Instagram remains the most influential social media platform for brands, according to the latest data analysis from Launchmetrics.
Looking at data from the first six months of the year to June 30, Meta’s platform retained the most MIV, Launchmetrics’ proprietary media impact value figure, which tallies the impact of relevant paid, owned and earned media across channels. Co-authored with Lyst, Launchmetrics analyzed the performance of 3,500 brands from the fashion, lifestyle and beauty categories.
Despite the explosion in TikTok’s popularity, Instagram retains its lead as the platform for brand amplification across these categories, with a total of $16.9 billion MIV and a 57.7 percent share of social brand reach.
That dwarfs the MIV of its Meta sister platform Facebook, which comes in second with $3.5 billion in MIV and an 11.7 percent share.
TikTok trails YouTube and Chinese social review platform Red, which were nearly equal for third place with MIV of $2 billion and about 6.6 percent share. TikTok’s overall MIV was $1.8 billion.
Instagram also holds a tight grip on penetration in fashion and sportswear, with a 60 percent share and $7,300 MIV average per post. YouTube, on the other hand, benefits from its search strength and long-form video with $10,700 MIV per placement.
As Instagram seeks to take on TikTok, the introduction of Reels has served the platform well. The format’s average MIV is roughly 10 percent higher than a TikTok video.
TikTok is, however, nipping on Instagram’s heels, with $7,000 MIV per placement.
The platform’s tried-and-true curated and inspirational aesthetic serves brands and established influencers well, and is making it the destination of choice for a generation raised to use it as a shopping magazine, according to McCann global head of influencer Crystal Malachias.
“But this is also why some brands and influencers struggle with more creator-based platforms like TikTok. They’re so used to the edited curation of posts and videos [as expected on Instagram], which contrasts often raw and highly authentic TikTok content — which can be more risky,” she said. “Some influencers don’t want to show that more personal side to their life and this is a big reason why, for influencers, Instagram remains the top platform of choice.”
Dior remains the most powerful brand, both in the luxury category and across all fashion brands with $513.7 million MIV, as well as in the beauty category with $268.7 million MIV.
In the luxury category, Chanel follows with $415.7 million, in part thanks to its celebrity ambassador Jennie’s posts, followed by Prada with $278.8 million, and Gucci with $244.9 million. Versace rounds out the top five with $219.8 million.
Jennie Kim at the WWD Portrait Studio at Cannes Film Festival at the Carlton Hotel.
Michael Buckner/WWD
Launchmetrics took a deeper dive into MIV on celebrity posts and broke down the top-performing placements by segment. Blackpink’s Jennie and Lisa were top performers for various brands in multiple categories, while Selena Gomez dominated all three top beauty spots with each post for her Rare Beauty line, earning $2 million MIV.
In the fashion category, a post by Jennie documenting her travels in Japan while wearing Chanel and toting a pink handbag earned $2.6 million MIV to take the top spot. Her bandmate Lisa’s post from a special Celine event in Korea earned $2.5 million, while Kylie Jenner’s post of the controversial lion-head dress she wore to the Schiaparelli couture show earned $2.1 million MIV for the brand.
In sportswear, Jennie was the top performer again, with her post for Adidas earning $3 million; Billie Eilish for Nike earned $2 million and Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA’s post for Reebok earned $2 million in MIV.
In the jewelry and watch category, a post by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo for Jacob & Co. earned $2.5 million, Lisa’s post for Bulgari earned $2.1 million and fellow Blackpink member Jisoo’s post for Cartier earned $1.9 million in MIV.
Launchmetrics noted that the fan power of South Korean stars helps strengthen MIV reach in the Asia Pacific region, while in Europe and the Middle East, users tend to prefer influencers and owned media they view as sources of news and information.