NET-A-PORTER launched a limited edition Karl Lagerfeld Barbie on September 29th which sold out in a mere few hours. This is attributed to the social media strategy that was executed prior to the launch in order to excite customers about Barbie Lagerfeld.
The social campaign, which was executed during Paris Fashion Week, aimed to increase visibility of the product, engage with NET-A-PORTER customers, and increase NET-A-PORTER's social media presence. The strategy framed Barbie Lagerfeld as NET-A-PORTER's Paris Fashion Week correspondent, posting regular and fashionable updates to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Google+. The campaign implemented the hashtags #BarbieLagerfeld and #NetaporterReporter and resulted in a total of 20 posts between September 23rd and September 29th.
The outcome of the social campaign was wholly positive; as all Barbie Lagerfeld dolls were sold out in a mere 45 minutes and NET-A-PORTER saw tremendous increases in followers across all of its social channels.
NET-A-PORTER's Barbie Lagerfeld social campaign deserves to win because – aside from bringing a new iteration of Barbie to the world – it demonstrates how creative uses of social media and a sense of humor can help brands engage more with their current social followers, as well as with prospective ones. By positioning Barbie Lagerfeld as the #NetaporterReporter, fans around the world were able to immerse themselves into Paris Fashion Week in a totally new and accessible way. In addition, by utilizing Barbie Lagerfeld in Paris, followers were able to experience the city through their #NetaporterReporter, as well as the actual fashion shows.
By implementing the Barbie Lagerfeld social campaign, NET-A-PORTER aimed primarily to make customers aware of the Barbie Lagerfeld launch, to increase the brand's social media followers, and to actively engage with customers. In order to reach all of its goals, NET-A-PORTER posted frequently on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+ during Paris Fashion Week. With 11 Instagram posts, 4 tweets, 3 Google+ posts and 2 Facebook posts, NET-A-PORTER posted about Barbie Lagerfeld 20 times between September 23rd and September 29th.
The key features of the Barbie Lagerfeld campaign include using the @netaporter handle and #NetaporterReporter hashtag to create an actual voice for Barbie Lagerfeld. NET-A-PORTER used a consistent voice for the character of Barbie Lagerfeld, making followers feel as though she was actually a Paris Fashion Week correspondent, filling them in on all things fashion and all things Parisian. The campaign utilized images, videos, and posts written in Barbie Lagerfeld's 'voice' to lend a tongue-in cheek sense of realism and ceremony to proceedings.
The success of the Barbie Lagerfeld social activation can be seen via various metrics. Most significantly, all Barbie Lagerfeld stock was sold out in 45 minutes on its launch day. Specifically, the campaign resulted in more than 115,000 likes solely on Instagram, approximately 3,000 Instagram comments, 569 Twitter interactions, and 14,353 Instagram interactions. During Fashion Month when the Barbie Lagerfeld social campaign occurred, NET-A-PORTER gained more than 100,000 Instagram followers and its total social fan base increased by 146,830 social users. In addition, the Paris Fashion Week tweet featuring Barbie Lagerfeld was NET-A-PORTER's top performing tweet of the week with over 200 retweets and favorites.
The positive results of NET-A-PORTER's social campaign are also visible in social conversations. Followers of the brand were actively engaged in Barbie Lagerfeld's Paris Fashion Week adventures and excited about the launch. NET-A-PORTER followers posted comments such as:
"That Barbie Lagerfeld is a necessity"
"That is beyond awesome"
"Yay! I got her!"
"She's everywhere!"
"Buy me this for my birthday!"
With the Barbie Lagerfeld social campaign, NET-A-PORTER saw an instant increase in its social media following and strengthened its overall social presence. The brand was able to connect with its current customers and gain visibility with prospective customers, while ensuring that all Barbie Lagerfeld stock would sell out.