I was young, probably in third grade, and it was time for the regular assembly. I was tasked with the opening speech. That was the largest number of eyes on me all at once, and that was just one elementary school. These days you no longer have to resort to a mic and single room to get your message out. You can now speak with the chance that the entire world is watching, hanging onto your every world. All that is available to us because of the magic of social media. With the power that it holds, why would any brand shy away from these global platforms? Even though it used the power of social media to its advantage in recent marketing efforts, Bottega Veneta has no accounts of its own.
“Regarding its digital communication strategy, it’s not disappearing from social networks. It’s merely using them differently.”
Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault as cited by W Magazine
Back in 2021 Bottega deleted all of its accounts. The CEO of Kering, which owns the brand, said this it not a move to “disappear” from social media, but to use it differently. We saw the fruits of that when the brand capitalized on paparazzi and street photography of its ambassadors Kendall Jenner and A$AP Rocky. The brand licensed those photos, placed their logos over top, and had the two young celebrities post from their own social media pages.
Again Pinault said this in 2021:
“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.”
Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault, as cited by W Magazine
As out of the blue as the “stunt” may have seemed, they told us this is what they were going to do. And yet were still all shocked and delighted. They were playing the long game when it came to social media, and it certainly paid off.
If you would like to read more about Bottega’s “disappearance from social media, check this out:
Fredette, M. (February 18, 2021). Here’s Why Bottega Veneta Deleted Their Instagram Account. W Magazine. https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/bottega-veneta-instagram-deleted-why
And for more on the recent marketing campaign:
Schulz, M. (December 11, 2023). How Bottega hacked the paps-to-fashion media pipeline. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/how-bottega-hacked-the-paps-to-fashion-media-pipeline
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