With Instagram, these brands have carved a path right to the heart of the millennials. A 3.0 universe whose codes they know by heart… Let’s explain.
Nobody could have anticipated such success. Launched in 2010, the Instagram app today counts more than 900 million active users each month, with more than 500 million people connecting every day (Instagram figures, June 2018).
A social network that has become a must for individuals, but also for the businesses which emerged thanks to the image sharing platform. A first ever, the American company even organised an event dedicated to them in 2017, the ‘instapreneurs’ show, the ultimate proof of the importance of the phenomenon for brands.
Aÿ Cactus au salon des instapreneurs
Shanty Biscuits au salon des instapreneurs
The ‘Instapreneurs’
In total, more than 50 French brands bringing together the universes of fashion, food and lifestyle, were invited to share their business models… and exponential growth. Among them, the printed wallpapers of @papermint_paris or the handmade terrariums of @green_factory for the world of homewares, the cool and affordable lingerie of @girlsinparis_, the colourful wardrobe of @makemylemonade, the batik influences of @maisonchateaurouge, the cheeky underwear of @henrietteh or the pop message tops of @patineparis for fashion. On the conference side, look at the crazy success of @lechocolatdesfrancais or even the future of home beauty with @simonebeautyapp.
Maison Château Rouge
Patine Paris
Universes both plural and complementary whose common denominator remains the same: Instagram. The spinal (and social) column of well-structured strategies. Since then, many more have emerged. Note, for example, the co-created beauty products @gelle, the clean beauty brand @_seasonly or the freeform bodysuits by @flair_bodysuits.
Flair Body Suits
Ultra-proximity
But in 2018, it was no longer a question of snapping your fingers to get somewhere. The concept of the instapreneur, as new as it is, is above all the response to the stakes the brands of today are exposed to if they want to play their cards right… To win, proximity remains the watch-word of these labels, which consumers discover first on Instagram, perhaps through a sponsored post, a tag or hashtag.
Whether it’s the sexy 80s cuts of Miaou (spotted on the account of the top model Emily Ratajkowski), the retro bags of Susan Alexandra (the new darling of fashion girls), via the cool jumpsuits of Septem Paris (the freshest workwear of the moment) or the iridescent heels of Patricia Blanchet (who, in passing, are celebrating the return of quaintness), all are calling out to their consumers. Create the next level. Refer to the currency of pop culture. You haven’t seen the Netflix series Stranger Things or The Good Place yet? These brands have, and they are already laughing about it. Their thing? Pretend to misunderstand the codes used by millennials ‘between themselves’. With their sights on the possibility of finding a natural place at the heart of their ecosystem, in their smartphone, so in their pocket, in the middle of all their friends.
Sunnylife
Storytelling and coherence
Glossier
But once they’ve hooked the consumer, they still need to keep them interested, create a link and, ultimately, longer-lasting emotions than just ‘love at first sight’. The famous storyteller, Emily Weiss, founder of the American beauty brand Glossier and star beauty influencer from the blog Into The Gloss, knows it better than anyone. To talk to these ‘millennials’, the businesswomen doesn’t leave anything to chance: a timeline which is girly but not too deep, themes which are comforting, welcoming, inclusive, with rainbow coloured photos and textures. Morgane Sézalory, creator of the brand Sézane, herself plays the ultra-proximity card, even signing her own newsletters.
Positioning which reassures those who have followed her since the start, like saying that she is still the same, ‘just behind my screen, close to you’.
A form of ‘truth’ which has become essential at a time where everything is digital and which is also loved by Charlotte Dereux, creator of the ready to wear brand Patine, created in 2017. With her 90s aesthetic and relaxed tone, the instapreneur today has almost 16,000 followers who are fans of her eco-friendly fashion.
The order of the day for all these brands? Coherence. Whether it’s the golden light bathing the Made in L.A. silhouettes of the girls from Reformation, afternoon pool parties with Sunny Life, arty photos of Miista English shoes, or breath-taking videos from GoPro, each account has captivated (and kept) our attention and remains authentic.
Reformation
Multiply formats
More than just a simple social network, Instagram is now positioned at a crossroads between worlds: at the same time it is a store front, e-commerce site, inspirational blog, magazine, media and even video curator with Instagram TV. It is therefore up to brands to master these formats and juggle between propositions to be everywhere. An editorial race which diversifies communication methods.
Miista
Whether live (remember Alessandro Michele interviewing Jared Leto for Gucci in 2017) or with surveys (‘What beauty product do you dream of having?’ Seasonly asked its fans in a story), the Instagram brands are now their own media.
Now you just need to like them.
Lana Del Rey pour Gucci
Seasonly