Marks & Spencer tops Christmas social media supermarket war

According to recent data released by influencer marketing platform Kolsquare, Marks & Spencer (M&S) has secured the top spot in the battle of the supermarkets on social media during the Christmas season.

M&S achieved a leading position with an earned media value (EMV) of GBP £6.7 million as a result of a strong influencer campaign featuring 1,460 influencers posting 1,960 stories and 953 reels. The campaign included collaboration with influencer Zoe Sugg, showcasing M&S's bakery selection. Her reel garnered 83,618 likes, 675,000 views, and 2 million plays, resulting in an EMV of GBP £400,000.

Waitrose, while following M&S in earned media value at GBP £2.3 million, managed to surpass M&S in engagement levels, boasting a 3.74% engagement rate compared to M&S's 1.96%.

Quentin Bordage, CEO and Founder of Kolsquare, stated, "Competition is fierce between supermarkets in the UK at Christmas and they realise that influencer marketing is one of the fastest ways to connect with target audiences. The ads are great, but influencer campaigns can get eyes on the brand, transform sentiment and get people interested in the Christmas foods on offer. M&S wins in terms of engagement and EMV, but for originality, we think Lidl topped the league this year for taking its marketing to a local level."

The ranking of supermarkets during the festive period showed M&S leading, followed by Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Lidl. Sainsbury's recorded an engagement rate of 1.9%, while Asda and Lidl had engagement rates of 2.06% and 1.51%, respectively.

Lidl's Christmas campaign included an "Ode to Bakery" campaign on TikTok, with significant ad recall lift and impressions resulting in a varied approach to tackling the competitive holiday market. Lidl activated local influencers, including mum and dad influencers like Jen, whose high engagement community was leveraged effectively, with an engagement rate hitting 136%. Jen's reel involving Lidl's Christmas range generated an EMV of GBP £10,000.

Waitrose adopted a distinctive strategy, hosting a Christmas dinner at Brownsea Island intended for influencers to create content in a festive setting. This approach highlighted the brand's focus on authenticity over audience size, prioritising micro-influencers. Notable content included pieces by Katie Pix and Luke Catleugh, contributing to a combined EMV of GBP £15,000.

Sainsbury's worked closely with expert food influencers like Zena Kamgaing, whose content involving Sainsbury's panettone contributed significantly with an EMV of GBP £15,000. Additional contributions came from @beccaeatseverything, who offers unbiased reviews that are well-received by her substantial following.

Asda incorporated local influencer engagement through its Gnome Market Event related to its gnome-themed campaign. This included posts by Yemi Fajembola, which encountered a positive reception with a 3.67% engagement rate.

These findings underscore the importance of authentic content during the festive season and highlight the benefits of engaging nano- and micro-influencers. The analysis reported by Kolsquare suggests Zoe Sugg's partnership with M&S resulted in notable engagement achievements, including 2 million plays for her reel.