Weekly Furniture World Media Note #119 From Lance Hanish: Target Loyal Fans With ‘Private Viewing’ eMail

Furniture World News Desk on 7/23/2014

France’s Chanel is offering email subscribers a private viewing of its fall/ winter 2014 pre-collection campaign. In an article by Nancy Buckley in Luxury Daily (072114), Chanel’s email includes links to the film, the collection and a store locator to allow subscribers a first glimpse at the campaign and the locations it can be purchased. The conceit of a private showing may make the collection appear more exclusive to consumers.! “The video focuses on exclusivity and the value that the luxury market brings to consumers especially in regards to providing special services and accommodations,” said Dalia Strum professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. “It contextually story-tells Chanel’s connection with this clientele and how they maintain relationships as well as their approach within the luxury industry,” she said.

The email was sent July 18 with the subject line “Private View.” The text of the email included several black-and-white photographs of various items in the fall/winter 2014 pre-collection. Consumers are encouraged to discover more online and in boutiques and are offered three links to the film, the collection and the store locator.

The film is found on Chanel’s Web site and features a Parisian boutique. The video itself sits on the Web page and plays when it is scrolled over, otherwise it appears as a collection of stills from the film. Chanel’s video has a Film Noir feeling with the black and white tones and the music that plays in the background. The screen also shows multiple shots at once in split screens. “The looks” link on the email leads to a page full of screenshots from the video that have click-throughs to a page with the item’s name and number along with a suggested price.

Offering loyal consumers an exclusive look at products or promotions can create greater loyalty and consumer interaction with a brand.

For instance, London department store Harrods aimed to increase ecommerce sales while simultaneously rejuvenating its in-store skincare event line-up as it comes to an end Feb. 18 with an email blast of exclusive products.

Harrods emphasized the “new” and “exclusive” products in the subject line to generate more opens. Promoting products available only at Harrods drives foot traffic both in-store and online as affluent consumers gravitate toward exclusivity.

Also, French fashion house Balenciaga offered a handbag model exclusively on its ecommerce site to drive traffic from its loyal consumers. The brand told its subscribers about the handbag in a promotional email that featured a minimalist design, with minimal copy. By keeping the wording of the email simple, Balenciaga was enabling its followers to scan the email quickly to determine their interest.

“[Chanel is] willing to oblige the specific needs of their clientele and utilize this strategy in place of customization as a form of personalized service,” Ms. Strum said. “This applies to their online approach as well, the private showing is typically an elite service that they have adapted to their virtual
voice as a unique value proposition to their viewers,” she said. 

What would prohibit a manufacturer in the home furnishings industry from doing the same, say at their October Market in High Point? If the point is to build floor traffic in the retail stores, it would make sense to bring the world of fashion and style within home furnishings to the loyal customer base many of the brands believe they have. Rather than using legacy media, such as printed invitations and ads in magazine, direct mail and social media can be used to engage via digital and mobile. This could all lead to a spectacular opening in the retail locations around the country early in the Spring of 2015. 

If in fact the home furnishings industry is bringing fashion and style to the women of the world, it is about time to communicate with them in a way that is within their wheelhouse in today’s world. The use of digital and mobile to make it happen is available right now. Let’s bring the world into our world and make them excited about what we are offering.

Mobile today in the world of integrated marketing, is absolutely important. It is the most important aspect of your marketing strategy this year. That is why we say, MOBILENow!

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Lance Hanish is Co-Founding Partner in CNA | Sophis Integrated Marketing Communications. 

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