Burberry is top of the digital fashion sphere after attracting 8.5 million Facebook followers in a scent launch.

The UK luxury brand was anointed “genius” classification in digital IQ in a report prepared by think-tank Luxury Lab, known as L2, of New York University.

Founded by Scott Galloway, L2 is an organisation which provides luxury brands with digital IQ index reports that can be used by the brand to measure digital competence against rivals. The digital IQ features more than 100 qualitative and quantitative data points which serve as a significant tool for diagnosing the brand’s digital strengths and weaknesses.

The organisation ranked 49 fashion and leather goods brands worldwide by measuring their digital marketing, web sites, mobile platforms and social media.

Burberry earned its rating largely due to a Facebook promotion where consumers who liked its page advertising the new scent Body were given a chance to register for a freebie. That promotional activity resulted in 8.5 million followers.

Also, its tweet about the London Fashion Week show before the actual launching on the catwalk gave the brand an edge over its rivals, said L2.

“From live streams to runway shows to an arms race on social media platforms, brands are seeking the halo of innovation that comes from inspired online programming,” Galloway wrote in the report. “However, most fashion brands still approach digital as a series of pet projects rather than presenting a coherent multi-platform strategy.”

Other luxury brands who made it to the top 10 were Kate Spade for its innovative use of Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The brand is also a newbie to the L2 index: Coach took third, followed by Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors.

GB