@salomonausnz — Instagram Performance Report | May 2026
Instagram Performance Report · May 2026

@salomonausnz
30-Day Performance & Competitive Intelligence

Analysis Period: April 19 – May 19, 2026  ·  Competitors: @merrellaustralia, @arcteryxausnz, @on
10
Posts Published
235K+
Total Reel Views
12K+
Total Likes
150K
Top Single Post Views
5 Reels
5 Carousels
Section 01
Salomon AUS NZ — 30-Day Performance
150K
Top Post Views
Melbourne West Store Opening
47K
Avg Reel Views
Across 5 Reels (views tracked)
5.8%
Eng. Rate (Top Reel)
Melbourne West: 8,749 likes / 150K views
2
Reels > 50K Views
Event reel + Paid influencer
3
Collabs Published
Influencer, Outdoor Futures, loucaspicture

Reel Views by Post

All 5 Reels with tracked view counts — Apr 19 to May 19, 2026

Likes by Content Type

Reels vs Carousels — total likes

Engagement Type Mix

Organic vs. Paid vs. Collab posts

Likes Distribution

All 10 posts — ordered by likes
# Post Date Type Views Likes Creator Link
1 Melbourne West Store Opening 7 May Reel Organic 150,000 8,749 salomonausnz ↗ Open
2 sunni.lord — Paid Partnership 13 May Reel Paid 62,400 1,563 sunni.lord ↗ Open
3 finninimm — Snow Collab 20 Apr Reel Collab 9,502 578 finninimm ↗ Open
4 Highpoint Store 'Coming Soon' 17 May Reel Organic 9,025 207 salomonausnz ↗ Open
5 L'ART de L'Automobile Collab 19 Apr Reel Collab 4,938 103 salomonausnz ↗ Open
6 Mount Cook Series (loucaspicture) 17 May Carousel Collab 200 loucaspicture ↗ Open
7 Outdoor Futures Install 16 May Carousel Collab 188 outdoorfutures ↗ Open
8 Outdoor Futures Announcement 4 May Carousel Collab 199 outdoorfutures ↗ Open
9 MM6 Maison Margiela Collab 29 Apr Carousel Organic 125 salomonausnz ↗ Open
10 ZERO MEANING — Fashion Week DJ 19 May Carousel Organic 33 salomonausnz ↗ Open
Section 02
What's Working — What Isn't

Event-Led Reels

The Melbourne West store opening drove 150K views and 8,749 likes — the biggest performance in the period by a massive margin. Events carry built-in story, energy, and FOMO. Lean into every upcoming store opening, launch, or brand activation with a well-produced Reel.

150K VIEWS · 5.8% ENG RATE

Paid Influencer Reels

sunni.lord's paid partnership reel hit 62.4K views — 2nd highest in the period. Paid creator content dramatically outperforms most organic brand content. The algorithm rewards creator-native formats. Budget for 1–2 paid creator reels per month minimum.

62.4K VIEWS · CREATOR-LED

Athlete & Adventure Stories

The finninimm snow collab (9.5K views) punched above its weight in engagement rate. Arc'teryx's Routeburn women's record reel proves achievement stories drive high likes. Salomon has world-class athletes in the ANZ market — film them in action.

6.1% ENG RATE (finninimm)

Serialised / Mini-Series Format

Arc'teryx's Lunch Break series averaged 212K views across 4 episodes. A series conditions the algorithm and trains the audience to come back. Plan a 3–4 part local series — staff, trails, athletes, or behind-the-scenes of operations.

212K AVG VIEWS (Arc'teryx benchmark)

Niche Fashion / Brand Collab Carousels

MM6 Maison Margiela (125 likes), L'ART collab (4.9K views / 103 likes), and ZERO MEANING (33 likes) are the three lowest performers. These fashion crossovers don't connect with the outdoor/sport audience that follows Salomon. If you do these collabs, at minimum convert them to Reels with a strong visual hook.

AVG 87 LIKES · BOTTOM 3 POSTS

Announcement-Only Reels (No Hook)

Highpoint 'Coming Soon' hit just 9K views — nearly identical to the snow collab despite being a brand-announcement format with more production. Announcements without emotional story, entertainment value, or a creator voice don't convert to reach. Wrap announcements inside a story.

