Luxury brands get digitally savvy to win more fans

New York

JOSÉ de Cabo spends a lot of time on social media. But unlike most people who post on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with friends and family, Mr de Cabo and his team of more than 140 people - primarily based in New York and London - have another goal.

They scour the world's most popular social media sites on behalf of luxury brands like Lancôme and Yves Saint Laurent, hunting for personal photos that feature the brands - like an image of a handbag or pair of shoes - that could be used in marketing campaigns.

By tapping into the digital world, Mr de Cabo said, brands (which have final say over what photos are used and do not pay people for their online images…