Victoria?s Secret is celebrating the release of the new Body by Victoria bra and simultaneously promoting a new roster of Angel ambassadors by handing over the brand's Instagram and Snapchat accounts to four models as they capture their globetrotting experiences.

The lingerie retailer has been pushing heavily into Instagram content, especially as it introduces fans to the ten newest models that have been given their wings for Angel status. Beginning next week, Instagram users can follow along as four of these spokeswomen take over the Victoria?s Secret Instagram and Snapchat accounts to showcase a day in the life of their promotional duties.

?Social media is extremely popular in this desired demographic and retailers are taking advantage of this with increased social marketing,? said Ken Morris, principal at Boston Retail Partners, Boston. ?In our recent CRM/Unified Commerce Survey we found more than half of the retailers have increased their budgets for 2015.

?We have also seen an increase in the integration of customer relationship management tools with social media with Instagram being the fastest growing social media outlet for retailers. Obviously this increase in social marketing and the popularity of social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat should lead to a win-win for Victoria?s Secret.?

Tapping a branded presence
Branding is arguably one of Victoria?s Secret?s biggest strong suits. Seemingly, one of the latest prerequisites for the Angel ambassadors is that the models be active on social media.

The brand frequently posts videos, commercials and behind-the-scenes looks at its campaigns and shoots on Instagram and Twitter, exciting followers and creating a two-way communication method with customers.

?It builds excitement for the brand,? Mr. Morris said. ?The Victoria?s Secret models are everywhere this week doing personal appearances, in magazines and on TV, so why not leverage this exposure to enhance the brand.?

Victoria?s Secret recently announced that the newest Angels will be going on tour, and that it will hand over control of its most popular social media accounts to several of the spokeswomen.

On Aug. 5, newbie Taylor Hill will post on the Victoria?s Secret Snapchat channel directly from her promotional duties in Chicago, while Elsa Hosk will take the reins of the branded Instagram account on Aug. 6 in Toronto, Canada.

Stella Maxwell will follow up with behind-the-scenes Snaps from London and Manchester in Britain on Aug. 12 and 13, respectively. The takeover will close with Sara Sampaio?s Instagram takes from Houston on Aug. 13.

This is an ideal way of generating awareness for the new models and allowing customers to get to know their personalities. The Angels are the most prominent faces of the Victoria?s Secret brand and generally resonate well with millennials, making mobile an ideal communication channel for them to leverage.

Mobile-savvy models
The latest Angel roster, which includes models such as Jasmine Tookes, Martha Hunt and Lais Ribero, promoted the Body by Victoria bra ? and their first appearance together ? with a slot on Good Morning America and a mobile-heavy morning of promotion.

The Victoria?s Secret Instagram account posted a photo of all ten spokeswomen on their smartphones while backstage at the morning news program.

All Angels were encouraged to document their point-of-view experiences on Instagram, which prompted a slew of photos of the models taking to the streets of New York, taking selfies together and posing in their customized t-shirts.

The retailer appears to have located the right ingredients in social media, as it has been tapping Instagram and Snapchat to connect with its many millennial fans.

Several weeks ago, Victoria?s Secret ramped up two-way communication with its fans by asking social media users to vote on finalists for the brand?s first Summer Hot List on Instagram and Twitter (see story).

This past January, Victoria?s Secret ran ads for its Pink Date bra within Cosmopolitan magazine's content on the Snapchat Discover platform, reflecting its potential to help brands narrow in on a targeted group of consumers (see story).

?Certainly, other retail brands should be looking for opportunities like this to reach their always-connected, tech-savvy, social media user customers,? Mr. Morris said. ?This is the best way to build excitement in this most sought-after demographic.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York