Top influencer tagged brands of 2017: From ASOS to Anastasia of Beverly Hills

This holiday season, Wearisma has a gift for you. Our data science team has run the analysis to determine the most tagged brands for fashion and beauty in the UK this year. These lists, which reflect engagement from influencers, both partnership-based and organic, depict the ever-evolving nature of brand engagement. This holiday is the perfect time to see who got the most love. We predict you’ll be surprised at who came out on top (and who didn’t!).

Top Fashion Brands Tagged by UK Influencers in 2017

The top tagged fashion brand was ASOS with 55k+ tags in the UK this year. Surprised? We aren’t. The fast fashion giant has famously championed the ASOS Insider Programme, a stroke of influencer marketing genius. Rather than following the traditional route of sponsored Instagram posts, ASOS creates ‘sponsored accounts’ for selected influencers, like @asos_hannah or @asos_elizabeth. These accounts allow influencers to feature ASOS apparel along with targeted ‘shop the look’ links. By working with smaller influencers (500-10,000) and giving them control, ASOS creates a feeling of authenticity. And it worked: Search Engine Journal reports that these campaigns “boosted customer retention rates and reached out to new demographics” – not to mention the company’s profits are soaring!

Speaking of fast fashion, UK newcomer Boohoo ranks at #12 on the list with 11k+ tags this year. We’re excited to see such traction in numbers from one of the biggest movers and shakers in the fashion industry that was founded in 2006. News broke in April that Boohoo had nearly doubled its profits year on year, all thanks to its influencer strategy. Teaming up with influencers like Jordyn Woods to build custom collections, and capitilising on relevant events like Coachella, Boohoo has generated buzz with millennials. And it’s working!

While Boohoo’s rise to the top was predicted by many, you might be pleasantly surprised to see & Other Stories on the list at #18 with 8k+ tags in the UK this year. This H&M brand was founded only in 2013, and certainly holds its ground amongst veteran fashion brands both on the high street and on social. Partnering with local influencers for each new store launch, & Other Stories has built a network of loyal followers who feel engaged with the brand. A key part of their strategy involves making followers feel “a part of the process” with focus on #WIWT and #OOTD campaigns. Former Creative Director Sara Hildén-Bengtsson stresses the importance of distilling the brand voice through all content – both organic or sponsored. And once great content is created, the brand thoughtfully re-shares it. We wonder if we’ll be seeing the new sister store Arket on the list next year!

Top Beauty Brands Tagged by UK Influencers in 2017

Who do you predict is the top tagged beauty brand in the UK? Probably a veteran like MAC or Maybelline, who dominate in celebrity sponsorship, right? Not this year! 2017 was dominated by newer beauty brands who excel on Instagram, and we’d like to showcase two of them.

Our data shows that Anastasia of Beverly Hills tops the list for beauty with 10k+ tags in 2017. Known for its iconic eyebrow pencils and gels, this brand’s success is driven by social. Identifying the potential for Instagram as a marketing platform before many, Anastasia of Beverly Hills quickly rose to the top with engaging posts, Youtube tutorials, and a loyal following (15+ million on Instagram alone). A few years down the line, it’s called the “buzziest beauty company on the internet”. L2 analysis from Gartner explains that “the brand engages with makeup enthusiasts, bloggers, and artists by re-gramming [content]”, noting that the brand posts multiple influencer shots posts daily. If you’re wondering if a brand this big still gifts it’s influencers, it sure does. Co-founder Anastasia explains how key influencers are sent new products 2-3 weeks before launch. And the numbers speak for themselves: followers love it.

The success of Anastasia of Beverly Hills points to a trend of newcomers taking over the beauty scene by mastering it’s new stage: social media. Huda Beauty is another great example of this. Ranking at #7 on our list with more than 5000 tags in 2017, @HudaBeauty is has 23 million followers and is “one of the most popular global beauty influencers online” according to WWD. Founded in 2013 by Huda Kattan, this brand has become synonymous with beauty on Instagram, and its founder a top beauty influencer.

How did this brand, popular for lip liners and highlighter kits, sky rocket to the top of the beauty world on social? @HudaBeauty has a clever instagram strategy, frequently featuring other beauty influencers to drive engagement. In fact, one of her top posts asks her followers who their favourite beauty influencers are, so she could feature them. By reaching out and personally engaging with her followers, Huda has built an empire based on authenticity. As the New York Times notes, Huda Kattan also resonates well with diverse audiences around the world, allowing her to “translate and harness the power of her followers”. And powerful they are: Cosmopolitan reports that Huda Kattan earned 14,000 for one Instagram post alone.

Huda Beauty works with a variety of influencers, such as @NikkieTutorials, who has almost 9 million followers and has mentioned Huda Beauty 117 times between 2014-17, as well as influencers with smaller followings. Ms. Kattan also rarely accepts paid posts on her coveted account. By not often earning money from her content, she “appears more credible to her follows…that has translated to both social media currency and actual dollars”. Ms. Kattan has stated frequently that her business goal is world domination, and with 23 million followers to boot, we’re not surprised!

Influencers & Tagging: Predictions for 2018

Our analysis of 2017 has taught us the importance of building relationships with influencers and third-party of trusts to engage with your target audience. Each of these successful brands has proven the power of authentic content made by true advocates, from Youtube tutorial makers to #OOTD posters. We predict the continued rise of brand advocates with smaller followings, as we saw with the ASOS Insider programme. This can happen on an earned basis, with influencers naturally drawn to speak about brands on an earned media basis, coupled with paid engagements with larger influencers whose profiles align with brands and their target audience. And we’re already seeing this influencer engagement strategy done well with big brands like L’Oreal and Adidas.

What do you think of 2017’s most tagged ranking? And who do you predict will top the list next year? Let us know in the comments.