Bottega Veneta’s Gone Off-Grid On Social Media
Turns out the departure is more than just a publicity stunt.
Bottega Veneta shocked fashion fans with its sudden departure from all social media back in January, when the brand went off-grid on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter – albeit a voluntary decision. This came less than two months after unveiling its ‘Salon 01’ Spring/Summer 2021 show.
Followers speculated the move as a publicity stunt, similar to when musicians delete their entire Instagram feed before dropping a new album. But it looks like we finally have a reason behind Bogetta’s disappearance.
Logging off is a luxury, so it may be fitting that luxury #fashion brands like Bottega Veneta are deleting their social media accounts entirely and letting #retailers do the talking for them. Via @voguemagazine https://t.co/rDfs7ntIkS
— InteractOne (@InteractOne) January 20, 2021
CEO François-Henri Pinault of Bogetta’s parent company, Kering, explained to Women’s Wear Daily how this is part of the label’s new marketing plan. “Regarding its digital communication strategy, it’s not disappearing from social networks — it’s merely using them differently,” he said. “Bottega has decided, in line with its positioning, to lean much more on its ambassadors and fans by giving them the material they need to talk about the brand through various social networks, by letting them speak for the brand rather than doing it itself.”
This translates to resorting back to old-school word-of-mouth marketing, leaving Bottega’s social media promotion in the hands of its loyal following. High-end celebs including Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, Kanye West and the Kardashian-Jenner clan can effectively do the advertising themselves, showcasing creative director Daniel Lee’s designs via Instagram and paparazzi photos.
Another one of Kering’s luxury labels, Balenciaga, has undertaken a similar strategy by way of publishing Instagram posts without any captions or tags. The brand’s endured this for three years since 2018 to nearly 12 million followers.
Bottega’s low-profile philosophy seems to be paying off. Pinault clarified, “Bottega has had a very specific positioning for years, which is now being reinforced. I have to say that after a month and a half, it’s pretty convincing in terms of Bottega Veneta’s visibility, and we are monitoring it quite precisely.”
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