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RESEARCH

Digital IQ® INDEX

European Niche Fashion

L2′s inaugural study of European fashion brands reveals that the digital competence of the continent’s niche fashion brands lags that of their larger, more established global fashion peers. The ranking measures the digital aptitude of 46 European niche fashion brands with annual turnover between €25 million and €250 million.

“Digital could be the differentiator for brands that become iconic, and those that become irrelevant. Establishing direct relationships with end consumers through e-commerce and social media provides an opportunity for European niche fashion brands to punch above their weight class.” —Scott Galloway

Key Findings

Brands were measured on 350 data points across four dimensions: Site, Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Mobile and assigned a Digital IQ and a corresponding class of Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged, or Feeble.

One-third of the brands in the Index do not support e-commerce. Brands with e-commerce averaged a Digital IQ scored on average 35 points higher than those not selling online.

Brands headquartered in the UK register higher Digital IQs than those from other countries. Replicating the findings of the Digital IQ Index®: Fashion, Italy and France continue to lag behind their British peers by a considerable margin.

Mobile adoption lags. Only 33 percent of the brands provide any mobile experience—18 percent have developed a mobile-optimized site and 17 percent have developed applications.

European niche fashion brands trail on every platform. Adoption of digital platforms among European Fashion brands is limited compared with the 49 brands included in this year’s Digital IQ Index®: Fashion.

A bifurcation exists between Gifted brands and those that are Challenged or Feeble, suggesting a subset of European brands have made competent (yet still undifferentiated) forays on digital platforms, while many have largely ignored the digital phenomenon.