9K VIEWS · NO EMOTIONAL HOOK

Static Carousels as the Default Format

All 5 carousels in this period generated zero tracked views (Instagram doesn't show view counts on carousels) and an average of just 149 likes. The algorithm has strongly deprioritised static carousels vs. Reels for reach. Carousels can work for community storytelling and deep engagement with existing followers — but they're not a reach tool. If you want reach, it's Reels.

AVG 149 LIKES · NO REACH AMPLIFICATION
Section 03

Competitor Intelligence

Top 5 Reels from @merrellaustralia, @arcteryxausnz, and @on — with content strategy analysis and what each brand is doubling down on.

Merrell Australia
@merrellaustralia
#1
88.4K
Views
elizammcewen — Paid Partnership Unboxing
7 Apr 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DW0dP2KCUwZ
#2
33.2K
Views
Black Shoe Close-Up — Product Focus
~May 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DX3xovCzdNF
#3
27.2K
Views
House of Darwin x Merrell — Cliff Jump
17 Apr 2025
↗ instagram.com/reel/DIhf96qSTx0
#4
17.1K
Views
House of Darwin x Merrell — Foot on Sand
16 Apr 2025
↗ instagram.com/reel/DIe-rK9KpMR
#5
16.2K
Views
House of Darwin x Merrell — Studio Shoot
15 Apr 2025
↗ instagram.com/reel/DIcZ3YII8lm

Merrell AU is a creator-first account. Their #1 reel is a paid influencer unboxing (88.4K views) — more than double their next best post. Three of their top five are from a single House of Darwin collab campaign. They're not producing expensive brand content; they're commissioning creators and adventure lifestyle partners to do the work. The pattern: find a local culture collab, brief a creator, let them run. The brand provides product and brief — the creator provides authenticity and reach.

Arc'teryx AUS NZ
@arcteryxausnz
#1
246K
Views
Lunch Break Pt 1 — Jay, Trail Running
6 Mar 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DViCKR7ib4c
#2
210K
Views
Lunch Break Teaser — Store Exterior
5 Mar 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DVfegIPCclW
#3
200K
Views
Lunch Break Pt 2 — Erin, Bouldering
10 Mar 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DVsoC2eFbL_
#4
191K
Views
Lunch Break Pt 3 — Hayley, Trails
12 Mar 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DVwvIW_k-dk
#5
75.9K
Views
Routeburn Classic — Emma Cook Clarke Women's Record
18 Apr 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DXQtpEBj8od

The Lunch Break series is the playbook. Four of Arc'teryx AUS NZ's top five reels are from a single 4-part docuseries — each episode films a real store staff member doing their outdoor activity on their actual lunch break. Pt 1 (trail running) hit 246K views. The format is hyper-authentic and zero celebrity budget: real people, real places, real 60-minute windows. They launched with a teaser (210K views), then released 3 episodes over 7 days. The series format built algorithm momentum — each post fed the next. Their outlier (Routeburn Classic women's record) confirms that athlete achievement stories with a clear win and emotional hook also break through. Arc'teryx is doubling down on serialised, ground-level local storytelling over polished brand production.

On (Global)
@on — Note: Global account, not ANZ-specific
#1
10.3M
Views
Shape of Dreams — Spike Jonze x Zendaya Film
9 Apr 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DW6a3_OjH68
#2
9.6M
Views
Big Dreams, Mini Zendaya — Doll Teaser
10 Apr 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DW7NNysDCa7
#3
2.1M
Views
Dream Lab — Zendaya In-World Product Moment
~Apr 2026
↗ @on profile
#4
1.6M
Views
Shape of Dreams Campaign Extension
~Apr 2026
↗ @on profile
#5
1.1M
Views
Dream Lab x Zendaya + @luxurylaw
4 May 2026
↗ instagram.com/reel/DX4l9E0sEv0

Context first: @on is a global account with global budgets — their Zendaya + Spike Jonze 'Shape of Dreams' campaign is a cinematic short film. This is not a comparable benchmark for ANZ. However, the structural lesson is applicable at any scale: invest in one tentpole moment, then build a sustained content ecosystem around it (teaser → film launch → behind-the-scenes → influencer extensions → campaign long-tail). Every reel in their top 5 is part of the same campaign. The mini Zendaya figurine teaser (9.6M views) went viral through pure novelty — a clever prop, not Hollywood budget. The transferable lesson: a memorable visual moment, even low-cost, can carry a campaign.

