Beyond grandeur: embracing sustainability in luxury brand influencer campaigns

In the luxury's industry, the notion of opulence, often associated with high-end products, can create tension with sustainability objectives. So-called "luxury" products are traditionally perceived as symbols of wealth and exclusivity, which can clash with the idea of sustainability, and often advocate moderation and attention to environmental impact.

Strategies for sustainable luxury: leveraging influencer partnerships to promote ethical practices

Sonam Babani (171K followers on Instagram), a KOL specializing in luxury goods, expressed her approach to brand collaborations along these lines: "I'm very attentive to the brands I work with. I generally collaborate with those I believe in and then promote. Especially since COVID, we've seen an increase in sustainability awareness. Brands are focusing more on introducing environmentally-friendly products because that's the need of the moment".

To meet the challenge of combining luxury and sustainability, brands have several strategies at their disposal. First and foremost, it's essential to select content creators who share the brand's sustainability values and to maintain open communication with them about the sustainable initiatives implemented by the brand.

By then integrating them into the process of creating sustainable products and encouraging them to produce educational content on sustainable practices, brands can reinforce the positive impact of sustainability efforts.

It's also essential to collaborate with KOLs to highlight the benefits of sustainability efforts, such as reducing carbon emissions. Brands can also invite KOLs to participate in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) events and prioritize quality over quantity while avoiding greenwashing.

Following Gucci's lead: integrating influencer partnerships for sustainable luxury

To illustrate these strategies, brands can draw on examples such as Gucci, which has implemented sustainable production practices and collaborated with KOLs to communicate these various initiatives. The brand pledged to reduce its total environmental footprint by 40% by 2025. A strong commitment that the brand has demonstrated through its Influence collaborations, social posts and notably the brand's second Instagram account dedicated to its initiatives, @gucciequilibrium, the bio of which is "@Gucci's ongoing commitment to generating positive change for people and planet":

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Une publication partagée par GUCCI EQUILIBRIUM (@gucciequilibrium)

By sharing these practices through well-thought-out influencer campaigns, brands can underline their commitment to sustainability while preserving their luxury image.

About Kolsquare

Kolsquare is Europe’s leading Influencer Marketing platform, offering a data-driven solution that empowers brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.

Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketing professionals seamlessly identify the best content creators by filtering their content and audience, while also enabling them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and benchmarking performance against competitors.

With a thriving global community of influencer marketing experts, Kolsquare serves hundreds of customers—including Coca-Cola, Netflix, Sony Music, Publicis, Sézane, Sephora, Lush, and Hermès—by leveraging the latest Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning technologies. Our platform taps into an extensive network of KOLs with more than 5,000 followers across 180 countries on Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.

As a Certified B Corporation, Kolsquare leads the way in promoting Responsible Influence, championing transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful collaborations that inspire positive change.

Since October 2024, Kolsquare has become part of the Team.Blue group, one of the largest private tech companies in Europe, and a leading digital enabler for businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Team.Blue brings together over 60 successful brands in web hosting, domains, e-commerce, online compliance, lead generation, application solutions, and social media.