Fashion and beauty dominate on TikTok and Instagram in the UK according to Kolsquare’s latest report

Fashion and Beauty brands have used influencer marketing to dominate social media in the UK according to a report by influencer marketing platform Kolsquare. Zara takes the No:1 slot in the top 100 brands rankings for EMV (earned media value) on Instagram, while L’Oréal Paris leads the way on TikTok.

For engagement on Instagram, Dior Beauty, Fenty Beauty and Gymshark top the charts, with Gymshark achieving an impressive 22m likes. On TikTok, Dutch brand Gisou led for total engagement with Italian brand Kiko Milano second and the UK’s Jellycat London coming in at number three.

Half of the brands in the top 100 on Instagram are UK-based, while 40% are homegrown on TikTok. 83% of the leading brands on TikTok are fashion and beauty, while the sectors represent 70% of brands on Instagram.

“Analysis of EMV (earned media value), KOLs (key opinion leaders) and content volumes being posted in the UK show that fashion and beauty brands are leveraging smart strategies to appeal to wide audiences. On TikTok, eight of the top 10 brands in the UK are beauty brands; on Instagram, six of the top 10 performers are fashion brands. The rankings also show that UK retailers, from Superdrug to John Lewis and Home Bargains, are also leveraging influencer campaigns,” says Kolsquare CEO and founder Quentin Bordage.

Gymshark and Marks & Spencer have risen in the Instagram rankings since last year - Gymshark has gone up eight places, while M&S has risen by five. Charlotte Tilbury has slipped two places and H&M has dropped by one.

Top 10 UK brands on Instagram

Ranked according to EMV and number of influencers used.

Zara - £55.2M, 3,085 influencers

ASOS - £52M, 2,972 influencers

H&M - £40.7M, 2,596 influencers

Gymshark - £36M, 1,069 influencers

Primark - £33.3M 2,190 influencers

IKEA - £32m, 1,361 influencers

PrettyLittleThing - £29.5m, 2,444 influencers

Marks & Spencer - £29m, 2,071 influencers

Charlotte Tilbury - £23.9m, 2,033 influencers

Dunelm - £23m, 1,324 influencers

Top 10 UK brands on TikTok

Ranked according to EMV and number of influencers used

L’Oréal Paris - £16.2m, 599 influencers

Garnier - £12.6m, 533 influencers

PL Makeup Academy - £11.7m, 705 influencers

PrettyLittleThing - £11.6m, 1,260 influencers

Huda Beauty - £9.9m, 507 influencers

Charlotte Tilbury - £9.4m, 681 influencers

NYX Cosmetics - £9.3m, 567 influencers

Made By Mitchell - £9.2m, 666 influencers

White Fox - £8.2m, 316 influencers

MAC Cosmetics - £7.7m, 358 influencers

Quentin Bordage adds: “The influencer marketing industry continues to grow and UK marketers can no longer afford to ignore it. Much can be learned from the likes of Zara and L’Oréal who have connected with huge audiences thanks to innovative influencer marketing strategies and powerful content.”