According to a report by influencer marketing platform Kolsquare, fashion and Beauty brands have used influencer marketing to dominate social media in the UK. 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 increased 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.

1. Zara –  £55.2M, 3,085 influencers
2. ASOS – £52M, 2,972 influencers
3. H&M – £40.7M, 2,596 influencers
4. Gymshark – £36M, 1,069 influencers
5. Primark – £33.3M 2,190 influencers
6. IKEA – £32m, 1,361 influencers
7. PrettyLittleThing – £29.5m, 2,444 influencers
8. Marks & Spencer – £29m, 2,071 influencers
9. Charlotte Tilbury – £23.9m, 2,033 influencers
10. Dunelm – £23m, 1,324 influencers

Top 10 UK brands on TikTok

Ranked according to EMV and number of influencers used

1. L’Oréal Paris – £16.2m, 599 influencers
2. Garnier – £12.6m, 533 influencers
3. PL Makeup Academy – £11.7m, 705 influencers
4. PrettyLittleThing – £11.6m, 1,260 influencers
5. Huda Beauty – £9.9m, 507 influencers
6. Charlotte Tilbury – £9.4m, 681 influencers
7. NYX Cosmetics – £9.3m, 567 influencers
8. Made By Mitchell – £9.2m, 666 influencers
9. White Fox – £8.2m, 316 influencers
10. 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.”

Download your copy of the report here.