1. Introduction

In today's era of digitalization, the luxury industry is standing at the crossroads of both opportunities and challenges in an unprecedented manner. The rapid change of technology not only quietly changes the shopping habits of consumers but also deeply reshapes the interaction and connection between brands and consumers. Luxury brands, as the jewels at the tip of the high-end market pyramid, are under unprecedented pressure to revolutionize their marketing strategies in order to stay afloat in this ever-changing digital flood. Especially in recent years, the emergence of social media platforms has opened up a new blue ocean of marketing for luxury brands, providing an unprecedented bridge to establish a deep emotional connection with consumers, which has not only overturned the traditional face of the industry but also profoundly touched consumers' purchasing decisions and brand loyalty.

Hermès, the legendary brand founded by Thierry Hermès in Paris, France in 1837, has become a highly respected model of high luxury brands around the world after more than 180 years of trials and tribulations. With its unparalleled quality of craftsmanship, unique design concepts, and deep cultural heritage, Hermès has brought together a large and loyal group of high-end consumers worldwide. Although its user base is not publicly available, Hermès' reputation and influence in the global market is indisputable. Financially, Hermès' performance has been equally impressive, with annual earnings rising steadily, such as in fiscal year 2023, when sales totaled 13.427 billion euros and net profit climbed to a new high of 4.311 billion euros. In addition, Hermès has received a number of awards, including the 117th place in the Global Brand Value 500 in 2024, all of which demonstrate its leadership and extraordinary achievements in the luxury industry.

With the rapid advancement of technology and full penetration of the Internet, the development and widespread popularity of social media platforms have completely reshaped consumer behavior patterns. Consumers are now able to obtain product information, share shopping tips, and form and deepen brand awareness through more diversified channels, including but not limited to beautiful advertisements in high-end magazines and immersive experiences in brick-and-mortar stores. Although these traditional marketing tools still have their unique value and charm, they can no longer meet the urgent demand of the new generation of consumers for instant feedback, high interaction and personalized experience. In the face of this serious challenge, luxury brands have to review and adjust their marketing strategies, actively embrace the wave of digitalization, and explore the new world of social media marketing, with a view to maintaining and strengthening the influence of the brand while further enhancing consumer engagement and brand loyalty. It is worth noting that in this digital marketing revolution, Hermès has always adhered to the core values of the brand, and has not lost itself in the pursuit of short-term traffic and exposure at the expense of the brand's unique charm and high-end positioning. Whether in content creation or campaign planning, Hermès strives to make every detail fit perfectly with the brand's DNA, ensuring that every marketing campaign becomes an opportunity to deepen consumers' brand awareness and emotional identification.

This article will take the successful practice of Hermès in the field of social media marketing as an example to analyze the essence of luxury brand marketing strategy in the digital era. A detailed analysis of Hermès' specific operations on major social media platforms will reveal how it utilizes digital technology as a powerful tool to effectively enhance brand value and user stickiness, as well as how it establishes a closer and more lasting connection with consumers through the bridge of social media. Through the insight of Hermès' social media marketing strategy, this article aims to provide valuable experience and inspiration for luxury brands, helping them to respond to the market changes in the digital era with greater ease, further enhance their brand influence, and realize more robust and sustainable development.

2. Literature Review

Luxury marketing refers to the targeting of high-end consumer markets to satisfy consumers' pursuit of luxury, uniqueness, and quality life through unique brand concepts, high-quality products or services, and specific marketing strategies [1]. Luxury marketing is usually divided into two categories: direct marketing (such as high-end retail stores, brand official websites, etc.) and indirect marketing (such as brand cooperation, celebrity endorsement, etc.). Direct marketing focuses on providing consumers with a direct shopping experience, while indirect marketing enhances brand value through brand communication and influence [2].

The luxury market has existed since ancient times, but the formation and development of the modern luxury market mainly began in the mid-20th century. With the growth of the global economy and the increase in the purchasing power of consumers, the luxury market has experienced rapid growth. Especially in the Asian market, especially in China, the luxury market has shown unprecedented prosperity due to rapid economic development and changes in consumer preferences [3]. However, global economic fluctuations and changes in consumer behavior in recent years have also posed challenges to the luxury market, such as digital transformation, sustainability requirements, and diversification of consumer preferences.

The major theories of luxury marketing include branding theory, consumer behavior theory, and market segmentation theory, which provide the theoretical basis and guidance for luxury marketing. In terms of strategy, luxury brands usually adopt a differentiation strategy to emphasize the uniqueness and high quality of the brand; at the same time, through emotional marketing and experience marketing, they establish a deep emotional connection with consumers and enhance brand loyalty. In addition, limited edition products, celebrity endorsement, and high-end events are also commonly used strategies in luxury marketing.

