People prefer what they see to what they hear-Williams Sonoma
During the pandemic, the most in-demand company will undoubtedly be one that prioritizes digital marketing. William Sonoma is precisely the type of company that fits this description, with e-commerce sales accounting for 66% of all branded sales in 2022. The expansion of its e-commerce program has also resulted in the growth of offline sales. In the following section, I will reveal one of the secrets to achieving success in digital marketing.
Pulling instead of pushing
Williams hosts a wealth of experiential activities, not a sales conference. The event featured both online and offline cooking instructors, as well as an in-person book sale where distinguished authors were available for book signings.
The aim of these endeavors is dual; one is to attract clientele to the store and augment foot traffic. The aim of these endeavors is dual; one is to attract clientele to the store and augment foot traffic. With the growth of e-commerce, consumers increasingly prefer online shopping. Experiential activities offer a solution to this trend.
The second purpose is to allow customers to better understand the product. Research shows that visuals such as pictures and videos are more persuasive than text or speech. Therefore, providing customers the opportunity to experience and feel the product’s beauty is more effective than constantly promoting and researching with words.
After the event, Williams will post photos or videos on its social media outlets such as Instagram and X（Twitter）. It has over a million followers on both platforms, and the pictures it posts of its events often get thousands of likes as well as comments.
Did it succeed?
It was effective because William maintained constant communication with his customers. The experiential event will create a lasting impression of the product on the customer, and the social media post will draw a greater number of people to the event. This will result in a positive feedback loop.
The second reason is that this event transforms participants into walking advertisements, with many taking photos afterward to promote the brand.
The third reason for the success of this campaign is the significant increase in engagement. Williams typically receives around 1,000 likes for a regular campaign on Instagram, whereas the experiential campaign receives three to four times as many likes.
