Archive for the ‘Social Shopping’ Category
In the End, the Booty Reader Doesn’t Translate
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010Special thanks to Cody and Feran for their contributions.
When Old Navy sent a tweet out searching for all kinds of “bootys,” we knew we needed to take a closer look (at the campaign, of course).
Old Navy, with the artistic direction of our friends at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, developed a new campaign just in time for back to school shopping. The “Booty Reader” web application asks women to upload pictures of their derrières in order to help them find the pair of Old Navy jeans best suited for them. When this was first brought to my attention, I thought to myself, “who in their right mind take a picture of their rear end and then upload it to a site to see what type of jeans they should buy?” Then the office started talking about it– and I decided that person was me. And not only did I do it, but Feran Morgret AND Cody Goins also participated in this little experiment.
When you enter the micro-site, which is headed by clairvoyant booty-judger Madame Eva, six tarot cards are laid on a table with different scenarios to choose from. We choose the same cards in order to have a constant in our “little” experiment. Our cards were The Juggler, The Lovers and The Tower. Our independent variables are the three rear ends we used. And of course our dependant variable was the actual tool.
Taking the Booty Challenge is not something to be rushed. Eva is quite particular with your submission and then even has you go an additional step using a stretchable line called “Aphrodite’s Belt” to help produce more accurate visual measurements. In retrospect, it may not be a good idea to wear a flowy blouse for your photo shoot.
We figured that because we used the same cards we would have at least 1 out of 3 of the results return to being the same. After taking 15 photos each (only needing 2) and cropping photos, we decided this was not an easy task for the non-tech savvy consumer. Our photos had to be in the exact right position to match where Madame Eva’s hands were. Each of us has a very different body type and the results were all different. Feran’s booty sign returned as a “Passionistica,” Cody was a “Bottomminium” and my booty sign was “Denimi.”
Although this was fun and we laughed, a lot, as a Social Media Agency we were a bit disappointed. The sharing options to this potential viral campaign were limited, not allowing you to share your results but simply give your friends and followers a link to the Booty Reader site. It also only allowed you to share via Facebook , Twitter and Email.
We always watch for fun and interesting campaigns to come through the social sphere and give the office a good laugh as we experiment with them. This was a campaign that fit all of the necessities for us to try it out, it didn’t seem to be so automated that everyone got the same results, and it did give multiple options in fit and in color. The descriptions were . . .well, a bit depressing (except for Cody’s, as he was extremely pleased that his perfect jean fit was “Skinny Diva”) but overall, the campaign was fun and should get a young demographic (and probably some agency folk) to play with it.
Is it this destined to be the next big viral campaign? Probably not, but hey, we’re no Madame Eva. . . I guess the next step to this in-depth assessment of Old Navy’s latest interactive marketing tool is to probably go try a pair of these denims on and see if Madame Eva is indeed accurate or just another fortune-telling scam artist (I’m still waiting for the stars to align into position for my winning lotto ticket). But for $19 bucks – who cares if Madame Eva says it’s your fate or not?
Location Based Marketing Gets Textually Active
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
While the talk of the town is still social media (even if it’s a day late and more than a dollar short for some), creating a seamless experience with brands is quickly becoming the focus of many an internal marketing team. In Andy Boyer’s last post he took a look at the tide of users logging into the Facebook environment on their mobile devices (HINT: It’s a big, big number). Here, I’m looking at the recent launch of location-based mobile marketing campaigns and seeing how they tie in to larger campaigns.
If you’re keeping up with the news, you’ve probably seen the story from location-based marketer Placecast (owned and developed by 1020 Inc.) which is working with the likes of Sonic, American Eagle Outfitters, and REI to integrate their ShopAlerts application into their wider marketing campaigns. The North Face Inc. also just launched a campaign to drive foot traffic to their brick and mortar stores in New York, Boston, San Francisco and here in Seattle.
