things I like today: flash sale websites
Designer sales. They’re only for the rich and highly-fashion-conscious, right?
To be fair, that probably was the case for quite some time. But these days, sample sales are available to anyone. Well, anyone with an email address that is.
Sites like GILT have recently become my lunchtime guilty pleasure (pun intended).
Many of these sites allow you to customize your preferences, so you can receive reminders when a brand or product type matching your interests is about to open a sale on the site.
But, best of all, these sites allow you to score some serious deals. Many of the items are 50%-75% off
retail prices, meaning that designer goods are available to more people, something that’s fantastic in any economy, but especially in our current one, making saving money both smart and fashionable.
GILT without the guilt. Fabulous.
“face” book, indeed
Props to Estee Lauder for finding a unique and personal way to engage their customer base via social media.
As explained in the image above (as well as on their Facebook page), Estee Lauder is providing free professional makeup services to their customers and then helping them post pictures of their fabulous new selves on their online profiles of choice.
I expect that this endeavor will bring in many new customers of all ages–after all, what girl hasn’t wished for her own personal makeup artist and photo shoot?
Many companies (of all sizes) struggle with ways to monetize social media. I think the truth is that there is no across-the-board solution–thinking outside the box–and the makeup counter–is clearly the way to go.
power to the people
I love online shopping.
I also love what user contributed content has done for online shopping. The words of other consumers have both made me think twice about buying a product as well as sealed the deal on a purchase. It’s a powerful and unique tool.
At this stage in the game I am always surprised to find online retailers who haven’t gotten on board with user reviews. I cringe when I come across these sites. Just this week while browsing the Gap, Inc. websites (bananarepublic.com, oldnavy.com, gap.com, piperlime.com) I was shocked to discover that one of my favorite online retailers could be so out of the loop in terms of leveraging the power of online reviews. These are big brands–there is a lot of opportunity at stake–and yet, it seems as though no effort whatsoever has been made to harness the opinions of the masses.
My beloved J. Crew (jcrew.com) is another example. I actually find myself looking up their products on other sites to get more opinions and information. I’m sure it isn’t their goal to create such an intrusive step in their sales pipeline but it is the unfortunate reality of the situation.
On the winning team: Though I don’t believe I’ve ever actually ordered anything from L.L. Bean, I’ve somehow wound up on their catalog mailing list. Last night, while lazily flipping through their print catalog, something caught my eye–user reviews from llbean.com. I was happy to see them using these reviews in a way that really makes sense. It also illustrated the passion that L.L. Bean consumers have for their products. Impressive on both counts.
Prominent user contributed content does more than give consumers a glimpse of another user experience, it also tells consumers that you have nothing to hide–that you are proud of your products and are open to direct feedback. It can also showcase the genuine excitement that consumers have about your products–feedback that sells itself.
two mediums are better than one
As I mentioned in one of my recent Twitter posts, I love it when the line between one medium and another becomes blurred.
Telecommunications and photography. Television and internet. Music and internet. This has been happening for years. The iPhone is a prime example of what can happen when you create a device that allows for this sort of convergence: camera, mp3 player, phone, and computer in one.
There are also countless websites built on this principle (think Hulu or Flickr). It’s also found with any print news syndicated for online use. It’s all around us all the time–in advertisements, communications and entertainment.
Recently, I came across this article about a video ad in an upcoming print publication.
I’m always curious to see what’s next to join forces in this no-holds-barred, technology-driven, fast-paced world we live in. It’s only a matter of time before we’re reviewing movies on imdb.com on tv and uploading photos to Flickr from our cameras.
fresh thinking
For years I was a Giant Eagle fan. I didn’t care that their prices were a little higher or that it was a little further out of my way. I loved their consistency, fresh produce, and giant cheese selection.
Then I moved to a part of Columbus that should be known as Kroger Valley. Off the top of my head I can think of at least four Krogers within a five mile radius. Those are just the ones I know about. There are probably more.
With Krogers a’plenty and the nearest Giant Eagle a lengthy 20 minute trip by comparison, I made the decision to shop at one of my (many) neighborhood Krogers.
I did notice that the food was cheaper, and that made it a little more bearable. Then I noticed that the produce was just as fresh as Giant Eagle, so that was nice too. And then I saw that they had Port Salut cheese, which made it a reasonable Giant Eagle alternative. After the course of several months, I slowly began to forget about my once beloved Giant Eagle.
And today, Kroger did one more thing to secure my business–they sent me customized coupons with a thank you note for shopping with them. And not crappy little $.25 off coupons–I mean totally decent, go-ahead-and-have-these-products-for-free coupons. Turns out, each time I use my Kroger Plus card, Kroger keeps track of what I buy. They know that I buy Cheerios and frozen thin-crust margherita pizzas and Del Monte fruit cups. And not only that, but they use this information to make valuable connections with their customers.
