This content originally appeared August 27, 2020 as part of the Future of Marketing weekly email series. Subscribe here.
According to a study by Rakuten Advertising, 70% of surveyed consumers are expecting to shop this Christmas – despite over 40% citing a decrease in household income. Additionally, 57% of consumers still plan to shop during peak times like Black Friday.
People will continue to spend, but tighter budgets will push people to become more selective about the brands they support and buy from.
See more, do more, be more
Purchase decisions don’t rely on brand familiarity alone. Brand values, corporate responsibility, and personalization each play an important role in establishing brand loyalty and getting people to buy from you.
Warby Parker encompasses all of these elements – and as the holiday season approaches and eCommerce surges, marketers should take a page from its playbook.
On its ‘Wearing Warby’ webpage, Warby Parker shares stories of its favorite customers who “use its glasses as a tool to accomplish some pretty great things” – from fellow writers to activists and designers. This is a great way to highlight inspiring people to influence those who look up to them while simultaneously giving ‘rising influencers’ the exposure they deserve.
When you click a profile, you will notice things like their favorite word, a fun fact about them, the frame they’re wearing, and so on. This approach makes Warby Parker’s content more relatable and less ‘salesy’ while still promoting its products.
Warby Parker also shares a product section highlighting similar frames to the one each of its ‘favorite customers’ is wearing. The company also displays a feed of other people wearing Warby Parker – thus, providing social proof.
But Warby Parker doesn’t stop there.
They have a clear mission to make an impact. They educate and transparently share how their product is made. They embrace ‘experiential marketing’ by letting people try their products *from home* before committing. And they let REAL people do the talking for them.
Ask your customers to submit their feedback about your product or service to provide social proof across your product (or service) pages – but take things a step further and ensure your messaging is impactful, adds value, and stands for something.
Remember – it’s more than just having a great product. It’s about creating a human-centric experience people won’t find anywhere else.
Creative marketing funnels
User-generated content (UGC) is much more than pulling from a hashtag or showcasing images of your customers. If approached strategically, UGC can help steer the marketing funnel in a way that reduces expenses, boosts engagement, builds trust, AND increases agility.
In 2013, Warby Parker had a unique way of increasing word-of-mouth – with a heavy emphasis on PR. They offered a deal that included a “Make-A-Snowman Kit” for customers during the holidays. Customers shared these DIY kits across social media by tagging #WarbySnowman, which led to a flood of UGC (and brand awareness).
In essence, Warby Parker reinvented the experience of buying eyeglasses by making it fun and engaging – turning first-time shoppers into loyal customers.
From establishing awareness to converting people into paying customers, identify the gaps in your current marketing funnel and consider creative ways to delight and turn your best customers into brand advocates.
What we’re learning:
- TikTok unveiled its first shoppable Livestream, which will help convert passive viewers into active shoppers
- Facebook published a report analyzing new evolving trends, including ‘gLOCALization’ and safer shopping
- 2020 Christmas predictions for retail include discounts and shopping in advance
- Nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce is working from home, which poses new marketing opportunities to support remote workers
- Young Chinese consumers are looking for international brands – demonstrating untapped global potential (and fierce competition between Amazon and Alibaba)
- Upcoming Webinar: How to increase eCommerce sales with UGC and social
- Popeyes is launching a countdown to New Year’s on Times Square to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its chicken sandwich – which made headlines (and even art pieces) due to shortages
Brand Crush: YETI
YETI has been working diligently to bring outdoor experiences to those stuck at home.
YETI launched #BuiltForTheWild, where they ask fans to share their ‘epic shots’ with their YETI products via Instagram or Twitter for a chance to be featured on their website.
Click an image and you’ll notice how easy it is to shop the product each fan is using (see the experience, buy the experience). Check this out:
YETI is also hosting ‘Lunch and Learns’ where employees and brand ambassadors cover topics, including the “basics of inbound marketing, to design for startups, to tips for living and working out of a backpack” – which adds a different dimension to the customer journey.
They even have a free Livestream called YETI+, which shares relaxing footage of outdoor ‘streams’ that make you want to get away.
User-generated content is only one part of the equation. A successful UGC strategy involves a holistic approach that elevates every touchpoint of your customer journey – and with the holidays coming up, creating a ‘share-worthy’ experience is crucial to gaining competitive advantage.
If there’s a brand or topic you’d like us to explore in a future newsletter, let us know here. We’d love to hear from you.
If you enjoyed reading this email, forward it to a friend or subscribe to Future of Marketing.