Emily in Paris is back this month on Netflix — and whether you watch it “for the fashion” or “social media hacks”, it’s hard to deny one thing: the show has become a case study in social marketing.
Emily In Paris. Image: Netflix
We’ve seen the power of PR in ‘Sex and the City’ and advertising in ‘Mad Men’. Social marketing is in the spotlight in ‘Emily in Paris’ created by Sex and the City’s Darren Star, where protagonist Emily Cooper moves from Chicago to Paris to work in French luxury marketing agency, Savoir. The series follows her experiential and influencer campaigns while adjusting to a new city and its culture. With Season 5 of ‘Emily In Paris’ releasing this month, there’s excitement among fans of the web series as protagonist Emily Cooper utilises an American approach to social marketing in Paris and Rome. Per AdWeek: ‘Whether it’s personal branding, creative risk-taking, or the power of digital communities, Emily in Paris captures how style and story fuel engagement’.
Emily In Paris: Core Social Marketing Lessons
- Embrace Your Cultural Uniqueness
In a globalised world we often work with people from different countries and cultures, which allows us to learn various approaches to work. We shouldn’t be afraid to showcase our experiences as it may help others. As an example, Emily often uses her American identity to her benefit in Paris when she introduces American marketing strategies to her French colleagues, which helps execute campaigns.
- Network Fearlessly
Emily attends social events, fashion shows and industry parties, always looking to expand her network. Her willingness to engage with others helps her build valuable relationships and create opportunities. Don’t be shy, get out there and mingle. If a networking event seems intimidating—start small: try to genuinely get to know people you work with outside your small team.
- Develop A Personal Style
We all remember Emily for her style, carefully curated by costume designers Patricia Field and Marilyn Fitoussi: a combination of bright colours and patterns, high heels, standout accessories and extravagant jewellery. Brands benefit from this consistency in personal style. A coherent visual identity helps audiences immediately recognise the person’s voice and style. Emily has a unique sartorial style and maximalist take on fashion, combining haute couture with vintage finds, which the agency chief marketing officer Sylvie Grateau finds annoying at first and then warms up to it, ending Season 4 by making her head of the new branch in Rome. “It showed them that they could combine polka dots and stripes, throw colours together and not limit themselves,” Fitoussi tells Vogue when season one debuted. “My motto, for this season and the last, has always been, ‘too much good taste is boring.’”
- Storytelling Strategy
Storytelling is one of the strongest tools in social marketing. Emily’s posts always tell a story. Emily posts on Instagram, adds a quirky caption, and boom! Thousands of likes follow. Even the agency head is surprised at the quality of her followers and connections. Whether she’s capturing a moment behind the scenes at a fashion show or reacting to a brand mishap, like when the Hollywood actress gets drunk and leaves the venue wearing a luxury watch, the social media post capturing the moment is personal and engaging, turning the mishap into an opportunity.
- Timing And Relevance
Great content combined with cultural timing can highlight brand visibility. Emily posts in sync with events and cultural moments. She often wins because she “gets” the cultural moment. Whether it’s turning a brand launch into an event aboard a cruise, she shows that influencer marketing thrives when it taps into culture, not just commerce.This reflects a real-world strategy: content aligned with trends, launches, and conversations increases visibility and relevance; it’s about authentic storytelling, cultural connection and consistent effort. Emily shines a spotlight on the power of influence in today’s digital-first world.
Emily In Paris. Image: Netflix
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Emily’s Effective Social Marketing Moments
Emily works with luxury fashion and lifestyle brands to narrate social stories through real world experiences that invite participation, feel culturally authentic and generate social media buzz. If Emily in Paris is an indication, luxury brands should take note and put emphasis on non traditional marketing campaigns.
- The Perfume Launch Post
The perfume campaign, initially seen as a misstep, becomes a viral sensation after Emily reframes its narrative. The controversial perfume launch with a nude model begins with backlash when the campaign’s provocative visuals is criticised as sexist. What looks like a misjudgement becomes an opportunity when Emily reframes the narrative to a poll: ‘Sexy Or Sexist’. Instead of retreating, she shifts the focus to the campaign’s artistic intention, its celebration of Parisian confidence, and its alignment with the luxury brand’s bold identity. The social marketing lesson is clear. When criticism erupts, audiences are already paying attention—what the luxury brand say determines whether the campaign is damaging or successful. Emily demonstrates how crisis communication can spark engagement and turn backlash into a viral conversation.
