Even though January feels approximately ten years ago, you might recall your social media feed at the time being filled with celebrities and influencers receiving goodies from Ivy Park, Beyoncé’s signature activewear line. Founded by the global icon in 2016, Ivy Park engaged in few releases and promotions until earlier this year, when it debuted a capsule collection, developed in collaboration with Adidas, by sending selections to a squad of starry partners. The campaign was a hit: of Ivy Park’s $23.7M Earned Media Value (EMV) total from June 2019 to May 2020, $16.0M EMV (68%) came in January.
The campaign’s impressive EMV haul, combined with Ivy Park’s star power, social media clout, and undeniable potential to become a major player in the activewear space, made the brand a clear choice as the subject of Tribe Dynamics’ 10th Influencer Marketing Spotlight report. As in past activewear- and athletics-focused reports, like Reebok, Lululemon, and Peloton, we investigated the keys to Ivy Park’s social media success, along with ways that the brand can use Tribe Dynamics to drive sustained EMV growth. Here’s a closer look at some of the topics we covered:
News flash: having Beyoncé as a co-founder tends to help your brand’s marketing efforts. When Ivy Park launched its Adidas capsule collection in January 2020, it drew upon some of the biggest names in entertainment as a means of support and promotion. A-listers like Michael B. Jordan (@michaelbjordan on Instagram), Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion), and Cardi B (@iamcardib) all shared “unboxing” posts, thanking Beyoncé and trying on her athleticwear. While many recipients of the send only posted about Ivy Park a few times, their EMV impact was astronomical.
Though Ivy Park made a sizable splash in January, the brand’s stealth-mode status for much of June 2019 through May 2020 resulted in inconsistent content creation and EMV generation patterns. For example, in November 2019, just two months before the collection’s debut, Ivy Park netted $9.3k EMV—a notably low haul even given the brand’s relative inactivity. Moreover, after pulling in $16.0M EMV in January 2020, Ivy Park declined to $3.5M EMV in February, followed by $774.8k EMV in March. In order to enjoy sustained EMV generation, Ivy Park should furnish its core advocates with ongoing opportunities for content creation, rather than relying on one-off activations.
Unsurprisingly, Ivy Park saw outsized support from powerhouse influencers, or content creators with over 1 million followers. Due largely to their activity during January’s capsule collection promotion, powerhouse influencers drove 68% of Ivy Park’s EMV from January to May, and accounted for all of the brand’s top 20 overall EMV-drivers. As a result, the 7% of Ivy Park’s EMV stemming from micro-influencers, who claim fewer than 100k followers, proved lower than comparable activewear brands, including Lululemon (35%), Reebok (17%), and Adidas (15%). Because micro-influencers often post about their favorite brands more frequently than powerhouse ambassadors, Ivy Park can look to further engage this valuable cohort.
When Ivy Park activates supporters for a campaign, few brands can match its power. Thanks to its megastar founder, big-name fans, and social media prestige, Ivy Park has all the tools it needs to emerge as a leader in activewear. While the brand is once again dormant, we’ll be keeping an eye on whatever Ivy Park cooks up next. For a deeper dive into the brand’s success, and where it can go from here, download our Influencer Marketing Spotlight: Ivy Park report.