Share vs. Sell — A new KPI for physical retailers.
Physical retailers today have fallen into a sad slump, begging and pleading with passing customers not necessarily to buy or even try their products but rather, share their content on a preferred social media channel.
The following phrases have come all-too-common as they seem to pollute the retail experience just as the typical “25% OFF TODAY ONLY” sale signs have in years past.
“Post a pic with your friends and tag #ILOVEBRAND #BRAND” And so on…
This is not to downplay the importance of a moment, shared with thousands of friends via a platform like Instagram Stories or Snap. A win like this can cut cost-per-impression from dollars to mere pennies and, more importantly, add a layer of verification to followers that almost no brand communication can match.
But, in the world of social today, retailers and brands must put themselves in the shoes of the consumer, realizing that a simple brand filter or promoted hashtag will no longer cut it.
Yes, users today are posting more, but the focus on a perfect, polished outward appearance to the customer’s list of followers is something not to forget. (heard of a Finstagram?)
With this new mindset of perfection ever-prevailing, brand content, endorsements and other efforts to integrate with these posts will be more difficult and in some ways, more costly.
Ask yourself; what are you as a brand or retailer, doing to add actual value to the experience? Why should the user post about their experience with you rather than a moment or memory with their friends, family or other, more notable event? In addition, why would this person choose to positively talk about your brand or moreover, include a logo or product in one of their precious posts? What value is any of this to them?
This overall trend has pushed the retail world and other venues alike, into a place where the pure physical design of the experience and the shareability of the retail space is key. Looking beyond the branded tags, filters and other digital gimmicks to creating experience that only a brand-owned space can embody.
Though this type of effort, brands have found ways to organically show up in the feeds of their most avid fans…
- Hunker, the fast-growing home and design digital publisher, debuts “Hunker House” — A physical retail store where you can’t buy anything.
- Tommy Hilfiger designs Instagram stories templates to heightened user content.
- Pewter opens a space that markets itself as a social space for customers who dream of becoming Insta-famous.
Examples of these Instagram-focused experiences like the above have been coming into the scene around the world for the last few years. First, it was art that found this niche as places like the Museum of Ice Cream and other like-venues captured the attention (and Instagram cameras) of users. From there, media publishers caught wind as experiences like 29Rooms came into focus and finally, today, we are seeing retailers begin to understand the concept.
Moving away from the brand tags, shameless asks and direct promotions to find their way onto a feed, retailers today must look to their physical footprint as more than a place to sell goods and focus more on the holistic impression the space makes and the value, on behalf of a brand, to the customers who visit.
What can brands do to hack their way into the feed?
- Look to find a way to heighten the in-store experience for the cusytomer by supplementing it with media and info shared via the consumers’ favorite platforms. i.e. Point your customers to your store on Instagram to see how products have been styled on influencers or other people users idolizes. (See Instagram’s Shoppable Stories)
- Create looks, feels and aesthetics that play well to heightened the capture experience. i.e. Colors that work well with Instagram filters or novel objects that give the user, and their following, a unique perspective of everyday items.
- Offer design elements and other creative assets that heightened the digital content of the user rather than simply slapping a brand or logo on top of the image or video.
Supporting Resources —
The Existential Void of the Pop-Up ‘Experience’ (New York Times)
Inside the most Instagrammable place on Earth (Fast Company)
More about Latitude
At Latitude, we love taking incredible brands of all sizes and elevating them through tech-fueled experiences that add true value. From pop-up retail to permanent build-outs, our team brings brand stories and modern-day commerce together to truly stand out. Want to learn more? See our case studies. Give us a shout.
Resources and original reporting of the above points covered by the following publications — PSFK
Additional Resources
Want to learn more? Our 2019 retail report is now available and includes a long list of case studies and insights from Shopify, Dollar Shave Club, and much more.
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