And once again, database marketing saves the day (and, in this case, saves me money).
(good) email marketing
Email marketing is about more than ROI and CTR and the many other acronyms with which it is commonly associated. It’s also about branding and understanding your user base. If you are unclear on who your company is or who your customer is you’ve got far more important things to worry about than implementing an email marketing program.
Defining your brand is essential in part because customers like to understand brands. They like to know who they’re dealing with. Are you modern and minimalistic? Down-to-earth and friendly? A trusted expert in the industry? And who are your customers? Are they stay-at-home moms? Weekend sports fanatics?
Once you have a clear brand (style, voice, etc.) in place, and an understanding of your customer base, it’s probably a good idea to incorporate these concepts into your email outreach.
A good example of a company that does this (and does it quite well) is the beauty and skin care giant, Sephora. Years ago, I recall encountering a brief survey upon logging into the Sephora.com website. I quickly responded to the survey and forgot all about it.
But Sephora didn’t forget.
Instead, they used the data they collected to build a Laura-centric profile of sorts. For example, they know that I color my hair and have green eyes. They know my age demographic and that I have fair-skin. But what’s exciting is that they use this information to make helpful (but not intrusive) suggestions about what sort of products might work best (and look best) with my features and skin care needs.
What’s more is that they also know the products I’ve used in the past, and they encourage me to rate them (good or bad) on the Sephora.com website. And they never forget to offer me a free (and pretty decent) birthday gift.
It’s gotten to the point where I actually look forward to receiving their emails. I open each and every one of them–which is more than I can say for most marketing emails I receive. They get it. They understand their brand and their customers.
I could go on and on about Sephora as they are one of my all-time favorite brands and they do so many things right when it comes to online marketing, but I’ll stick with email marketing for now.
Good email marketing is a powerful thing. It creates loyalty, increased conversions, and customers that get genuinely excited about a brand… and free birthday gifts.
etsy.com–a site worth a second (and third and fourth…) look
For a site that’s just over four years old, Etsy.com has made quite an impression.
Focusing on handmade items and hard-to-find vintage pieces, Etsy seems to have hit on a unique market. And as more people look for new ways to bring in a little extra cash, I expect that Etsy will keep right on growing.
More esoteric than Amazon and eBay, the online store offers categories like geekery, pets, weddings, jewelry, and art. It’s a great site to visit if you’re looking for a unique housewarming gift, pet accessories, a fun piece of jewelry, or just about anything craft-related that you can think of.
Etsy also has a blog that has shopping guides, a how-to section, videos, and even more Etsy-related goodness.
A lovely, beautiful collection of baubles, knick-knacks, and assorted other items you didn’t realize you couldn’t live without, Etsy.com is definitely worth a few minutes of your time.
marketing, fashion, google reader
I am particularly fond of Google Reader. Like many of you, I keep up with an assortment of online marketing, technology, and industry-leading blogs and websites. And Google Reader helps me do this easily and efficiently.
However, in addition to my professional interests, I also have my guilty pleasures. My not so work-related indulgences. An occasional web comic. A comprehensive political feed. But the ones I shamelessly cherish are usually beauty- and fashion-related.
They come in handy when I’m wondering what I should wear to a job interview (for example, the image above helped me pick out my most recent interview outfit) or when I’m considering purchasing Dior’s new eyeshadow palette but want a second opinion.
So, while I still like to read about what Seth Godin is thinking when it comes to all things marketing or what Duct Tape Marketing has to say about the ROI of social media, I’ll still take a minute (or fifteen) to see what’s going on in the world of fashion. After all, clothes (and makeup and great accessories) make the woman.
ze goggles, zey do nothing
Growing up I always begged my parents to let me have the “laser background” in my school photos. But since it cost an extra $3 or some such, my parents always declined, much to my dismay.
Today I came across a “tribute to the greatest school photo backdrop there ever was” in blog form. Classic. In the same vein as the also humorous Awkward Family Photos.
Some other great niche blogs:
old timey cartoon goodness
I’m not sure how or why it happened, but somehow despite growing up in the 1980s many of the cartoons I watched as a child were from the 1930s-1940s. I knew the likes of Little Lulu and Betty Boop long before I saw Care Bears or My Little Ponies. It seems odd to me now, but at the time I had no idea that the shows I watched on video tape were from a different era. Funny, I suppose how the eyes of a child can overlook poor quality picture without hesitation.
I haven’t thought much of these cartoons in years. My knowledge of their existence was stored away deep in the recesses of my mind alongside other early life-shaping memories like first pets and camping trips. But then a few weeks ago I came across an old favorite Betty Boop cartoon on YouTube and the memories came flooding back. And so, for the past several weeks I’ve been enjoying such videos on a more frequent basis. The picture quality isn’t that great, but as every child knows, that’s not so important anyway.
Here are a few of my favorites:
