Social Media in Retail
ACSEL Trade Mission
London, June 2009
Londres, Juin 2009
www.ianjindal.com
www.internetretailing.net

Social Media in Retail 1. The Social Media Landscape
2. Early retail uses - marketing, service and
sales support
3. Affiliates and retailers
4. What else is there?
5. Multichannel considerations

1. Social Media Landscape - let’s look at Facebook
Profile
Friends
Mail
Applications
Events
Fans
Videos
“Connect”
Ecosystem

1. Social Media Landscape - the ‘oasis’
• 200 million users
• 100 million log in every day
• 120 friends (average user)
• 8,000 sites linked by Facebook Connect
• 30 million users via Mobile
• Mobile users 50% more active
Source: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

1. Social Media Landscape - the ‘oasis’
Robin Goad, Hitwise director of
research, said:
“UK Internet users are spending
less of their online time
shopping and more time
browsing online media”.
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/cmcukt

1. Social Media Landscape - the ‘oasis’
Upstream traffic from social
media now exceeds email.
Robin Goad, Hitwise director of
research, said:
“The growth of social
networking, online video and
the continuing popularity of
news websites has meant that
an increasing proportion of
consumers’ online time in the
UK has been devoted to online
media”.

2. Retail Uses

2. Retail Uses - Marketing
– ASOS Magazine
– “Just a magazine”
within the
Facebook browser
– No retail
capability
– No product
selection
– Very ‘old
fashioned’,
publishing
approach

2. Retail Uses - Marketing
– Nike has a better
use:
– engages user
in participation
– uses voting
and viral
dissemination
– brand-building
– a resource
– relaxed brand
voice

2. Retail Uses - Being a Fan
• Compare the
meerkat!
– Sustained, in-
character
campaign
– humour
– linking video, TV,
print and web
– Viral - 376,923
fans!

2. Retail Uses - Being a Fan
Awareness = up
Time on site = up
Integrated campaign.

2. Retail Uses

3. Retail Uses - Social Affiliates
• Integration
between site and
FB app
– Create on FB or
web
– Save/link each
way
– Share, rate, vote
– But commerce is
off-Facebook

3. Retail Uses - Disappointing
• Usage is still
basic
– Lacking in
revenue and
checkout
– Limited
integration
– Some affiliates
show the way
– Facebook itself is
limiting: data,
API, ownership.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: Oasis
• Oasis
– iPhone App (by
NN4M)
– Good integration
with product
– Newsletter and
storefinder
– Basket...
– ... but web still
used for
checkout.

3. Retail Uses - Great new arrival: ASOS Life
• ASOS Life
– Community site
– “fan” and topics
– No commerce as
yet
– Browser Bar (IE8)
is more
interesting - see
EMC presentation
on 9 June...

4. Other Options

4. Twitter
Twitter.com. 291st site in UK. 974% growth yoy.
4.5% of traffic goes to retailers... http://twitterfacts.blogspot.com/2009/01/twitter-traffic-according-to-hitwise.html

4. Twitter

4. Twitter

4. Twitter

4. Twitter

4. Reviews
83.85% higher
conversion (20+
reviews)
• Reviews becoming standard
• User “stories”, not just ratings
• 78%: “customer recommendations
are the most credible form of
advertising” (Nielsen)

4. Social Shopping and “co-retailing” or C2C
• Top style-setters become “Mavens” • Customers become sales-people
• Based on page views AND product • Social networks become retailers
clicks Co-shoppers as retailers (ThisNext)

5. Multichannel considerations

5. Multichannel considerations

5. Multichannel considerations
• Configuration
• Social
• Virtual and
real...
• Can do on a
mobile phone?
Copyright Icon Nicholson -
http://www.iconnicholson.com/
nrf07/

So?

So?
• Follow your customer - they’re using
social networks
• It’s not all about you though -
contribute, but not control
• ‘Conversational commerce’ - build
reputation, preference, brand
• Social media is greater than Facebook
- need to consider a consistent
approach and persona across channels
• Reflect your engagement on your site,
offline, by phone
• Don’t both if you’re not social and
don’t like you’re customers - it will
show!
★ Revenues are on the way...

Thank you.
Social Media in Retail
ACSEL Trade Mission
London, June 2009
Londres, Juin 2009
www.ianjindal.com (t @ianjindal)
www.internetretailing.net (t @etail)