How Retailers Are Improving Digital Marketing Efforts in 2014
We're less than two months into 2014 and already retailers are making drastic changes to their digital marketing strategies to compensate for an "all consumer" culture. In addition to shoppable windows, subscription-based e-commerce and virtual malls, retailers such as Net-a-Porter are now offering print magazines. With the growing popularity of conscious consumerism and an on-demand economy, retailers need to think more creatively and take a more holistic approach with their brand strategy.
Below are three retailers which are taking a creative approach to digital marketing.
Hudson's Bay Company
The 330-year-old retailer with deep brick-and-mortar roots recently announced the launch of HBC Digital, the company's digital division. The group will be overseen by former Saks.com President Michael Burgess, who will be tasked with creating a seamless digital and e-commerce strategy across all of the company's brands.
"Digital is reinventing retail and transforming the in-store and online consumer experience," says Burgess. "This is an essential component of HBC Digital. Our goals enable us to stay nimble and accelerate our efforts across the entire HBC platform to create a consistent omnichannel experience."
One of Hudson's Bay's most recent digital efforts is the creation of a mobile shopping app.
Amazon
The Goliath of e-commerce is giving Bitcoin a run for its money. Top Tech News reported yesterday that Amazon.com customers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany can now buy and spend Amazon Coins on their Android devices.
To use Amazon Coins, customers must download the latest version of the Amazon Appstore and their current Coins balance will appear. The more customers download specific apps and reach new levels in games, the more Coins they will earn. The strategy isn't necessarily a new one. Online gaming companies have used this model for years. However, this is one of the first times we're seeing a retailer of Amazon's stature apply it to its omnichannel strategy.
Coins is just another step towards "on-demand" commerce from Amazon. Jeff Bezos announced earlier this year the possibility of using drones to assist with same-day delivery.
Madewell
The sister brand of J.Crew, Madewell recently launched a new campaign called the "Flashtagram." In partnership with bloggers, editors from Allure, NYLON, Elle and Marie Claire, and 500 Madewell employees, the brand flooded its Instagram account with more than 1,600 posts. In addition, the campaign generated more than 160,000 photo likes on Facebook last Friday.
One of the most impressive parts of the campaign? Aside from a few free denim giveaways, it wasn't a paid campaign. In addition, it met the needs of consumers and helped generate a lot of social traffic and buzz for Madewell.