Social media marketing refers to a series of activities that utilize social media platforms (e.g., Weibo, WeChat, Jieyin, Xiaohongshu, etc.) for brand promotion, product marketing, and customer service [4]. The characteristics of social media marketing include high interactivity, fast-spreading speed, wide coverage, low cost [5-7]. Through social media, brands can interact with consumers in real-time, understand consumer needs and feedback, and adjust marketing strategies in a timely manner. The main platforms of social media marketing include microblogging, WeChat, Jittery, Xiaohongshu, Instagram, Facebook, and so on. Each of these platforms has its own characteristics, such as Weibo focusing on content sharing and interaction, WeChat emphasizing the operation of private domain traffic, and Jittery and Xiaohongshu focusing on short videos and graphic content. In terms of tools, social media platforms provide a wealth of marketing tools, such as ad placement, data analysis, user profiling, etc., to help brands realize accurate marketing. The strategies of social media marketing include content marketing, event marketing, KOL/Netflix marketing, and so on. Content marketing attracts users' attention and enhances brand awareness by publishing valuable content; event marketing attracts users' participation and increases user stickiness through online activities; and KOL/Netflix marketing utilizes the influence of Netflix or opinion leaders for brand promotion. In terms of effect evaluation, social media marketing usually measures the marketing effect through indicators such as the amount of attention, likes, comments, and conversion rate.

Luxury brands usually adopt strategies such as high-end positioning, emotional resonance, and differentiated marketing on social media. Premium positioning emphasizes the luxury and uniqueness of the brand, emotional resonance builds an emotional connection with consumers by telling brand stories and conveying brand values, and differentiated marketing attracts consumers' attention through unique marketing activities and content [8, 9]. The impact of social media on luxury brand image is two-way. On the one hand, social media provides luxury brands with broader communication channels and more direct consumer interaction opportunities, which helps to increase brand awareness and reputation [10, 11]. On the other hand, negative comments and rumors on social media may also damage the brand image [12, 13]. Therefore, luxury brands need to carefully manage their brand image on social media.

Existing studies have some shortcomings in luxury social media marketing. For example, there is a lack of in-depth analysis and empirical research on the specific marketing strategies and effect evaluation of luxury brands on social media; there is a lack of systematic research on the mechanism and path of social media's influence on luxury brand image; and there is a lack of comprehensive discussion on the challenges and coping strategies faced by luxury social media marketing. The innovation of this paper is to take Hermès as an example, to analyze the marketing strategy and effect evaluation of luxury brands on social media, to explore the mechanism and path of social media's influence on luxury brand image, and to put forward targeted coping strategies. The contribution of this paper is to provide a set of systematic social media marketing strategies and methodology for luxury brands, which can help to enhance their influence and competitiveness in social media. Meanwhile, this paper also provides the academic community with empirical research cases and theoretical support on luxury social media marketing.

3. Methodology

The core strength of qualitative research is that it is not satisfied with a simple listing of superficial phenomena, but focuses on an in-depth understanding of the deeper logic and dynamics behind complex social phenomena. It emphasizes the presentation of findings through the richness and the vividness of concrete examples, enabling the researcher to capture the details and emotional overtones that are difficult to quantify but crucial. In contrast, quantitative analysis focuses on the use of mathematical and statistical methods to process data and describe and explain phenomena in a quantitative manner. It seeks objectivity and reproducibility by collecting large amounts of data and analyzing it statistically to reveal relationships and trends among variables. Although quantitative analysis has unparalleled advantages in some areas, qualitative research often provides richer and deeper insights when it comes to exploring the deeper logic of a brand's marketing strategy, changes in consumer psychology, and emotional resonance.

Therefore, this study chooses a qualitative research approach because it is more suitable for revealing those difficult-to-quantify but crucial aspects of Hermès' marketing strategy, such as brand image construction, consumer emotional connection, and the dynamic changes in social media interactions. Through an in-depth interpretation of Hermès' marketing content on social media, which analyzes the subtle changes in user interactions and the emotional tendencies embedded in consumer feedback, thus revealing the uniqueness and impact of the brand's marketing strategy. This paper seeks to paint a panoramic picture of how Hermès pinpoints its target consumers, how it builds and maintains its brand image, and how it effectively promotes consumer engagement and brand loyalty through the emerging channel of social media.

