Social Media Marketing Example: Hennessy
It’s been a hot minute since our last luxury social media marketing example, I decided to kick off the week with our next luxurious brand, Hennessy.
Hennessy’s recent social media work has focused on the brand’s newest product, Hennessy Black, which is actually the company’s first major launch since 1961.
Hennessy Black (“done different”) is a cognac drink blend of jasmine, daffodils and orange flowers mixed with citrus, honey and grapes. I’ve had it, and I think it’s disgusting. But then again, cognac is definitely not my thing, so, if you like it, tell me how wrong I am!
Hennessy, a subsidiary of the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton holding group, decided on a digital-heavy communications approach to introduce Hennessy Black to a younger, more party-oriented drinking audience.
So what’s going on online?
Done Different Dance Competition
Just last week, Hennessy wrapped up the Done Different Dance Competition, in which users submitted videos of themselves dancing for a chance to win $10,000. The winner, dancer Booker Forte, also performed on TBS’ Lopez Tonight.
The online portion of this campaign is extremely well-targeted, as 80% of Gen Yers enter online contests. Hennessy promoted the contest through its existing online channels, include its website, YouTube Channel and Facebook page. I took the liberty of looking into the blog coverage of the contest, which was pretty limited. It looks like some good blogger relations would’ve really helped Hennessy get pickup!
The Hennessy Facebook Fan Page, while a little too simple, is nicely put together and well-maintained. The page doesn’t have any particularly special features to it, but I do like that they’ve posted videos and photos from their other social media platforms and have a poll up.
Hennessy also does a great job with posting new content to engage the Fans nearly every day, whether it be a tidbit of news or a drink recipe. Having worked on public relations campaigns for three alcohol brands, I can tell you that it is very important for alcohol brands to be more interactive than other luxury products (i.e. fashion).
Also, props to Hennessy for including a link to the Facebook Fan Page on its website.
What would I like to see? More creativity! Get a custom landing page, a make-your-own drink feature, etc. Have some fun!
YouTube
The Hennessy YouTube Channel is a lot of fun. Although it’s really well-customized, it is not well-integrated with the other Hennessy social media platforms. The branded channel only links to HennessyBlack.com and LadyHennessy.com, but should also include Hennessy’s other online resources!
As far as the videos are concerned, they are mostly weird advertising-esque drink recipes. Kind of cool, but certainly not going to bring in the masses.
Remember on YouTube: Content is king.
Flickr
I like the Hennessy Flickr stream because it reminds me of Guest of a Guest: “look at this fabulous party that you weren’t invited to!” I mean this in a good way, I swear! For some reason, everybody loves that peek into star-studded events.
On the whole, I really like Hennessy’s social media presence. It’s classy, refined and elegant, which any luxury brand should strive for. As I noted earlier, I wouldn’t mind a wee bit more creativity and interactive opportunities for users (especially since the brand has openly expressed its interest in reaching a younger and more active consumer group!).
What do you think, did I miss anything on the Hennessy front? What’s your favorite part of their online activities?
