May 10, 2012
Social networking platform Google+ has seen a dramatic spike in page activity, with luxury marketers Ferrari, Gucci and Burberry boosting activity approximately 138 percent since February, according to a study by Simply Measured.
“Circlers” are most interactive with images and articles and are particularly active around 9 a.m. Not only are luxury brands already some of the most-engaging brands on the channel, but numbers show that their pages are rapidly increasing in activity.
“Brands benefit from the fact that Google+ is made up of many early adopters who are eager to jump in and engage with their favorite brands,” said Adam Schoenfeld, CEO of Simply Measured Inc., Seattle. “Circler engagement is on the rise.
“Early research also indicates that consumers on Google+ tend to skew more affluent, providing luxury brands with an appropriate demographic,” he said.
The Simply Measured Google+ study evaluates brands and verticals included in the Interbrand 100, identifying key trends and strategies that marketers use to engage with consumers through social media
A+
The exponential rise in activity demonstrates that brands are getting more active and consumers are getting increasingly comfortable with the platform, per the study.
Automaker and luxury marketers are on the rise, with the former at 2,696,960 and the latter at 1,275,603 circlers, respectively, as of press deadline.
Moreover, individual luxury brands are doing well.
Ferrari is the most-engaging marketer on Google+ with 730,831 circlers. Gucci and Burberry are not far behind with the Italian fashion house seeing 595,129 circlers and the British label with 546,759 fans.
Luxury brands are certainly on the rise on the platform.
Giorgio Armani is the fastest-growing brand on Google+. It adds an average of 4,930 circlers per day.
Furthermore, Ferrari, Gucci and Burberry each see 4,038, 3,564 and 3,004 circlers per day, respectively.
The study also determined how consumers react with Google+. More consumers react with images than they do with articles, video or posts.
Meanwhile, research has shown that the most interaction occurs on Wednesdays at 9 a.m.
Circling the wagons
Google+ has not been totally grasped by luxury marketers, but those that are already on the platform are obviously seeing success.
For example, some of Ferrari’s recent posts include images of vehicle interiors, videos of races and articles from Ferrari Magazine.
Meanwhile, Gucci is currently focusing on its Mother’s Day marketing. It has posts and videos featuring new items from the spring line for the upcoming holiday.
Burberry seems to be taking a similar route. Its most current post is featuring a timepiece and calling out to graduates, or those who need to buy a gift for a grad in their lives.
The study found that overall content engagement is up 65 percent. While there is not much correlation between traffic to other social media, ecommerce sites or sales, there is likely to be research in the future.
“Google+ is still new so there is an opportunity for brands to be a leader and top player, even if they aren't leaders on other social networks,” Mr. Schoenfeld said. “Getting involved now will make their ramp-up easier than if they wait until the market is more saturated.
“In addition, Google is putting a lot of emphasis on the network and connecting it with other Google apps, so the growth opportunity is significant,” he said. “The platform could be particularly interesting for luxury brands who want to provide their most passionate fans with exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to their products and programs.”
Final Take
Rachel Lamb, associate reporter on Luxury Daily, New York
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