Summary
Competitive Strategy Comparison
Brand Dominant Strategy What They're Doubling Down On Top Reel Views Avg Top-5 Views ANZ Relevance for Salomon
@merrellaustralia Paid creator UGC + lifestyle collab campaigns Independent creator partnerships (elizammcewen); outdoor lifestyle brand collabs (House of Darwin) — letting creators lead, brand follows 88.4K 36.4K High — directly comparable market, similar scale. Their paid creator playbook is immediately replicable.
@arcteryxausnz Serialised local docuseries + athlete achievement Lunch Break mini-series (real staff, real outdoors, serialised over 7 days). Authentic over polished. Community-first, product-second. 246K 184.8K Very High — Arc'teryx outperforms Salomon AUS NZ 4x on avg Reel views. Their Lunch Break formula is low-budget and directly replicable in Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney stores.
@on (Global) Tentpole cultural campaign + ecosystem rollout Cinematic brand films with celebrity talent (Zendaya, Spike Jonze) and sustained post-launch ecosystem (extensions, influencer collabs, BTS) 10.3M 4.9M Low (direct) / Medium (structural) — Budget not comparable, but the tentpole + ecosystem content structure is scalable at any level. The mini Zendaya doll moment shows viral novelty beats production spend.
@salomonausnz Mixed: events + paid creators + carousels Currently: reactive posting without a clear series or campaign structure. The Melbourne West opening proves event-led content works. 150K 47.2K N/A — Own account. Key opportunity: consistent series format + more paid creator budget = significantly higher avg reach.
Section 04

What To Do Next

✅ Post More Of This

Event-Led Reels

Melbourne West generated 150K views with zero paid spend. Every store opening, launch, or activation is a content opportunity. Film it, edit it fast, post it same day.

150K VIEWS — ORGANIC TOP PERFORMER
Paid Influencer Reels (1–2/month minimum)

sunni.lord hit 62.4K views. The algorithm rewards creator-native content. Brief a creator per month — outdoor, adventure, or lifestyle fit. Don't over-direct them.

62.4K VIEWS — CREATOR-LED
A Local Docuseries (Arc'teryx playbook)

The Lunch Break series averaged 212K views per episode for Arc'teryx. Build a 4-part Salomon version: staff athletes on their day off, local trails, NZ/AU terrain. Low budget, high authenticity, algorithm gold.

212K AVG VIEWS — Arc'teryx benchmark
Athlete Achievement Stories

Salomon athletes are competing and winning globally. Every race, podium, and record is a story. Film it, talk to them, make it personal. Arc'teryx's Routeburn reel is the template.

75.9K VIEWS — Arc'teryx Routeburn

❌ Post Less Of This

Niche Fashion / Streetwear Carousels

MM6 Maison Margiela, L'ART de L'Automobile, ZERO MEANING — all in the bottom 3 posts. The Salomon audience follows for sport and outdoors. Fashion collabs alienate that core and don't bring in a fashion audience at this scale.

AVG 87 LIKES — BOTTOM 3 POSTS
Announcement Reels Without a Hook

Highpoint 'Coming Soon' hit 9K views. Store announcements are brand-important but not algorithmically interesting. Wrap the announcement inside a story — show the build, the team, the excitement — not just a date card.

9K VIEWS — NO STORY HOOK
Carousels as the Default Format

All 5 carousels averaged 149 likes with no tracked view reach. Carousels are fine for community depth but not for growth. Reels should be the default format for reach; carousels reserved for deep-engagement moments.

AVG 149 LIKES — NO REACH
Organic Brand-Led Reels Without a Creator

Brand-produced content without a creator face or compelling story hook consistently underperforms paid and collab content by 6–15x. If it doesn't have a person, an event, or a hook in the first 2 seconds — rethink it.

L'ART COLLAB: 4.9K VIEWS — LOWEST REEL
@salomonausnz — Instagram Performance Report · May 2026
Data sourced via Instagram profile analysis · Compiled by NeverWork · [email protected]

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