4. Examples of Hermès Social Media Campaigns

4.1. Virtual Workshop Experience Day

Under the global wave of digital transformation, the internationally renowned luxury brand Hermès has keenly captured the huge potential of social media platforms. Through this new channel, Hermès aims to allow consumers around the world to experience its time-honored craftsmanship and one-of-a-kind production process across geographical boundaries. To this end, Hermès has developed and launched an innovative “Virtual Workshop Experience Day”. The “Virtual Workshop Experience Day” makes full use of advanced 360-degree panoramic video technology and real-time interactive features to create an immersive workshop experience for consumers. With the camera moving slowly, participants can observe in detail how the craftsmen select the finest materials with a critical eye, how they skillfully conceptualize and design exquisite patterns, and then how they accurately cut and finely sew, until they witness the complete birth of a product that carries the soul of Hermès. In between their busy work, the artisans will also enthusiastically answer the audience's questions online, generously sharing their skills and professional insights accumulated over the years. The unprecedented experience quickly attracted the attention and active participation of consumers around the world, who exclaimed that through the “Virtual Workshop Experience Day”, they had a more intuitive and deeper understanding of Hermès' brand culture and craftsmanship, and their emotional identification with the brand had become even deeper as a result. In addition, the interactive links set up during the event greatly enhanced consumers' enthusiasm and sense of belonging, making them feel as if they had truly become part of the Hermès family. In the “Virtual Workshop Experience Day”, consumers felt as if they were in the Hermès workshop, witnessing how artisans use craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation to transform ordinary pieces of leather and silk thread into amazing fashion products. This immersive experience not only lets consumers feel Hermès' ultimate pursuit of craftsmanship but also lets them have deep respect and recognition for the brand.

4.2. Artist Cross-Border Cooperation Series Live Broadcast

Hermès also never stops exploring the road of brand cross-border cooperation, especially emphasizing the deep integration with the art world. To this end, Hermès innovatively launched the “Artist Cross-border Cooperation Series Live” on social media platforms, inviting a number of renowned artists in the international art world to showcase their creations through online live broadcasts. The artists used Hermès' classic products as a source of inspiration to create a series of refreshing works of art, and during the live broadcast, they personally talked about their own creative inspirations and journey. It is especially worth mentioning that Hermès also specially arranged for the brand's designers and craftsmen to participate in the live broadcast, face-to-face collision of ideas and technical exchanges with the artists, and jointly explore the infinite boundaries of art and design. A series of live broadcast activities not only successfully attracted a large number of art lovers and consumers, but also built a bridge for in-depth cooperation between Hermès and artists, further highlighting the diversified charm and innovative spirit of the Hermès brand. Through the unique perspective of the artists, consumers were able to better understand the innovative spirit and artistic value of Hermès, and their interest in and love for the brand also multiplied.

4.3. Hermès Cultural Salon

In order to further deepen consumers' knowledge and emotional connection to the Hermès brand culture, Hermès prepared a unique “Hermès Culture Salon” on social media platforms. In this event, the brand invited heavyweight guests such as brand historians, senior designers, and master craftsmen to explain the history, cultural heritage, craftsmanship, and future development direction of the Hermès brand in an all-round and multi-angle way through online lectures and real-time interactive discussions. Consumers could not only learn from the lectures, but also have a direct dialog with the guests through questions and messages, and gain a deeper understanding of the essence and unique charm of the Hermès brand. The cultural salon not only greatly enhanced consumers' awareness and identification with the Hermès brand culture, but also stimulated their deep emotions and strong sense of belonging to the brand. Through the cultural salon, consumers were able to touch the core and value of the Hermès brand more deeply and establish a stronger emotional bond with the brand. At the same time, the interactive part of the event also greatly promoted communication and sharing among consumers, further expanding the influence and popularity of the Hermès brand, and laying a solid foundation for the brand's continuous prosperity and development. The “Hermès Culture Salon” is an in-depth conversation about the brand's history, design philosophy, and cultural heritage. Consumers can listen to the legendary story of the brand's founder and learn how Hermès evolved from a harness maker to the world's leading luxury brand. At the same time, they can also share their feelings and favorites about the brand through communication with other consumers, further deepening their emotional identification with the brand.

5. Hermès Social Media Marketing Strategy Analysis

5.1. In-Depth Communication of Brand Story and Culture

Hermès, a world-renowned luxury brand, has successfully communicated its core values - exquisite craftsmanship, unique design concepts, and deep historical heritage - to consumers in a vivid and contagious way through activities such as the “Virtual Workshop Experience Day” and the “Hermès Culture Salon”, which have been carefully planned through social media platforms. The brand's core values - exquisite craftsmanship, unique design concepts, and deep historical heritage - were successfully conveyed to consumers in a vivid and infectious way. These activities are not simply product demonstrations or advertising campaigns, but rather an interactive cultural feast that allows consumers to see, feel, and participate in the world of Hermès up close and personal, and to learn more about its backstory. The effect of the in-depth communication strategy is obvious. On the one hand, these activities greatly enhanced consumers' awareness of the brand, making Hermès unique among many luxury brands and the first choice in consumers' minds. On the other hand, by transmitting the brand's culture and values, Hermès establishes a deeper emotional connection with consumers and enhances brand loyalty and reputation. This connection is not only a simple purchase relationship but also a deep resonance based on common values and aesthetic taste.

