Launchmetrics acquires PARKLU, the premier influencer analytics platform in China, strengthening its Brand Performance Cloud to create the industry’s only global solution to measure brand equity
Together, they will expand the company’s Media Impact Value™ algorithm to establish a comprehensive metric that benchmarks brand initiatives in the East & West
NEW YORK (November 17, 2020) - Launchmetrics, the leading Brand Performance Cloud for the Fashion, Luxury & Beauty (FLB) industries, announces the acquisition of PARKLU, China’s premier influencer analytics platform. This marks the company’s second acquisition in the past year (following the acquisition of IMAXtree), as well as its second since their $50M fundraising in September 2018. This acquisition will reinforce the business’s larger strategy to expand their analytics in order to help executives make informed global business decisions that yield stronger consumer relationships worldwide.
PARKLU is the premier influencer analytics platform in China. Like Launchmetrics, PARKLU is specialized in the FLB industry and covers more than 100,000 influencers — known locally as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) — across all of China’s major social media platforms including the likes of WeChat, Douyin (TikTok), Weibo, RED, Bilibili, and others.
The acquisition of PARKLU will give Launchmetrics access to an extensive amount of China-focused analytics that will enhance its Brand Intelligence solution and integrate 100K+ Chinese KOLs into their existing network. In addition, it will also allow Launchmetrics to operate directly in China — ultimately, introducing international brands to PARKLU’s combined reach of more than 900 million consumers. Given the growing importance of China in the industry's recovery and influencers being the most powerful Voice in the customer journey (see annex), the acquisition thus represents a significant inroad to the market.
“PARKLU will add a new layer of apps and data to our Brand Performance Cloud,” states Michael Jais, CEO of Launchmetrics. “In today’s climate, brands are trying to understand how they can be more efficient and deliver better ROI. This acquisition will make us the only player to measure cross-Voice performance by providing the industry with a consistent metric to more effectively understand performance in China and beyond.”
“Given that ROI is critical in the current market, analytics can be more reliable than intuition,” states PARKLU’s Founder and CEO, Kim Leitzes. "As many executives make data-driven decisions, we will deliver even more value to our clients with a comprehensive offer, fueled by Launchmetrics’ Brand Performance Cloud. We share Launchmetrics' vision and believe industry-specific solutions will best enable FLB executives to capitalize on opportunities, both on-and offline, all while connecting their strategy, operational efforts, and results in a single, global solution.”
PARKLU and Launchmetrics will collectively provide industry professionals with the right tools and insights to create impactful, share-worthy and measurable campaigns, all over the world. Kim Leitzes will stay on as Managing Director of APAC, and be responsible for integrating the PARKLU offer, in addition to playing a critical role in the expansion of its global business as Launchmetrics expects substantial growth in the region following this acquisition. PARKLU and Launchmetrics’ current operating activities will continue as normal, more details on the offering ahead.
Annex: China Fact Sheet
- The typical Chinese customer requires 8 brand touchpoints before making a purchase decision, 4 more than Western customers (Source)
- 67% say purchases are influenced by KOLs. (Source)
- 40% of Chinese consumers make impulse purchases influenced by social interactions. (Source)
- 60% of brands in China prefer KOL marketing to other digital marketing channels (Source)
- China's internet influencer industry is estimated to expand at CAGR of 41.8% from 2017 to 2022, hitting $78.5 billion. (Source)
- Chinese consumers expected to account for around half of all global spending on high-end brands in 2020 (up from 37% last year). (Source)
- Currently, over 30,000 international FLB brands are already selling in China through e-commerce flagship or cross-border stores. (Source, Source)
About Launchmetrics
Launchmetrics is the leading Brand Performance Cloud used by Fashion, Luxury and Beauty (FLB) executives to connect with the modern consumer in a constantly changing landscape. With over a decade of industry expertise, Launchmetrics helps more than 1,000 customers create inspiring, impactful and measurable experiences.
Its Brand Performance Cloud provides companies with the tools and intelligence they need to optimize the use of their creative assets, execute powerful brand amplification programs and measure their brand performance. The company’s AI-driven and proprietary Media Impact ValueTM gives customers the ability to benchmark their performance against 2,000 competitors worldwide. Launchmetrics' intelligence empowers these companies to grow their businesses and streamline their processes, bringing a sharp focus to profitability, accountability, and efficiency while enabling the type of quick decision making required for agility.
Founded in New York and with operating headquarters in Paris, Launchmetrics has employees in ten markets worldwide and offers support in five languages. Launchmetrics has been the trusted brand performance technology to brands worldwide such as Dior, Fendi, TopShop, Shiseido, NET-A-PORTER and Adidas as well as partners like IMG, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the British Fashion Council, Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana, and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.
About PARKLU
PARKLU is the premier influencer analytics platform in China that empowers brands to make data-driven decisions about their influencer marketing strategies. PARKLU’s network includes over 100,000 influencers — known locally as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs); its clients use its self-service analytics, influencer relationship management tools and value-added insights to benchmark, plan and monitor campaigns across China’s major social platforms like WeChat, Douyin, Weibo, Bilibili and RED. From Fortune 100 companies to independent brands, hundreds of customers such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Blue Nile, ColourPop, Schwarzkopf Professional, and Shiseido, trust PARKLU to discover opportunities and optimize investments in the China market.
To learn more about PARKLU, please visit parklu.com.
About Media Impact Value™ (MIV®):
Launchmetrics’ proprietary Machine Learning algorithm provides brands with a unified currency to measure the value of all marketing activities across Voices, Channels, and Markets by assigning a monetary amount to every post, interaction, and article. Finely tuned to specificities of Fashion, Luxury, and Beauty, the algorithm was trained on actual media rates and 5+ years of FLB specific campaign data. It analyzes more than 100 quantitative and qualitative attributes including audience engagement, industry relevance, source authority, and content quality, to create a highly accurate method of measurement. MIV offers a unified way to calculate how brand equity is being created and which strategies create the most ROI.