One of the challenges marketers and strategists face today is understanding the difference between a success story and an example that has true business impact. With every story and through our own experience, we are learning about the transformation companies are undertaking to migrate from social brands to social businesses. One of the emergent trends that we will soon be tracking is the move from social to experiential where social media plays only one part in the greater production of everyday customer engagement. Social becomes part of the overall experience as does mobile, web, real world, and other channel strategies that guide customers on the journey… wherever it may begin and on whichever path they prefer. The experience must be dedicated to each channel yet integrated to deliver a holistic brand odyssey.
Sephora is one of the brands that’s leading the way toward the digital experience. The company recently invested in an entirely new shopping experience that integrates mobile, social, and in store activity. On this episode of Revolution, Julie Bornstein SVP Digital at Sephora shares with us the importance of delivering a holistic digital and IRL experience while also enhancing the individual path each customer takes to engage with the brand and their favorite products.
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The End of Business as Usual is officially here…
Great job Sephora (Julie and team). Also, in-store, I’ve observed that Sephora employees are knowledgeable about product(s) and seem legitimately happy (which helps the overall social experience for me).
The site has too many calls to action and is a billboard for too many products. When are online brands going to include usability in their redesign of websites
Perfect interview for us today, going into Holiday 1 with the connected consumer!
What a great interview and a very smart way to get people to read up about the many products Saphora has to offer. Many times I have gone into this store feeling overwhelmed by all the options Sephora provides. The staff is very knowledgeable, but if you are not sure what exactly you are looking for the sales people can also be a little over zealous. Connecting with the store prior to shopping and doing your research before you step foot in the store gives the customer a sense of relief and confidence when purchasing (expensive, quality makeup!). Having the ability to browse Saphora’s Pinterest boards of the employees to see what their favorite products are definitely gives their opinions of best products more weight and gains the trust of the customer. Being able to scan your IPhone while in the store to get history on the product before you buy it give customers the ability to read up on the products and make personal decisions on the item instead of feeling pressure from the sales clerk.