5.2. Artists' Cross-Border Cooperation and Creative Stimulation

Hermès' cross-border cooperation with artists is undoubtedly a very forward-looking and innovative marketing strategy. Through in-depth cooperation with artists in different fields, Hermès not only injects new creativity and inspiration into the brand but also successfully combines art and fashion to enhance the brand's artistic value and aesthetic taste. On the one hand, the artists' participation brings Hermès more exposure and hot topics. Their work and creativity often generate a wide range of attention and discussion, thus driving the brand's communication and influence. On the other hand, the artists' unique perspectives and creativity also bring Hermès new design inspirations and styles. These inspirations and styles have not only enriched the brand's product line but also enabled Hermès to maintain its leading position in the fashion industry. Artist crossover cooperation also attracts the attention of a large number of art lovers and fashion consumers. Consumers often have a strong interest in and pursuit of art and fashion, and by focusing on the artists' works and creativity, they in turn become more interested in and recognize the Hermès brand. The connection based on common interests and pursuits enables Hermès to build a closer and more lasting bond with its consumers.

5.3. Interactive Experience and Engagement Enhancement

In the increasingly fierce world of social media marketing, interactive experience has become an important asset to enhance consumers' engagement and sense of belonging. Hermès skillfully utilized real-time interactive technology, online lectures, and interactive discussions to create one fun and engaging marketing scenario after another for consumers. Through this interactive experience, Hermès not only enhances consumers' sense of participation and belonging but also establishes a closer connection with them. The connection between Hermès and consumers is not just a simple purchasing relationship, but also a deep resonance based on shared values and aesthetic tastes, which not only helps to enhance brand loyalty and user stickiness but also lays a solid foundation for the brand's long-term development.

5.4. Precise Selection of Social Media Platforms and Content Planning

In terms of social media platform selection and content planning, Hermès has demonstrated a high degree of precision and professionalism. In the selection of platforms, they carefully chose Weibo, WeChat, and other platforms with a large user base in line with the brand's character, and the user groups were highly compatible with Hermès' target audience, which provided strong support for the brand's communication and marketing. In terms of content planning, Hermès publishes product information and focuses on sharing the stories, culture, and artistic concepts behind the brand. The content is rich in depth and connotation and triggers consumers' empathy and thinking. By sharing valuable content, Hermès not only enhances brand exposure but also enables consumers to understand the brand more deeply and establish an emotional connection with the brand. Through precise selection and content planning, Hermès has successfully established a professional and in-depth brand image on social media, which helps to enhance the brand's popularity and reputation, and also provides strong support for the brand's long-term development.

5.5. Online-Offline Integration and Omni-Channel Marketing

In social media marketing, Hermès not only focuses on online interaction and communication but also pays great attention to the experience and service of offline stores. They attract consumers' attention and participation through online activities, and at the same time, combine the experience and service of offline stores to provide consumers with an all-round shopping experience. In terms of online activities, Hermès releases event information and coupons through social media platforms to attract consumers' attention and participation. At the same time, they also enable consumers to learn more about the brand and products through online live streaming and interactive discussions. In terms of offline stores, Hermès focuses on providing consumers with quality shopping experiences and services. Through well-designed store environments, professional sales consultants, and attentive after-sales service, consumers can feel the brand's care and respect during the shopping process. Through this online-offline integration and omni-channel marketing, Hermès has successfully maximized its brand value. The omni-channel marketing strategy not only helps to enhance brand awareness and reputation but also provides a strong guarantee for the brand's long-term development.

6. Conclusion

Through an in-depth analysis of the case of Hermès' social media marketing strategy and discussion of the development trend of luxury marketing in the digital era, the following conclusions can be drawn: firstly, the success of Hermès lies in the subtle layout of its social media marketing strategy. The brand has succeeded in establishing a deep connection with consumers by precisely communicating its values, utilizing diverse digital marketing tools, and strengthening interaction and engagement with users. This strategy not only enhances brand awareness and reputation but also significantly strengthens users' brand loyalty and sense of belonging. Secondly, luxury marketing is undergoing profound changes in the digital era. The rapid growth of online sales, the diversification of digital marketing means, the integration of omni-channels, and the trend of putting user experience first are becoming increasingly obvious. Therefore, luxury brands must constantly innovate to adapt to the new demands and challenges of the market. Hermès' social media marketing strategy provides useful reference and inspiration for other luxury brands. In the digital era, luxury brands should pay more attention to the power of social media platforms to enhance the attractiveness and influence of their brands through precise marketing, diversified content, and in-depth interaction with users. At the same time, brands also need to keep up with market trends and continue to innovate and optimize their marketing strategies in order to stand out in the fierce market competition.