I thought I would write about something that you could say has become second nature to me as it is something I do when I blog on my personal beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog but also on here. I personally enjoy social media but it is also something we studied in my E-Business Management unit this year. Social networking and sharing your brand and websites has become the latest must-have for fashion retailers. Primark amongst other several high-street names are blurring the lines between publishing, shopping and social media in a bid to get closer to their customers.
Social media and networking has become such a vital marketing tool and it has become a huge part of the 'norms' of everyday life. I for one am signed up to many social networking sites from Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube and so on and I can't get enough of them.
Looking at Primark in particular, they do not have an online store but they also do not advertise. So how have they become such a well-known and successful company? Less than a year ago Primark developed a new kind of social media site called Primania and by doing this they have kicked things up a notch to utilise their own shoppers to help sell the brand to fellow fashion lovers. On the site you post photographs of yourself wearing your latest Primark finds. Primania is now coming up to it's first birthday and rakes in over 300,000 visitors a week.
Jason Bason, the Finance Director of Primarks parent company Asos mentioned:
"Primania took inspiration from other social media sites, like the Primark Haul of Youtubers and bloggers, which can attract more than a million viewers. Primania is owned by Primark consumers and it's crucial that it's customer-led. Part of the pull of the brand is that it is something 'owned by me'. Post-recession consumers want to hear (from) brands. They want to know what they think, where they stand and what their beliefs are. In a digital world, people no longer go into a shop, see something and decide to buy it. It is much more about buying into a lifestyle."
Some of the biggest high-street retailers – Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and John Lewis are making more effort to reach out to customers in a more modern way. Waitrose now utilise a TV channel on their website, with cooking ideas, "how-to" videos, celebrity interviews and cookery demos by famous chefs. Online recipes from the TV shows can be quickly converted into a shopping list of items that can be bought online. Marks & Spencer have also added a style and living section to their website, offering magazine-style content including editors' picks, trend suggestions and celebrity interviews. The marketing director of M&S, Patrick Bousquet Chavanne says style and living is the fastest-growing section of the website and accounts for close to half its traffic. He says shoppers are 24% more likely to make a purchase if they've read about it.
Dick, who used to be the online editor of Elle, reckons all retailers will have to adapt to the new world of digital sharing: "For a shop to become a brand, it has to have a relationship with its customers – and the best way to do that is through other customers."
Jason Bason, the Finance Director of Primarks parent company Asos mentioned:
"Primania took inspiration from other social media sites, like the Primark Haul of Youtubers and bloggers, which can attract more than a million viewers. Primania is owned by Primark consumers and it's crucial that it's customer-led. Part of the pull of the brand is that it is something 'owned by me'. Post-recession consumers want to hear (from) brands. They want to know what they think, where they stand and what their beliefs are. In a digital world, people no longer go into a shop, see something and decide to buy it. It is much more about buying into a lifestyle."
Some of the biggest high-street retailers – Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and John Lewis are making more effort to reach out to customers in a more modern way. Waitrose now utilise a TV channel on their website, with cooking ideas, "how-to" videos, celebrity interviews and cookery demos by famous chefs. Online recipes from the TV shows can be quickly converted into a shopping list of items that can be bought online. Marks & Spencer have also added a style and living section to their website, offering magazine-style content including editors' picks, trend suggestions and celebrity interviews. The marketing director of M&S, Patrick Bousquet Chavanne says style and living is the fastest-growing section of the website and accounts for close to half its traffic. He says shoppers are 24% more likely to make a purchase if they've read about it.
Dick, who used to be the online editor of Elle, reckons all retailers will have to adapt to the new world of digital sharing: "For a shop to become a brand, it has to have a relationship with its customers – and the best way to do that is through other customers."
Social media is a wonderful thing! What are your thoughts?
Speak soon!
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