1. Social Media Ecosystem
Competitive analysis
Nov 5, 2012
@masonwest
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2. Ed Hardy: An Overview
“The Ed Hardy man is
Defined by the collaboration of iconic tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy confident with a strong
and fashion designer Christian Audigier, the Ed Hardy brand sense of personal style. He is
brings the colorful, exotic designs of tattoo culture to a variety of not afraid to be seen and
take risks. He enjoys
lifestyle products – including apparel, fragrance, footwear,
comfort and flexible style,
handbags and beverages. yet he wants to stand apart
Since 2009, the brand has been largely controlled by the Iconix
from the crowd.3
”
Brand Group – who defines the target audience as men, women - Christian Audigier
and children ages 15-30 and positions the product as “Alternative
and Pop Culture Fashion.”1
Iconix has stated that the brand has struggled recently in the U.S.
– though they continue to license the brand in new product lines
and international markets.2
1: http://www.iconixbrand.com/edhardy_history.html
2; http://seekingalpha.com/article/747541-iconix-brand-group-s-ceo-discusses-q2-2012-results-
earnings-call-transcript?part=single
2 3: http://www.askmen.com/fashion/interview_500/543_ed-hardy-interview.html#ixzz2BDYDMq5Y

3. Summary of Findings
• Facebook is the primary engagement channel and is performing well –
look for incremental improvements.
• Across the board, Ed Hardy could engage more in social media channels
– more than posting, replying.
– With recent efforts to downplay the involvement of Christian Audigier in the
brand (removal of his name from logo mark), there is an opportunity to find new
standard bearers who reinforce the brand personality.
• Newer social media channels represent a great opportunity for the brand
– we just have to engage.
• The target audience for the brand may be shifting internationally – which
presents an opportunity to engage on platforms with traction abroad.
• There are many legacy accounts that should be considered for clean up
or removal.
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4. Will the real Ed Hardy please stand up?
As a brand that works through licensees across many product lines, there
are myriad different websites and accompanying social media accounts.
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5. With a little digging, the truth shines through
But the depth of the product offerings and management of different
channels bears deeper discovery with the brand management team.

6. Primary Website: EdHardyShop.com
• Global social account
promo in footer.
• Straightforward
ecommerce site.
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7. Website: Social Sharing
• Social sharing
integration
implemented on
products.
• Share options
should focus on
appropriate fashion
channels (I.E.
Pinterest) and
where the brand is
engaging.
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8. “Traditional” Social Channels
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9. Ed Hardy Social Media Presence
Ed Hardyʼs social activity is dominated by Facebook,
with Twitter coming in a distant second in engagement.
• Consistent Avatar. lifestyle / product photography.
• Inconsistent account name (@edhardy VS @edhardyonline).
• Majority of posts synchronized across Facebook & Twitter accounts.
@edhardy @edhardyonline
1,720,353 likes 8,738 followers
15,695 mentions 708 following
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10. Facebook: @EdHardy
RECENT
POSTS
• Willing to comment on cultural happenings.
– Recent posts mentioning NYC hurricane, Presidential
election.
– Simple questions RE: music & fashion taste.
• Well-established content cadence: 1-2 posts per day
– Monday = Product promotion.
– Tuesday = Quote (from fashion industry celeb).
– Wednesday = Vintage tattoo photos.
– Thursday = “Ink of the Week” tattoo photos.
– Friday = Music Video (“start the weekend”).
• Product promotions & deals
– Promotion codes, holiday sales, free shipping, etc.
10 http://www.facebook.com/edhardy

11. A contextual look at Facebook fashion fan base
1.7m
178k
2.0m
2.3m
33m
15m
271k
6.8m
(rocawear)
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12. Facebook Engagement Insights
• Photo posts are most liked – avg. 2-3k each.
– “Ink of the Week” & “Vintage” photos consistently get this level of
engagement.
– Product photos are hit-or-miss (Tattoo art hoodies, iPhone case
~2.5k. Polo shirts, dresses under 1k).
• Photo posts are re-shared – avg. 50-200 shares.
– Top performers include product deal promotions and “Ink of the
Week” photos.
• Questions drive response – avg. 200 comments per question.
– There is little if any engagement from the brand back toward the
fans once prompting questions.
– International audience shows through in comment language.
• Audience is on-target.
– Activity is in within the target demographic (18-24).
– “Most Popular City” is Taipei, Taiwan raises questions about
international engagement.
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13. Facebook Opportunities
As the primary social media vehicle for Ed Hardy, the Brand Facebook page seems to be
performing well. However there are clear opportunities to increase engagement:
Near-term opportunities
• Increase response rate to fans.
– With quizzes and questions, engage in the conversation. Show fans that their input is heard by
“liking” posts, posting more results, etc.
• Find new ways to engage fans.
– Enhance content strategy with hashtags and other trackable memes. The most prominent is
#lovekillsslowly which is already used by the audience.
– Previous efforts included contests and giveaways. Potential to reinstate?
• Test different content and products to find the best targets for likes & re-sharing.
– In near term, should be targeting 0.5-1% response on key posts (8-17k).
– Photo engagement suggests a desire for more lifestyle content. Let the brand personality shine
through with behind-the-scenes, interests, events coverage, etc.
– Conversion to sale should be tracked.
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14. Twitter: @EdHardyOnline
INFLUENTIAL FOLLOWERS ARE NOT
BEING ENGAGED
Simply put, Ed Hardy is not taking full advantage of
Twitter. Near term opportunities include:
• Follow more fans.
– Half of the 63 accounts that are mutually followers
are for Ed Hardy retail locations.
– @edhardyonline is following a number of accounts
(Majority are celebrities and companies I.E. Lady
Gaga, Pitchfork) The net effect is one of potential
isolation to the 8,675 fans who aren’t followed
back, some of which (see right) have large
audiences that could benefit the brand.
• Engage in direct conversations with fans
– Currently used to syndicate Facebook.
– Shift toward @replying to fans, and using hashtags
to start or contribute to conversations.
14 http://twitter.com/edhardyonline

