In the social media bazaar, content drives sales

David can beat Goliath, or at least he can give him a run for his money. This is the story of Luxe Collective, a company that resells second-hand designer handbags, accessories and footwear and has opened its first pop-up store in London just a stone's throw from luxury boutiques Louis Vuitton and Hermes. It all started in 2018 on social and landed in physical spaces. The company has millions of followers on TikTok and employs 25 full-time employees with a turnover of £7.5 million. The intuition comes from two brothers who are now business partners. "We're not trying to sell anything, just entertain. With content we explain to people how luxury works,' Ben Gallagher, a 23-year-old from Liverpool, a past in the insurance industry and a present as a seller of luxury goods at lower prices than designer labels thanks to thereuse of articles, told the British press. "Instagram we use for conversations and engagement, while TikTok for outreach and growth," Gallagher pointed out.

Luxe Collective has recorded £2.5 million in sales through TikTok Shop, a new frontier of online shopping that arrived a few days ago also in Italy for 22.8 million users who will be able to buy directly on the platform from local brands, sellers and creators with the discovery e-commerce model, which combines entertainment and shopping in a single experience. Today, TikTok Shop is active in several countries and has 15 million sellers. Users directly buy the products they discover in organic videos, during live streams or through video shopping ads without ever having to leave the app. From England to Italy.

Entering this new sales - but also relationship - mode is Nonna Silvi, born Silvana Bini. She is an 83-year-old Tuscan grandmother who shares recipes for traditional Florentine dishes and the great classics of Italian cuisine on TikTok. Soul of the Forno Martini opened by her son Marco, Nonna Silvi has over 2 million followers and has even been invited by the Emir of Qatar to cook Tuscan ragù. Carmen Fiorito is known asNewMartina. The success of her work - changing protective films on mobile phones - has enabled her to expand the business to new outlets in Palermo, Naples and Bologna. BiSilver is Beatrice Rinaldi's small handmade silver jewellery business.

First the content and then the purchase, first the user and then the product, starting with the creator who also narrates it in real time. Welcome to the new era of 'content commerce', i.e. quick and emotional purchases in the Grand Bazaar of social. After all, consumers first and foremost enjoy messages in a palimpsest that becomes an endless scroll. "The pervasive consumption of content consequently veers towards online purchases. Brands are relying on creator marketing, expanding their collaborations not only with mega-influencers to generate awareness, but also with micro- and nano-influencers that are more effective in the conversion phases thanks to their authority over specific niches," says Lucio Lamberti, professor of Omnichannel marketing management at the School of Management of the Milan Polytechnic.

Beyond social commerce, it veers towards new relationship dynamics. "More than disintermediation, it is a multi-mediated relationship with creators amplifying the brand message with their own creative voice. However, companies maintain active coordination, ensuring consistency and narrative control across channels,' Lamberti points out. It changes the paradigm of online commerce that focuses more on content and is explicit in the conversation. A dialogue that sanctions the 'creativity' of brands. "Companies must put creativity at the heart of their strategy, developing authentic and engaging storytelling. This implies deciding whether to internalise creative processes with more control or to strengthen external collaborations, recognising creativity as strategic and not just ancillary to media buying," says Lamberti.