Luxury beauty brands can no longer afford to operate like traditional fashion houses in the social media era. Instead, they must adopt the agility of indie brands while protecting their heritage and authority.

That's the strategic shift driving Dolce & Gabbana's influencer marketing transformation, according to Piera Toniolo, the brand's global head of influencer marketing.

"Influencer marketing is not a tactic, it's a strategic lever," Toniolo said on a recent Sprout Social webinar. "The first mistake that many brands make is reducing it to posting with creators."

Toniolo oversees Dolce & Gabbana’s global influencer strategy from the brand's Milan headquarters, using influencer marketing as a way to “amplify the brand's distinctiveness globally while keeping it culturally relevant locally."

Data drives decisions, but taste protects luxury

Dolce & Gabbana employs a data-driven approach to influencer selection and campaign measurement, but Toniolo said the brand balances analytics with creative judgment.

The brand analyzes three primary KPIs:

• Share of influencers, the number of creators activated compared to competitors
• Share of voice, the content volume mentioning the brand versus competitors
• Earned media value, the monetary value attributed to influencer content based on reach, engagement, and shares

Before activating any creator, the team examines core content themes, audience quality, geographic distribution, and engagement authenticity. For TikTok specifically, the brand prioritizes average video views over follower count; if a creator's last 20 videos average below 10,000 views, they typically don't make the cut.

"Data informs the decision. It doesn't make the decision alone," Toniolo said. "Luxury requires intuition. It still requires taste."

Social ecosystems replace one-size-fits-all strategies

Dolce & Gabbana has moved away from expecting a single influencer to drive awareness, credibility, traffic, and conversion. Instead, it builds creator ecosystems with defined roles across the funnel.

• At the top, mega and macro creators drive cultural relevance and aspiration, placing products within broader conversations.
• Mid-funnel, niche experts build credibility by speaking to texture, performance, and longevity. “This is where consideration deepens,” Toniolo said.
• Brand reviewers then drive traffic through product-led comparisons, tests, and opinions, bridging inspiration and intent.
• At the bottom, micro creators and everyday users normalize products through relatable, real-world usage.

This role-based approach also informs Dolce & Gabbana’s platform strategy across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Toniolo said Instagram anchors awareness and brand elevation with a curated, aspirational aesthetic. TikTok fuels desirability and consideration through trend-led, community-driven content. YouTube supports exploration, with longer-form tutorials, reviews, and comparisons that build authority and trust.

“When each platform has a clear strategic role, influencer marketing becomes far more intentional and measurable,” she said.

Market-specific adaptation during economic uncertainty

Dolce & Gabbana's global approach adapts to regional economic and cultural contexts rather than deploying uniform strategies.

For example, in the US, where uncertainty pushes value-conscious purchasing, the brand leans into performance-driven creator strategies with content that moves from inspiration to transaction.

But in the Middle East, where luxury remains embedded in cultural and social expression, the strategy emphasizes community proximity, elevated storytelling, and long-term creative relationships focused on brand positioning.

And in Italy, heritage becomes an anchor during uncertainty, with storytelling focused on craftsmanship, legacy, and emotional continuity rather than trend-chasing.

This agile thinking will serve luxury brands well, according to Toniolo.

"The luxury brands that survive volatility are the ones that remain aspirational but emotionally intelligent," she said.

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