15. Twitter: “Dead”-icated Retail Accounts
Worth specific mention, there are 33 dedicated Twitter accounts for Ed Hardy retail
locations. While the consistency of design and naming convention implies a well-planned
strategy, all but 4 accounts seem to be dead.
– Judging by post content, these accounts were created for a Miami Fashion Week promotion.
This is easy to see: Some accounts have only 5 posts.
– A random call to 5 of the contact numbers (disconnected) suggests many of these locations
have closed. Only one account announced its store closing via Twitter.
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16. YouTube: @EdHardyForever58
The official Ed Hardy account has
quality content - a mix of music,
interviews and fashion. However, it has
been inactive for over a year.
• Search results for “Ed Hardy” don’t
present on the first page – even
when filtered by channel.
• Should the brand want to reengage
with video content, the best
opportunity is to be the backstage
pass where the Ed Hardy audience
can tap into the lifestyle of music
and celebrity.
@edhardyforever58
43 videos | 25k views
16 http://www.youtube.com/user/EdHardyForever58
Last upload Oct. 2011

17. Edhardysocialmedia.com
A strange outlier in the social media
landscape, this email signup page
suggests a lack of sophistication
and should likely be retired.
• No-auto response provided to
registration.
• Not currently promoted as a
destination (last promotional
mentions via Facebook in
conjunction with 2011
promotions).
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18. “New” Social Channels
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19. Pinterest: @EdHardyOfficial
While still growing, it’s hard to
understate the potential of
Pinterest for fashion brands. Ed
Hardy is onboard - but not yet
engaged.
• No sharing from the brand.
• 20 Select highly influential
accounts are followed.
– Follows Twitter approach of
aligning with influencers.
• Search reveals Ed Hardy
content is being pinned
organically. The audience is BRAND PAGE
here. Start pinning!
PINTEREST
SEARCH
19 http://pinterest.com/edhardyofficial/

20. Pinterest Inspiration: Anthroplogie
Like many brands, Anthropologie engages on
Pinterest with a mix of product and general style
inspiration (leaning toward the latter).
• Items for sale are completely integrated in
boards, but called out with consistent use of
the #anthropologie tag.
• The dedicated “Inside our stores” board
taps into the brand’s top-notch store design,
and extends the experience beyond
geography.
• Co-branded curation using author Gretchen
Rubin.
TAKEAWAY: Sharing and curating is a proven
way to evangelize brand lifestyle – and a smart
match for Ed Hardy.
http://pinterest.com/anthropologie/
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21. Instagram: @OfficialEdHardy
Unlike Pinterest, Instagram is less about
curation and more about providing a personal
window into the world of the brand.
• Minimal engagement currently, but the
brand is sharing content here that isn’t seen
through other channels – which is great.
• Use “conversation starter” photos is against
the nature of the channel – should be
amazing images.
• Ed Hardy can easily discover & engage
with more fans on Instagram.
– 44,647 photos tagged #edhardy
– 1,247 photos tagged #lovekillsslowly
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22. Instagram Inspiration: GE
Since 2009, GE has been committed to
telling its brand story through social media.
GE’s Instagram has garnered a loyal
following through great photography as a
window to amazing technology.
What makes this account so interesting is the
simple value proposition: The audience gets
a behind-the-scenes look at places and
technology that would never be seen
otherwise.
Applying this formula to Ed Hardy, the
account could be treated like a backstage
pass to the celebrity and lifestyle events that
draw customers to the brand.
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23. Broader Context
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24. Brand Challenge: Bigger than Social Media
While not representative of the target audience, the Brand has become an easy target for
negative sentiment from many social media users and traditional media outlets
“If there's one thing that Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Comedian Nick Kroll (FX: The League) lampoons the
Gibbard is not, it's a bad boy. Which is why the premise for audience who has adopted Ed Hardy with his
his new music video, from his solo debut Former Lives, is so character Bobby Bottleservice – going as far as
damn hilarious. Gibbard undergoes a makeover into an Ed creating a skit called “The Ed Hardy Boyz” - where he
Hardy-sporting bad boy at the behest of a sales-hungry solves “the case of the missing sick belt buckle.”
label exec.”
http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2012/11/ben-gibbard-is-a- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25R1ONaFX8g
rock-bad-boy-in-new-video
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25. Conclusion: Find the Voice
Ed Hardy is not a brand for everybody – which can
be used to advantage. The success of the brand
proves there is a loyal audience, and all social
channels present tremendous opportunity to reinforce
- not redefine - what the Ed Hardy brand stands for.
As a lifestyle brand, Ed Hardy, should be looking to
social media to provide access to aspirational brand
marketing (I.E. even coverage, celebrity access,
music giveaways) and by amplifying the activity of
the customers who are living the brand.
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26. Presentation by Mason West
all rights reserved 2012
http://masonwest.prosite.com/
#edhardy4life
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