2. The Birchbox Mission
to connect consumers and brands
through a discovery platform leveraging
trial, editorial context and an integrated
shop
that consistently delivers delight and
drives action.
3. Birchboxers’ Genre of Choice: “The Haul”
a video displaying the fruits of a shopping trip which someone uploads
to the Internet.
used by bloggers to connect with their readers and community, and
they are also used to generate communities of their own.
can attract substantial numbers of followers who watch, comment, and
sometimes film video responses.
(source: wisegeek.com)
4. Mirror Mirror On the Wall: Using UGC to
Learn About Making a Great Product
Surprise delights.
First impressions last.
Size matters. So does value.
Context is king.
Use UGC as a living, breathing window into the consumer.
Take what you see as honest feedback and act on it.
Use the same medium to engage and let her know you’ve heard her!
5. We Put the “I” in Viral: Working with Content
Creators to Spread the Word
Consumer content creators are your marketing extensions.
Good brand partners fuel the fire.
Currency comes in many colors.
Think broadly about who/what constitutes a channel
Engage in the conversation
Create incentives that are aligned to content creators’ objectives
6. The Holy Grail: Translating UGC into
Conversions
The line between engagement and conversion is not always
bright.
Sometimes people need a little encouragement.
Sometimes they need a lot.
Treat engagement tactics as a step on the conversion path
Reinforce your key message across social channels
Put tools and rewards in consumers’ hands, at critical moments
Gave insight into key brand pillars- unboxing phenomenon taught us that surprise and delight is a critical element --> now we try to foster this at a strategic levelOnce we realized that the unboxing thrill is defined by that first sighting - We started looking at the actual groupings of samples to see what the visual impression would be.we learn how people view the products and what they value. Size vs. price of samples -- size can have a better impression but when people read the card they can be impressed by a small sample of a pricey product too. They read the card aloud so we know it's important to them that their samples come with editorial context. We can see first-hand what makes sense to them and what doesn't. Example: Twistband - it looked like a throwaway, be thoughtful about packaging. If we did it again, would wrap it in tissue or make sure it came with a card. We ended up teaching them about twistband using their own medium – video! Become top selling product in August
The reason we were able to get so far without paying to acquire subscribers is because vloggers and bloggers did our marketing for us. Organic blogger and vlogger interest quickly taught us that we needed an intentional effort in this area . Not always about highest traffic drivers – could be a blogger with high conversion, or huge heart for usConcrete examples? X% of PR efforts goes towards them? Y product launched through them? worked on building relationships with the community so we can influence the conversation at times (ie have them write about stories we'd like them to feature).We want to be part of the conversation - we don't just want bloggers talking about us; we want them to be talking with us. strategic decision to stay away from 'pay to play’ --> credibility w the community of bloggers and consumers. The vloggers will even say “I paid for this”Give bloggers exclusives on products (give them stories), partner with them on giveaways (give them access), invite them to guest blog for a week on blog.birchbox.com (give them exposure) – also in the process of building a Birchblogger community for extra rewards.
1) Engagement leads to conversion, you cannot separate the two. Think of channels like FB as a step along the conversion path. …We found a natural cycle to our business where the box does the talking, then bloggers/vloggers do the talking, engagement posts drive conversion, vice versa….. Ie FB polls about products – encourages commentary and POV, which sparks trial (ie conversion). Also, We created a circular reference with product reviews – your voice gives you rewards, rewards make you want to shop!2) Recommendations, favorites, questions etc – these threads will be picked up by the community, repeated, reposted, etc. Make sure you believe in the things you choose to seed. Be prepared to reiterate them across channels so that the conversation takes off and you drive the intended conversion results. 3) We retweeted haul videos and posted our favorites on our blog (Favorite August Haul Videos etc) – use our own platform to put others’ content in consumers’ way. Or loyalty program – points. Trying something new – friendbuy. 2)
