Red Hot Penny, the retail search marketing agency, examined the social media platforms of 110 of the UK’s largest high street retail chains that have physical shops at over 10 locations, releasing a report called ‘The Social Scorecard: High Street Fashion & Accessories 2018.’

The brands at the top of the ranking are the ones that are keen on engaging with their customers and developing a personal connection through their interaction on social media. That’s also why for some of the most commercially established retailers, even though they have the most followers, they don’t engage their audiences on social media, having a more distant and impersonal social profile.

While the rank unsurprisingly sees leading corporations and massive brands such as Nike, Adidas, Diesel and Tommy Hilfiger at most of the slots in the top 10, smaller, more niche brands such as Dr Martens and Lululemon seem to stand head and shoulders above the rest, based on customer engagement via social media.

According to Red Hot Penny’s report, British brands M&S, Next and Paul Smith are all big on social media, more so than Primark, Topshop and H&M, with their success on the streets not translating in their social media engagement levels.

Russ Powell, head of marketing at Red Hot Penny, says, “Chain retailers who can do social media well are going to be those who’ll ride out the high street’s hard times. Knowing what your customer wants and having it available at the right price has always been the key to retail success. On social media understanding both the platform you’re on and your shopper is key.”

‘The Social Scorecard’ also revealed that the lack of engagement in the more established retailers is connected with the negative feedback left on social media comments, with Facebook in specific, often being considered as a customer service channel.

While established brands treat their social channels as a digital catalogue, small indie brands treat them as an interactive opportunity, putting time and effort in their posts, achieving a wider reach and driving, the much sough-after, customer engagement.

To determine which companies have conquered the social media world and which struggle to find their place in it, the brands’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter was judged for their activity creating a rank of the most active, most followed and most engaging brands.

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