As more and more companies are looking at social media and other new tech-propelled forms of reaching targets many are making the OR mistake and only putting one horse in the race. Where companies small and large are making a splash is in creating a seamless brand experience by using traditional, social, and mobile media to reach their brand loyalists where they are and in a way that resonates with them. Here’s a look at a couple brands doing this well:
American Eagle Outfitters
AE, a lifestyle clothing brand is aimed at college-age men and women, is always working to keep up with current marketing trends. Their presence in the social media world is anchored by a strong presence in Facebook and Twitter, but by adding a text-based element they are able to bring customers through the doors.
The North Face
As one of the leaders in advanced outdoor gear, The North Face operates at the higher-end of the retail spectrum and has a varying array of customers from advanced mountaineers to sporty urbanites. Their presence in social media plays well with their changing Web presence and reflects the current campaign pushes of the time. However, The North Face, along with Placecast, just launched a mobile location-based text campaign meant to draw already interested brand loyalists into their stores for even more gear.
In addition to their text campaign with Placecast, The North Face recently launched an iPhone application aimed at providing snow conditions for those headed to the mountains called The North Face Snow Report.
But, Where are the Numbers?
Oh, we’ve got numbers for you. Participants who opted into receiving updates from several major retailers including Sonic, American Eagle Outfitters and REI had this to say:
- 60% said that they found the lociation-triggered messages to be cool and innovative
- 79% said it increased their likelihood to visit a store
- 65% made a purchase as a result of a ShopAlerts message
- 73% said they would definitely or probably use the service in the future
From those numbers you can see the power of opt-in services that are delivering right-sized messaging at the correct targets. The users are already connected with the brands and are receiving information that they’ve already deemed “worthy.” It’s not like having a person stand on the corner handing out fliers for your store to every passersby – it’s targeted.
So, as we continue to move further into the world where marketing truly can reach anyone, anywhere (given, of course that the technological infrastructure is there), I think it’s important to realize that no new technology or tactic is the silver bullet. It’s not traditional advertising or social media. It’s not in-store or mobile – the list goes on. Speaking of that list of location-based services, looks like it’s about to get one name longer very soon. It’s about creating the seamless experience for users from store to online store to community to mobile that builds brand loyalty and gives back in the end.
Social Shopping Helps Drive Traffic to Retail Sites
Friday, February 5th, 2010There’s been a lot of talk around ‘Social Shopping’ lately. As a topic of particular interest and importance to Spring Creek Group, we’ve tried to share our insight and opinion regarding this fast-growing trend. You may have read our Pre-Holiday Season article, 5 Hot Social Shopping Trends to Watch For, or the interview with SCG Principal Clay McDaniel, Find out how social media can save you money. Both pieces discussed the topic of social shopping in both terms of the effect and benefit for the consumer as well as the retailer.
We all know, or are becoming increasingly aware, that social shopping is on the rise, and we know most large retailers have some kind of social media presence, and likewise, most retailers are realizing the benefits of having this presence in order to better reach and engage customers. But, what we do not always know is the actual impact social networking has on these major retail brands.
Hitwise, a leading online competitive intelligence service, has compiled some useful data on how the top 500 U.S. retailers reached consumers on social networking channels, specifically around the Holiday Season when online shopping is typically high. The category, “Social Networking and Forums” drove 37% more traffic in 2009 than the previous year and made up 13% of overall traffic sources to the retail company websites.
Additionally, “During the holidays over 2% of the traffic to Facebook (the 2nd ranked website in the US) visited a website in the Retail 500 immediately after,” Hitwise research director Heather Dougherty wrote.
Keep in mind, Hitwise isn’t measuring all retail activity occurring within this category as many companies’ social shopping approach isn’t always to direct users back to their websites but instead to make direct sales. But, these figures do still offer a better idea of social shopping’s growing significance, and give us a more confirmed sense of where social shopping is going. This in turn can help us as consumers know where our favorite brands’ advertisements and campaigns may be likely to live, so we can then look to these channels for deals, bargains and first hand information. And it can help us as Marketers to not only know who and where our brand ambassadors are, but to connect, listen and engage with them as well.
