automaker's overwhelming social media success provides the ultimate example of the modern effort to make luxury brands seem simultaneously exclusive and accessible.
Douglas Logan is partner at Modern Majesty
Douglas Logan is partner at Modern Majesty, a New York-based digital agency. Reach him at douglas@modernmajesty.com.
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