1. Fashion and Luxury Brands: “Who are they wearing?”
One way for the fashion industry to go strong in a highly competitive market is to understand and embrace the media consumption behaviors of digital age consumers. “If you can be the source of new fashion ideas and inspiration, you can be the fashion.” says Rastogi from I Love Fashion Retail. And what would be a better opportunity than events such as Cannes Film Festival to be seen by almost 5000 Print, Web, TV, and Radio press and photographers?
The fashion industry is heavily influenced by the perceived value from customers – a subjective value which aggregates the perception of benefits, and the total related cost of a product. There is of course a difference between a picture of a dress on a hanger, and a celebrity walking glamorously on a red carpet with a self-confident, happy, and elegant look; and to then see everyone talking about it in the media.
While it might not please Reese Witherspoon and her #AskHerMore campaign launched during the Oscars in February, hearing what celebrities have to say about what they’re wearing can also make the difference for some customers. “[I got] this amazing gown from Elie Saab. I felt great in it, very comfortable. I felt very ME.” said British-Indian film actress and model Katrina Kaif about her dress at Cannes 2015.
List of most talked-about fashion brands present at Cannes 2015. Source: Talkwalker
2. A-Listers: “Who is attending?”
Celebrities have the challenging mission to stay admired and desirable in the industry, as it has a financial value associated to how bankable they are in the eyes of the industry and the media. One person can give a personality to a brand, which is the same for top companies’ CEOs. “Who is attending the Cannes Film Festival?” inevitable leads to “Who are my potential brand ambassadors on the red carpet?” for brands. On the Ulmer Scale, celebrities in the “A-List” will be most called upon, as associating their name to a brand can dramatically increase the intensity of the customer experience. And that is because luxury is about customer experience, and making the customer feel privileged and unique or looking very much like a star.
So who are the most bankable movie celebrities who attended Cannes Festival according to our social media analysis? Emma Stone, Cate Blanchett, and Charlize Theron stand out in the Top 3. Emma Stone wore – among other dresses – a white textured high-neck gown by Christian Dior; Cate Blanchett wore a low-cut black Armani Prive gown; while Charlize Theron wore a strapless sunshine yellow Dior gown with diamond cluster Chopard earrings. Dior, Armani, and Chopard you say? You’ll also find those brands in the most talked-about brands at the Film Festival. Coincidence? I think not…
Photo Credits: The Hollywood Reporter, The Ultimate Edit, Celebitchy, Hindustan Times
Most popular attendees of Cannes Film Festival on social media. Source: Talkwalker
3. Surfing on the Buzz: “What are we talking about?”
As the adage goes: “Content is the new social currency”. You are what you share. While some journalists and fashion bloggers are granted an accreditation and invitations to the Festival, the rest of the (online) world also has something to say, and the means to do so. And they’re all the more encouraged to share their views on social media as they all contribute to developing a brand’s visibility and sustainability in social conversations, whether in a good, or in a bad way. Any press is good press, as some would believe! Brands such as Dior or Prada surfed on the buzz with hashtags custom-made for the event – #StarsInDior and #PradaCelebs respectively. A smart move!
Hosts of the Cannes International Film Festival also carefully prepared their online communication campaign. This is the list of hashtags most used when talking about this event on the web (brands and celebrities excluded). Some are official ones decided during the upstream work, such as #Cannes2015, while others naturally appear on the web, and constitute great key performance indicators to understand the images and points of attention that matter to netizens; such as #RedCarpet, #TropheeChopard, or #BehindTheScenes. It’s easy to assess the performance and virality of hashtags using hashtag tracking tools.
4. Drama and PR crises: “What is the gossip?”
It’s on everyone’s lips: the “Flatgate” controversy aroused interest and produced fierce reactions on the web and among celebrities. Some of the most viral reactions to Cannes’ alleged high heels-only dress code included articles from top magazines and journals such as Jezebel, BBC, The Guardian, and MTV.
Thanks to a presence on social media however, it is also possible to bring more details and rectification to rumors and scandals. Cannes director Thierry Frémaux consequently tweeted that the rumor was unfounded. Too late, or too discretely obviously, given the amount of negativity that spread on the web within just two days. Social media data of course can help to detect problems, and manage a PR crisis on the web. Find out how in this article!