Lesson: A smart spin on a crisis can turn criticism into conversation.
Emily In Paris. Image: Netflix
- Pierre Cadault’s Fashion Show
Emily captures exclusive behind-the-scenes content and real-time updates [storytelling] to give her social media followers exclusive access to one of Paris’ most iconic fashion designers and drive high engagement for the luxury brand. This serves as a practical lesson in social media strategy: manufactured scarcity and narrative development can significantly boost audience interest and interaction.
Lesson: Exclusivity and storytelling create high-engagement moments.
- Champére Spray Of Paris Campaign
Emily in Paris fans know that the whole point of champagne Champère is to spray it during celebrations. The De Lalisses were baffled by what to do with a bad-tasting champagne from their winery, so Emily decided the best solution was to use it as a prop and spray it during celebrations rather than drink it. Her idea is that the vineyard should create a sub brand that is promoted for spraying and become the “Spray of Paris.” While some wine drinkers saw this as sacrilege, the campaign went viral and worked for the winery. PS Few knew that the viral champagne spray inspired the launch of De Lalisse Champère, a sparkling wine from Shop the Scenes created in collaboration with Boisset Collection wineries. The real Champère, however, is too good for spraying. It’s dry, with notes of pear, apple and toasted brioche.
Lesson: Authentic content often outperforms carefully curated posts.
- The Restaurant Campaign
“Emily in Paris” illustrates that strategic and aesthetically pleasing social media content, combined with genuine local engagement, can significantly boost a small restaurant’s visibility and drive footfalls. The key takeaway is that effective marketing for small businesses involves creating compelling, visually appealing stories and actively interacting with the local community to build a loyal customer base.
Lesson: Aesthetic storytelling and local engagement can drive real-world impact for small businesses.
- Social Storytelling Skills Is Non-Negotiable
Emily In Paris focuses on the importance of social media branding, using relevant hashtags and captions for each brand and glimpses of her daily life; her personal branding helps build Savoir’s clients. Emily built a brand message and a personality for each of her clients with social storytelling on Instagram. She shows us the importance of building a social media presence and engaging with the community. For example, two avant-garde fashion designers Grey Space show up at an auction to bid on a dress that Emily is modeling. They pull off a publicity stunt by spraying her with paint and shocking guests. This concept is reminiscent of Banksy’s self shredding artwork at Sotheby’s and shows the power of a live stunt to generate buzz.
Emily In Paris. Image: Netflix
Expert Tips: Bringing Emily Energy Into Luxury Marketing
- -Create mood boards to define your aesthetic identity.
- -Combine planned content with spontaneous posts to keep feeds fresh.
- -Use behind-the-scenes content to make your brand feel accessible.
- -Track performance metrics to understand what resonates.
- -Collaborate with influencers who embody your brand values.
- -Experiment with video content, especially short-form formats.
- -Use humour and personality—a professional doesn’t need to be boring.
TRIVIA: Emily In Paris
- -American producer, writer, and director Darren Star created Emily in Paris. He is the creator of hit television shows Sex and the City, Uncoupled, Younger, and Beverly Hills 90210.
- –Marylin Fitoussi is the lead costume designer responsible for most of the show’s bold, colourful looks. Patricia Field, of Sex And The City fame, served as a consulting costume designer and collaborated with Marylin Fitoussi on wardrobe styling.
- Lily Collins, Emily Cooper, was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has starred in several films and was critically acclaimed for her portrayal of a young actress in Rules Don’t Apply, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She has also written a memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me (2017).
- -American actress and musician Ashley Park plays Emily’s friend Mindy Chen. She is famous for playing Gretchen Wieners in the Broadway musical Mean Girls, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.
- -The web series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and was developed initially for Paramount Network, following which it moved to Netflix in July 2020.
- -French actor Lucas Nicolas Bravo is best known for his roles in romantic comedies Ticket to Paradise (2022) and The Honeymoon (2022).
- –Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, who plays Sylvie, received a nomination for César Award for Most Promising Actress, for Three Men and a Cradle. Leroy-Beaulieu has played leading and supporting roles in more than fifty movies.
Emily In Paris. Image: Netflix
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