Read more about the results here:
http://weblogs.hitwise.com/heather-dougherty/2010/01/social_network_impact_for_reta.html
Social Shopping 101: An Online Holiday Shopping Q&A with SCG Principal Clay McDaniel
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009Recently we sat down and picked the brain of Spring Creek Group Principal Clay McDaniel about the topic that’s dancing around like sugar plums in peoples’ heads this Holiday season – shopping, or more specifically social shopping.
Q: What is Social Shopping?
We all know that the Internet has seriously changed the way we shop. With the meteoric rise of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, we’re about to enter a whole new dimension – social shopping. Social Shopping combines the power of social networks with e-commerce. People visit social shopping sites to share deals, bargains, promotions, product recommendations and reviews to help each other make better purchase decisions. This Holiday season, social shopping will be in full effect. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), almost half of online retailers (47%) plan to increase their use of social media this Holiday season. Meaning there is power in numbers: if we consumers share bargains and deals with one another, we can save a big chunk of change. But you do need to know where to look.
Q: Should I become Facebook friends with brands or companies?
If you are a genuine supporter of a product or company and plan to make purchases at some point, it’s probably worth it to ‘fan’ their page. It’s a free and easy way to get exclusive deals, offers and freebies. Some brands even offer an initial joining gift when you fan their page. If the deals don’t turn out to be compelling, simply ‘defriend’ them.
Q: How can I use Twitter to find deals?
Think of Twitter like as a real-time search engine. Every minute of every day, sites and brands are tweeting about exclusive deals and discounts. Seeing “limited-time” offers used to mean you had days, or even weeks, to take advantage of a good deal. With Twitter, many of the deals shared work only for an hour or so.
You can follow your favorite brands, restaurants and stores to get their deals directly, and you can also follow @woot, @bingcashback, @slickdeals, and @fatwallet to find out about the best deals happening each day. These services track and tweet deals, coupons and discounts on a wide variety of products. Some of the promotions are only for Twitter followers, so you can’t get them elsewhere, and most are short in duration.
You can also use hashtags to find good deals. Great ones to follow are #holidaydeals, #coupon, #cybermonday and #savings. If you are looking for something specific try a hashtag for the particular product such as #wii or #zhuzhupets. Another option is to create a specific Twitter list for deals that is separate from your main feed. Some great local companies to follow are @theindustryshop, @REI_CoOp, @EE_Robbins, @myjulep, @tottiniseattle and @goodbyn.
Q: What is “Group Gifting”?
It’s an old practice – improved by the new social Internet. Say you want to chip in with others and provide one special gift to a teacher, co-worker, friend or family member. Small sites like lolligift.com, edivvy.com, dreambank.org and wisheo.com have made this concept their bread-and-butter. Some big retailers are also experimenting with the group gifting concept on their sites. Best Buy recently launched a “Pitch In” program, where shoppers can register online for gifts they want, and send a notice to friends and relatives via e-mail or social networking sites like Facebook. Gift-givers can then sign up for the program online to pay for a portion of the listed items.
Q: What are “Private Sales”?
One of the fastest-growing e-commerce trends today are “private sale” sites that offer steep discounts on off-season luxury items for a limited time. Gilt.com and RueLaLa are popular in the fashion space, while OneKingsLane focuses on furniture and housewares. The sites are “members only”, but they are free to join. Simply sign up to get the daily email from these private sales detailing what brands are on offer today. Woot.com offers just one product for sale per day, but it often sells out fast if it’s a really good deal.
We hope this answers some of your questions about social shopping, and makes your gift-giving a little easier this Holiday season. If you have additional social shopping tips or advice, please feel free to share.
